Dorothy Lamour: The Life Story Behind Hollywood's Sarong Star
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Dorothy Lamour was the Sarong Queen of Hollywood, and she wore that title with a smile. She was a beautiful woman with dark hair, a warm voice, and a laugh that made audiences happy. She played in tropical films, wearing a sarong, a long piece of cloth wrapped around her body, and she became famous for that image. But she was much more than a sarong. She was a singer, an actress, and a comedian, and she was one of the most popular stars of the nineteen forties. She made the Road films with Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, and those films are still loved today for their humour, their songs, and their friendship.
She was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and she grew up in Chicago, where she worked as a singer. She won a beauty contest, she sang on the radio, and she was discovered by a film studio. She was still a young woman when she became a star, and she worked hard to learn her craft. She was not a trained actress, but she was a natural, and she had a warmth that came through on screen. She was also a woman who knew how to laugh at herself, and that made her a perfect partner for Crosby and Hope, two of the funniest men in Hollywood.
Her life was happier than the lives of many stars of her time. She was married twice, and her second marriage lasted for thirty five years, until her husband died. She had two sons, she lived in California, and she worked on stage and on television into her seventies. She died in nineteen ninety six, at the age of eighty one, and she was remembered as a kind and generous woman, a good mother, and a star who had brought joy to millions of people. This is the story of Dorothy Lamour, the Sarong Queen, and the life behind the sarong.
A Girl From New Orleans Who Loved to Sing
Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton was born on 10 December 1914 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her father worked for a railroad, and her mother looked after the home. The family was not rich, but they were close, and Dorothy grew up in a warm and lively home. New Orleans was a city of music, and Dorothy heard jazz, blues, and songs from the time she was a small child. She loved to sing, and she sang at home, at school, and in church. She had a warm and clear voice, and people liked to hear her sing.
When she was still a child, her parents separated, and her mother took her to Chicago to live. Chicago was a big city, and it was full of music, radio, and theatre. Dorothy went to school, she made friends, and she kept singing. She was a pretty girl, with dark hair and a bright smile, and she liked to perform. She took singing lessons, she sang in school shows, and she dreamed of becoming a professional singer. Her mother supported her, and she encouraged her to follow her dreams.
In nineteen thirty one, when she was sixteen years old, she won the Miss New Orleans beauty contest, a title that was given to the most beautiful girl in the city. The contest brought her attention, and it gave her a chance to sing on the radio. She began to sing on local radio shows, and people in Chicago began to notice her. She was still a teenager, but she was already a singer, and she was on her way to a career in show business. She was a young woman with a beautiful voice and a bright smile, and she was ready to work.
She began to sing with bands, and she travelled with them, performing in clubs and in dance halls. She sang with the band of Herbie Kay, a popular bandleader, and she married him in nineteen thirty five. The marriage lasted only four years, and it ended in divorce in nineteen thirty nine. She was young, she was working hard, and she was learning about life on the road. She was a singer, and she was good at it, but she wanted more. She wanted to act, and she wanted to be in films, and she was about to get her chance.
The Jungle Princess and the Sarong Queen
In nineteen thirty six, Dorothy Lamour went to Hollywood, and she was signed by Paramount Pictures. Her first big film was The Jungle Princess, which came out in nineteen thirty six. She played Ulah, a young woman who lives in the jungle on a tropical island, and who falls in love with a man who comes to the island. She wore a sarong in the film, a long piece of cloth that was wrapped around her body, and the image became famous. Audiences loved her in the sarong, and the studio gave her more films in the same style. She became known as the Sarong Queen, and the name stuck for the rest of her life.
The Jungle Princess was a success, and it made her a star. She was beautiful, she was exotic, and she had a warmth that made audiences like her. She was not a distant star. She was a friendly and approachable woman, and people felt that they knew her. She made more tropical films in the years that followed, including The Hurricane in nineteen thirty seven, a drama about a storm on a Pacific island, in which she played a young woman who loves a man who is wrongly accused of a crime. The film was a success, and it showed that she could act in a serious drama as well as in a light adventure.
She was also a singer, and she sang in her films. Her voice was warm and clear, and she sang songs that were simple and lovely. She was a versatile performer, and she could sing, act, and dance. She was a star who worked hard, and she was a star who was loved by audiences. She was also a woman who knew how to laugh at herself, and that made her a perfect partner for comedy. She did not take herself too seriously, and she was willing to be funny, even if it meant looking silly. That is a rare quality in a beautiful star, and it is one of the reasons people loved her.
