Frances Charlotte Greenwood (June 25, 1890 – December 28, 1977) was an American actress, comedian and dancer. Born in Philadelphia, Greenwood started in vaudeville and starred on Broadway, in movies and on radio. Standing almost six feet tall (some sources say 5'10"), she was best known for her long legs and high kicks. She described herself as the "only woman in the world who could kick a giraffe in the eye."
Theatre While still a teenager, Charlotte Greenwood made her professional stage debut in 1905 as a dancer in Ludwig Englander's musical The White Cat. Between 1909 and 1912 Greenwood performed in vaudeville as part of a sister act, "Burnam and Greenwood."See for example: I.B. Pulaski, "Out of Town: Burnham and Greenwood," Variety (June 26, 1909), p. 15. The act broke up when Greenwood was hired for the Winter Garden Revue."Sister act split up'", Variety (June 22, 1912), p. 6.
In 1913, Oliver Morosco cast her as Queen Ann Soforth of Oogaboo late in the run of L. Frank Baum and Louis F. Gottschalk's The Tik-Tok Man of Oz (better known in its novelization as Tik-Tok of Oz). In 1916, Morosco commissioned a successful star vehicle stage play titled So Long Letty. In 1919 Morosco brought her back in the sequel Linger Longer Letty. This role made her a star; she reprised it in the 1929 movie of the same name.
She appeared with actors including Charles Ruggles, Betty Grable, Jimmy Durante, Eddie Cantor, Buster Keaton, Don Ameche, and Carmen Miranda. Most of Greenwood's best work was done on the stage, and was lauded by such critics as James Agate, Alexander Woollcott, and Claudia Cassidy. One of her most successful roles was that of Juno in Cole Porter's Out of This World in which she introduced the Porter classic "I Sleep Easier Now". She had some discomfort with that play because she had become a devout Christian Scientist and feared the play was too risqué.Slide, Anthony. The Encyclopedia of Vaudeville pg 214Hayter-Menzies, Grant, Charlotte Greenwood pgs 223 and 248
Film Greenwood appeared in numerous movies. When not showcasing her trademark high kicks and splits in comic roles for musicals, she played occasional serio-comic roles such as Lon McAllister's aunt in Home in Indiana. Her last memorable role was as the feisty Aunt Eller in the 1955 film adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! (1955), starring Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones.
Radio Greenwood had her own radio program, The Charlotte Greenwood Show, a sitcom. It was broadcast from 1944 to 1946, first on ABC and later on NBC. She also was in "Home in Indiana" on Lux Radio Theatre October 2, 1944.
Recordings Greenwood ventured into recorded music with an album of songs from Cole Porter's musical Out of This World and another from the musical comedy Oh, by Jingo.
Personal life
Greenwood first married actor Cyril Ring, brother of actress Blanche Ring. They divorced. Her second husband was composer Martin Broones. He died in 1971.Greenwood profile, IBDB.com. Accessed November 8, 2022. Both unions were childless.
In her post-retirement years, Greenwood suffered severely from arthritis. She and Broones were Christian Scientists – he was a C.S. practitioner and teacher of Christian Science for over two decades, and he consulted with Doris Day in that capacity. Greenwood also became a listed public Christian Science practitioner until her death in 1977, using the name Charlotte Greenwood Broones.
Greenwood died in Los Angeles at age 87. She had been out of the public eye for decades, and it was months before the world became aware of her passing.
Stage work + Stage credits of Charlotte GreenwoodDateTitleRole Jul 22, 1912 - Nov 16, 1912The Passing Show of 1912PerformerJan 23, 1913 - Mar 08, 1913The Man with Three WivesPerformerJul 24, 1913 - Sep 1913The Passing Show of 1913PerformerSep 21, 1914 - Oct 31, 1914Pretty Mrs. SmithLetititia Proudfoot1916The Tik-Tok Man of Oz Queen Ann SoforthOct 23, 1916 - Jan 13, 1917So Long LettyLetty RobbinsOct 23, 1916 - Jan 1917Les So LongPerformerNov 20, 1919 - Jan 21, 1920Linger Longer LettyLettyApr 10, 1922 - May 6, 1922Letty Pepper Letty PepperOct 23, 1922 - Aug 04, 1923Music Box Revue [1922-23]PerformerSep 17, 1924 - Dec 1924Hassard Short's Ritz RevuePerformerMar 28, 1927 - May 1927Rufus LeMaire's AffairsPerformer, The Dove, Nervous Patient, Leading Lady, LoreleiDec 21, 1950 - May 5, 1951Out of This WorldJune
Filmography + Film credits of Charlotte GreenwoodYearTitleRoleSilentSoundStudio/Distributor 1915 Jane JaneXMorosco Photoplay Company1916 Miss George WashingtonAttendee at tea social (uncredited)XFamous Players Film Company1926 Crossed Signals(uncredited) Mother with baby at train stationX Rayart1927 Women Love Diamonds (uncredited/deleted)XMGM1928 Baby Mine EmmaXMGM1929So Long Letty Letty RobbinsXWarner Bros. Pictures; 1931Parlor, Bedroom and BathPolly HathawayXMGM1931Flying HighPansyXMGM1931The Man in PossessionClaraXMGM1931Stepping OutSally SmithXMGM1931Palmy Days Helen MartinXHoward Productions Inc.1932Cheaters at PlayCrozierXFox Film1934 Orders Is OrdersWanda SinclairXGaumont-British1940 Young PeopleKit BallantineX20th Century Fox1940Star Dust Lola LangdonX20th Century Fox1940Down Argentine Way Binnie CrawfordX20th Century Fox1941Moon Over MiamiSusan LatimerX20th Century Fox1941Tall, Dark and Handsome Mrs. Winnie SageX20th Century Fox1941The Perfect SnobMartha MasonX20th Century Fox1942Springtime in the Rockies Phoebe GrayX20th Century Fox1943The Gang's All HereMrs. Peyton PotterX20th Century Fox1943Dixie Dugan Mrs. DuganX20th Century Fox1944Home in Indiana Penny BoltX20th Century Fox1944Up in Mabel's RoomMarthaXEdward Small Productions1946Wake Up and Dream Sara MarchX20th Century Fox1947 Driftwood MathildaXRepublic Pictures1949 Oh, You Beautiful Doll Anna BreitenbachX20th Century Fox1949The Great Dan Patch Aunt NettyXW. R. Frank Productions1950PeggyMrs. Emelia FieldingXUniversal Pictures1953 Dangerous When WetMa HigginsXMGM1955 Oklahoma!Aunt EllerXRodgers & Hammerstein Pictures, Inc. 1956Glory Miz Agnes TilbeeXDavid Butler Productions, Inc.1956The Opposite SexLucyXMGM
References
Sources Hayter-Menzies, Grant. Charlotte Greenwood: The Life and Career of the Comic Star of Vaudeville, Radio and Film. McFarland & Company, Inc., Jefferson, North Carolina and London, 2007; .
External links
Charlotte Greenwood web site Victoria Times-Colonist, Adrian Chamberlain, May 26, 2007 1925 portrait of Charlotte Greenwood modeling fur and her hair coiffed taken by Benjamin Strauss and Homer Peyton lithograph to the 1919 musical Linger Longer Letty