Florence Lake (born Florence Silverlake, November 27, 1904 – April 11, 1980) was an American

actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

best known as the leading lady in most of the

Edgar Kennedy Edgar Livingston Kennedy (April 26, 1890 – November 9, 1948) was an American comedic character actor who appeared in at least 500 films during the silent and sound eras. Professionally, he was known as "Slow Burn", owing to his ability to por ...

comedy shorts.

Early life

Lake was born in

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...

. In the early 1900s, her father and uncle toured with a

circus A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicyclis ...

in an aerial act known as "The Flying Silverlakes". Her mother, Edith Goodwin, was an actress. Her parents later appeared in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

in a skit "Family Affair", traveling throughout the South and Southwest

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. Florence and her younger brother Arthur Silverlake, Jr. became part of the act in 1910. Their mother brought the children to

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

to get into the burgeoning film industry. Arthur changed his professional name to Arthur Lake and later achieved great success as "

Dagwood Bumstead Dagwood Bumstead is a main character in cartoonist Chic Young's long-running comic strip '' Blondie''. He debuted in the first strip on September 8, 1930. He was originally heir to the Bumstead Locomotive fortune, but was disowned when he married ...

" in the '' Blondie'' movie series.

Early career

Before acting in films, Lake was the leading lady for the Raynor Lehr stock theater company. Her film debut came in ''

New Year's Eve In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve, also known as Old Year's Day or Saint Sylvester's Day in many countries, is the evening or the entire day of the last day of the year, on 31 December. The last day of the year is commonly referred to ...

'' (1929).

Comic acting persona

Lake was petite, with a high-pitched speaking voice. She perfected a comical singsong delivery that established her in "dumb" roles. She personified flightiness in the Kennedy shorts, as the scatterbrained Mrs. Kennedy. After the series ended upon Kennedy's death in 1948, she continued to play character roles in films and television. Her best-known TV role was Jenny, the Calverton telephone operator in ''

Lassie Lassie is a fictional female Rough Collie dog and is featured in a short story by Eric Knight that was later expanded to a full-length novel called '' Lassie Come-Home''. Knight's portrayal of Lassie bears some features in common with another ...

''. Lake played the role for the entire ten year "farm seasons" of the show (1954–1964), thus becoming the ''Lassie'' player with the longest run on the series. She played the role of Mama Angel in "The Angel and the Outlaw", a 1957 episode of the TV series ''

The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in ...

''. She also appeared in the first color episode of the TV series ''

Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book '' Action Comics'' #1 ( cover-dated June 1938 and pu ...

'' in 1957 as a cave woman. On

old-time radio The Golden Age of Radio, also known as the old-time radio (OTR) era, was an era of radio in the United States where it was the dominant electronic home entertainment medium. It began with the birth of commercial radio broadcasting in the earl ...

, Lake portrayed Jessie in ''Charlie and Jessie'', Tess Terwilliger in ''

David Harum ''David Harum; A Story of American Life'' is a best-selling novel of 1898 by Edward Noyes Westcott, whose principal legacy is the colloquial use of the term ''horse trading''. Literary significance and criticism Written by retired Syracuse, N ...

'', Mrs. Featherstone's daughter in ''The Gay Mrs. Featherstone'', and Miss Smith in ''Phone Again Finnegan''. In her later years, Lake appeared as Elvira Norton on an episode of '' Dragnet'' entitled "Frauds". She appeared in an episode of the 1973

situation comedy A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use new ...

'' A Touch of Grace'', and later that year played a blind date for the character Lou Grant on ''

The Mary Tyler Moore Show ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (also known simply as ''Mary Tyler Moore'') is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns and starring actress Mary Tyler Moore. The show originally aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977. Moo ...

'' episode
"Lou's First Date"
Her last roles were in the TV series ''

Emergency! ''Emergency!'' is an American action-adventure medical drama television series jointly produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. Debuting on NBC as a midseason replacement on January 15, 1972, replacing the two short-lived situa ...

'', ''

Baretta ''Baretta'' is an American detective television series which ran on ABC from 1975 to 1978. The show was a revised and milder version of a 1973–1974 ABC series, '' Toma'', starring Tony Musante as chameleon-like, real-life New Jersey pol ...

