Unidentified Artist
Description
Born New Rochelle, New YorkOne of the most popular dancers of the early twentieth century, Irene Foote Castle entered motion pictures as the star of the World War I drama Patria (1917). Prior to her acclaim as a screen actor, she and her husband Vernon Castle were widely known for their performance in Irving Berlin’s musical Watch Your Step, which appeared at the height of a dance craze in the United States. The couple popularized African American music among their well-heeled white followers, as their dances were often set to jazz and ragtime. Irene was also an iconic fashion figure, introducing the “bob” haircut worn by flappers in the 1920s. Vernon, who was a military flying instructor, died in an airplane accident in 1918, just before the end of World War I. Irene married three more times, continuing to make a name for herself in film. She spent her later years advocating for animal rights.Nacida en New Rochelle, Nueva YorkIrene Foote Castle, una de las bailarinas más populares de principios del siglo XX, participó por primera vez en cine como protagonista del drama de la Primera Guerra Mundial titulado Patria (1917). Antes de su éxito como actriz de cine, ella y su marido Vernon Castle eran ya famosos por su actuación en el musical Watch Your Step de Irving Berlin, que se estrenó en el punto más alto de la locura por el baile en los Estados Unidos. La pareja popularizó la música afroamericana entre sus adinerados seguidores blancos, ya...
Image
Printed Illustration With Halftone On Paper
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Saul Zalesch
