Imogene Coca (born Emogeane Coca; November 18, 1908 – June 2, 2001) was an American comic actress best known for her role opposite Sid Caesar on '' Your Show of Shows''. Starting out in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

as a child acrobat, she studied ballet and pursued a serious career in music and dance, graduating to decades of stage musical revues, cabaret, and summer stock. In her 40s, she began a celebrated career as a comedian on television, starring in six series and guest-starring on successful television programs from the 1940s to the 1990s. She was nominated for five

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

s for ''Your Show of Shows'', winning Best Actress in 1951 and singled out for a

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...

for excellence in broadcasting in 1953. Coca was also nominated for a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

in 1978 for '' On the Twentieth Century'' and received a sixth Emmy nomination at the age of 80 for an episode of '' Moonlighting''. She possessed a "rubbery" face capable of the broadest expressions — ''

Life Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...

'' magazine compared her to Beatrice Lillie and

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered o ...

and described her characterizations as taking "people or situations suspended in their own precarious balance between dignity and absurdity, and push(ing) them over the cliff with one single, pointed gesture". The magazine noted a "particularly high-brow critic" as observing "The trouble with most comedians who try to do satire is that they are essentially brash, noisy, and indelicate people who have to use a sledge hammer to smash a butterfly. Miss Coca, on the other hand, is the timid woman who, when aroused, can beat a tiger to death with a feather." Aside from vaudeville, cabaret, film, theater, and television, she voiced children's cartoons and was even featured in the 1984

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

music video "Bag Lady" by the band EBN-OZN, ultimately working well into her 80s. In a 1999 interview, Robert Ozn said that during the shoot, she was required to sit on the sidewalk in snow for hours during a blizzard with 15-degree (F) temperatures. "While the rest of us 20-somethings were moaning about the weather, warming ourselves by a heater, this little 75-year-old lady never once complained — put us all to shame. She was the most professional artist I've ever worked with."

Early life

Born Emogeane Coca in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

in 1908 of Spanish descent, the only child of Joseph F. Coca Jr. (the family surname was originally Fernández y Coca), a violinist and vaudeville orchestra conductor, and Sarah "Sadie" Brady, a dancer and magician's assistant, she took lessons in piano, dance, and voice as a child and while still a teenager moved from Philadelphia to New York City to become a dancer. In 1925, still aged 16, she landed her first job in the chorus of the Broadway musical ''When You Smile''. She became a headliner in Manhattan nightclubs with music arranged by her first husband, Bob Burton. She gained prominence when she combined music with comedy; her first critical success was in ''New Faces of 1934''. A well-received part of her act was a comic striptease, during which Coca made sultry faces and gestures but would manage to remove only one glove. She committed this routine to film in the

Educational Pictures Educational Pictures, also known as Educational Film Exchanges, Inc. or Educational Films Corporation of America, was an American film production and film distribution company founded in 1916 by Earle (E. W.) Hammons (1882–1962). Educational p ...

comedy short ''The Bashful Ballerina'' (1937). She received excellent notices for her Educational short ''Dime a Dance.'' In a review headlined "Swell Comic Scores," ''Film Daily'' wrote: "A real comedienne who will wow the cash customers with her zany antics, Imogene Coca is in a class all by herself, and her style of comedy does not suggest that of any other funster on the screen." Three other newcomers to films —

Danny Kaye Danny Kaye (born David Daniel Kaminsky; ; January 18, 1911 – March 3, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, singer, and dancer. His performances featured physical comedy, idiosyncratic pantomimes, and rapid-fire novelty songs. Kaye starred ...

, June Allyson, and Barry Sullivan — were featured in the short, filmed at Educational's New York studio.