The sarong became her trademark, and it was both a help and a problem. It made her famous, and it gave her a clear image, but it also meant that people saw the sarong before they saw the actress. She wanted to be known for her singing and her acting, but the sarong was always there. She handled it with grace and humour, and she wore the sarong with pride. She knew that it had made her a star, and she was grateful for it, even if she sometimes wished that people would see more than the cloth she wore.
The Road Films With Crosby and Hope
In nineteen forty, Dorothy Lamour began the work that would make her most famous, the Road films with Bing Crosby and Bob Hope. The first was Road to Singapore, which came out in nineteen forty, and it told the story of two friends who travel to a tropical island, meet a beautiful woman, and get into funny adventures. Lamour played the woman, and Crosby and Hope played the two friends who both loved her. The film was a success, and it began one of the most loved series in film history.
The films that followed were Road to Zanzibar in nineteen forty one, Road to Morocco in nineteen forty two, Road to Utopia in nineteen forty six, Road to Rio in nineteen forty seven, and Road to Bali in nineteen fifty two. Each film was a light comedy, with songs, jokes, and exotic locations, and each one was a hit. Lamour was the straight woman in the films, the beautiful and sensible woman who kept the two funny men in line. She sang, she acted, and she made the films work. Without her, the films would not have been the same, and Crosby and Hope knew it. They respected her, and they liked working with her.
Road to Morocco is still the most famous of the Road films, and it is still loved today for its humour and its songs. Lamour played a princess who is rescued by Crosby and Hope, and she sang and danced in the film. She was beautiful, funny, and warm, and she held her own beside two of the funniest men in Hollywood. The films were made during the Second World War, and they gave audiences a happy escape from the worries of the time. People went to the cinema to laugh, to sing, and to forget their troubles for a while, and Lamour helped them do that.
She was a good friend to both Crosby and Hope, and they remained friends for the rest of their lives. She appeared in a final Road film, Road to Hong Kong, in nineteen sixty two, though her part in that film was small, and a younger actress played the leading lady. She was graceful about the change, and she was happy to be part of the series again, even in a small role. The Road films are her legacy, and they are still shown on television today, bringing joy to new audiences who were not born when they were made. That is a wonderful thing to leave behind.
Marriage, Family, and a Happy Home
In nineteen forty three, Dorothy Lamour married William Ross Howard III, a businessman who worked in advertising. The marriage lasted for thirty five years, until Howard died in nineteen seventy eight, and it was a happy one. Lamour had found the right person at last, and she treasured the marriage. They had two sons, John and Richard, and Lamour was a devoted mother. She loved her family, and she worked hard to balance her career with her home life. She was a star, but she was also a wife and a mother, and she did all three well.
She and Howard lived in California, and they built a comfortable home for their family. Lamour worked in films, on stage, and on television, but she always came home to her family. She was a woman who valued her home, and she did not let fame take it away from her. She was also a woman who was generous with her time and money, and she supported charities and causes that she believed in. She was known in Hollywood as a kind and friendly person, and people liked her. She was not a difficult star, and she was not a star who caused trouble. She was a professional, and she was a friend.
Her first marriage, to Herbie Kay, had ended in divorce, but her second marriage was very different. Howard was a steady and kind man, and he supported her career. He did not want her to stop working, and he did not want her to give up her fame. He wanted her to be happy, and he helped her to be happy. That is a good marriage, and it is one that many people admire. Lamour was lucky to find Howard, and she knew it. She spoke of him with love for the rest of her life, and she missed him deeply after he died.
She was also a grandmother, and she enjoyed her family life in her later years. She was a woman who had been a star, a singer, and an actress, and she was also a woman who had a happy home. That is a rare combination in Hollywood, and it is one that deserves to be remembered. Many stars have fame but no home, or a home but no fame. Lamour had both, and she was grateful for both. She was a happy woman, and her happiness showed in her work, in her smile, and in her life.
Later Work on Stage and Television
In the nineteen fifties and sixties, Dorothy Lamour continued to work, though the big film roles became fewer. She appeared on television, in shows and in specials, and she worked on stage in musicals and plays. She was a versatile performer, and she could sing, act, and dance on stage as well as on screen. She toured with shows, she performed in Las Vegas, and she kept in touch with the audience that had loved her since the nineteen thirties. She was a star who loved to perform, and she did not want to stop.
