Martha Raye was honored in 1969 at the Academy Awards as the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award recipient for her volunteer efforts and services to the troops.
19 Facts About Martha Raye
2.
Martha Raye was born at St James Hospital in Butte, Montana, as Margy Reed; despite her birth certificate showing Reed, some sources in the 1970s and 1980s gave her the surname O'Reed.
3.
Martha Raye's parents were performing in a local vaudeville theatre as Reed and Hooper when their daughter was born.
4.
Martha Raye first appeared in their act when she was three years old.
5.
Martha Raye later performed with her brother Bud, and the children became so popular that their parents' act was renamed Margie and Bud.
6.
Martha Raye made her first film appearance in a band short titled A Nite in the Nite Club.
7.
Martha Raye joined the USO in 1942, soon after the US entered World War II.
8.
Martha Raye was known for the size of her mouth, which was large in proportion to her face, earning her the nickname "The Big Mouth".
9.
Martha Raye brought her tremendous comedic and musical skills to her work in film, stage, and television, helping to shape American entertainment.
10.
Martha Raye was a television star very early in its history.
11.
Martha Raye starred in the short-lived The Martha Raye Show, opposite retired middleweight boxer Rocky Graziano, who played her boyfriend.
12.
Martha Raye always said "Goodnight, Sisters" as a sign of appreciation and gratitude.
13.
Martha Raye 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 on variety programs, including the short-lived The Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Show.
14.
Martha Raye appeared from the third to the ninth seasons as Carrie Sharples, Mel's mother on Alice, making two or three appearances a season.
15.
Martha Raye appeared again as Agatha for the six-episode run of the retooled McMillan, taking over for Nancy Walker, who had left the series.
16.
Martha Raye regularly attended church, read the Bible daily, and taught Sunday school.
17.
Martha Raye had a history of cardiovascular disease and suffered from Alzheimer's disease, in addition to losing both legs in 1993 due to poor circulation.
18.
Martha Raye died at age 78 of pneumonia on October 19,1994.
19.
The moving image collection of Martha Raye is held at the Academy Film Archive.