Martha Raye was an American comic actress and singer who performed in movies and later on television ….as she also acted in plays including Broadway….plus, she was honored in 1969 at the Academy Awards as the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award recipient for her volunteer efforts and services to the troops….when she joined the USO in 1942….soon after the US entered World War II.
In the early 1930’s….Raye was a band vocalist with the Paul Ash and Boris Morros orchestras….then she made her first film appearance in 1934 in a band short titled A Nite in the Nite Club…..when in 1936, she was signed for comic roles by Paramount Pictures….and made her first picture for Paramount in the feature film Rhythm on the Range….along with Bing Crosby….and from 1936 – 39….she was a featured cast member in 39 episodes of Al Jolson’s weekly CBS radio show, The Lifebuoy Program….which was also called Cafe Trocadero….so, in addition to comedy, Martha sang both solos and duets with Jolson. Over the next quarter century, she would appear with many of the leading comics of her day…. including Joe E. Brown, Bob Hope, W. C. Fields, Abbott and Costello in Keep ‘Em Flying….Charlie Chaplin in Monsieur Verdoux….and Jimmy Durante.