'' in 1976, and '' Most Wanted'' in 1977.

Selected filmography

* ''

'' (1929) - Pearl * '' Thru Different Eyes'' (1929) - Myrtle * ''

The Rogue Song ''The Rogue Song'' is a 1930 American pre-Code romantic and musical film that tells the story of a Russian bandit who falls in love with a princess, but takes his revenge on her when her brother rapes and kills his sister. The Metro-Goldwyn-Ma ...

'' (1930) - Nadja * '' Romance'' (1930) - Susan Van Tuyl * '' The Drums of Jeopardy'' (1931) - Anya Karlov * '' The Spirit of Notre Dame'' (1931) - Trixie Hayes (uncredited) * ''

Secret Service A secret service is a government agency, intelligence agency, or the activities of a government agency, concerned with the gathering of intelligence data. The tasks and powers of a secret service can vary greatly from one country to another. Fo ...

'' (1931) - Miss Caroline Mitford * '' Ladies of the Jury'' (1932) - Mrs. Dace (uncredited) * '' Night World'' (1932) - Ms. Smith (uncredited) * ''

Westward Passage ''Westward Passage'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by Robert Milton and starring Ann Harding, Laurence Olivier, ZaSu Pitts and Irving Pichel. The screenplay concerns a woman who falls in love and marries, but soon discovers ho ...

'' (1932) - Elmer's Wife * ''

Frisco Jenny ''Frisco Jenny'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film starring Ruth Chatterton and Louis Calhern, and directed by William A. Wellman. Its storyline bears a resemblance to Chatterton's previous hit film, '' Madame X''. Plot In 1906 San Franc ...

'' (1932) - Ticklish Girl (uncredited) * '' Midshipman Jack'' (1933) - Sally Withers * ''

The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi Often called the most beloved and popular of college fraternity songs, "The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi" was written in 1911 by Byron D. Stokes (Albion Class of 1913) and F. Dudleigh Vernor (Albion '14). Stokes had written the words while in class on ...

'' (1933) - Dizzy * '' Only Yesterday'' (1933) - One of Jim's Friends (uncredited) * ''

Jimmy and Sally ''Jimmy and Sally'' is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy-drama film directed by James Tinling and written by Paul Schofield and Marguerite Roberts with additional dialogue by William Conselman. Starring James Dunn, Claire Trevor, Harvey Stephen ...

'' (1933) - Marlowe Employee (uncredited) * '' Two-Fisted'' (1935) - Doris Pritchard (uncredited) * '' Muss 'Em Up'' (1936) - Tony's Girlfriend (uncredited) * ''

The Singing Kid ''The Singing Kid'' is a 1936 American musical film directed by William Keighley and written by Warren Duff and Pat C. Flick. Starring Al Jolson, Sybil Jason, Beverly Roberts, Edward Everett Horton, Lyle Talbot and Allen Jenkins, it was released ...

'' (1936) - Young Woman (scenes deleted) * ''

Women Are Trouble ''Women Are Trouble'' is a 1936 American crime film directed by Errol Taggart and written by Michael Fessier. The film stars Stuart Erwin, Paul Kelly, Florence Rice, Margaret Irving, Cy Kendall and John Harrington. The film was released on J ...

'' (1936) - Clara (uncredited) * ''

To Mary – with Love ''To Mary – with Love'' is a 1936 American drama film directed by John Cromwell, written by Richard Sherman and Howard Ellis Smith, and starring Warner Baxter, Myrna Loy, Ian Hunter, Claire Trevor, Jean Dixon and Pat Somerset. The film was re ...

'' (1936) - Salesgirl * '' Quality Street'' (1937) - Henrietta Turnbull (uncredited) * ''

Love in a Bungalow ''Love in a Bungalow'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Ray McCarey and written by Austin Parker, Karen DeWolf and James Mulhauser. The film stars Nan Grey, Kent Taylor, Louise Beavers, J. Scott Smart, Minerva Urecal and Hobart Cavan ...

'' (1937) - The 'Ga-Ga' Prospect * '' I Met My Love Again'' (1938) - Carol Towner * ''

Condemned Women ''Condemned Women'' is a 1938 American drama film directed by Lew Landers and written by Lionel Houser. The film stars Sally Eilers, Louis Hayward, Anne Shirley, Esther Dale and Lee Patrick. The film was released on March 18, 1938. Plot Linda W ...

