Martha Raye

<p> 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 <I>Rhythm on the Range</I> (1936) as the zany loudmouthed girl looking for love--or chasing it as it ran away. She won popular and critical acclaim with <I>The Martha Raye Show</I> (1954-1956) before it was abruptly cancelled partly because of her chaotic personal life.</p><p> 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 <I>The Bugaloos</I> <I>McMillan</I> and <I>Alice</I> and her film career that teamed her with the likes of Jack Benny Charlie Chaplin and Doris Day.</p>