Ruth Etting

From Wikipedia Ruth Etting (November 23, 1896 – September 24, 1978) was an American singer and actress who had over 60 hit recordings and worked in stage, radio, and film in the 1920s and 1930s. Nicknamed "America's sweetheart of song,” her signature tunes were "Shine On, Harvest Moon", "Ten Cents a Dance" and "Love Me or Leave Me". Some of her other popular recordings included "Button Up Your Overcoat", "Mean to Me", "Exactly Like You" and "Shaking the Blues Away". In Hollywood, Etting made several short films between 1929 and 1936, and three feature films in 1933 and 1934. In 1936, she appeared in London in Ray Henderson's Transatlantic Rhythm. Her life was the basis for the fictionalized 1955 biopic Love Me or Leave Me, which starred Doris Day (as Etting), James Cagney (as Martin “Moe” Snyder) and Cameron Mitchell (as Myrl Alderman). Etting, Myrl Alderman and Moe Snyder all sold their rights to the story to MGM. Shortly before her death, Etting said that Doris Day’s portrayal of her was too “tough” and that Jane Powell would have been a better choice for the role. For her work in films, Etting has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located on the north side of the 6500 block of Hollywood Boulevard.