Imogene Coca facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Imogene Coca
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Coca in 1952
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| Born |
Emogeane Coca
November 18, 1908 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Died | June 2, 2001 (aged 92) Westport, Connecticut, U.S.
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| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1925–1996 |
| Spouse(s) |
Robert Burton
(m. 1935; died 1955)King Donovan
(m. 1960; died 1987) |
Imogene Coca (born Emogeane Coca; November 18, 1908 – June 2, 2001) was an American actress. She was famous for her funny roles, especially with Sid Caesar on Your Show of Shows.
Imogene started performing as a child acrobat in vaudeville. She also studied ballet and dreamed of a serious career in music and dance. Later, she spent many years in stage musicals, cabaret shows, and summer theater. When she was in her 40s, she became a well-known comedian on television. She starred in six TV series and appeared as a guest on many popular shows from the 1940s to the 1990s.
She was nominated for five Emmy Awards for Your Show of Shows. She won Best Actress in 1951. In 1953, she received a Peabody Award for her excellent broadcasting work. Imogene was also nominated for a Tony Award in 1978 for On the Twentieth Century. She even got a sixth Emmy nomination at age 80 for an episode of Moonlighting.
Imogene had a very flexible face that could make many funny expressions. Life magazine compared her to famous comedians like Beatrice Lillie and Charlie Chaplin. They said she could take everyday situations and make them hilarious with just one movement. One critic said she was like a "timid woman who, when aroused, can beat a tiger to death with a feather." This meant she was gentle but could be very powerful in her comedy. Besides stage, film, and TV, she also voiced characters in children's cartoons. She even appeared in a 1984 MTV music video called "Bag Lady." She continued working into her 80s. A director once said she was the most professional artist he ever worked with.
Contents
Early Life and Stage Career
Growing Up in Philadelphia
Imogene Coca was born Emogeane Coca in Philadelphia. Her father, José Fernandez de Coca, was a violinist and led vaudeville orchestras. Her mother, Sadie Brady, was a dancer and helped magicians. Imogene's father had Spanish family roots.
Starting Out in New York
As a child, Imogene took lessons in piano, dance, and singing. When she was still a teenager, she moved from Philadelphia to New York City. She wanted to become a dancer. In 1925, at age 17, she got her first job dancing in a Broadway musical called When You Smile. She became a popular performer in Manhattan nightclubs. Her husband, Bob Burton, arranged the music for her shows.
Combining Music and Comedy
Imogene became famous when she started mixing music with comedy. Her first big success was in a show called New Faces of 1934. She even filmed one of her routines in a short comedy movie called The Bashful Ballerina (1937). She also got great reviews for another short film, Dime a Dance. A newspaper called Film Daily said she was a "real comedienne" who would make audiences laugh. Other future stars like Danny Kaye and June Allyson were also in that film.
Television Success
Becoming a TV Star
Imogene Coca was one of the first comedians to become a star on network television. She had an early show on ABC called Buzzy Wuzzy in 1948. It only lasted four episodes. Then, she joined Sid Caesar on The Admiral Broadway Revue in 1949.
Your Show of Shows
Imogene and Sid Caesar then starred in the very popular sketch comedy show Your Show of Shows. This show ran from 1950 to 1954. It won the Emmy for Outstanding Variety Series in both 1952 and 1953. The show was 90 minutes long and aired live on NBC every Saturday night. Imogene won an Emmy for Best Actress in a Comedy Series in 1951. She was nominated for four more Emmys for her work on the show. She also won a Peabody Award in 1953.
Later TV Roles
After Your Show of Shows, Imogene got her own series, The Imogene Coca Show. It ran for one year from 1954 to 1955. In 1963–64, she played a funny temporary helper in the NBC sitcom Grindl. She also starred as a cavewoman with Joe E. Ross in the 1966–67 show It's About Time.
She continued to appear on many comedy and variety shows. These included The Carol Burnett Show, The George Gobel Show, and Ed Sullivan's Toast of the Town. She also appeared in specials with Bob Hope, Dean Martin, and Jackie Gleason. A special called The Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner, and Howard Morris Special won an Emmy in 1967.
Guest Appearances and Voice Work
Imogene made memorable guest appearances on sitcoms like Bewitched, The Brady Bunch, and Mama's Family. She also appeared in TV adaptations of children's stories. In 1960, she was Miss Clavel in Madeline for Shirley Temple's Storybook. In 1972, she voiced Princess Jane in The Enchanted World of Danny Kaye. She played The Cook in the 1985 TV miniseries Alice in Wonderland. One of her last roles was voicing characters in Garfield and Friends.
In 1988, Imogene appeared on the show Moonlighting. She received her sixth Emmy nomination for this role. That same year, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award in Comedy.
Film and Broadway
Movie Roles
Imogene appeared in several films. These included Under the Yum Yum Tree (1963) and National Lampoon's Vacation (1983), where she played "Aunt Edna." She also appeared in Nothing Lasts Forever and Buy & Cell.
Return to Broadway
After many years away, Imogene returned to Broadway at age 70. She gave a fantastic performance as Letitia Primrose in On the Twentieth Century (1978). This role was originally for a man, but it was rewritten just for her. She was nominated for a Tony Award for this part. She toured with the show and also performed in other musicals and plays. She even reunited with Sid Caesar for a traveling stage show.
The "Bag Lady" Character
One of Imogene's early famous characters was a "bag lady." This character was funny but also showed a bit of sadness. She was often asked to play this role again. She appeared as the title character in the 1984 music video for the song "Bag Lady (I Wonder)" by the band Ēbn-Ōzn.
Personal Life and Legacy
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Imogene Coca did not have children. She was married twice. Her first husband, Bob Burton, passed away in 1955 after 20 years of marriage. Her second husband, King Donovan, passed away in 1987 after 27 years of marriage. Imogene was a Roman Catholic.
In 1972, Imogene and King Donovan were in a serious car accident. Imogene's right eye was injured, and her cheekbone was smashed. She had plastic surgery and wore a special cosmetic lens over her eye for the rest of her career. She continued performing, including her long run in Broadway's On the Twentieth Century.
Many famous performers, like Carol Burnett and Lily Tomlin, have said that Imogene Coca influenced them. Your Show of Shows is still considered a classic TV program. In 1995, Imogene was honored with the Lucy Award for her achievements in television. This award is named after Lucille Ball.
Death
Imogene Coca passed away on June 2, 2001, at her home in Westport, Connecticut. She was 92 years old. She died from natural causes related to Alzheimer's disease. Her ashes were scattered.
Filmography
Television
Film
Broadway
Music video
Selected Regional Theater and Tours
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See also
In Spanish: Imogene Coca para niños
