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Margaret Teresa Yvonne "Margie" Reed Exceeds the Call of Duty
Peter Graves narrates this account of the life and career of Margaret Teresa Yvonne "Margie" Reed, who is practically born to entertain, as her Vaudeville-performing parents, Peter F. Reed and Maybelle Hooper, billed as "Reed and Hooper," welcome Baby Margy while touring the circuit, visiting Butte, Montana, during her 1916 delivery.
Three years later, "Margy" and brother, Bud, perform on stage, to become the highlights of their parent's act, and so "Margie and Bud" become the act which their parents manage.
Receiving very little formal education, Margy, or Margie, Reed becomes an accomplished singer and veteran entertainer, while her parents' violent marriage begins to crumble. Becoming known for her performance of "Jadda," Margie auditions to sing for orchestras on the Jazz Band circuit. From here....
* Margie and her mother, Maybelle, begin a search for a new stage name for the talented daughter, by turning the pages of a telephone directory, to land upon "Martha Raye."
* Martha soon becomes a vocalist with the Paul Ash Orchestra and also improvises with Louie Prima's Jazz Band, during which time she introduces her signature song, "Mr. Paganini, You'll Have To Swing It."
* By age 18, Martha debuts on Broadway, in the Musical play "Calling All Stars."
* 1935, Martha and Maybelle arrive in Hollywood, Martha to perform at Century Club, while supplementing her family's income, by working as a nurse's aide at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital.
* Martha soon signs a Paramount Studio contract and makes her film debut in "Rhythm on the Range" (1936), then purchasing a residence in Beverly Hills, to celebrate her success after many years of entertaining.
* Make-up Artist Bud Westmore glamorizes Martha's appearance for the camera, and so she marries him, in 1937, beginning a string of impulsive and often short-term volatile marriages.
* War breaks out, and with American involvement beginning in 1941, Martha rises to the occasion, she joining fellow actresses Kay Francis, Carole Landis and Mitzi Mayfair on a dangerous U.S.O. tour to entertain troops overseas, in war-ravaged lands.
* Remember Martha's early training as a nurse's aide? Well, she remains with American troops stationed in north Africa, to assist doctors with medical treatment.
* Martha is awarded as Honorary Captain in the U.S. Army, often saying that Martha considers this her "true calling," to entertain troops and to assist where needed.
* 1949, Martha relocates to Miami Beach, Florida, to perform in nightclubs, while continuing to travel to Hollywood, to guest on various television programs.
* 1954, "The Martha Raye Show" debuts on television, lasting for two seasons, and featuring her many physical comedy antics.
* 1966, Martha travels to Vietnam, under very dangerous circumstances, and without fanfare, to entertain American troops, who dub Martha an honorary Green Beret, and bestow upon her the title of "Colonel Maggie."
* 1968, Martha Raye becomes the first female to receive the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
* 1993, Martha Raye is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by U.S. President William J. Clinton, for her service to her country.
Martha's marriages are with Bud Westmore (1937-38), David Rose (1938-41), Neal Lang (1941-44), Nick Condos (1944-53), Edward T. Begley (1954-56), Robert O'Shea (1956-60), and Mark Harris (1991-94). With Condos, she welcomes daughter, Melodye Raye Condos, who points out that Martha and Nick would get along much better after their divorce than during their marriage, as Nick continues as her business manager.
Interview Guests for this episode consist of Melodye Condos (Daughter), 1SG USAF (Ret) Noonie Fortin (Biographer), Susan M. Christiansen (Friend), Steve Allen (Actor), A.C. Lyles (Paramount Executive), Norman Lear (Director/Screenwriter), Joe Vento (U.S. Army Special Services), and Mark Harris (Husband).
Archive footage includes Martha Raye, Lynne Overman, W.C. Fields, Dorothy Lamour, Bob Hope, Kay Francis, Carole Landis, Mitzi Mayfair, Ralph Byrd, Alice Faye, Carmen Miranda, Phil Silvers, John Harvey, Betty Grable, Condos Brothers, Charles Chaplin, and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.
Film and Television clips include a screen glimpse of Martha Raye through the years, in scenes from "Rhythm on the Range" (1936), "The Big Broadcast of 1938" (1938), "Four Jills in a Jeep" (1944) (deleted song, "In the Old Army Games"), "Pin Up Girl" (1944), "Monsieur Verdoux" (1947), "Four Star Revue" (1952), "The Martha Raye Show" (1954,'55), "The Steve Allen Show" (1959), plus U.S. Radio Hour (1965), as well as Martha's dental product commercial (1980).
