Judy Canova | |
|---|---|
 Canova andGeorge Raft (1979) | |
| Born | Juliette Canova (some sources indicate Julietta Canova) (1913-11-20)November 20, 1913 Starke, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | August 5, 1983(1983-08-05) (aged 69) Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Spouses | Filberto Rivero (1950–1964) |
| Children | 2, includingDiana Canova |
Judy Canova (November 20, 1913 – August 5, 1983),[1] bornJuliette Canova[2] (some sources indicate Julietta Canova), was an American comedienne, actress, singer and radio personality[3] who appeared onBroadway and in films. She hosted her own eponymous network radio program, a popular series broadcast from 1943 to 1955.
Canova was born inStarke, Florida, one of seven siblings, to Joseph Francis Canova, a businessman, and Henrietta E. Canova (née Perry), a singer. Canova claimed that her family originated in thePyrenees mountains of Spain,[4] but other sources indicate that the family may have been from the island ofMenorca.[5]
She began her showbusiness career with a familyvaudeville routine, joining her sister Annie and brother Zeke.[6] Their performances as the Three Georgia Crackers took them from Florida theaters to theVillage Barn,[1] a Manhattan club. Canova sang,yodeled and played guitar, and she was typed as a wide-eyed likablecountry bumpkin, often barefoot and wearing her hair in braids, sometimes topped with astraw hat. She was sometimes introduced as the Ozark Nightingale[7] or theJenny Lind of the Ozarks.[8]
Canova's fame began as a teenager when bandleaderRudy Vallée offered her a guest spot on his radio showThe Fleischmann Hour. The Canova family performed on the radio often in the 1930s, and they made their Broadway theater debut in the revueCalling All Stars.
Canova signed withWarner Bros. and appeared inshort subjects and minor features before signing withParamount Pictures for one year.[citation needed] After she starred in the 1939 Broadway musical comedyYokel Boy withBuddy Ebsen, executives atRepublic Pictures, with a customer base largely in rural areas, signed Canova in 1940 shortly after the show ended its run. Canova quickly became Republic's leading female star, playing country women who typically blundered into trouble in such titles asScatterbrain (1940),Sis Hopkins (1941) andJoan of Ozark (1942). However, Canova did not appear in Republic's film adaptation ofYokel Boy; her role was played byJoan Davis.[citation needed]
Canova left Republic in 1943 over a salary dispute and signed withColumbia Pictures for three feature films:Louisiana Hayride (1944),Hit the Hay (1945) andSingin' in the Corn (1946). She returned to Republic in 1951 to star in color comedy features, beginning withHoneychile, until 1955.[citation needed]
In 1943, Canova starred inThe Judy Canova Show, which ran for 12 years on radio, first on CBS and then on NBC. Playing herself as a love-starved Ozark "bumpkin" dividing her time between home and Southern California, Canova was accompanied by a cast that included voice masterMel Blanc (using voices that he later gave to cartoon charactersSpeedy Gonzales andSylvester), Ruth Perrott,Ruby Dandridge,Joseph Kearns andSharon Douglas.Gale Gordon,Sheldon Leonard,Gerald Mohr andHans Conried also appeared sporadically.[9]
Canova's radio and film careers ended in 1955. Although she made a smooth transition to television, her radio show was not made into a television series. She made frequent guest appearances on television shows such asThe Colgate Comedy Hour,The Steve Allen Show,Matinee Theatre,Alfred Hitchcock Presents,The Mickey Mouse Club,The Danny Thomas Show. She appeared as a mystery guest on the showWhat's My Line on July 18, 1954.[10]
Canova appeared in two failed television seriespilots. In 1967, she portrayed Mammy Yokum in an NBC adaptation ofAl Capp'sLi'l Abner.[11] She also starred inThe Murdocks and the McClays, a retelling ofRomeo and Juliet set in the Virginia hills, which aired on ABC in August 1970 as the final installment in a three-part showcase of pilots titledComedy Preview.[12]
Canova recorded for theRCA Victor label.[citation needed] She also worked on Broadway and in Las Vegas nightclubs through the early 1970s, touring with the revival ofNo, No Nanette in 1971.
In 1954, Canova and her husband obtained controlling interest in the Los Angeles–based company Camera Vision Productions, Inc, which developed an automated camera that was reported to reduce television and film production costs by as much as 50%.[13]
Canova is honored with two stars on theHollywood Walk of Fame: one for her contributions to the film industry at 6821 Hollywood Boulevard and one for her radio career at 6777 Hollywood Boulevard.[14][15]
Canova's first husband was New York insurance man Robert Burns, whom she married in 1936.[16][17] While still married, she became romantically involved withEdgar Bergen in 1937 but divorced Burns in 1939.[18] Canova was briefly married to James Ripley in 1941. Her third marriage, to Chester B. England in 1943, ended in divorce by 1950. She married her final husband, musician Filberto Rivero, in 1950.[19] The marriage produced daughterDiana Canova, a singer and actress known for her television roles onSoap andI'm a Big Girl Now. That marriage ended in 1964.
Canova died in 1983 from cancer at age 69.[20] Her ashes were interred in the secluded Columbarium of Everlasting Light section atForest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery inGlendale, California.[21]
Features:
Short subjects:
Television:
