Blanche Yurka

This imposing-looking stage star of early 20th century Broadway was born Blanche Jurka to Bohemian immigrants on June 18, 1887 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Some references claim that she was brought to the United States as an infant and then raised in St. Paul. Her Czech parents saw a blossoming singing talent in their daughter and used their modest income to help pay for opera lessons. When the family moved to New York, Blanche earned a scholarship at age 15 and studied voice and ballet. She made her debut as a flower girl in the Metropolitan Opera school-sponsored production of "Parsifal", and then at the Met itself in a Czech-language version of "The Bohemian Girl". Within a few years, however, she experienced a different calling and found a stronger passion for legitimate acting. Initially a protégé of playwright/producer/director David Belasco, she took her first Broadway bow in a minor role in the 1907 play "Mrs. Warren's Profession" and, under the careful guidance of its star-turned-friend and mentor Jane Cowl, moved to increasingly larger roles.