Elvia Allman | |
|---|---|
 Allman inA WAVE, a WAC and a Marine (1944) | |
| Born | (1904-09-19)September 19, 1904 |
| Died | March 6, 1992(1992-03-06) (aged 87) Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park,Glendale, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1926–1992 |
| Spouses | |
Elvia Beatrice Allman (September 19, 1904 – March 6, 1992) was an American actress in Hollywood films and television programs for over 50 years. She is best remembered for her semi-regular roles onThe Beverly Hillbillies andPetticoat Junction and for being the voice ofWalt Disney'sClarabelle Cow. Her mark in TV history is also ensured by her memorable performance as the stern, no-nonsense boss in the classicI Love Lucy candy factory episode "Job Switching" with a repeat appearance as Nancy Graham the reporter in the 1955 episode "The Homecoming".
Allman was born September 19, 1904, inEnochville, North Carolina.[1]
In 1926, Allman was a children's story reader atKHJ in Los Angeles[2] (another source says 1930[1]). TheLos Angeles Times of the day praised her abilities as a dialectician.[3] She married Wesley B. Tourtellotte on August 2, 1930,[4] and divorced within several years. In 1933, she moved to the east coast, billing herself as the "California Cocktail" and began a musical program on NBC.[5] On October 30, 1933, theTimes announced she was moving toKNX on a 15-minute program to be heard Tuesday and Thursday evenings. What was supposed to be a long-term contract ended March 3, 1935.
Allman's first big network radio successes were on theBlue Monday Jamboree (where she portrayed beauty expert Auntie MacCasser, high society matron Octavia Smith-Whiffen, and home economist Pansy Pennypincher),[6] and onThe Komedy Kingdom (as "Elvia, The Queen of Mirth"). She made her debut onThe Pepsodent Show starringBob Hope as man-chasing Cobina, a parody of society debutanteCobina Wright.[7]: 47 She portrayed the role in motion pictures and even spoofed it in theMerrie Melodies cartoonGoofy Groceries. Allman was frequently heard as a supporting actress in various comedy programs well into the 1950s and in the 1970s returned to radio acting with its brief revival of new programs.
In the mid-1930s, Allman appeared in cartoons for producerLeon Schlesinger, released throughWarner Bros. She can be heard in the firstPorky Pig cartoonI Haven't Got a Hat in 1935. She may have originated the character ofClarabelle Cow prior to this, but there are no records indicating the specific cartoons in which she voiced Clarabelle, who was featured in 28 Disney cartoons from 1928 to 1942. In 1937 Allman voiced the title role in the cartoonLittle Red Walking Hood, a spoof ofLittle Red Riding Hood. Allman married sports promoterC. C. Pyle on July 3, 1937, and was with him when he died on February 3, 1939.
Allman also played Tootsie Sagwell onThe George Burns and Gracie Allen Show during the early 1940s.[8] Allman's other roles included Mrs. Kennedy onThe Adventures of Maisie,[7]: 12 Penelope the Pelican onThe Cinnamon Bear,[7]: 76 and Cuddles Bongschnook onThe Durante-Moore Show.[7]: 174 Programs on which she was a regular includedThe Abbott and Costello Show,[7]The Baby Snooks Show,[7]: 32 The Judy Canova Show,[7]: 182 andThe Ray Bolger Show.[7]: 281
In 1928, Allman acted inThe Living Corpse a production of the Pasadena Community Players.[9]
Allman made her film debut as an actress in 1940'sThe Road to Singapore in an unbilled bit (as were the majority of Allman's motion picture appearances in the 1940s) as a homely woman who pursuesBob Hope. One of her more steady radio gigs was on theBlondie radio series in the part of Cora Dithers, the domineering wife ofDagwood Bumstead's boss.[7]: 45-45
In the 1950s, Allman became a familiar face to television viewers with numerous guest appearances on many programs of the era, usuallysituation comedies. She made multiple appearances onI Married Joan,December Bride,The Bob Cummings Show, andThe Abbott and Costello Show, three appearances onI Love Lucy and an appearance in an episode ofColgate Theatre.
