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Theatre, Film, and Television Biographies
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Brian Patrick Clarke to Charlotte Cornwell
Imogene Coca Biography (1908-2001)
Born November 18, 1908, in Philadelphia, PA; daughter of Joseph Fernandez (anorchestra leader under the name Joe Coca) and Sadie (an actress and dancer;maiden name, Brady) Coca; married Robert Burton (an actor), January 7, 1935 (died, 1955); married King Donovan (an actor), 1960 (died, 1987); stepchildren: two sons, one daughter. Addresses: Contact--P.O. Box 5151, Westpoint, CT 06881.
- Nationality
- American
- Gender
- Female
- Birth Details
- November 18, 1908
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Death Details
- June 2, 2001
- Westport, Connecticut
Famous Works
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Credits; Stage Appearances
- Chorus girl, When You Smile, National Theatre, New York City, 1925.
- Jan, Bubbling Over, Werba's Theatre, Brooklyn, NY, 1926.
- Dancer, Snow and Columbus, Palace Theatre, New York City, 1927.
- Ensemble, Garrick Gaities (revue), Guild Theatre, New York City, 1930.
- Ensemble, Shoot The Works (revue), George M. Cohan Theatre, New York City, 1931.
- Ensemble, Flying Colors (revue), Imperial Theatre, New York City, 1932.
- New Faces of 1934 (revue), Fulton Theatre, New York City, 1934.
- Ensemble, Fools Rush In (revue), Playhouse Theatre, New York City, 1934.
- Comique Star, Up to the Stars, Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre, Flint, MI, 1935.
- Ensemble, New Faces of 1936 (revue), Vanderbilt Theatre, New York City, 1936.
- Spring Dance, Cape Playhouse, MA, 1936.
- Priscilla Paine, Calling All Men, Cape Playhouse, 1937.
- Who's Who, 1938.
- Ensemble, Straw Hat Revue (revue), Ambassador Theatre, New York City, 1939.
- Tonight at 8:30, Community Playhouse, Spring Lake, NJ, 1940.
- All in Fun, Majestic Theatre, New York City, 1940.
- Ensemble, Concert Varieties (revue), Ziegfeld Theatre, New York City, 1945.
- Addie, Happy Birthday, Music Hall, Clinton, NJ, 1948.
- Ruth, Wonderful Town, State Fair Music Hall, Dallas, TX, 1954.
- Jessica, Janus, Plymouth Theatre, New York City, 1956.
- Mimsy, The Girls in 509, Belasco Theatre, New York City, 1958.
- Agnes, The Fourposter, Playhouse at Deep Well, Palm Springs, CA, 1960.
- The Queen, Under the Sycamore Tree, Pasadena Playhouse, Pasadena, CA, 1962.
- Mr. Alden and Aunt Veronica, Why I Went Crazy, Westport Country Playhouse, Westport, CT, and Falmouth Summer Theatre, Falmouth, MA, 1969.
- Penny Moore, A Girl Could Get Lucky, Playhouse on the Mall, Paramus, NJ,1970.
- Mrs. Malaprop, The Rivals, Philadelphia Drama Guild, Philadelphia, PA, 1972.
- Agnes, The Fourposter, Showboat Dinner Theatre, St. Petersburg, FL, 1972.
- Edna Edison, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, Arlington Park, Chicago, IL,1973.
- Letitia Primrose, On the Twentieth Century, St. James Theatre, New York City, 1978.
- The Gin Game, 1984.
- Mrs. Midgit, Outward Bound, Apple Corps Theatre, 1984.
- Heloise, My Old Friends, American Jewish Theatre, New York City, 1985.
- Letitia Primrose, On the Twentieth Century, Coconut Grove Playhouse, Coconut Grove, FL, 1986.
- (With Sid Caesar) Together Again, Michael's Pub, New York City, 1990.
- Made stage debut as a dancer in vaudeville. Also appeared as Essie Sebastian, The Sebastians; in Double Take, Arlington Park, IL; in Send Me No Flowers; in The Solid Gold Cadillac; and in the ensemble, Hey Look Me Over (revue),Avery Fisher Hall, New York City. Appeared with Sid Caesar and Anthony Gearyin Your Show of Shows, Frontier Hall, Las Vegas, NV.
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Credits; Cabaret Appearances; New York City
- Silver Slipper, 1926.
- Rainbow Room, 1937.
- La Martinque, 1940.
- La Martinque, 1942.
- Le Ruban Blew, 1944.
- Cafe Society Uptown, 1945.
- Blue Angel, 1948.
- Le Ruban Blew, 1954.
- Also appeared at the Fifth Avenue Club, New Yorker Club, and Jay C.
- Flippen Club.
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Credits; Cabaret Performances; Elsewhere
- Sahara Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, 1955.
- Trump Plaza, Las Vegas, NV, 1990.
- Sands Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, 1991.
- Boca Raton, FL, 1991.
- Westwood Playhouse, 1991.
- Also performed at the Piccadilly Club, Philadelphia, PA; Palmer House, Chicago, IL; and Park Plaza, St. Louis, MO.
