Rose Marie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rose Marie
Rose Marie in 1970
Born	Rose Marie Mazzetta (1923-08-15)August 15, 1923 New York City, New York, U.S.
Died	December 28, 2017(2017-12-28) (aged 94) Van Nuys, California, U.S.
Other names	Baby Rose Marie
Occupation	Actress singer comedian
Years active	1926–2017
Spouse(s)	Bobby Guy ​ ​ (m. 1946; his death 1964)​
Children	1

Rose Marie (born Rose Marie Mazzetta) was an American actress, singer, and comedian. She had a very long career, lasting over 90 years. She performed in movies, on radio, made records, and appeared on stage and television. As a child, she was a successful singer known as Baby Rose Marie.

Rose Marie was famous for her role as Sally Rogers on The Dick Van Dyke Show. This was a popular TV comedy from 1961 to 1966. She played a funny TV writer who was strong in a world mostly run by men. Later, she played Myrna Gibbons on The Doris Day Show. She was also a well-known guest on The Hollywood Squares for 14 years.

A documentary film about her life, Wait for Your Laugh, came out in 2017. It included interviews with Rose Marie and other famous actors. Some of these were Carl Reiner, Dick Van Dyke, and Tim Conway.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Rose Marie Mazzetta was born in New York City on August 15, 1923. Her mother, Stella, was Polish-American. Her father, Frank, was an Italian-American vaudeville performer. Vaudeville was a type of entertainment with many different acts.

Rose Marie's mother often took her to see vaudeville shows. After seeing them, young Rose Marie would sing the songs for her neighbors. Soon, she entered a talent contest. At just three years old, she began performing as "Baby Rose Marie."

When she was five, she signed a seven-year contract. She became a radio star on the NBC Radio Network. She also made several short films. One of these was "Baby Rose Marie the Child Wonder" in 1929.

From 1929 to 1934, Rose Marie had her own radio show. She also made many records. She appeared in films for Paramount Pictures. She continued making films through the mid-1930s. This included a movie called International House (1933) with W. C. Fields.

As she grew up, Rose Marie started performing in nightclubs. She was known as the "Darling of the Airwaves" from her radio work.

Music and Recordings

Baby Rose Marie, NBC Radio star in 1930

In 1929, five-year-old Rose Marie made a sound film called Baby Rose Marie the Child Wonder. She made 17 recordings between 1930 and 1938. Her first record was made on March 10, 1932. It featured music by Fletcher Henderson's orchestra. This was a famous jazz band at the time.

Rose Marie's song "Say That You Were Teasing Me" became a national hit in 1932. It was backed with "Take a Picture of the Moon." Rose Marie was the last famous entertainer to have a hit song before World War II.

Television Roles

In the 1960–1961 TV season, Rose Marie acted in My Sister Eileen.

Her most famous role was Sally Rogers on The Dick Van Dyke Show. She played this character for five seasons, from 1961 to 1966. After that, she co-starred in The Doris Day Show from 1969 to 1971. She played Myrna Gibbons, a friend and co-worker.

She also appeared in two episodes of The Monkees. Later, she was a regular guest on The Hollywood Squares. She was often picked by contestants to "block" other players. She joked that she should change her name to "Rose Marie to block."

Rose Marie also appeared on The Dean Martin Show and The Hollywood Palace. In the mid-1970s, she had a role as Hilda on the police show S.W.A.T.. Hilda brought doughnuts and coffee and added some humor.

In the early 1990s, Rose Marie played Frank Fontana's mother on Murphy Brown. She also appeared on Wings as Eleanor "Bluto" Biggins. She reunited with Morey Amsterdam on Herman's Head and Caroline in the City.

Stage Performances

Rose Marie performed on Broadway in the musical Top Banana in 1951. She also appeared in the movie version of the show in 1954.

In 1965, she was in a production of Bye Bye Birdie in Dallas. She played Mae Peterson.

From 1977 to 1985, Rose Marie toured with the musical show 4 Girls 4. She performed with Rosemary Clooney, Helen O'Connell, and Margaret Whiting. The show toured the United States and was shown on television.

Rose Marie was also a guest host for a comedy play called Grandmas Rock!. It was broadcast on radio in 2010 and again in 2012.

Personal Life

Rose Marie was married to a trumpeter named Bobby Guy. They were married from 1946 until he passed away in 1964. They had one daughter together, Georgiana Guy Rodrigues, who became a television producer.

Later Years and Passing

Rose Marie passed away at her home in Los Angeles on December 28, 2017. She was 94 years old. Her friend and agent, Harlan Boll, said her death was due to "age problems."

Boll explained that Rose Marie had laid down to rest. Her caregiver later checked on her and found that she had stopped breathing.

Film and Television Appearances

Movies

Short Films

Television Shows

See also

In Spanish: Rose Marie para niños