Adele Smith

Adele Smith was born Adele Shenell on November 24, 1910 in Queens, New York. She started dancing as a child and at the age of thirteen she made her Broadway debut in Paradise Alley. In the Summer of 1924 she joined The George White's Scandals. Her mother, Lillian Smith, lied about her age so she could join the show. When someone found out she was only thirteen they filed a police complaint against her mother. The charges were eventually dropped and Adele was allowed to remain in the show. She briefly used the stage name Adele Mason. After three seasons she left the Scandals to join the Ziegfeld Follies. Adele was a talented singer and studied voice under Mischa Ferrera. The statuesque blonde frequently posed nude for Alfred Cheney Johnston. In 1927 she starred in the Broadway musical Yours Truly. She also appeared in the musicals Simple Simon, Whoopee, and Of Thee I Sing. Adele quit the stage when she married actor Bill Raisch. During World War 2 he tragically lost his arm in combat. The couple lived in California where Bill continued to work as an actor. Adele appeared as a extra in the films Pot O'Gold and Too Many Women. On April 4, 1981 she passed away at the age of seventy.