|
|
|
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. |
 |
| 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) |
|
|
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 |
| |
|
|
 |
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) |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ballrooms
