Catherine M Guthrie, later known as Florence George, was born on December 21, 1911, in Ohio, to Florence and George Guthrie. She took her parents' first names as her professional stage moniker. Gifted musically and vocally, George attended Wittenberg College and graduated with a degree in music from the Chicago Conservatory.
She studied one-on-one with former Italian opera star Madame Amelia Galli-Curci and earned radio singing spots before making her operatic debut in "Rioletto" at the Chicago Civic Opera House. A Paramount talent scout discovered her performance and set up a screen test.
