Martha Raye

Martha Raye

Known for: Acting
Biography: 1916-08-27
Deathday: 1994-10-19 (78 years old)

Check on Amazon

Biography

Martha Raye (born Margy Reed), nicknamed The Big Mouth, was an American comic actress and singer who performed in movies, and later on television. She also acted in plays, including Broadway. She was honored in 1969 at the Academy Awards as the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award recipient for her volunteer efforts and services to the troops.


In the early 1930s, Raye was a band vocalist with the Paul Ash and Boris Morros orchestras. She made her first film appearance in 1934 in a band short titled A Nite in the Nite Club. In 1936, she was signed for comic roles by Paramount Pictures, and made her first picture for Paramount. Her first feature film was Rhythm on the Range with crooner Bing Crosby. She was a featured cast member in 39 episodes of Al Jolson's weekly CBS radio show, The Lifebuoy Program, also called Cafe Trocadero. In addition to comedy, Martha sang both solos and duets with Jolson. Over the next quarter century, she would appear with many of the leading comics of her day, including Joe E. Brown, Bob Hope, W. C. Fields, Abbott and Costello (in Keep 'Em Flying), Charlie Chaplin (in Monsieur Verdoux), and Jimmy Durante. She joined the USO in 1942, soon after the US entered World War II.


She was known for the size of her mouth, which was large in proportion to her face, earning her the nickname The Big Mouth. She later referred to this in a series of television commercials for Polident denture cleaner in the 1980s: "So take it from The Big Mouth: new Polident Green gets tough stains clean!" Her large mouth would relegate her motion picture work to supporting comic parts, and was often made up so it appeared even larger. In the Disney cartoon Mother Goose Goes Hollywood, she is caricatured while dancing alongside Joe E. Brown, another actor known for a big mouth. In the Warner Bros. cartoon The Woods Are Full Of Cuckoos (1937), she was caricatured as a jazzy scat-singing donkey named 'Moutha Bray'.


She often appeared as a guest on other programs, particularly those which often featured older performers as guest stars, such as ABC's The Love Boat, and also on variety programs, including the short-lived The Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Show. She appeared from the third to the ninth seasons as Carrie Sharples on Alice, making two or three appearances a season. She made guest appearances or did cameo roles in such series as Murder, She Wrote on CBS and The Andy Williams Show and McMillan & Wife, both on NBC. She appeared again as Agatha for the six-episode run of the retooled McMillan, taking over for Nancy Walker, who had left the series. Her last film appearance was as an incontinent airline passenger in the disaster film The Concorde ... Airport '79.


Later in her career, she made television commercials for Polident denture cleanser, principally during the 1970s and 1980s.

Advertisement

Filmography

all 64

Movies 41

self 23

TV Shows 23

Self (archive footage)
Sid & Judy

Sid & Judy (2019)

Movie
Self (archive footage)
Bing Crosby: Rediscovered

Bing Crosby: Rediscovered (2014)

Movie
Self (archive footage)
And the Oscar Goes To...

And the Oscar Goes To... (2014)

Movie
Self (archive footage)
The Adventures of Errol Flynn

The Adventures of Errol Flynn (2005)

Movie
Anabella Bonheur
Chaplin Today: 'Monsieur Verdoux'

Chaplin Today: 'Monsieur Verdoux' (2003)

Movie
Sadie Winthrope
Murder, She Wrote

Murder, She Wrote (1984)

TV
7
(archive footage)
Showbiz Goes to War

Showbiz Goes to War (1982)

Movie
Bertha
Pippin

Pippin (1981)

Movie
Georgia O'Hanlon
The Gossip Columnist

The Gossip Columnist (1980)

Movie
The Ghost of Christmas Past
Skinflint: A Country Christmas Carol

Skinflint: A Country Christmas Carol (1979)

Movie
Loretta
The Concorde... Airport '79

The Concorde... Airport '79 (1979)

Movie
5.14
'Twas the Night Before Christmas

'Twas the Night Before Christmas (1977)

Movie
Irene Austin / Zelda
The Love Boat

The Love Boat (1977)

TV
6.85
Alice

Alice (1976)