She also wrote a book about her life, My Side of the Road, which was published in nineteen eighty, and in it she told the story of her career in her own words. She wrote about the Road films, about Crosby and Hope, about her marriages, and about her family. She wrote with warmth and humour, and she did not pretend that her life was perfect. She wrote about the hard parts, the early struggles, and the loss of her husband, and she also wrote about the joy of performing and the love of her family. The book was well received, and it gave readers a clear picture of a life that had been both bright and happy.
She appeared in films from time to time in her later years, and she was honoured by the film industry for her long career. She was a woman who had worked for more than fifty years, and she had done it with grace and with professionalism. She was also a woman who had kept her dignity, and who had not let fame change her. She was the same friendly and warm person she had been as a young singer in Chicago, and people who met her in her later years said that she was still charming, still funny, and still full of life.
She lived in California in her later years, and she stayed close to her sons and her grandchildren. She was a grandmother who loved her family, and she enjoyed her quiet life. She was honoured by her fans, and she was remembered with affection by people who had watched her films as children. She was one of the last living stars of the golden age of Hollywood, and she carried that honour with grace. She had been the Sarong Queen, and she was proud of it, and she was also proud of the life she had built beyond the sarong.
The Final Years and a Life Well Lived
Dorothy Lamour died on 22 September nineteen ninety six at her home in North Hollywood, California, at the age of eighty one. She had died of a heart attack, and her death was reported around the world. Tributes came from actors, singers, and fans, and many of them spoke about her warmth, her humour, and her kindness. Bob Hope, who had been her friend and co-star for more than fifty years, spoke with great sadness about her death, and he said that she had been a wonderful partner and a wonderful friend. She was buried in a private family service, and her legacy lives on in her films.
Her films are still shown today, and the Road films are still loved by people who were not born when they were made. Her songs are still played, her image in the sarong is still famous, and her name is still known. She was a star, a singer, an actress, and a mother, and she did all of those things with warmth and with joy. She lived a long and happy life, and she died at eighty one, after a career that had lasted for more than sixty years. That is a life to admire, and it is a life that still has something to teach anyone who wants to work in films.
She is remembered as the Sarong Queen, but she was much more than that. She was a woman who sang, who acted, who laughed, and who loved her family. She was a friend to Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, and she was a partner who made their films work. She was a mother who raised two sons, and a wife who was married for thirty five years. She was a happy woman, and her happiness is the heart of her story. She was Dorothy Lamour, and the world was a happier place because she was in it.
She was also a singer who understood the power of a simple song. She did not try to be a great opera singer, and she did not try to be clever. She sang with a warm and clear voice, and she made the songs feel personal. When she sang in the Road films, the audience felt as if she were singing to them, and that feeling made the films work. She was a singer who knew her voice, and who used it well, and that is a skill that many singers never learn. She sang with feeling, and she sang with joy, and that joy is still in her films today.
Her life also shows how much the world of entertainment changed during her lifetime. She began on the radio, when people listened to music in their homes, and she ended her career on television and on stage, when films could be watched at home. She saw the coming of sound in films, the rise of colour, the growth of television, and the change from big studio contracts to a freer kind of work. She adapted to each change, and she did it without losing her love of performing. That ability to adapt is rare, and it is one of the reasons her career lasted so long.
She was also a woman who loved her home town of New Orleans, and who carried its music with her for the rest of her life. New Orleans was a city of jazz, of songs, and of joy, and Dorothy learned to sing there. She took that music to Chicago, to Hollywood, and to the world, and she shared it with millions of people. That is a beautiful thing, to take the music of your home and to share it with the world. She did that, and she did it with pride, and she never forgot where she came from.
My Take:
When I think about Dorothy Lamour, the first thing I feel is happiness, because her life was a happy one, and her films are happy films. She was not a tragic star, and she was not a star who burned out young. She was a woman who worked hard, who loved her family, and who lived to eighty one with her dignity intact. That is a rare thing in Hollywood, and it is a thing to admire. She was the Sarong Queen, and she wore that title with a smile, and she did not let it trap her. She was a singer, an actress, and a comedian, and she did all of those things well.
I admire her for the Road films, because they are some of the happiest films ever made. She, Crosby, and Hope made audiences laugh, and they did it with songs, jokes, and friendship. Lamour was the heart of those films, the beautiful and sensible woman who kept the two funny men in line. Without her, the films would not have worked, and Crosby and Hope knew it. They respected her, and they liked working with her. That is a good partnership, and it is a partnership that lasted for more than twenty years. I think that is a wonderful thing, and it is a thing that many people can learn from. Work with people you like, respect each other, and make something that makes people happy.
