Sweethearts, Sisters, and Soldiers

: Celebrity representations of patriotic femininity in Second World War War UK, US, and France

Abstract

The contributions of popular singers resonate deeply within contemporary and reflective accounts of the Second World War. Figures like Vera Lynn, the Andrews Sisters, and Joséphine Baker were and continue to be celebrated as ‘sensations,’ ‘tonics,’ and even ‘heroes.’ And yet, these popular singers are rarely the subject of scholarly study. This thesis seeks to address this disparity by seriously considering the contributions of those popular singers who so evidently made a lasting impact upon their Second World War audiences. Situated within the field of cultural history, this dissertation bridges celebrity studies and Second World War history to assess the contemporary cultural images of prominent wartime celebrities. It focuses on the wartime celebrity images of: Gracie Fields and Vera Lynn in the UK; Marlene Dietrich and the Andrews Sisters in the US; and Joséphine Baker and Anna Marly in France. A three-pronged approach to primary source collection is deployed, examining sources produced by the media, national audiences, and the celebrities themselves between 1939-45. This dissertation finds that far from superfluous, celebrities were actively enlisted in their respective
nation’s war efforts. Moreover, the ways in which these celebrities gained and retained their celebrity status evolved throughout the war, becoming increasingly tied to performances of citizenship. These performances were inherently gendered and reveal aspects about what it meant to be an ‘ideal woman at war.’ Applying Philomena’s Goodman concept of ‘patriotic femininity’ transnationally, this dissertation finds that the women in question, regardless of their nationality, were expected to uphold the morale of the soldier hero throughout the war. This indicates a transnational element of the civic duty of the ‘ideal woman’ at war. Ultimately, this dissertation restores the microphone back to the women responsible for creating the music that left such an impact on their wartime audiences, amplifying their voices for the scholarly community to hear.

Date of Award	2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Aberystwyth University
Supervisor	Sian Nicholas (Supervisor) & Arddun Arwyn (Supervisor)