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Imogene Coca

Stage Name

Birth Name

Imogene Coca Imogene Fernandez de Coca
Doris Hickenlooper (YSOS)  

   Imogene's father José Fernandez de Coca, was a conductor at a small Philadelphia opera house, and her mother Sadie Brady Coca performed as a dancer in a vaudeville magic act. Her parents enrolled in various lessons such as piano at 5, singing at 6, and dance classes at age 7. She made her stage debut as 9-year-old dancer, later a solo singing stint at age 11. Alltho she was vibrant on stage, off stage she was very shy.    By her early teens she was already a seasoned vaudeville performer. She eventually left Philadelphia at age 15 for New York where she obtained work as a dancer by dancing at Jimmy Durante's Silver Slipper Nightclub.
Imogene Coca Autograph
For the next 30 years, music and dance would become her staple. She performed in dance troupes of musical revues aa well as doing her own acts in various Manhattan clubs.     The 5' 3" Imogene Coca is best remembered today for playing opposite comedian Sid Caesar in the live 90-minute "Your Show of Shows (YSOS)," which ran every Saturday night on NBC from February 1950 to June 1954. It was this show that would make her a household name. She danced with many star dancers on and off the show as well as being nominated for an Prime time Emmy numerous times and winning once, a Broadway's 1978 Tony Award as Best Actress in a Featured Musical Role ... for "On the Twentieth Century," and the American Comedy Awards, USA for best comedian in 1988 and finally winning her star on the "Walk of Fame" in Hollywood, Ca. (At 6220 Hollywood Blvd.) ... More Photos

Birth Place

Birth Date

Spouse

Offspring

Philadelphia, PA 11/18/1908 - 6/2/2001 Robert Burton (1935-55) None
    King Donovan (1960-87)  
 

Dance Types

Dance Partners

Music Titles

Ballet Danny Kaye n/a
Ballroom James Starbuck      
Comedy Syd Caesar      
Pantomime            
 

Night Clubs

Theaters

Stage

Rainbow Room Ambassador Theatre (1939) 1925 - When You Smile
Silver Slipper Copley Theatre 1930 - Garrick Gaieties
The Pocano's area (NY) National Theatre (1925) 1931 - Shoot The Works
            1932 - Flying Colors
            1934 - New Faces of 1934
            1934 - Fools Rush In
      Imogene and Syd Caesar 1936 - New Faces of 1936
      1937 - Dime a Dance
      1938 - Who's Who
      1939 - Straw Hat Review (w/Danny Kaye)
      1940 - All In Fun (w/ Bojangles)
      1945 - Concert Varieties
      1954 - Wonderful Town
      1959 - The Girls In 509
      1979 - On The Twentieth Century
      1991 - Together Again (w/ Sid)
             
             
 

Films

Television

Publications

1937 - Bashful Ballerina 1949 - Admiral Broadway Revue (w/ Caesar) 1951 - Candid Photography (Fawcett book #126)
1937 - Dime a Dance (Esmeralda) $ 1950/54 - Your Show Of Shows 2/5/1951 - Life Magazine
1937 - New Faces 1954/55 - Imogene Coca Show, the 12/1951 - Coronet Magazine
1938 - Beauty Shop 1958 - Sid Caesar Invites You 8/1952 - Dance Mag
$1985 - Alice in Wonderland 1959 - The Girls in 509 9/29/1952 - Quick Magazine
$1963 - Under the Yum-Yum Tree 1963 - Grindl (1963-1964) 11/1952 - McCall's Magazine
Ball, Coca & Other Funny Females 1966 - Its About Time 11/26/1954 - Colliers Mag
National Lampoon's Vacation 1985 - Moonlighting 4/1955 - Coronet Magazine
      Various SOAPS.      
      plus various TV shows (Bewitched, Beverly
Hillbillies, Brady Bunch, Night Gallery etc)
     
           
NOTE:
January 19, 2010
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