Henny Backus | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Henny Backus in 1969 | |
| Born | Henrietta Kaye (1911-03-21)March 21, 1911 Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | December 9, 2004(2004-12-09) (aged 93) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery |
| Other names | Henriette Kaye |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1936–1981 |
| Spouses |
|
Henny Backus (bornHenrietta Kaye, March 21, 1911 – December 9, 2004) was aBroadway showgirl in the 1930s whose stage credits includeOrson Welles'sHorse Eats Hat. She was the wife of actor and comedianJim Backus.
She had the role of Bee in the Broadway playChrysalis (1932).[1] Working as Henriette Kaye, she was a member of theFederal Theatre Project. Described byThe New York Times as "a leggy redhead with a droll sense of humor",[2] she appeared inOrson Welles's Project 891 productionHorse Eats Hat (1936), a surrealistic farce co-starring Welles,Joseph Cotten,Hiram Sherman andArlene Francis.[3]: 182 Her husband, Nat Karson,[2] designed the sets and costumes.[3]: 182
Kaye married actor and comedian Jim Backus in 1943.[2] The couple co-starred in the 1960s television seriesBlondie, and they performed together once onGilligan's Island, in the sitcom's second-season episode "Gilligan's Mother-In-Law" (1965). She appeared too with her husband in a season-five episode ofThe Love Boat.
Henny and Jim Backus co-authored several humorous books, includingWhat Are You Doing After the Orgy? (1962),Only When I Laugh (1965),Backus Strikes Back (1984), andForgive Us Our Digressions (1988). Henny also wroteCare for the Caretaker (1999), documenting her husband's battle withParkinson's disease and offering practical solutions for those facing such dilemmas.[2]