Charlotte Greenwood
Born
Frances Charlotte Greenwood

(1890-06-25)June 25, 1890
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedDecember 28, 1977(1977-12-28) (aged 87)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actress, dancer
Years active1915–61
Spouse(s)Cyril Ring (1915–22; divorced)
Martin Broones (1924–71; his death)
Charlotte Greenwood was known for being a very limber performer.
lithograph poster for Greenwood's follow up Letty play, Linger Longer Letty, 1919.
Charlotte Greenwood in Down Argentine Way (1940)

Frances Charlotte Greenwood (June 25, 1890 – December 28, 1977) was an American actress and dancer. Born in Philadelphia, Greenwood started in vaudeville, and starred on Broadway, movies and radio. Standing almost six feet tall (some sources say 5'10"), she was best known for her long legs and high kicks. She earned the unique praise of being, in her words, the "only woman in the world who could kick a giraffe in the eye."[1]

Theatre

Between 1909 and 1912 Greenwood performed in vaudeville as part of a sister act, "Burnam and Greenwood."[2] The act broke up when Greenwood was hired for the Winter Garden Revue.[3]

In 1913, Oliver Morosco cast her as Queen Ann Soforth of Oogaboo late in the run of L. Frank Baum and Louis F. Gottschalk's The Tik-Tok Man of Oz (better known in its novelization as Tik-Tok of Oz).[4] In 1916, Morosco commissioned a successful star vehicle stage play titled So Long Letty.[5] In 1919 Morosco brought her back in the sequel Linger Longer Letty.[6] This role made her a star; she reprised it in the 1929 movie of the same name.

She appeared with actors including Charles Ruggles, Betty Grable, Jimmy Durante, Eddie Cantor, Buster Keaton, and Carmen Miranda. Most of Greenwood's best work was done on the stage, and was lauded by such critics as James Agate, Alexander Woollcott, and Claudia Cassidy. One of her most successful roles was that of Juno in Cole Porter's Out of This World [7] in which she introduced the Porter classic "I Sleep Easier Now". She had some discomfort with that play, as she had become a devout Christian Scientist and feared the play was too risqué.[8][9]

Film

Greenwood appeared in numerous movies. When not showcasing her trademark high kicks and splits in comic roles for musicals, she played occasional serio-comic roles such as Lon McAllister's aunt in Home in Indiana. Her last memorable role was as the feisty Aunt Eller in the 1955 film adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! (1955), starring Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones.[10]

Radio

Greenwood had her own radio program, The Charlotte Greenwood Show, a sitcom. It was broadcast from 1944 to 1946, first on ABC and later on NBC.[11] She also was in "Home in Indiana" on Lux Radio Theatre October 2, 1944.[12]

Recordings

Greenwood ventured into recorded music with an album of songs from Cole Porter's musical Out of This World and another from the musical comedy Oh, by Jingo.[13]

Personal life

Greenwood first married actor Cyril Ring, brother of actress Blanche Ring. They divorced. Her second husband was composer Martin Broones. He died in 1971.[14] Both unions were childless.

In her post-retirement years, this comedienne who, in her own words, was “the only woman in the world who could kick a giraffe in the eye”, suffered severely from arthritis. She and Broones were Christian Scientists – he was a C.S. practitioner and teacher of Christian Science for over two decades, and consulted with Doris Day in that capacity. Greenwood also became a listed public Christian Science practitioner until her death in 1977, using the name Charlotte Greenwood Broones.

Greenwood died in Los Angeles at age 87. She had been out of the public eye for decades, and it was months before the world took notice.[15]

Stage work

Stage credits of Charlotte Greenwood
Date Title Role Ref(s)
Jul 22, 1912 - Nov 16, 1912 The Passing Show of 1912 Performer [16]
Jan 23, 1913 - Mar 08, 1913 The Man with Three Wives Performer [17]
Jul 24, 1913 - Sep 1913 The Passing Show of 1913 Performer [18]
Sep 21, 1914 - Oct 31, 1914 Pretty Mrs. Smith Letititia Proudfoot [19]
1916 The Tik-Tok Man of Oz Queen Ann Soforth [4]
Oct 23, 1916 - Jan 13, 1917 So Long Letty Letty Robbins [20]
Oct 23, 1916 - Jan 1917 Les So Long Performer [5]
Nov 20, 1919 - Jan 21, 1920 Linger Longer Letty Letty [6]
Apr 10, 1922 - May 6, 1922 Letty Pepper Letty Pepper [21]
Oct 23, 1922 - Aug 04, 1923 Music Box Revue [1922-23] Performer [22]
Sep 17, 1924 - Dec 1924 Hassard Short's Ritz Revue Performer [23]
Mar 28, 1927 - May 1927 Rufus LeMaire's Affairs Performer, The Dove, Nervous Patient, Leading Lady, Lorelei [24]
Dec 21, 1950 - May 5, 1951 Out of This World June [7]

