Jane Connell | |
|---|---|
 Connell as Hepzibah withCesar Romero inBewitched, 1970 | |
| Born | Jane Sperry Bennett (1925-10-27)October 27, 1925 Berkeley, California, U.S. |
| Died | September 22, 2013(2013-09-22) (aged 87) Englewood, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupations | Actress, singer |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Jane Sperry Connell (pronounced con-NELL, néeBennett; October 27, 1925 – September 22, 2013)[1] was an American actress and singer.
Connell is best known for originating the role of Agnes Gooch in the1966 stage musical and1974 film musical versions ofAuntie Mame.
Connell was born inBerkeley, California,[1] to Louis Wesley and Mary (née Sperry) Bennett.[2] She majored in drama at theUniversity of California, Berkeley where she met her future husband.[3]
Connell began her career with her husbandGordon, entertaining in San Francisco night clubs such asThe Purple Onion and theHungry I. Eventually the couple moved to New York City, where Connell made herOff-Broadway debut in the 1955 revival ofThe Threepenny Opera, a long-running hit at theTheatre de Lys. In the London production ofOnce Upon a Mattress, Connell starred as Winifred, the role thatCarol Burnett had originated in New York.[4] HerBroadway debut came in the role of Mrs. Peachum inThreepenny Opera (1955).[1]
Connell's most prominent success came in 1966 when she was cast as Agnes Gooch in the original Broadway production ofJerry Herman'sMame. She recreated the role in the1974 screen adaptation afterLucille Ball, the film's star, became dissatisfied withMadeline Kahn, who originally had been signed to play Gooch.[5]
Only four-foot-eleven, Connell was described as a master of the large comic gesture inThe Oxford Companion to American Theatre, which described her as "a tiny woman with a giant, squeaking voice".[6]
Connell was nominated for theTony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance inMe and My Girl (1986).[7] AdditionalBroadway credits includeNew Faces of 1956 (1956);Drat! The Cat! (1965);Dear World (1969), once again supportingAngela Lansbury; the short-lived 1983 revival ofMame, in which Lansbury reprised her 1966 lead role;Lend Me a Tenor (1989);Crazy for You (1992); andMoon Over Buffalo (1995), starringCarol Burnett;The Full Monty (2000), succeedingKathleen Freeman, who died during her run in the show, andThe Adventures of Tom Sawyer (2001).[1]
Jane and Gordon Connell enjoyed extensive theatre careers. They appeared together on Broadway inLysistrata (November 1972), starringMelina Mercouri in the title role. She appeared inNew York City CenterEncores! production ofCall Me Madam (February 1995), and the Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall concert presentation ofNoël Coward'sSail Away (November 1999).
Jane Connell's film roles includedLadybug Ladybug (1963),Trilogy (1969),Kotch (1971),Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976),House Calls (1978),Rabbit Test (1978),Robot in the Family (1994) andDr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde (1995).[8] Her decades of television work included six appearances onBewitched, where she variously played Mother Goose, Martha Washington, Queen Hepzibah and, in a memorable turn asQueen Victoria, often uttered the phrase "We are not amused." She also appeared onGreen Acres,All in the Family,Love, American Style,M*A*S*H,Maude,Good Times,Law & Order and many more.[9][10]
Connell portrayed Jane in the comedy seriesStanley (1956).[11]: 1009 She was a regular on the children's seriesMr. Mayor (1964)[11]: 701 and the situation comedyThe Dumplings.[11]: 292 From 1991 to 1994, she had the recurring role of social worker Roberta Domedian on the sitcomBig Brother Jake.[11]
She marriedGordon Connell, an actor and musician, in 1948. They remained married until her death in 2013. The couple had two daughters.[12]
Jane Connell died on September 22, 2013, aged 87, at theLillian Booth Actors Home of the Actors Fund in Englewood, New Jersey from undisclosed causes.[13] She was survived by her husband (who died in 2016) and two daughters, Melissa and Maggie.[12]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Ladybug Ladybug | Mrs. Maxton | |
| 1969 | Trilogy | Mrs. Connolly | |
| 1971 | Kotch | Miss Roberts | |
| 1974 | Mame | Agnes Gooch | |
| 1976 | Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood | Waitress | |
| 1977 | The Magnificent Magical Magnet of Santa Mesa | Ida Griffith | |
| 1978 | House Calls | Mrs. Conway | |
| Rabbit Test | Anthropologist | ||
| 1980 | Getting There | Grandma | |
| 1989 | See No Evil, Hear No Evil | Woman | |
| 1994 | Robot in the Family | Mrs. Miller | |
| 1995 | Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde | Aunt Agatha |
| Year | Organization | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Tony Awards | Best Featured Actress in a Musical | Me and My Girl | Nominated | [14] |
For a London production of Once Upon a Mattress in 1960, Connell starred as the wacky Princess Winifred, the role that brought Burnett stardom on Broadway.
She starred in director Frank Perry's Cold War drama Ladybug Ladybug (1963) and also appeared in such films as Kotch (1971), Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood, House Calls (1978), the Joan Rivers-scripted and directed Rabbit Test (1978) and Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde (1995).
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