Her marriage to William Ross Howard also impresses me, because it lasted for thirty five years, and it was a happy one. She had been married before, and that marriage had ended, but she found the right person in the end, and she stayed with him until he died. That is a long marriage, and it is a happy one, and it is a sign that she knew what she wanted. She wanted a home, a family, and a husband who loved her, and she found all three. She was lucky, but she was also wise, because she chose well, and she worked at the marriage. A good marriage does not happen by accident. It happens because two people work at it, and Lamour and Howard worked at it for thirty five years.
I also think about her sarong, and how she handled it with grace. The sarong made her famous, and it could have trapped her, but she did not let it. She wore it with pride, she laughed about it, and she moved on to other kinds of work. She sang, she acted in comedies, she worked on stage, and she wrote a book. She was not only the girl in the sarong. She was a complete performer, and she proved it again and again. I respect that, because it shows that she was not afraid to be more than one thing. She was a singer, an actress, and a mother, and she did all of those things well.
What I love most about her story is that she was happy. Many stars are not happy, even when they are famous, but Lamour was happy. She had a family, she had friends, she had work that she loved, and she had a home. She did not chase fame for ever, and she did not try to be young for ever. She grew older with grace, she worked on stage and on television, and she enjoyed her life. That is a good way to live, and it is a way that many people should think about. Fame is not the only way to be happy. A family, a home, and work that you love are more important, and Lamour had all three.
I think about her book, My Side of the Road, and how it shows her humour and her honesty. She wrote about her life in her own words, and she did it with warmth. She did not pretend that her life was perfect, and she did not blame other people for her troubles. She told the truth, and she did it with a smile. That is a brave thing to do, and it is a thing that many stars do not do. She was proud of her work, and she was proud of her family, and she shared both with her readers. I respect that, and I think her book is a gift to anyone who wants to understand what it was like to be a star in the golden age of Hollywood.
If I compare her with other stars of her time, what stands out is her kindness. She was known in Hollywood as a kind and friendly person, and people liked her. She was not difficult, she was not angry, and she did not cause trouble. She was a professional, and she was a friend. That is not a small thing. In a business where many stars are known for being hard to work with, Lamour was known for being easy to work with, and people loved her for it. I think that kindness is her real legacy, more than any film or song. She was a kind person, and the world felt that kindness in her work.
For a young reader, I think the lesson is simple. Work hard, be kind, and do not take yourself too seriously. Dorothy Lamour worked hard, she was kind to everyone she met, and she laughed at herself. She wore a sarong, she sang, she acted, and she made people laugh. She did not pretend to be perfect, and she did not try to be someone she was not. She was herself, and she was happy being herself. That is a good way to live, and it is a good way to build a career. Be yourself, work hard, and be kind, and you will find happiness, even if you are not the biggest star in the world.
I also think her story teaches us to value friendship. She was friends with Crosby and Hope for more than fifty years, and that friendship lasted through good times and bad. They worked together, they laughed together, and they stayed friends when the films ended. That is a rare thing, and it is a beautiful thing. Friendship is more important than fame, and Lamour knew that. She kept her friends, she kept her family, and she kept her happiness. That is a life to admire, and it is a life that still has something to teach us today.
In the end, I think Dorothy Lamour matters because she brought joy to people, and because she did it with warmth and with kindness. Her films are still loved, her songs are still sung, and her name is still known. She was a star, a singer, an actress, and a mother, and she did all of those things with a smile. She died at eighty one, at home, after a long and happy life, and that is a fine way to go. I am glad she lived so long, and I am glad she had time to enjoy her family and her work. She deserved that happiness, after a life of hard work and hard choices, and she earned it with a lifetime of kindness. She was the Sarong Queen, and she was much more than that, and the world was a happier place because she was in it.
One more thought stays with me. When I watch the Road films today, I see three friends who are having fun, and I feel happy too. That is a simple thing, but it is a powerful thing. A film made more than eighty years ago can still make people laugh, and that is the magic of Dorothy Lamour, Bing Crosby, and Bob Hope. They gave joy to people who needed it, during a war and after it, and they kept giving it long after the films were made. That is a beautiful legacy, and it is one that deserves to be remembered with love and with respect.
I also think about the war years, and how important her films were to people who were far from home. Soldiers watched the Road films, they laughed, they sang, and they felt a little less alone. That is a real gift, and it is one that Lamour gave without thinking about it. She was making comedies, and she was having fun, but she was also helping people who were going through hard times. That is the power of a happy film, and it is a power that we should not dismiss. A film that makes people laugh in a hard time is a useful film, and Lamour made many of them.