Television

Imogene Coca was one of network television's first comics. She starred in an early ABC series, ''Buzzy Wuzzy'', which lasted four episodes in 1948. She played opposite Sid Caesar on '' The Admiral Broadway Revue'' (January to June 1949), and then in the sketch comedy program '' Your Show of Shows'' (1950 to 1954), which was immensely popular, winning the Emmy for Outstanding Variety Series in 1952 and 1953. The 90-minute show was aired live on NBC every Saturday night in prime time. In addition to performing with Caesar on this program, she frequently starred in parodies of classic ballets opposite dancer and choreographer James Starbuck. She won the second-ever

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. Beginning with the 18th Primetime Emmy Awards, leading actresses in comedy have competed alone. However, these comedic performance ...

in 1951 and was nominated for four other Emmys for her work in the show. She won a 1953

for excellence in broadcasting. The Caesar-Coca partnership might have continued, but the network tried to generate more revenue by spinning off Coca into her own series. ''The Imogene Coca Show'' ran for one year (1954 to 1955). Grindl Imogene Coca Billy Booth 1964

In the 1963–64 TV season, Coca portrayed a comic temporary helper in the NBC sitcom '' Grindl''. It competed with the second half of ''

The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the ''CB ...

'' and lasted only one season. Coca later starred as a cavewoman with Joe E. Ross in the 1966–67 time-travel satire sitcom '' It's About Time''. She continued to appear on comedy and variety series from the 1950s through the 1980s, including several appearances each on ''

The Carol Burnett Show ''The Carol Burnett Show'' is an American variety/sketch comedy television show that originally ran on CBS from September 11, 1967, to March 29, 1978, for 279 episodes, and again with nine episodes in fall 1991. It starred Carol Burnett, Harv ...

'', ''

The George Gobel Show George Leslie Goebel (May 20, 1919 – February 24, 1991) was an American humorist, actor, and comedian. He was best known as the star of his own weekly comedy variety television series, ''The George Gobel Show'', on NBC from 1954 to 1959 and o ...

'', ''

The Hollywood Palace ''The Hollywood Palace'' was an hourlong American television variety show broadcast Saturday nights (except September 1967 to January 1968, when it aired on Tuesday nights) on ABC from January 4, 1964, to February 7, 1970. Titled ''The Satur ...

'',

Ed Sullivan Edward Vincent Sullivan (September 28, 1901 – October 13, 1974) was an American television host, impresario, sports and entertainment reporter, and syndicated columnist for the ''New York Daily News'' and the Chicago Tribune New York News ...

's '' Toast of the Town'', and

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was an American comedian, actor, entertainer and producer with a career that spanned nearly 80 years and achievements in vaudeville, network radio, television, and USO Tours. He appeared ...

specials. She appeared on other shows and specials by

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor, and comedian. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Cool", he is regarded as one of the most popular entertainers of ...

Jackie Gleason Herbert John Gleason (born Herbert Walton Gleason Jr.; February 26, 1916June 24, 1987), known as Jackie Gleason, was an American comedian, actor, writer, and composer also known as "The Great One". He developed a style and characters from growin ...

Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian, with a career spanning seven decades in film, stage, television and radio. Famously nicknamed as "Th ...

Dick Clark Richard Wagstaff Clark (November 30, 1929April 18, 2012) was an American television and radio personality and television producer who hosted ''American Bandstand'' from 1956 to 1989. He also hosted five incarnations of the Pyramid (game show), ...

, and

Andy Williams Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hos ...

. ''The Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner, and Howard Morris Special'' won a 1967 Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special. She made memorable guest appearances on sitcoms, including appearances on '' Bewitched'', ''

The Brady Bunch ''The Brady Bunch'' is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz that aired five seasons from September 26, 1969, to March 8, 1974, on ABC. The series revolves around a large blended family of six children, with three boys and three gir ...

'', and ''

Mama's Family ''Mama's Family'' is an American sitcom television series starring Vicki Lawrence as Thelma Harper, Mama (Thelma Harper). The series is a spin-off of a recurring series of comedy sketches called "The Family (sketch), The Family" featured on ''T ...

''. She appeared with Milton Berle and ''Your Show of Shows'' co-star Howard Morris in "Curtain Call", a 1983 episode of '' Fantasy Island''. Coca appeared in a number of literary adaptations for children. In 1960, she was Miss Clavel in Sol Saks' adaptation of

Ludwig Bemelmans Ludwig Bemelmans (April 27, 1898 – October 1, 1962) was an Austrian and American writer and illustrator of children's books and adult novels. He is known best for the ''Madeline'' picture books. Six were published, the first in 1939. Early li ...

