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274:. Her association with Arthur Murray lasted for three decades, during which time she rose through the ranks to own and manage a chain of nearly twenty schools. After retiring from her career with Arthur Murray, she went on to manage a horse ranch with her husband and returned to school, eventually earning several degrees.
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One of her pupils, inventor and engineer Paul Travis, became her husband after an 11-year courtship. They wed on March 19, 1949 and their marriage lasted over fifty years, until Paul's death in 2000. They had no children. After retiring from the dance studio business in 1968, Travis and her husband
435:, she performed under the stage names "Doris Levant" (her young niece's name) and "Lucille Levant". As soon as she turned sixteen, she began using her real name again. Wayburn was one of only a few people who were aware of her true age, and arranged for her mother to accompany her on the
610:. She later recalled that she was the only one still able to dance. The following year, Travis returned to Broadway and the New Amsterdam Theatre, the same venue where she had first appeared in 1918, 80 years earlier, to participate in the Easter Bonnet Competition, a benefit for
571:, and established a ranch. The initial 220-acre (89 ha) plot grew to 880 acres (356 ha), and many of the quarter-horses bred and raised on the ranch had success in racing. The ranch operated largely as a boarding facility, managed by Travis, until 2008.
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in New York as a tap dance instructor. She remained with the Arthur Murray company for thirty-two years, advancing from teaching to owning her own school. She eventually established and owned a total of eighteen Arthur Murray studios across
616:. She became the show's "lucky charm" and an audience favourite, and continued to appear in the production almost every year, often presenting renditions of her old dances to standing ovations from the audience.
629:. In 2001, she became the last surviving Ziegfeld Girl, following the death of Nona Otero Friedman (April 2, 1908 – August 3, 2001). She appeared in several documentaries and interviews about the
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for Poli. Doris and Mary were given the starring roles of Mytyl and Tyltyl. The siblings were subsequently invited to reprise their roles for a New York and road tour of the play, produced by the
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454:. Travis was not the only member of the Eaton family to prosper in the show: by 1922, siblings Mary, Pearl, Doris, Joe, and ten-year-old Charles had all performed in one edition of the
652:. Her last public appearance dancing was the opening of the 2010 Easter Bonnet show on April 27, 2010, with her last public appearance being an interview with author Stuart Lutz at a
523:, which has been shown on cable. At the age of 18, she married Joe Gorham, producer of the Gorham Follies. The union lasted for six months, ending when Gorham died of a heart attack.
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in
Washington, D.C. While Travis had a minor role in the show, as a sleeping child in the "Palace of Night" scene, it marked the beginning of her career in professional theatre.
244:(March 14, 1904 – May 11, 2010) was an American dancer, stage and film actress, dance instructor, owner and manager, writer, and rancher, who was the last surviving
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aumag.org, August 2004. The third question asks if Doris is a healthy girl and Doris answers, "Yes, I am. I don't take any medicine. I'm a
Christian Scientist, Ruby".
259:, an extended family of show-business performers. She made her Broadway debut in stage production at age 13, and a year later she was cast as a member of the famed
417:. When Travis accompanied Pearl to a rehearsal, dance supervisor Ned Wayburn spotted her and hired her for a role in the summer touring company of the 1918
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years, and her other stage endeavours. Travis had also returned to the stage as a featured performer in benefit performances. She died at the
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637:, in 2003, turning 100 in 2004. In 2006, she was the subject of a photo-collage biography by Pulitzer Prize nominee Lauren Redniss entitled
263:—the youngest ever cast in the show. She continued to perform in stage productions and silent films throughout the 1920s and early 1930s.
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371:, who had followed his four siblings into show business, resumed their work with Poli and appeared together in their first Broadway show,
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672:, at the age of 106. On May 12, the lights of Broadway were dimmed in her honour. She is interred in the Guardian Angel Cemetery in
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519:" and "The Doll Dance". Travis was the lyricist for the latter song, but did not receive due credit. In 1929 she also appeared in
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379:. The entire Eaton family relocated to New York City, where the children pursued their careers in various stage projects.
