42. She Collected Gold
In 1950, Ethel Merman made a smart move. She joined the cast of Call Me Madam—and it led her straight to a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical. Oh, but the glittering achievements didn't end there. Three years later, she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress when she reprised the role for the film adaptation. However, it wasn’t just her performance that caught everyone's attention.
Call Me Madam (1953), 20th Century Fox
43. Nobody Crossed Her
Ethel Merman’s feistiness was well documented. For instance, her stand-in recalled a story of how Ethel displayed said feistiness during a performance of Call Me Madam. While she was singing, an intoxicated audience member kept hollering at her, to the irritation of Ethel herself. Just as she reached the song’s end, however, she suddenly stopped—and did the unthinkable.
Call Me Madam (1953), 20th Century Fox
44. She Threw Him Out
In lieu of the rude interruptions, Ethel Merman stalked off the stage and made a beeline for the perpetrator. She physically grabbed him out of his seat and threw him out of the theater and into the streets herself. Then, she immediately returned to the stage and finished the song without missing a beat. The lesson? Don’t interrupt the diva, Ms. Merman.
Biography, Ethel Merman(1999), A&E
45. She Obeyed Her Husband
In 1953, Ethel Merman married for the third time. Her third husband was Robert Six, a Continental Airlines executive. Surprisingly, Ethel chose to become a housewife after she married him. Six, however, wasn’t happy with her decision. He wanted her to resume her career in hopes that her celebrity would be good promotion for the airline. So, he pushed Ethel to take the starring role in Happy Hunting. It was anything but a grand comeback.
46. Her Return Was Rough
Ethel’s return to the stage wasn’t an easy one. From the beginning, she argued with the composers. The drama spilled over to arguments with her co-star, Fernando Lamas, and his wife, who was often at the rehearsals. A few months after the show opened, she demanded to take out two of her least favorite songs and use songs written by a friend.
When the musical’s run ended, Ethel felt utterly relieved. Little did she know, another betrayal lay waiting for her in the shadows.
Biography, Ethel Merman(1999), A&E
47. She Faced Betrayal
Although Ethel reached a personal high with her next role as Rose Hovick in Gypsy, her personal life hit another devastating low. She discovered that her husband, Robert Six entertained a torrid affair behind her back. Once again, she had another divorce on her hands. However, this wasn't the only betrayal darkening her doorstep.
Biography, Ethel Merman(1999), A&E
48. She Trusted Him Entirely
Ethel’s magnificent performance in Gypsy stirred up some serious interest. Mervyn LeRoy, who helmed the movie version of the musical, saw many shows during its stage run and promised Ethel she would be cast in the movie. Ethel placed her trust in LeRoy and believed wholeheartedly that she had the role in the bag. However, before the end of the production’s run, she received some shocking news.
49. Her Greatest Disappointment
To her horror, Ethel Merman learned that she was not cast in the film adaptation of Gypsy. Instead, Rosalind Russell, a popular movie actress, won the role due to bankability and a background campaign. In contrast, Ethel had never had a solid movie career. Of the rejection, Merman said it was “the greatest professional disappointment of my life." However, this wasn’t the only slap in the face she endured.
Biography, Ethel Merman(1999), A&E
50. She Got Played Again
Still coping with the rejection, Ethel Merman joined the road tour of Gypsy. During one of the shows in LA, LeRoy saw her backstage to deliver news that Russell had fallen ill. He assured her the studio was going to cast her in the movie after all. With her hopes soaring high, she once again believed LeRoy and gave him the best seats for his friends and industry associates.
Unfortunately, LeRoy had played her for a fool. She did not get the part.
History's most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily.
51. She Had A Hollywood Marriage
Ethel Merman’s last marriage made Kim Kardashian’s 72-day marriage seem like an eternity. On June 27, 1964, she married actor Ernest Borgnine. However, the marriage quickly unraveled a mere 11 days later. Both parties filed for divorce separately with counterclaims of extreme cruelty. Borgnine claimed Ethel was jealous of his popularity—but, at the end of the day, Ethel had the greatest vengeance of all.
52. She Told It Like It Was
In her autobiography, Ethel paid tribute to her failed marriage in a special way. She especially titled a chapter, "My Marriage to Ernest Borgnine," and it consisted of a single blank page. Despite her history of broken hearts, the actress maintained her sense of humor when discussing her many failed romances: "We all make mistakes. That's why they put rubbers on pencils, and that's what I did. I made a few lulus!"
Biography, Ethel Merman(1999), A&E
53. She Couldn't Speak
During the last two decades of her life, Ethel continued to perform. But as she entered her later years, it became increasingly obvious that something was horribly wrong. The actress seemed to have trouble with her memory, and sometimes, even speaking was a struggle. However, her behavior concerned her friends the most. Ethel had become more erratic than ever before—and it led straight to a disturbing climax.
NARA & DVIDS Public Domain Archive
54. She Collapsed
Ethel Merman was LA-bound, ready to participate in the 55th Academy Awards—but she never made it to her destination. While getting ready to go, she collapsed. Rushed to the hospital, Ethel faced her mortality for the first time. The doctors believed that she'd had a stroke—but the final diagnosis was more terrifying than she'd ever imagined.
55. She Became Unrecognizable
As it turns out, Ethel suffered from stage four brain cancer, and sadly, the tumor was inoperable. Doctors gave the beloved actress only eight and a half months to live—and her rapid decline was the most heartbreaking part of all. Once vivacious and beautiful, poor Ethel Merman lost all of her hair, her face swelling beyond recognition. Her days were numbered—but her family and manager concealed the brutal nature of her illness from the outside world.
56. She Had A Private Passing
Until the very end, Ethel Merman strove to keep her personal life safely tucked behind closed doors. Her son Robert Jr. even stated, "Mom truly appreciated [her fans'] presence and their applause. But you shouldn't attempt to be personal—she drew lines, and she could cut you off." And so, her loved ones treated her pending demise in the way she would have wanted.
Sadly, Ethel Merman's extraordinary life came to a quiet end on February 15, 1984, after a 10-month battle with the disease. In memory of their stage queen, all Broadway theaters dimmed their lights at 9 pm.