' ''

Madeline ''Madeline'' is a media franchise that originated as a series of children's books written and illustrated by Ludwig Bemelmans. The books have been adapted into numerous formats, spawning telefilms, television series and a live action feature fi ...

'' for '' Shirley Temple's Storybook''. In 1972, she voiced the character of Princess Jane Klockenlocher in '' The Enchanted World of Danny Kaye'', a Rankin/Bass version of

Hans Christian Andersen Hans Christian Andersen ( , ; 2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875) was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogue (literature), travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his literary fairy tales. Andersen's fai ...

's '' The Emperor's New Clothes''. In 1978, she appeared in '' A Special Sesame Street Christmas''. In 1985, she played The Cook in ''

Alice in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (also known as ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English Children's literature, children's novel by Lewis Carroll, a mathematics university don, don at the University of Oxford. It details the story of a ...

'', an all-star TV miniseries adaptation of the book by

Lewis Carroll Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet, mathematician, photographer and reluctant Anglicanism, Anglican deacon. His most notable works are ''Alice ...

. Among her final roles was voicing characters in '' Garfield and Friends''.Profile
imdb.com; accessed May 12, 2014. In 1988, Coca appeared as the mother of Allyce Beasley's Agnes in the '' Moonlighting'' episode "Los Dos Dipestos", written by David Steinberg. She received her sixth Emmy nomination, as Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series, for the role. The same year she was the female recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award in Comedy at the second annual

American Comedy Awards The American Comedy Awards were a group of awards presented annually in the United States recognizing performances and performers in the field of comedy, with an emphasis on television comedy and comedy films. They were first presented in May 19 ...

, alongside male recipient

George Burns George Burns (born Nathan Birnbaum; January 20, 1896March 9, 1996) was an American comedian, actor, writer, and singer, and one of the few entertainers whose career successfully spanned vaudeville, radio, film, and television. His arched eyeb ...

. Coca appeared only sporadically in films such as ''The Incredible Incident at Independence Square'', filmed in her hometown of Philadelphia, as well as '' Under the Yum Yum Tree'' (1963), '' Nothing Lasts Forever'', '' Papa Was a Preacher'', '' Buy & Cell'', and ''

National Lampoon's Vacation ''National Lampoon's Vacation'', sometimes referred to as simply ''Vacation'', is a 1983 American black comedy road film directed by Harold Ramis and starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Imogene Coca, Randy Quaid, John Candy, and Chris ...

'' (1983), as "Aunt Edna". After having appeared in several Broadway musical comedy revues and plays between the 1930s and the 1950s, Coca returned to Broadway at the age of 70 with a

-nominated performance as religious zealot Letitia Primrose in '' On the Twentieth Century'', a 1978 stage musical adapted from the film '' Twentieth Century'' (1934). Her role, that of a religious fanatic who plasters decals onto every available surface, had been a male in both the film and the original stage production, and was rewritten specifically as a vehicle for Coca. She appeared in the Broadway run with

Kevin Kline Kevin Delaney Kline (born October 24, 1947) is an American actor. In a career spanning over five decades, he has become a prominent leading man across both Kevin Kline on screen and stage, stage and screen. List of awards and nominations recei ...

and

Madeline Kahn Madeline Gail Kahn (''née'' Wolfson; September 29, 1942 – December 3, 1999) was an American actress, comedian, and singer. She was known for her comedic roles in films directed by Peter Bogdanovich and Mel Brooks, including '' What's Up, Doc ...

, continued with the national tour starring Rock Hudson and

Judy Kaye Judy Kaye (born October 11, 1948) is an American singer and actress. She has appeared in stage musicals, plays, and operas. Kaye has been in long runs on Broadway in the musicals '' The Phantom of the Opera'', ''Ragtime'', '' Mamma Mia!'', an ...

