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 described herself as the "only woman in the world who could kick a giraffe in the eye."[1]
Charlotte Greenwood | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Frances Charlotte Greenwood June 25, 1890 |
| Died | December 28, 1977 (aged 87) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, dancer |
| Years active | 1915–61 |
| Spouse(s) | Cyril Ring (1915–22; divorced) Martin Broones (1924–71; his death) |
Theatre
editBetween 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, Don Ameche, 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 because she had become a devout Christian Scientist and feared the play was too risqué.[8][9]
Film
editGreenwood 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
editGreenwood 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
editGreenwood 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
editThis section needs additional citations for verification. (June 2023) |
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
edit| 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
edit| 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
edit- ^ Liebman 2017, pp. 113–114.
- ^ See for example: I.B. Pulaski, "Out of Town: Burnham and Greenwood," Variety (June 26, 1909), p. 15.
- ^ "Sister act split up'", Variety (June 22, 1912), p. 6.
- ^ a b "Prodigal Setting Has "Tik-Tok Man"". The Spokesman-Review. December 10, 1913. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ a b "Les So Long". IBDB. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ a b "Linger Longer Letty". IBDB. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ a b "Out of This World". IBDB. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ Slide, Anthony. The Encyclopedia of Vaudeville pg 214
- ^ Hayter-Menzies, Grant, Charlotte Greenwood pgs 223 and 248
- ^ a b "Oklahoma". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Greenwood, Charlotte". RadioGOLDINdex. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
- ^ Hopper, Hedda (May 12, 1951). "Abbott Turns Producer, Then Signs Lou Costello". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. Part 1 - Page 16. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
- ^ Greenwood profile, IBDB.com. Accessed November 8, 2022.
- ^ Cullen, Hackman & McNeilly 2007, p. 458.
- ^ "The Passing Show of 1912". IBDB. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "The Man with Three Wives". IBDB. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "The Passing Show of 1913". IBDB. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "Pretty Mrs. Smith". IBDB. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "So Long Letty". IBDB. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "Letty Pepper Letty". IBDB. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "Music Box Revue [1922-23]". IBDB. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "Hassard Short's Ritz Revue". IBDB. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "Rufus LeMaire's Affairs". IBDB. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "Jane". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "Baby Mine". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "So Long Letty". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.; "So Long Letty". UCLA Library catalog. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "Parlor, Bedroom and Bath". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "Flying High". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "The Man in Possession". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "Stepping Out". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "Palmy Days". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "Cheaters at Play". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "Orders Is Orders". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "Young People". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "Star Dust". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "Down Argentine Way". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "Moon Over Miami". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "Tall, Dark and Handsome". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "The Perfect Snob". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "Springtime in the Rockies". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "The Gang's All Here". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "Dixie Dugan". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "Home in Indiana". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "Up in Mabel's Room". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "Wake Up and Dream". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "Driftwood". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "Oh, You Beautiful Doll". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "The Great Dan Patch". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "Peggy". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "Dangerous When Wet". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "Glory". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "The Opposite Sex". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
Sources
edit- 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.
External links
edit- Works by or about Charlotte Greenwood at the Internet Archive
- Charlotte Greenwood at IMDb
- Charlotte Greenwood at the Internet Broadway Database
- Charlotte Greenwood web site
- Victoria Times-Colonist, Adrian Chamberlain, May 26, 2007
- 1925 portrait of Charlotte Greenwood modeling fur and her hair coiffed taken by Benjamin Strauss and Homer Peyton
- lithograph to the 1919 musical Linger Longer Letty