On stage from her childhood, Martha Raye (1916–1994) proudly embraced the role of the clown, her gift for slapstick comedy enhanced by a fine singing voice. She became a star with her first feature film, Rhythm on the Range (1936), as the zany, loudmouthed girl looking for love—or chasing it as it ran away. She won popular and critical acclaim with The Martha Raye Show (1954–1956) before it was abruptly cancelled, partly because of her chaotic personal life.
Drawing on new interviews with her colleagues, this retrospective covers the life and career of an enduringly funny lady who influenced a generation of women comedians. Her reign as a top NBC star of the 1950s is covered, along with her appearances on popular variety shows, her roles in fondly remembered series like The Bugaloos, McMillan and Alice, and her film career that teamed her with the likes of Jack Benny, Charlie Chaplin and Doris Day.

David C. Tucker is the author of numerous books about classic film and television history. A retired public library administrator, he lives just outside Atlanta, Georgia.

David C. Tucker
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 212
Bibliographic Info: 23 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2016
pISBN: 978-0-7864-9583-2
eISBN: 978-1-4766-2427-3
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents


Acknowledgments vii

Preface 1

I. Margy Reed 5

II. Paramount Player 10

III. Television Star 36

IV. Moving Target 55

V. Civilian 75

Filmography 81

Television Shows 139

Notes 179

Bibliography 189

Index 191

“David C. Tucker is one of McFarland’s very best authors. Not only does he write well, his research skills are impeccable…while this is undoubtedly an appreciation of Miss Raye’s work, it goes much farther by presenting a straight-forward portrait of a complicated woman and performer…the photos are outstanding”—Classic Images.