Judy Canova

Judy Canova

1913-11-20 – 1983-08-05 (age 69) Starke, Florida, USA
View on IMDb ↗

Biography

From Wikipedia

Judy Canova (November 20, 1913 – August 5, 1983), born Juliette Canova, (some sources indicate Julietta Canova), was an American comedienne, actress, singer, and radio personality. She appeared on Broadway and in films. She hosted her own self-titled network radio program, a popular series broadcast from 1943 to 1955.

When bandleader Rudy Vallée offered the still-teenaged Canova a guest spot on his radio show in 1931, The Fleischmann Hour, the door opened to a career that spanned more than five decades. The popularity of the Canova family led to numerous performances on radio in the 1930s, and they made their Broadway theater debut in the revue Calling All Stars. An offer from Warner Bros. led to several bit parts before she signed with Republic Pictures.

She recorded for the RCA Victor label and appeared in more than two dozen Hollywood films, playing leading roles as well as supporting parts, including Scatterbrain (1940), Joan of Ozark (1942), and Lay That Rifle Down (1955). In 1943, she began her own radio program, The Judy Canova Show, that ran for twelve years—first on CBS and then on NBC. Playing herself as a love-starved Ozark bumpkin dividing her time between home and Southern California.

By the time her radio program ended in 1955, Canova made a smooth transition to television with appearances on The Colgate Comedy Hour, The Steve Allen Show, Matinee Theatre, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Make Room For Daddy,and other shows. In 1967, she portrayed Mammy Yokum in an unsold TV pilot adapted from Al Capp's Li'l Abner. She also worked on Broadway and in Vegas nightclubs through the early 1970s, touring with No, No Nanette in 1971. She appeared as a mystery guest on the TV show What's My Line on July 18, 1954.

Canova is honored with stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contribution to the film & television Industry.

Photos

Known For

Cannonball
Cannonball

1976

as Sharma Capri

Broadway Gondolier
Broadway Gondolier

1935

as Hillbilly Specialty

Sleepy Lagoon
Sleepy Lagoon

1943

as Judy Joyner

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Artists & Models
Artists & Models

1937

as Toots

Going Highbrow
Going Highbrow

1935

as Annie

Puddin' Head
Puddin' Head

1941

as Judy Goober

In Caliente
In Caliente

1935

as Specialty Singer

Scatterbrain
Scatterbrain

1940

as Judy Hull

Chatterbox
Chatterbox

1943

as Judy Boggs

The WAC from Walla Walla
The WAC from Walla Walla

1952

as Judy Canova

Lay That Rifle Down
Lay That Rifle Down

1955

as Judy Canova

Honeychile
Honeychile

1951

as Judy Canova

Sis Hopkins
Sis Hopkins

1941

as Sis Hopkins

Oklahoma Annie
Oklahoma Annie

1952

as Judy Canova

🎦
Joan of Ozark

1942

as Judy Hull

Untamed Heiress
Untamed Heiress

1954

as Judy

Hill-billing and Cooing
Hill-billing and Cooing

1956

as Possum Pearl (voice) (uncredited)

Thrill of a Lifetime
Thrill of a Lifetime

1937

as Judy Canova