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Rita Gaige
Conniving, gold-digging nightclub singer from the "I Sang for Love" story of Harvey Comics' romance comic book First Love Illustrated #3 (June 1949). She sings for the New York big band/dance band Duke Dyler's Band and is also bandleader Dyler's girlfriend.
One night at the club, wealthy debutante Sherry Bowen is celebrating her birthday, and her friends get her onstage with to sing. She's so surprisingly good, Gaige hatches a scheme. Get Bowen to be the singer, use her connections to advance Dyler's career, and Gaige won't have to work and will just live off Dyler's new wealth as his wife.
But Bowen isn't that interested in being a singer, so Dyler pitches woo to make Bowen fall in love with him so she'll sing for the band. After tennis, golf, and aqua-planing, she agrees to sing. The ladies love aqua-planing!
Bowen's debut is a success, and the band's career rises. But Gaige is fed up with being sidelined and when Gaige realizes Dyler has REALLY fallen for Bowen. She spills the beans to Bowen to shut her down. Bowen breaks up with Dyler and quits the band.
Dyler also quits and disappears. Later, when Bowen tries to find Dyler, Gaige says "I don't know and I don't care where he is! He's washed up! I don't waste time on has-beens!"