'' (1938) - Prisoner * ''

Law of the Underworld ''Law of the Underworld'' is a 1938 American drama film directed by Lew Landers and written by Bert Granet and Edmund L. Hartmann. The film stars Chester Morris, Anne Shirley, Eduardo Ciannelli, Walter Abel and Richard Bond. The film was released ...

'' (1938) - Mrs. Billy Winters (uncredited) * ''

Rebellious Daughters ''Rebellious Daughters'' is a 1938 American crime drama film. It was the first feature film directed by Jean Yarbrough, and starred Marjorie Reynolds. The film's producer was Ben Judell of Progressive Pictures, known for low-budget exploitation fi ...

'' (1938) - Dizzy * '' Having Wonderful Time'' (1938) - Camp Guest (uncredited) * '' Next Time I Marry'' (1938) - Justice of the Peace's Wife (uncredited) * '' Dramatic School'' (1938) - Factory Worker (uncredited) * ''Convicts at Large'' (1938) - Hattie * '' Pacific Liner'' (1939) - Miss Smith - Dancing with Crusher (uncredited) * ''

Stagecoach A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses although some versions are dra ...

'' (1939) - Mrs. Nancy Whitney (uncredited) * ''

Union Pacific The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pac ...

'' (1939) - Woman (uncredited) * ''

Bachelor Mother ''Bachelor Mother'' (1939) is an American romantic comedy film directed by Garson Kanin, and starring Ginger Rogers, David Niven, and Charles Coburn. The screenplay was written by Norman Krasna from an Academy Award-nominated story by Felix Jac ...

'' (1939) - Oliver's Wife (uncredited) * '' When Tomorrow Comes'' (1939) - Waitress (uncredited) * '' 5th Ave Girl'' (1939) - Slavey - the Cook's Helper (uncredited) * '' Four Jacks and a Jill'' (1942) - Counter Girl (uncredited) * ''

Scattergood Survives a Murder ''Scattergood Survives a Murder'' is a 1942 American mystery film directed by Christy Cabanne from a screenplay by Michael L. Simmons, based on the series of short stories about "Scattergood Baines", penned by Clarence Budington Kelland. Cast * ...

'' (1942) - Phoebe Quentin * ''

Crash Dive A crash dive is a maneuver by a submarine in which the vessel submerges as quickly as possible to avoid attack. Crash diving from the surface to avoid attack has been largely rendered obsolete with the advent of nuclear-powered submarines, as they ...

'' (1943) - Doris - Jean's Roommate (uncredited) * '' Hi'ya, Sailor'' (1943) - Secretary * ''

Her Primitive Man ''Her Primitive Man'' is a 1944 American comedy film directed by Charles Lamont and written by Michael Fessier and Ernest Pagano. The film stars Louise Allbritton, Robert Paige, Robert Benchley, Edward Everett Horton, Helen Broderick, Stephani ...

'' (1944) - Miss Crims (uncredited) * ''

Casanova Brown ''Casanova Brown'' is a 1944 American comedy romantic film directed by Sam Wood, written by Nunnally Johnson, and starring Gary Cooper, Teresa Wright, and Frank Morgan. The film had its world premiere in western France after the Allies had ...

'' (1944) - Nurse Phillips (uncredited) * '' San Diego, I Love You'' (1944) - Miss Lake * ''

Goin' to Town ''Goin' To Town'' is a 1935 musical comedy film directed by Alexander Hall and written by Mae West. The film stars Mae West, Paul Cavanagh, Gilbert Emery, Marjorie Gateson, Tito Coral and Ivan Lebedeff. The film was released on April 25, 1935, ...

'' (1944) - Abigail * ''

Hi, Beautiful ''Hi, Beautiful'' is a 1944 American comedy film directed by Leslie Goodwins and written by Dick Irving Hyland. The film stars Martha O'Driscoll, Noah Beery Jr., Hattie McDaniel, Walter Catlett, Tim Ryan, Florence Lake, Grady Sutton, Lou Lubin ...