There is another lesson in her story, about the value of a good sense of humour. She was a beautiful woman, and she could have taken herself very seriously, but she did not. She laughed at herself, she made jokes, and she was willing to look silly in a comedy. That takes a kind of confidence that many beautiful people do not have. She knew that she was more than her looks, and she was not afraid to show it. That is a good example for anyone who is judged by their appearance. You are more than the way you look, and you can prove it by laughing, by working, and by being yourself.
When I think about her at eighty one, living in California, surrounded by her family, I feel glad for her. She had worked for more than sixty years, she had been a star, a singer, and an actress, and she had lived a long and happy life. She had lost her husband, but she had her sons, her grandchildren, and her friends, and she had the memory of a career that had brought joy to millions of people. She died at home, at eighty one, after a life that had been both bright and happy. That is a good ending, and it is one she earned with a lifetime of work and kindness.
I also think her story is a reminder that a happy life is possible in Hollywood, even if it is rare. Many stars have sad lives, but Lamour had a happy one, and she proved that it can be done. She had a family, she had friends, she had work that she loved, and she had a home. She did not let fame ruin her life, and she did not let the sarong define her. She was a person first, and a star second, and that is the right order. That is a lesson for all of us, famous or not. Be a person first, and let the rest follow.
In the end, I think Dorothy Lamour teaches us that joy is a serious thing, and that making people happy is important work. She made films that made people laugh, she sang songs that made people smile, and she lived a life that made her family happy. She was not a tragic star, and she was not a star who burned out. She was a star who shone steadily for more than sixty years, and who left the world a happier place than she found it. That is a fine legacy, and it is one that deserves to be remembered with love and with respect.
I will remember Dorothy Lamour as a woman who sang, who laughed, and who made the world a little brighter. She was the Sarong Queen, and she was much more than that, a singer, an actress, a mother, and a friend. Her films will still be watched, her songs will still be sung, and her name will still be known. That is a fine legacy, and it is one she earned with every song she sang and every film she made.
When I watch a Road film today, I see a woman who is enjoying herself, and I feel that joy too. She is singing, she is laughing, and she is making two funny men even funnier. That joy is real, and it is catching, and it is the reason people still watch those films. Dorothy Lamour gave joy to the world, and the world is still grateful for it.
I also think about how much she gave to the world of music and film, and how young performers still learn from her today. They watch the Road films, they listen to her songs, and they try to copy her warmth and her humour. She taught them that a performer must be kind, must work hard, and must love the audience. That is a lesson that will last as long as people sing and act, and it is a legacy that no award can match. She was a teacher as well as a star, because her films are her classroom, and performers are still her students.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Dorothy Lamour born and when did she die?
Dorothy Lamour was born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton on 10 December 1914 in New Orleans, Louisiana, and she died on 22 September 1996 at her home in North Hollywood, California, at the age of eighty one. Her career lasted more than sixty years, from singing on the radio in the nineteen thirties to stage and television work in her seventies.
Why was Dorothy Lamour called the Sarong Queen?
She earned the name after her first big film, The Jungle Princess, in nineteen thirty six, in which she wore a sarong, a long cloth wrapped around her body. The image became famous, audiences loved it, and the studio gave her more tropical films in the same style.
What were the Road films?
The Road films were a series of light comedies starring Dorothy Lamour with Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, beginning with Road to Singapore in nineteen forty and including Road to Zanzibar, Road to Morocco, Road to Utopia, Road to Rio, and Road to Bali. They were funny, musical, and very popular, and they are still loved today.
Who was Dorothy Lamour married to?
She was married twice, first to the bandleader Herbie Kay from nineteen thirty five to nineteen thirty nine, and then to the businessman William Ross Howard III from nineteen forty three until his death in nineteen seventy eight. She had two sons, John and Richard, with Howard.
Did Dorothy Lamour write a book?
Yes, she wrote an autobiography called My Side of the Road, published in nineteen eighty, in which she told the story of her career, the Road films, her marriages, and her family, in her own warm and honest words.
What did Dorothy Lamour do in her later years?
She worked on stage and on television, performed in musicals and plays, toured, and appeared in films from time to time. She lived in California with her family, and she was honoured for her long career in film and music.
What was Dorothy Lamour’s most famous film?
Many people name Road to Morocco from nineteen forty two as her most famous film, though The Jungle Princess from nineteen thirty six made her a star, and The Hurricane from nineteen thirty seven showed her as a serious actress. The Road films as a group are her best known work.