TV
7.17
Agatha
McMillan and Wife

McMillan and Wife (1971)

TV
1
Benita Bizarre
The Bugaloos

The Bugaloos (1970)

TV
Boss Witch
Pufnstuf

Pufnstuf (1970)

Movie
Foxy
The Phynx

The Phynx (1970)

Movie
Herself
No Substitute for Victory

No Substitute for Victory (1970)

Movie
Self
The Barbara McNair Show

The Barbara McNair Show (1969)

TV
Self - Guest
The Dick Cavett Show

The Dick Cavett Show (1968)

TV
Self - Guest
The Carol Burnett Show

The Carol Burnett Show (1967)

TV
5.33
Washerwoman Clown
Clown Alley

Clown Alley (1966)

Movie
Self - Sketch Actor / Singer
The Hollywood Palace

The Hollywood Palace (1964)

TV
Herself
The Judy Garland Show

The Judy Garland Show (1963)

TV
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (1963)

TV
Beulah Brothers
Burke's Law

Burke's Law (1963)

TV
6
Lulu
Billy Rose's Jumbo

Billy Rose's Jumbo (1962)

Movie
Self
The Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Show

The Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Show (1962)

TV
Self
The Mike Douglas Show

The Mike Douglas Show (1961)

TV
Self
The Big Party

The Big Party (1959)

TV
Self
The Steve Allen Show

The Steve Allen Show (1956)

TV
Self
The Oscars

The Oscars (1953)

TV
Self
This Is Your Life

This Is Your Life (1952)

TV
Self - Hostess / Marta Gabor / Self - Host
Four Star Revue

Four Star Revue (1950)

TV
Reno Sweeney
Musical Comedy Time

Musical Comedy Time (1950)

TV
Self
The Colgate Comedy Hour

The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950)

TV
Self
The Bob Hope Show

The Bob Hope Show (1950)

TV
Self - Mystery Guest
What's My Line?

What's My Line? (1950)

TV
Annabella Bonheur
Monsieur Verdoux

Monsieur Verdoux (1947)

Movie
1
Lady
Hot Footlights

Hot Footlights (1945)

Movie
Molly McKay
Pin Up Girl

Pin Up Girl (1944)

Movie
Martha Raye
Four Jills in a Jeep

Four Jills in a Jeep (1944)

Movie
Self
Show-Business at War

Show-Business at War (1943)

Movie
Betty Johnson
Hellzapoppin'

Hellzapoppin' (1941)

Movie
Gloria Phelps / Barbara Phelps
Keep 'Em Flying

Keep 'Em Flying (1941)

Movie
Lilibelle Bolton
Navy Blues

Navy Blues (1941)

Movie
Luce
The Boys from Syracuse

The Boys from Syracuse (1940)

Movie
Patience Bingham
The Farmer's Daughter

The Farmer's Daughter (1940)

Movie
Martha Madison
$1,000 a Touchdown

$1,000 a Touchdown (1939)

Movie
Mickey Hawkins
Never Say Die

Never Say Die (1939)

Movie
Letty Larkin
Give Me a Sailor

Give Me a Sailor (1938)

Movie
Midge Miller
Tropic Holiday

Tropic Holiday (1938)

Movie
Mabel Grady
College Swing

College Swing (1938)

Movie
Martha Bellows
The Big Broadcast of 1938

The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938)

Movie
Liza Lou Lane
Double or Nothing

Double or Nothing (1937)

Movie
Specialty
Artists & Models

Artists & Models (1937)

Movie
Mary Beamish
Mountain Music

Mountain Music (1937)

Movie
Myrtle Finch
Waikiki Wedding

Waikiki Wedding (1937)

Movie
Daisy Schloggenheimer
College Holiday

College Holiday (1936)

Movie
Helen Flint
Hideaway Girl

Hideaway Girl (1936)

Movie
Patsy
The Big Broadcast of 1937

The Big Broadcast of 1937 (1936)

Movie
Emma Mazda
Rhythm on the Range

Rhythm on the Range (1936)

Movie
Self
The Milton Berle Show: Vol. 2

The Milton Berle Show: Vol. 2

Movie

Ratings

Average 5.84
Based on 113 Thousand movie and tv ratings over time
1936
1941
1959
1945
2019
Advertisement
Martha RayeMartha RayeMartha RayeMartha Raye