In 1957, Allman reprised her role of Cora Dithers in a short-livedTV adaption ofBlondie. Allman had earlier played the role in the 1940s on several episodes of the Blondie radio series. She also appeared on seven episodes of the TV seriesThe Jack Benny Program, having worked often with Benny on his radio program in the 1940s and 1950s.
Her visibility on television increased during the 1960s with guest shots onThe Dick Van Dyke Show,Hazel,The New Phil Silvers Show,The Addams Family,The Munsters,Mr Ed,Bewitched,The Lucy Show,The Doris Day Show,The Andy Griffith Show,and as witness Julia Slovak in the fifth season, 1961Perry Masonepisode, "The Case of the Brazen Bequest". Allman's greatest fame came as Elverna Bradshaw onThe Beverly Hillbillies[10] (13 appearances, one in 1963, the rest 1968–1970). The 1960s proved to be her most prolific era with 58 appearances on various television series as well as five motion pictures includingBreakfast at Tiffany's andThe Nutty Professor.
Allman appeared asOscar Madison's mother in one episode of the TV seriesThe Odd Couple in which she and Oscar are treated to an erotic belly dance at a Greek restaurant. Allman's career slowed considerably after 1972, and her only television work during the remainder of the decade was in the 1977 television filmHalloween with the New Addams Family. Her career picked up in the 1980s with eleven television appearances, including two episodes ofMurder She Wrote. In addition to her acting career, Allman also worked as areal estate agent during the 1970s and '80s. In her autobiography,Mary Tyler Moore credits Allman with finding her house as didBetty White in her bookHere We Go Again.
Allman's final work appropriately brought her full circle, reviving the voice ofClarabelle Cow for the first time in over 50 years in theMickey Mouse cartoon feature version ofThe Prince and the Pauper in 1990.
Allman died inSanta Monica, California, March 6, 1992, frompneumonia, aged 87.[11][1] She was predeceased by her last husband, Jerome L. Bayler, in 1978.[citation needed] Allman is buried atForest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California.[12]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | Thanks for Everything | Violinist | Uncredited |
| 1940 | Road to Singapore | Homely Girl | Uncredited |
| 1940 | A Night at Earl Carroll's | Cobina Gusher | |
| 1940 | Melody for Three | Radio Station Receptionist | Uncredited |
| 1941 | Sis Hopkins | Ripple | |
| 1941 | Time Out for Rhythm | Cobrina | |
| 1941 | Swing It Soldier | Cobina | |
| 1942 | Sweetheart of the Fleet | Cobina (as Brenda & Cobina) | |
| 1943 | Three Hearts for Julia | Eva | Uncredited |
| 1943 | No Place for a Lady | Mrs. Willow | Uncredited |
| 1944 | In Society | Hysterical Widow | Uncredited |
| 1944 | A Wave, a WAC and a Marine | Elvira Allman - Woman in Cab | |
| 1944 | Carolina Blues | Loud Kyser Fan | Uncredited |
| 1948 | The Noose Hangs High | Woman | Uncredited |
| 1951 | Week-End with Father | Mrs. G. | |
| 1956 | The Kettles in the Ozarks | Meek Man's Wife | Uncredited |
| 1956 | You Can't Run Away from It | Ma, Vernon's Wife | |
| 1961 | The Pleasure of His Company | Mrs. Mooney | |
| 1961 | Breakfast at Tiffany's | Librarian | |
| 1963 | The Nutty Professor | Edwina Kelp | |
| 1963 | Johnny Cool | Beauty Salon Receptionist | Uncredited |
| 1964 | Honeymoon Hotel | Mrs. Sampson | |
| 1967 | Eight on the Lam | Neighbor | Uncredited |