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482:. Her career flourished in the 1920s and early 1930s. She appeared in a number of additional silent films, including
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and remained a practitioner for the rest of her life. At the age of four, Travis began attending dance lessons in
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Travis would associate with
Ziegfeld for several years, appearing in the 1918, 1919, and 1920 editions of the
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When her career in stage and screen declined, Travis started a second career as a dance instructor for the
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1076:"Nearly) Oldest Living Ziegfeld Girl Tells All: 100-Year-Old Doris Eaton Visits New Amsterdam Once More"
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Century Girl: 100 Years in the Life of Doris Eaton Travis, Last
Surviving Star of the Ziegfeld Follies
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Century Girl: 100 Years in the Life of Doris Eaton Travis, Last Living Star of the
Ziegfeld Follies
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and her siblings and colleagues; she also published an autobiography and family history, entitled
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She began performing onstage as a young child, and along with her siblings, she was one of
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In
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She was one of seven children born to Mary (née
Saunders) and Charles H. Eaton in
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Travis made her motion picture debut at the age of 17 in the 1921 romantic drama
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By 1918, Pearl Eaton had become a dancer and assistant to the director with the
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entitled "On Your Toes" and hosted a local television program for seven years.
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In 1997, she and four former
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In 1999, she made her first film appearance in 70 years with a small role in
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1236:"Last Ziegfeld Folly performer Doris Eaton Travis interview 4-29-10 part 1"
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The day she finished the eighth grade, Travis began rehearsals to become a
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1216:"Doris Eaton Travis, Among the Last of the Ziegfeld Girls, Dead at 106"
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Doris Eaton Travis in April 2010, a month before her death, aged 106
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Travis was featured in several books and documentaries about the
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1123:"Oldest living Ziegfeld girl kicks off annual Art Deco Weekend"
1102:"Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. article, "What Makes A 'Ziegfeld Girl'"?
496:; performed in five different Broadway shows and danced in the
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1159:"Doris Eaton Travis, Last of the Ziegfeld Girls, Dies at 106"
321:. In 1911, all three sisters were hired for a production of
431:. To circumvent child labour laws and the attention of the
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In 1915, all three sisters appeared in a new production of
1267:"Doris E. Travis, Last of the Ziegfeld Girls, Dies at 106"
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in New York City from 1907 through 1931. Inspired by the
511:, Travis debuted two important songs, both composed by
1035:"Doris Eaton Travis, a former Ziegfeld Follies dancer"
991:"Doris Eaton Travis at the Internet Broadway Database"
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of Paris, the
Follies were conceived and produced by
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888:"Last Broadway Ziegfeld Follies Girl dies at 106"
401:. The Follies were a series of elaborate musical
1187:"Easter Bonnet Competition Raises $ 2.5 Million"
393:Eaton, as a member of The Ziegfeld Follies revue
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367:. When the show closed, Doris and her brother
599:. She was awarded an honorary doctorate from
531:Travis performed in her final Broadway show,
285:in 2010, a month after her last performance.
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1331:Profile of Travis from Art Deco Weekend 2008
102:Guardian Angel Cemetery, Rochester, Michigan
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270:and was a local television personality in
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1121:Orkin Emmanuel, Lisa (January 18, 2008).
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656:bookstore in Manhattan two days later.
210: 1949; died 2000)
187: 1923; died 1923)
1321:Interview with Midnight Palace in 2010
1246:from the original on December 14, 2021
1104:Musicals101.com, accessed May 12, 2010
1014:Musicals101.com, accessed May 12, 2010
1012:"Florenz Ziegfeld:Biography - Part II"
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1336:NPR: The Oldest Living Ziegfeld Girl
1214:Jones, Kenneth and Simonson, Robert.
664:On May 11, 2010, Travis died of an
587:In 1992, aged 88, Travis graduated
1405:American musical theatre actresses
1302:, New York, Harper Collins, 2006;
1125:. Associated Press. Archived from
890:. Associated Press. Archived from
25:
1189:. Playbill Online. Archived from
1185:Viagas, Robert (April 20, 2005).
1078:. Playbill Online. Archived from
1033:Wilson, Victoria (January 1999).
613:Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
450:. She was the understudy to star
1430:Actresses from Norfolk, Virginia
1265:Martin, Douglas (May 11, 2010).
1157:Martin, Douglas (May 12, 2010).
1370:20th-century American actresses
297:Doris Eaton Travis in her youth
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1440:American vaudeville performers
1410:American silent film actresses
550:In 1936, she was hired by the
142:dance school owner and manager
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1435:University of Oklahoma alumni
1375:American Christian Scientists
1326:Interview with Lauren Redniss
886:McElroy, Tom (May 11, 2010).