'' (1944) - Mrs. Bisbee * ''

George White's Scandals ''George White's Scandals'' were a long-running string of Broadway revues produced by George White that ran from 1919–1939, modeled after the ''Ziegfeld Follies''. The "Scandals" launched the careers of many entertainers, including W. C. F ...

'' (1945) - Mother (scenes deleted) * '' Riverboat Rhythm'' (1946) - Penelope Beeler Witherspoon * '' Little Giant'' (1946) - (uncredited) * '' The Time, the Place and the Girl'' (1946) - Kathy (uncredited) * '' All Gummed Up'' (1947, Short) - Aged Serena (uncredited) * '' My Wild Irish Rose'' (1947) - Diner at White Horse Tavern (uncredited) * ''

The Stratton Story ''The Stratton Story'' is a 1949 American biographical film directed by Sam Wood that tells the true story of Monty Stratton, a Major League Baseball pitcher who pitched for the Chicago White Sox from 1934 to 1938. The film is the first of three ...

'' (1949) - Mrs. Appling (uncredited) * ''

Ambush An ambush is a long-established military tactic in which a combatant uses an advantage of concealment or the element of surprise to attack unsuspecting enemy combatants from concealed positions, such as among dense underbrush or behind moun ...

'' (1950) - Mrs. Wolverson (uncredited) * ''

Man from the Black Hills ''Man from the Black Hills'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by Thomas Carr and starring Johnny Mack Brown, James Ellison and Rand Brooks.Drew p.179 It was distributed by Monogram Pictures which focused on low-budget second features ...

'' (1952) - Martha * '' Fargo'' (1952) - Maggie * ''

The Maverick ''The Maverick'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by Thomas Carr and starring Wild Bill Elliott, Myron Healey and Phyllis Coates.Fitzgerald & Magers p.35 Plot Cast * Wild Bill Elliott as Lieutenant Pete Devlin * Myron Healey as S ...

'' (1952) - Grandma Watson * '' Bubble Trouble'' (1953, Short) - Old Serena Flint * '' She Couldn't Say No'' (1953) - Mrs. Gruman (uncredited) * '' The Flaming Urge'' (1953) - Mrs. Binger * '' Bitter Creek'' (1954) - Mrs. Hammond * ''

The Desperado ''The Desperado'' is a 1954 American Western film directed by Thomas Carr and written by Daniel Mainwaring. It is based on the 1950 novel ''The Desperado'' by Clifton Adams. The film stars Wayne Morris, Jimmy Lydon, Beverly Garland, Rayford ...

'' (1954) - Mrs. Cameron * ''The Lone Ranger'' (1955) - Season 5 Episode 34 - Emmy Corkle * '' The Boss'' (1956) - Waitress (uncredited) * ''

Petticoat Junction ''Petticoat Junction'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from September 1963 to April 1970. The series takes place at the Shady Rest Hotel, which is run by Kate Bradley; her three daughters Billie Jo, Bobbie Jo, and ...

'' (1966 - S3Ep30) as Mrs. Latimer * '' The Ghost and Mr. Chicken'' (1966) - Occult Clubwoman (uncredited) * ''

The Big Mouth ''The Big Mouth'' is a 1967 American comedy film produced, directed, co-written, and starring Jerry Lewis. It was filmed in San Diego and features Frank De Vol as an onscreen narrator. Plot Gerald Clamson is a bank examiner who loves fishing on ...

'' (1967) - Assaulted Lady (uncredited) * '' Savage Intruder'' (1970) - Mildred * ''Adam 12'' The Grandmothers (1971) as Mrs. Frieda Pine * ''Time to Run'' (1973) * '' Frasier, the Sensuous Lion'' (1973) - Old Woman on Porch * '' Welcome to Arrow Beach'' (1974) - Landlady * ''

The Day of the Locust ''The Day of the Locust'' is a 1939 novel by American author Nathanael West set in Hollywood, California. The novel follows a young artist from the Yale School of Fine Arts named Tod Hackett, who has been hired by a Hollywood studio to do scen ...

'' (1975) - Lee Sisters #2 * ''

'' (1976-S5Ep18) - as Maggie

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lake, Florence 1904 births 1980 deaths 20th-century American actresses American film actresses American television actresses Actresses from California People from Greater Los Angeles Actresses from Charleston, South Carolina Burials at Woodlawn Memorial Cemetery, Santa Monica