Hazel Forbes

Who was Hazel Forbes?

Hazel Forbes was an American dancer and actress from Gettysburg, South Dakota. She was blond and petite. Her true surname was Froidevaux.

Her professional career began at one of the Atlantic City, New Jersey beauty pageants where she won honors as Miss Long Island. Forbes was 16 when she was chosen Miss United States in the Paris International Beauty Pageant of 1926. She became a showgirl in New York City at the age of 17 in 1927. She was hired away from Florenz Ziegfeld and his Ziegfeld Follies by Broadway theatre producer Earl Carroll. This was for a January 1929 production at his Earl Carroll Theatre. Carroll tempted Forbes with a substantial offer for a new dance review. Ziegfeld eventually won the struggle and Forbes starred in Whoopee and other shows, in support of Eddie Cantor.

Forbes married automobile salesman, Harry Judson, in 1928. In 1931 she wed Paul O. Richmond in Kennedyville, Maryland. They were happy together but Richmond died suddenly in 1932. He left Forbes a fortune estimated at $3,000,000 from his toothpaste and hair shampoo interests.

After Richmond's death Forbes went to Hollywood and made Bachelor Bait and Down To Their Last Yacht, both films from 1934. She received a series of threatening letters which dissuaded her from continuing in motion pictures. She donated her salary as a movie extra to charity because of the money she was willed by Richmond.