527:Dance instructor and ranching
956:Travis, Doris Eaton (2003).
1455:American women centenarians
791:Doris - the Leading Dancer
603:in 2004 at the age of 100.
552:Arthur Murray Dance Studios
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547:with her brother Charles.
48:Doris Eaton Travis in 1922
1450:American women memoirists
919:October 15, 2007, at the
509:Hollywood Music Box Revue
498:Hollywood Music Box Revue
462:was in the 1920 edition.
313:, along with her sisters
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1415:American stage actresses
1380:American child actresses
1147:Ancestry Library Edition
823:Singer at Club Joyzelle
1395:American film actresses
1385:American female dancers
373:Mother Carey's Chickens
257:The Seven Little Eatons
1225:Playbill, May 11, 2010
597:University of Oklahoma
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305:. She was raised as a
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121:University of Oklahoma
1390:Dancers from Virginia
1221:May 15, 2010, at the
608:New Amsterdam Theatre
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533:Merrily We Roll Along
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268:Arthur Murray Studios
1425:Deaths from aneurysm
1129:on February 21, 2008
757:The Call of the East
723:The Broadway Peacock
648:Weekend festival in
1420:Burials in Michigan
1400:American memoirists
674:Rochester, Michigan
517:Singin' in the Rain
323:Maurice Maeterlinck
307:Christian Scientist
1341:Doris Eaton Travis
1272:The New York Times
1164:The New York Times
1074:(April 17, 2004).
1045:on October 6, 2007
964:. Marquand Books.
960:The Days We Danced
740:Tell Your Children
670:Commerce, Michigan
654:Barnes & Noble
635:The Days We Danced
601:Oakland University
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485:Tell Your Children
472:At the Stage Door,
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354:Poli Stock Company
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242:Doris Eaton Travis
91:Commerce, Michigan
36:Doris Eaton Travis
1308:978-0-06-085333-4
1298:Redniss, Lauren.
1082:on April 24, 2005
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707:At the Stage Door
537:Music Box Theatre
303:Norfolk, Virginia
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156:Years active
139:dancer instructor
72:Norfolk, Virginia
16:(Redirected from
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448:Midnight Frolics
444:Ziegfeld Follies
415:Florenz Ziegfeld
399:Ziegfeld Follies
384:Ziegfeld Follies
365:Shubert Brothers
325:'s fantasy play
311:Washington, D.C.
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914:"Ruby's Rap"
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1365:2010 deaths
1360:1904 births
1197:February 6,
1133:February 6,
1086:February 6,
1049:February 6,
996:February 6,
818:Street Girl
680:Filmography
650:Miami Beach
575:Later years
541:Long Island
480:Billie Dove
476:silent film
319:Pearl Eaton
228:Pearl Eaton
197:Paul Travis
127:Occupations
58:Doris Eaton
18:Doris Eaton
1354:Categories
866:References
627:Jim Carrey
545:vaudeville
289:Early life
283:age of 106
223:Mary Eaton
174:Joe Gorham
64:1904-03-14
1250:March 25,
1170:March 25,
1039:Interview
595:from the
589:cum laude
567:moved to
535:, at the
474:opposite
235:(brother)
219:Relatives
159:1909–2010
1244:Archived
1219:Archived
917:Archived
666:aneurysm
646:Art Deco
557:Michigan
500:and the
419:Follies.
407:Broadway
230:(sister)
225:(sister)
1240:YouTube
898:May 12,
460:Follies
456:Follies
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427:in the
375:at the
369:Charles
344:Theatre
331:at the
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164:Spouses
148:rancher
133:Actress
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711:Betty
698:Notes
692:Title
403:revues
348:After
339:Career
145:writer
136:dancer
93:, U.S.
74:, U.S.
847:1999
830:1929
813:1929
798:1928
783:1923
769:1923
752:1922
735:1922
718:1922
703:1921
695:Role
689:Year
660:Death
625:with
494:Egypt
478:star
206:(
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1345:IMDb
1304:ISBN
1252:2019
1199:2008
1172:2019
1135:2008
1088:2008
1051:2008
998:2008
966:ISBN
900:2010
591:and
466:Film
317:and
315:Mary
80:Died
54:Born
1343:at
668:in
515:: "
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