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Martha Raye, affectionately known as "The Big Mouth" for
her over-the-top brash comedic style, was literally born into show business.
Her vaudeville parents, Pete Reed and Mabelle Hooper, were performing at a
Butte, Montana theatre when Martha decided to make her debut. Ever the
trooper, her mother was back on stage just two days after her daughter's
birth. By 1936, Martha was on contract with
Paramount and making her screen debut opposite Bing Crosby in RHYTHM ON THE
RANGE. Her penchant for physical comedy and versatility with a song
lyric in such musicals as THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE, NAVY BLUES, KEEP 'EM
FLYING and PIN-UP GIRL quickly established her as one of America's
best-loved performers of the World War II era. She
tirelessly worked for the war effort throughout most of her career
entertaining troops during World War II, Korea and Vietnam. For her
considerable contributions, she was honored with the Presidential Medal of
Freedom and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. On
Broadway, she was one of the many replacements for Carol Channing during the
original run of HELLO DOLLY and played smart-talking maid Pauline in the
revival of NO NO NANETTE. Television audiences know
her as Benita Bizarre in the children's TV series THE BUGALOOS, Agatha in
MCMILLAN AND WIFE and as Mel's mom, Carrie Sharples, in ALICE. She also
played saucy Grandma Bertha in the 1981 TV version of the hit musical PIPPIN
starring William Katt and Chita Rivera. |
