Lillian Roth

Lillian Roth (December 13, 1910 – May 12, 1980) was an American singer and actress. Her life story was told in the 1955 film I'll Cry Tomorrow, in which she was portrayed by Susan Hayward, who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance. Early life Roth was born on December 13, 1910 in Boston, Massachusetts to Katie (née Silverman) and Arthur Rutstein, who were both Jewish. At the age of six, Roth was taken by her mother to Educational Pictures, where she became the company's trademark, symbolized by a living statue holding a lamp of knowledge. In her 1954 autobiography I'll Cry Tomorrow, Roth alleged that she had been molested by the man who had painted her as a statue. She attended the Professional Children's School in New York City with classmates Ruby Keeler and Milton Berle. In 1917, Roth made her Broadway debut as the character Flossie in The Inner Man. Her film debut occurred the following year, when she performed as an extra in the government documentary Pershing's Crusaders. She and her sister Ann also toured together during this period as Lillian Roth and Co., although at times they were billed as the Roth Kids. According to Roth's autobiography, one of the highlights of the tour was meeting U.S. president Woodrow Wilson, who attended the girls' vaudeville act and later allowed them to ride with him briefly in his chauffeur-driven car.