Information

Known For
Acting

Gender
Female

Birthday
1916-08-27

Deathday
1994-10-19 (78 years old)

Birth Place
Butte, United States of America

Relationships
David Rose (1938-10-08 - 1941-05-19), http://www.wikidata.org/.well-known/genid/d724be0eee8c3fd0799007dc0b61892a (1956-11-07 - 1960-12-01), http://www.wikidata.org/.well-known/genid/b955970ae7a230011fd0117363923b16 (1991-09-25 - 1994-10-19), http://www.wikidata.org/.well-known/genid/50685f148c8630443da01ccb2581ee31 (1941-05-25 - 1944-02-03), http://www.wikidata.org/.well-known/genid/085710fa12bb451fd9938e7dccca0948 (1954-04-21 - 1956-10-06), http://www.wikidata.org/.well-known/genid/7d79a455b638701874a80f291ddfb621 (1944-02-22 - 1953-06-17), Bud Westmore (1937-05-30 - 1937-09-01)

Citizenships
United States of America

Also Known As
The Big Mouth, The Female Bob Hope, Margaret Teresa Yvonne “Margy” Reed, Margaret Teresa Yvonne Reed, Margy Reed

Awards
star on Hollywood Walk of Fame, Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award, Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, Presidential Medal of Freedom


This article uses material from Wikipedia.
Advertisement
Bob Hope
Martha Raye
Bob Hope worked together with Martha Raye in:
8 Movies
3 TV Shows
Dorothy Lamour
Martha Raye
Dorothy Lamour worked together with Martha Raye in:
6 Movies
5 TV Shows
Edith Head
Martha Raye
Edith Head worked together with Martha Raye in:
10 Movies
Hans Dreier
Martha Raye
Hans Dreier worked together with Martha Raye in:
9 Movies
Bing Crosby
Martha Raye
Bing Crosby worked together with Martha Raye in:
7 Movies
1 TV Show
Milton Berle
Martha Raye
Milton Berle worked together with Martha Raye in:
2 Movies
5 TV Shows
Betty Grable
Martha Raye
Betty Grable worked together with Martha Raye in:
5 Movies
2 TV Shows
Mickey Rooney
Martha Raye
Mickey Rooney worked together with Martha Raye in:
3 Movies
4 TV Shows
Jack Benny
Martha Raye
Jack Benny worked together with Martha Raye in:
5 Movies
2 TV Shows
Bette Davis
Martha Raye
Bette Davis worked together with Martha Raye in:
4 Movies
3 TV Shows
Buddy Hackett
Martha Raye
Buddy Hackett worked together with Martha Raye in:
6 TV Shows
Jimmy Durante
Martha Raye
Jimmy Durante worked together with Martha Raye in:
3 Movies
3 TV Shows
Frank Sinatra
Martha Raye
Frank Sinatra worked together with Martha Raye in:
5 Movies
1 TV Show
George Burns
Martha Raye
George Burns worked together with Martha Raye in:
3 Movies
3 TV Shows
Van Johnson
Martha Raye
Van Johnson worked together with Martha Raye in:
1 Movie
5 TV Shows
Ginger Rogers
Martha Raye
Ginger Rogers worked together with Martha Raye in:
2 Movies
4 TV Shows
Louis Armstrong
Martha Raye
Louis Armstrong worked together with Martha Raye in:
3 Movies
3 TV Shows
Ronald Reagan
Martha Raye
Ronald Reagan worked together with Martha Raye in:
4 Movies
2 TV Shows
Walter DeLeon
Martha Raye
Walter DeLeon worked together with Martha Raye in:
6 Movies
Francis Martin
Martha Raye
Francis Martin worked together with Martha Raye in:
6 Movies
  • Martha Raye
    Martha Raye
  • Filmography
  • Information
  • Related Persons
Social Media
X
Facebook
Pinterest
Telegram
Download
iOS Application
Made in Ukraine 🇺🇦
Copyright © MovieFit 2018 – 2024
All external content remains the property of its respective owner.