, and returned for a later tour revival in the mid-1980s with Kaye and

Frank Gorshin Frank John Gorshin Jr. (April 5, 1933 – May 17, 2005) was an American actor, comedian and impressionist. He made many guest appearances on television variety and talk shows, including '' The Ed Sullivan Show'', '' Tonight Starring Steve Allen' ...

. She also co-starred with singer Maxine Sullivan in '' My Old Friends'' and touring productions, including musicals such as ''

Once Upon a Mattress ''Once Upon a Mattress'' is a musical theater, musical comedy with music by Mary Rodgers, lyrics by Marshall Barer, and book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller, and Marshall Barer. It opened off-Broadway in May 1959, and then moved to Broadway theat ...

'' and '' Bells Are Ringing'' and plays such as '' The Prisoner of Second Avenue'' and '' Luv''. She rejoined Sid Caesar in 1961–62, 1977, and 1990–91 for a traveling stage revue and made an appearance with Caesar and Howard Morris at ''Comic Relief VI'' in 1994. One of Coca's early stock characters on the Caesar series blended comedy with socially conscious pathos as a bag lady and she was frequently asked to reprise the role, including by Carol Burnett for her '60s series and by

Red Skelton Richard Bernard Skelton (July 18, 1913September 17, 1997) was an American entertainer best known for his national old-time radio, radio and television shows between 1937 and 1971, especially as host of the television program ''The Red Skelto ...

as love interest to one of his own familiar characters in the 1981 TV special ''Freddie the Freeloader's Christmas Dinner''. New wave group Ēbn-Ōzn featured Coca as the title character in the music video to their song "Bag Lady (I Wonder)", which was a top-40 dance hit in 1984.

Personal life and legacy

Coca had no children, but was married twice: for 20 years to Bob Burton, from 1935 until his death in 1955, and later for 27 years to King Donovan, from 1960 until his death in 1987. Burton's death came only one month after her mother had died. Coca was a practicing

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

. Coca was a Democrat who supported the campaign of

Adlai Stevenson Adlai Stevenson may refer to: * Adlai Stevenson I Adlai Ewing Stevenson (October 23, 1835 – June 14, 1914) was an American politician and diplomat who served as the 23rd vice president of the United States from 1893 to 1897 under President Gr ...

in the 1952 presidential election. Hours after Coca and Donovan completed their New Year's Eve 1972 performance of "Fourposter" at the Showboat Dinner Theater in

St. Petersburg, Florida St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 258,308, making it the List of municipalities in Florida, fifth-most populous city in Florida and the most populous city in the sta ...

, they were involved in a serious auto accident. They had been driving in foggy weather to their home in

Clearwater, Florida Clearwater is a city and the county seat of Pinellas County, Florida, United States, west of Tampa, Florida, Tampa and north of St. Petersburg, Florida, St. Petersburg. To the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and to the southeast lies T ...

, when Donovan collided with another car driven by 19-year-old Cheryl Lynn Rice. Rice was unharmed, but Donovan sustained a slight leg injury, and the rear-view mirror entered Coca's right eye, smashing her cheekbone. Transported to the Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital, Coca underwent plastic surgery and a cosmetic lens covered her now-blind eye for the rest of her career, which resumed with her long stint in Broadway's '' On the Twentieth Century'' beginning in 1978. Performers citing Coca as an influence include Carol Burnett,

Lily Tomlin Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin (born September 1, 1939) is an American actress, comedian, writer, singer, and producer. Tomlin started her career in stand-up comedy and sketch comedy before transitioning her career to acting across stage and screen. ...

Whoopi Goldberg Caryn Elaine Johnson (born November 13, 1955), known professionally as Whoopi Goldberg (), is an American actor, comedian, author, and television personality.Kuchwara, Michael (AP Drama Writer)"Whoopi Goldberg: A One-Woman Character Parade". ...

, and Tracey Ullman. ''Your Show of Shows'' is considered a television classic and was the basis for a well-received 1982 film, '' My Favorite Year''. A 1992 musical version of the film made its way to Broadway, in which comedic actress Andrea Martin won a

for her portrayal of Alice Miller. In 1995, Coca was honored with the second annual

Women in Film Women are involved in the film industry in all roles, including as film directors, actor, actresses, cinematographers, film producers, film criticism, film critics, and other film industry professions, though women have been underrepresented in ...