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Credits; Major Tours
- Jan, Bubbling Over, U.S. cities, 1926.
- Jimmy, the office assistant, Queen High, Mayfair, NY, 1928.
- A Night at the Folies Bergere, 1940.
- Addie, Happy Birthday, U.S. cities, 1948.
- Essie Sebastian, The Great Sebastians, U.S. cities, 1957.
- Mimsy, The Girls in 509, U.S. cities, 1959.
- Princess Winnifred, Once Upon a Mattress, U.S. cities, 1960-61.
- A Thurber Carnival, U.S. cities, 1961-62.
- (With Sid Caesar) Caesar-Coca Revue, U.S. cities, 1961-62.
- Ella Peterson, Bells Are Ringing, U.S. cities, 1962.
- Ellen Manville, Luv, U.S. cities, 1967.
- You Know I Can't Hear You When The Water's Running, 1968-69.
- Edna Edison, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, U.S. cities, 1973-74.
- Letitia Primrose, On the Twentieth Century, U.S. cities, 1978.
- Letitia Primrose, On the Twentieth Century, U.S. cities, 1986-87.
- Also toured with George Olsen's orchestra, 1938, and in cabaret tour withSid Caesar, 1977.
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Credits; Film Appearances
- (Film debut) Bashful Ballerina, 1937.
- Herself, Promises, Promises (also known as Promise Her Anything), NTD, 1963.
- Dorkus, Under the Yum-Yum Tree, Columbia, 1963.
- Ten from Your Show of Shows, Walter Reade, 1973.
- Mademoiselle Marie, Rabbit Test, Avco-Embassy, 1978.
- Aunt Edna, National Lampoon's Vacation (also known as Vacation), Warner Bros., 1983.
- Daisy Schackman, Nothing Lasts Forever, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1984.
- Buy and Cell, 1989.
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Credits; Television Appearances; Series
- Host, Buzzy Wuzzy, ABC, 1948.
- Regular, Admiral Broadway Revue, NBC, 1949.
- Regular, Your Show of Shows, NBC, 1950-54, portions of shows rebroadcaston HA!, 1990.
- Betty Crane, The Imogene Coca Show, NBC, 1954-55.
- Host, Panorama, NBC, 1956.
- Regular, Sid Caesar Invites You, ABC, 1958.
- Title role, Grindl, NBC, 1963-64.
- Shad, It's about Time, CBS, 1966-67.
- Host, Hollywood Palace, ABC, 1967.
- Regular, The Dick Cavett Show, CBS, 1975.
- Appeared as Gladys Mason, One Life to Live, ABC.
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Credits; Television Appearances; Specials
- The Bob Hope Show, NBC, 1951.
- "The Funny Heart," U.S. Steel Hour, CBS, 1956.
- Helpmate, NBC, 1956.
- "Made In Heaven," Playhouse 90, CBS, 1956.
- Effie Floud, Ruggles of Red Gap, NBC, 1957.
- The Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner, Howard Moss Special, CBS, 1967.
- The Bob Hope Show, NBC, 1970.
- The Bob Hope Show, NBC, 1971.
- Broadway Plays Washington! Kennedy Center Tonight, 1982.
- Bob Hope Special: Bob Hope's Women I Love--Beautiful but Funny, NBC, 1982.
- Hollywood Stars' Screen Tests, NBC, 1984.
- The 38th Annual Emmy Awards, 1986.
- The 2nd Annual American Comedy Awards, 1988.
- More of the Best of the Hollywood Palace, ABC, 1993.
- Comic Relief VI, HBO, 1994.
- The Second Annual Comedy Hall of Fame (also known as The 2nd Annual Comedy Hall of Fame), NBC, 1994.
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Credits; Television Appearances; Episodic
- Fireside Theatre, NBC, 1957.
- Fireside Theatre, NBC, 1958.
- Fireside Theatre, ABC, 1963.
- The Jackie Gleason Show, CBS, 1968.
- The Carol Burnett Show, CBS, 1969.
- Love, American Style, ABC, 1969.
- "The Good Fairy Strikes Again," Bewitched, ABC, 1971.
- Wife, "The Merciful," Night Gallery, NBC, 1971.
- Aunt Jenny, "Jan's Aunt Jenny," The Brady Bunch, ABC, 1974.
- Gert, Mama's Family, NBC, 1983.
- Voice, Garfield and Friends, 1988.
- Also appeared in episodes of Moonlighting, ABC; Kup's Show; and Wide World of Mystery.
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Credits; Television Appearances; Movies
- Granny's Maw, Return of the Beverly Hillbillies, CBS, 1981.
- Cook, Alice in Wonderland, CBS, 1985.
- Missy B, Papa Was a Preacher, 1985.
- Also appeared in The Emperor's New Clothes.
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Credits; Television Appearances; Pilots
- Emily, Getting There, CBS, 1980.
Further Reference
Books:
- Notable Hispanic American Women, first edition, Gale (Detroit, MI), 1994.
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