Three years later, "Margy" and brother, Bud, perform on stage, to become the highlights of their parent's act, and so "Margie and Bud" become the act which their parents manage.
Receiving very little formal education, Margy, or Margie, Reed becomes an accomplished singer and veteran entertainer, while her parents' violent marriage begins to crumble. Becoming known for her performance of "Jadda," Margie auditions to sing for orchestras on the Jazz Band circuit. From here....
* Margie and her mother, Maybelle, begin a search for a new stage name for the talented daughter, by turning the pages of a telephone directory, to land upon "Martha Raye."
* Martha soon becomes a vocalist with the Paul Ash Orchestra and also improvises with Louie Prima's Jazz Band, during which time she introduces her signature song, "Mr. Paganini, You'll Have To Swing It."
* By age 18, Martha debuts on Broadway, in the Musical play "Calling All Stars."
* 1935, Martha and Maybelle arrive in Hollywood, Martha to perform at Century Club, while supplementing her family's income, by working as a nurse's aide at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital.
* Martha soon signs a Paramount Studio contract and makes her film debut in "Rhythm on the Range" (1936), then purchasing a residence in Beverly Hills, to celebrate her success after many years of entertaining.
* Make-up Artist Bud Westmore glamorizes Martha's appearance for the camera, and so she marries him, in 1937, beginning a string of impulsive and often short-term volatile marriages.
* War breaks out, and with American involvement beginning in 1941, Martha rises to the occasion, she joining fellow actresses Kay Francis, Carole Landis and Mitzi Mayfair on a dangerous U.S.O. tour to entertain troops overseas, in war-ravaged lands.
* Remember Martha's early training as a nurse's aide? Well, she remains with American troops stationed in north Africa, to assist doctors with medical treatment.
* Martha is awarded as Honorary Captain in the U.S. Army, often saying that Martha considers this her "true calling," to entertain troops and to assist where needed.
* 1949, Martha relocates to Miami Beach, Florida, to perform in nightclubs, while continuing to travel to Hollywood, to guest on various television programs.
* 1954, "The Martha Raye Show" debuts on television, lasting for two seasons, and featuring her many physical comedy antics.
* 1966, Martha travels to Vietnam, under very dangerous circumstances, and without fanfare, to entertain American troops, who dub Martha an honorary Green Beret, and bestow upon her the title of "Colonel Maggie."
* 1968, Martha Raye becomes the first female to receive the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
* 1993, Martha Raye is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by U.S. President William J. Clinton, for her service to her country.
Martha's marriages are with Bud Westmore (1937-38), David Rose (1938-41), Neal Lang (1941-44), Nick Condos (1944-53), Edward T. Begley (1954-56), Robert O'Shea (1956-60), and Mark Harris (1991-94). With Condos, she welcomes daughter, Melodye Raye Condos, who points out that Martha and Nick would get along much better after their divorce than during their marriage, as Nick continues as her business manager.
Interview Guests for this episode consist of Melodye Condos (Daughter), 1SG USAF (Ret) Noonie Fortin (Biographer), Susan M. Christiansen (Friend), Steve Allen (Actor), A.C. Lyles (Paramount Executive), Norman Lear (Director/Screenwriter), Joe Vento (U.S. Army Special Services), and Mark Harris (Husband).
Archive footage includes Martha Raye, Lynne Overman, W.C. Fields, Dorothy Lamour, Bob Hope, Kay Francis, Carole Landis, Mitzi Mayfair, Ralph Byrd, Alice Faye, Carmen Miranda, Phil Silvers, John Harvey, Betty Grable, Condos Brothers, Charles Chaplin, and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.
Film and Television clips include a screen glimpse of Martha Raye through the years, in scenes from "Rhythm on the Range" (1936), "The Big Broadcast of 1938" (1938), "Four Jills in a Jeep" (1944) (deleted song, "In the Old Army Games"), "Pin Up Girl" (1944), "Monsieur Verdoux" (1947), "Four Star Revue" (1952), "The Martha Raye Show" (1954,'55), "The Steve Allen Show" (1959), plus U.S. Radio Hour (1965), as well as Martha's dental product commercial (1980).
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- May 23, 2010
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