Lucy Award, honoring women's achievements in television and named after

Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedian, producer, and studio executive. She was recognized by ''Time (magazine), Time'' in 2020 as one of the most influential women of the 20th century for h ...

Death

On June 2, 2001, Coca died at her home in

Westport, Connecticut Westport is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Located in the Gold Coast (Connecticut), Gold Coast along the Long Island Sound, it is northeast of New York City and is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connec ...

, aged 92, from natural causes incidental to

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...

. She was

cremated Cremation is a method of Disposal of human corpses, final disposition of a corpse through Combustion, burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India, Nepal, and ...

and her ashes scattered.

Filmography

Television

* '' Buzzy Wuzzy'' (1948; ran for four weeks) * '' The Admiral Broadway Revue'' (1949–1950) * '' Your Show of Shows'' (139 episodes 1950–1954) * ''The Imogene Coca Show'' (1954–1955) * ''

Playhouse 90 ''Playhouse 90'' is an American television anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 134 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology drama series of t ...

'' ("Made in Heaven" 1956) * '' General Electric Theater'' ("Cab Driver" 1957) * ''Sid Caesar Invites You'' (1958, U.S.) * ''Sid Caesar Invites You'' (1958, UK BC * ''

'' (4 episodes 1959–1960) * '' Shirley Temple's Storybook'': ''

'' (1960) * '' Grindl'' (32 episodes 1963–1964) * '' It's About Time'' (18 episodes 1966–1967) * ''The Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner, Howard Morris Special'' (1967) * ''

'' (4 episodes 1967–1969) * ''

Love, American Style ''Love, American Style'' is an American anthology comedy television series that aired on ABC from September 29, 1969, to January 11, 1974. The series was produced by Paramount Television. During the 1971–72 and 1972–73 seasons, it was a pa ...

'' (2 episodes 1970, 1972) * '' Bewitched'' (2 episodes 1971) *'' Rod Serling's Night Gallery'' (The Merciful)- with husband, '' King Donovan''. * '' The Enchanted World of Danny Kaye: The Emperor's New Clothes'' (1972) * ''

'' ("Aunt Jenny" - 1972) * ''The Incredible Incident at Independence Square'' * '' Trapper John, M.D.'' ("Quarantine" 1980) * '' Freddie the Freeloader's Christmas Dinner'' (1981) * '' Return of the Beverly Hillbillies'' (1981) * '' Fantasy Island'' ("Curtain Call" 1983) * ''

'' ("Aunt Gert Rides Again" 1983) * ''

One Life to Live ''One Life to Live'' (often abbreviated as ''OLTL'') is an American soap opera broadcast on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television network for more than 43 years, from July 15, 1968, to January 13, 2012, and then on the internet as ...

'' (cast member from 1983–1984) * ''

As the World Turns ''As the World Turns'' (often abbreviated as ''ATWT'') is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS for 54 years from April 2, 1956, to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created ''As the World Turns'' as a sister show to her other so ...

'' (cast member in 1983) * ''

'' (1985) * '' Moonlighting'' ("Los Dos Dipestos" 1988) * '' Monsters'' ("The Face" 1989) * '' Garfield and Friends'' (Voice, 14 episodes 1994) * '' Comic Relief VI'' (1994)

Film

* ''Bashful Ballerina'' (1937) * ''Dime a Dance'' (1937) * ''They Meet Again'' (1941) * '' Promises! Promises!'' (1963) * '' Under the Yum Yum Tree'' (1963) * ''10 from Your Show of Shows'' (1973) * ''

Rabbit Test The rabbit test, or Friedman test, was an early pregnancy test that required killing and dissecting a rabbit to obtain the results. The test was developed in 1931 by Maurice Friedman and Maxwell Edward Lapham at the University of Pennsylvania. ...

