| Toqa Hesham |
A Polish actress, born in Warsaw, as Lyda Pecjak. She married R. A. Golden, and after their divorce, she married pilot Bud Ernest (1935-1938), with whom she remained until her death. Her credits include Million Dollar Legs (1932), The Big Broadcast of 1936 (1935), Nobody's Baby (1937), and College Rhythm (1934). Roberti was born to a German father and a Polish mother. She was raised in the circus since her childhood. She toured with the circus in Europe and Asia and was a trapeze player. When the circus arrived in China, and her parents separated, Lyda was left behind in Shanghai. In 1927, she immigrated to California, became a singer in the vaudeville theater, and participated in the film Undersea Revue (1928), a short musical film. She was discovered by Broadway producer Lee Holtz in 1930 who brought her to New York to become the next year a star on Broadway. She made her first film in Hollywood, Dancers in the Dark (1932). Until 1935, she presented eight musical comedies for Paramount, and her unique singing style was also popular on radio and recordings. Her health deteriorated due to early heart disease, and she made three films with Columbia Pictures and MGM. She retired from film work and presented a comedy radio program with Al Jolson two days before her death from a heart attack at the age of 31 in Los Angeles, California, USA, on March 12, 1938.
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