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Divorced from her husband ("I gave heem back to his family"), Miliza Korjus now considers Hollywood her home. She owns the Spanish-style villa Rudolph Valentino built just before his death.
Even today, Miliza Korjus' vocal career is hard pressed by her zest for life. She dislikes singing in opera houses. "Averybody ees perspiring around," she explains, "the preema donnas are screaming, the stagehands are shouting. I am much uncomfortable een opera performances—besides, I do not like to haf to look over the heads of all the tenors" (she stands about 5 ft. 7 in her stocking feet).
Though she is a past master of the whole coloratura repertory, she has probably done less opera singing than any other important singer alive. As she expresses it: "I nevaire got seriously eento eet. To be a success you haf to fought for eet, and I didn't fought." After this week's recital it looked as though Korjus was destined for a U.S. operatic future, whether she fought or not.