'' (1978) * ''

'' (1983) * '' Nothing Lasts Forever'' (1984) * '' Papa Was a Preacher'' (1985) * '' Buy & Cell'' (1987) * ''Hollywood: The Movie'' (1996) * ''Her Alibi'' (1989) uncredited in court room

Broadway

* ''When You Smile'' (1925) Imogene * ''Garrick Gaieties'' (1930) * ''Shoot the Works'' (1931) * ''Flying Colors'' (1932–1933) Jo-Jo, Miss Maris * ''New Faces of 1934'' (1934, with Henry Fonda) * ''Fools Rush In'' (1934–1935) * ''New Faces of 1936'' (1936) * ''Who's Who'' (1938) * '' The Straw Hat Revue'' (1939, with

Jerome Robbins Jerome Robbins (born Jerome Wilson Rabinowitz; October 11, 1918 – July 29, 1998) was an American dancer, choreographer, film director, theatre director and producer who worked in classical ballet, on stage, film, and television. Among his nu ...

) * ''All In Fun'' (1940) Dancer, Esther, Mrs. Burton, Nymph, The Derelict * ''Concert Varieties'' (1945) * ''Janus'' (1955–1956) Jessica * ''The Girls in 509'' (1958–1959) Mimsy * '' On The Twentieth Century'' (1978–1979) Letitia Primrose

Music video

* ''Bag Lady'' (1984 EBN-OZN)) The Bag Lady

Selected regional theater, national tours

* ''Bubbling Over'' (1926) * '' Queen High'' (1928) * ''Up to the Stars'' (1935) * ''Calling All Men'' (1937) * ''A Night at the Folies Bergere'' (1940) * '' Happy Birthday'' (1948) * ''

Wonderful Town ''Wonderful Town'' is a 1953 musical theatre, musical with book written by Joseph A. Fields and Jerome Chodorov, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and music by Leonard Bernstein. The musical tells the story of two sisters who aspire to be ...

'' (1954) Ruth * ''The Great Sebastians'' (1957) * ''

'' (1960–61) * '' A Thurber Carnival'' (1961–62) * ''Caesar-Coca Revue'' (1961–62) * '' Bells Are Ringing'' (1962) * '' Luv'' (1967) * ''

You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running In Modern English, the word "''you''" is the second-person pronoun. It is grammatically plural, and was historically used only for the dative case, but in most modern dialects is used for all cases and numbers. History ''You'' comes from ...

'' (1968–69) * ''Why I Went Crazy'' (1969) * ''A Girl Could Get Lucky'' (1970) * ''

The Rivals ''The Rivals'' is a comedy of manners by Richard Brinsley Sheridan in five acts which was first performed at Covent Garden Theatre on 17 January 1775. The story has been updated frequently, including a 1935 musical and a 1958 List of Maverick ...

'' (1972) Mrs. Malaprop * '' The Prisoner of Second Avenue'' (1973–74, with husband King Donovan) * " Plaza Suite" ( c. 1976 Tidewater Dinner Theatre of The Stars, with King Donovan) * '' Makin' Whoopee'' (1981, with

Mamie Van Doren Mamie Van Doren (; born Joan Lucille Olander; February 6, 1931) is an American actress, singer, and model. A Bombshell (slang), blonde bombshell, she is one of the "Three M's" along with Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield, who were friends and ...

) * '' The Gin Game'' (1984) * ''My Old Friends'' (1985) * '' On the Twentieth Century'' (1986–87) Letitia Primrose

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Coca, Imogene 1908 births 2001 deaths 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American comedians 20th-century Roman Catholics Actresses from Philadelphia American film actresses American people of Spanish descent American Roman Catholics American sketch comedians American stage actresses American television actresses American voice actresses American women comedians California Democrats Catholics from California Catholics from Pennsylvania Comedians from Philadelphia Connecticut Democrats Deaths from Alzheimer's disease in Connecticut Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners Peabody Award winners Pennsylvania Democrats

Early life

Television

Personal life and legacy

Death

Filmography

Television

Film

Broadway

Music video

Selected regional theater, national tours

References

Further reading

External links