Filmography

Film credits of Charlotte Greenwood
Year Title Role Silent Sound Studio/Distributor Ref(s)
1915 Jane Jane X Morosco Photoplay Company [25]
1916 Miss George Washington Attendee at tea social (uncredited) X Famous Players Film Company
1926 Crossed Signals (uncredited) Mother with baby at train station X Rayart
1927 Women Love Diamonds (uncredited/deleted) X MGM
1928 Baby Mine Emma X MGM [26]
1929 So Long Letty Letty Robbins X Warner Bros. Pictures [27]
1931 Parlor, Bedroom and Bath Polly Hathaway X MGM [28]
1931 Flying High Pansy X MGM [29]
1931 The Man in Possession Clara X MGM [30]
1931 Stepping Out Sally Smith X MGM [31]
1931 Palmy Days Helen Martin X Howard Productions Inc. [32]
1932 Cheaters at Play Crozier X Fox Film [33]
1934 Orders Is Orders Wanda Sinclair X Gaumont-British [34]
1940 Young People Kit Ballantine X 20th Century Fox [35]
1940 Star Dust Lola Langdon X 20th Century Fox [36]
1940 Down Argentine Way Binnie Crawford X 20th Century Fox [37]
1941 Moon Over Miami Susan Latimer X 20th Century Fox [38]
1941 Tall, Dark and Handsome Mrs. Winnie Sage X 20th Century Fox [39]
1941 The Perfect Snob Martha Mason X 20th Century Fox [40]
1942 Springtime in the Rockies Phoebe Gray X 20th Century Fox [41]
1943 The Gang's All Here Mrs. Peyton Potter X 20th Century Fox [42]
1943 Dixie Dugan Mrs. Dugan X 20th Century Fox [43]
1944 Home in Indiana Penny Bolt X 20th Century Fox [44]
1944 Up in Mabel's Room Martha X Edward Small Productions [45]
1946 Wake Up and Dream Sara March X 20th Century Fox [46]
1947 Driftwood Mathilda X Republic Pictures [47]
1949 Oh, You Beautiful Doll Anna Breitenbach X 20th Century Fox [48]
1949 The Great Dan Patch Aunt Netty X W. R. Frank Productions [49]
1950 Peggy Mrs. Emelia Fielding X Universal Pictures [50]
1953 Dangerous When Wet Ma Higgins X MGM [51]
1955 Oklahoma! Aunt Eller X Rodgers & Hammerstein Pictures, Inc. [10]
1956 Glory Miz Agnes Tilbee X David Butler Productions, Inc. [52]
1956 The Opposite Sex Lucy X MGM [53]

References

  1. ↑ Liebman 2017, pp. 113–114.
  2. ↑ See for example: I.B. Pulaski, "Out of Town: Burnham and Greenwood," Variety (June 26, 1909), p. 15.
  3. ↑ "Sister act split up'", Variety (June 22, 1912), p. 6.
  4. 1 2 "Prodigal Setting Has "Tik-Tok Man"". The Spokesman-Review. December 10, 1913. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  5. 1 2 "Les So Long". IBDB. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  6. 1 2 "Linger Longer Letty". IBDB. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  7. 1 2 "Out of This World". IBDB. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  8. ↑ Slide, Anthony. The Encyclopedia of Vaudeville pg 214
  9. ↑ Hayter-Menzies, Grant, Charlotte Greenwood pgs 223 and 248
  10. 1 2 "Oklahoma". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  11. ↑ Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (Revised ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 150. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  12. ↑ "Greenwood, Charlotte". RadioGOLDINdex. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
  13. ↑ Hopper, Hedda (May 12, 1951). "Abbott Turns Producer, Then Signs Lou Costello". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. Part 1 - Page 16. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  14. ↑ Greenwood profile, IBDB.com. Accessed November 8, 2022.
  15. ↑ Cullen, Hackman & McNeilly 2007, p. 458.
  16. ↑ "The Passing Show of 1912". IBDB. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  17. ↑ "The Man with Three Wives". IBDB. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  18. ↑ "The Passing Show of 1913". IBDB. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  19. ↑ "Pretty Mrs. Smith". IBDB. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  20. ↑ "So Long Letty". IBDB. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  21. ↑ "Letty Pepper Letty". IBDB. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  22. ↑ "Music Box Revue [1922-23]". IBDB. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  23. ↑ "Hassard Short's Ritz Revue". IBDB. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  24. ↑ "Rufus LeMaire's Affairs". IBDB. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  25. ↑ "Jane". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  26. ↑ "Baby Mine". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  27. ↑ "So Long Letty". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.; "So Long Letty". UCLA Library catalog. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  28. ↑ "Parlor, Bedroom and Bath". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  29. ↑ "Flying High". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  30. ↑ "The Man in Possession". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  31. ↑ "Stepping Out". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  32. ↑ "Palmy Days". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  33. ↑ "Cheaters at Play". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  34. ↑ "Orders Is Orders". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  35. ↑ "Young People". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  36. ↑ "Star Dust". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  37. ↑ "Down Argentine Way". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  38. ↑ "Moon Over Miami". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  39. ↑ "Tall, Dark and Handsome". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  40. ↑ "The Perfect Snob". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  41. ↑ "Springtime in the Rockies". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  42. ↑ "The Gang's All Here". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  43. ↑ "Dixie Dugan". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  44. ↑ "Home in Indiana". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  45. ↑ "Up in Mabel's Room". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  46. ↑ "Wake Up and Dream". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  47. ↑ "Driftwood". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  48. ↑ "Oh, You Beautiful Doll". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  49. ↑ "The Great Dan Patch". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  50. ↑ "Peggy". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  51. ↑ "Dangerous When Wet". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  52. ↑ "Glory". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  53. ↑ "The Opposite Sex". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.

Sources

  • Hayter-Menzies, Grant. Charlotte Greenwood: The Life and Career of the Comic Star of Vaudeville, Radio and Film. McFarland & Company, Inc., Jefferson, North Carolina and London, 2007; ISBN 978-0-7864-2995-0.
  • Cullen, Frank; Hackman, Florence; McNeilly, Donald (2007). Vaudeville old & new: an encyclopedia of variety performances in America. Psychology Press. ISBN 978-0-415-93853-2.
  • Liebman, Roy (2017). Broadway Actors in Films, 1894-2015. McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-2615-4.
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