Rae Julia Theresa Abruzzo (July 3, 1926 – April 6, 2022), professionally known as Rae Allen, was an American actress of stage, film and television. Her career spanned some seventy years and eight decades.
Allen started her career in theatre in 1941 in a production of Gilbert and Sullivan and made her debut on Broadway in 1948, moving to television and film roles in 1958, making her screen debut in Damn Yankees. She appeared in numerous guest roles in TV shows and was best known for recurring parts in sitcom All in the Family (1972–1973) and mob drama The Sopranos (2004). Her film roles included A League of Their Own (1992) and Stargate (1994).
Biography Allen was born Rae Julia Theresa Abruzzo in Brooklyn, New York City, on July 3, 1926, to Julia (née Riccio), a seamstress and hairdresser and Joseph Abruzzo, an opera singer and chauffeur, whose brothers acted in vaudeville.
At 15, Allen played Buttercup in H.M.S. Pinafore. She trained at the HB StudioHB Studio alumni, hbstudio.org. Accessed April 7, 2022. in New York City's Greenwich Village. She graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1947. She first married and divorced John M. Allen then later married and divorced Herbert Harris.
Theatre Allen was nominated for the Tony Award three times: for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Damn Yankees in 1956, and for Best Featured Actress in a Play for Traveller Without Luggage in 1965 and And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little in 1971, winning for the latter. In 1958, she recreated her role as nosy reporter Gloria in the first Damn Yankees film adaptation.
Film and television Allen appeared in such films as Reign Over Me, A League of Their Own, Stargate, and Where's Poppa? On television, she appeared in two episodes of Seinfeld as unemployment counselor Lenore Sokol, who must deal with George Costanza, who tries to get her to approve an extension of his benefits by dating her homely daughter, who ends up rejecting him. She also made appearances on television shows such as The Patty Duke Show, Hill Street Blues, All in the Family, Car 54 Where Are You, Head of the Class, Remington Steele, The Sopranos, and Grey's Anatomy.
Death Allen died in her sleep on April 6, 2022, at the age of 95, at the Motion Picture & Television Fund retirement community in Woodland Hills, California.
Broadway theatre Selected roles Damn Yankees (1954–1955) The Pajama Game (1954–1956) Oliver! (1963–1964) On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1965) Fiddler on the Roof And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little (for which she won the 1971 Tony Award for Supporting Actress) Dude (1972)
Filmography Film and television Title Year Role Damn Yankees (film) 1958 Gloria Thorpe The Untouchables (TV series) 1962 Sarro's Daughter (guest role) episode: The Economist Car 54, Where Are You? (TV series) 1963 Miss Thelma Eisenberg (uncredited) guest role in Episode: Joan Crawford Didn't Didn't Say No Profiles in Courage (TV series) 1964 Miss Darvon (guest role, episode: Mary S. McDowell The Patty Duke Show (TV series) 1964 Miss McClintock (guest, episode: Can Do Patty) The Tiger Makes Out (film) 1967 Beverly Where's Poppa? (film) 1970 Gladys Hocheiser Taking Off (film) 1971 Mrs. Divito All in the Family (TV series) 1972–1973 Amelia/Amelia DeKuyper Acts of Love and Other Comedies (TV film) 1973 Jeffreys' Wife Madigan (TV series) 1973 Verna Bennerman Medical Center (TV series) 1973 Rose CBS Daytime 90 (TV series) 1974 Dommy (episode: Legacy of Fear) Ace (TV movie) 1976 Gloria Ross Phyl & Mikhy (TV series) 1980 Gwyn Soap (TV series) 1980 Judge Betty Small The Greatest American Hero (TV series) 1981 Edith Morabito Lou Grant (TV series) 1982 Helen Paterson Remington Steele (TV series) 1982 Kay Letrell (episode: Steele Water Run Deep) Hill Street Blues 1982 Gloria Currie episode: Little Boil Blue Scarecrow and Mrs. King (TV series) 1984 Sergeant Magovich Faerie Tale Theatre (TV series) 1986 Aladdin's Mother Moving (film) 1988 Dr. Phyllis Ames Far Out Man (film) 1990 Holly Equal Justice (TV series) 1990 Judge Cythia Russell Head of the Class (TV series) 1990 Sofia She Said No (TV film) 1990 Judge Gordon Keeping Secrets (TV film) 1991 unknown Face of A Stranger (TV film) 1991 Ruthie Seinfeld (TV series) 1992 Mrs. Sokol A League of Their Own (film) 1992 Ma Kellor Brooklyn Bridge (TV series) 1993 Cousin Ruth Calendar Girl (film) 1993 Mrs. McDonald Angie (film) 1994 Aunt Violetta Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills (TV film) 1994 Female Judge Stargate (film) 1994 Barbara Shore, PhD Hudson Street (TV series) 1995 Fran Canetti L.A. Doctors (TV Series) 1998 Mildred Cattano The Fearing Mind (TV series) 2000–2001 Lucy Fearing Providence (TV series) 2002 Dr. Hallstrom Borderline (TV film) 2002 Dr. Alma Burke The 4th Tenor (film) 2002 Italian Lady The Sopranos (TV series) 2004 Aunt Quintina Blundetto Joan of Arcadia (TV series) 2004 Fortune Teller God NYPD Blue (TV series) 2004 Bertha Kunitz Love for Rent (film) 2005 Gwen Grey's Anatomy (TV series) 2006 Ruth The Hard Easy (film) 2006 Freddie Reign Over Me (film) 2007 Adell Modell The Meant to Be's (TV film) 2008 Eleanor Roosevelt How to Be a Better American (TV film) 2010 Ruth Vampire Mob (TV series) 2011 Carlina Grigiono
References
External links