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3 unusual facts about Oscar Levant


Gale Sisters

June Gale, born Doris Gilmartin (1911–1996), twin sister of Jane: wife successively of Oscar Levant and Henry Ephron

Henry Ephron

Coincidentally, his second wife, June (née Gilmartin; July 6, 1911 – November 13, 1996), widow of Oscar Levant, who wed Ephron in 1978, was also one of four sisters.

Jan Struther

In a possibly apocryphal story by fellow panelist Oscar Levant, her appearances on the show stopped abruptly after she answered a question by referring to Agatha Christie's book Ten Little Niggers, which was the original British title of the book Ten Little Indians (later retitled And Then There Were None).


Lady, Play Your Mandolin!

The title theme, written by Oscar Levant with lyrics by Irving Caesar, was a 1930 #5 pop hit sung by Nick Lucas and released by Brunswick Records, which had been purchased by Warner Brothers the previous year (Another recording, by the Havana Novelty Orchestra was released the same year on RCA's Victor Records).


see also