She is most famous for two things -- acting and singing an aria in the Marx Brothers classic "A Night at the Opera" and for appearing as a panelist on the classic TV game show "To Tell the Truth" for more than twenty years. But she could have been famous for many more accomplishments. She was a tireless promoter of the arts who served on the New York State Council on the Arts and as chairperson from 1976 to 1996. She was married to Moss Hart, a well-known playwright ("The Man Who Came to Dinner" "You Can't Take it With You") screenwriter ("Gentleman's Agreement", the 1954 version of a "A Star is Born") and Broadway director ("My Fair Lady" "Camelot"). In 1996 when Governor Pataki decided not to reappoint her to the Arts Council, she started singing again and embarked on a national tour that lasted through 2006.
The best obituary of Miss Carlisle is here.
And yes, I do happen to have an autographed picture of her:
2 comments:
Thanks so much for this post -- she meant so much to so many of us in the world of theater. The Sun write-up was excellent. Thanks again!
Thank you. The Sun not only has great crosswords they also have great obituaries.
Post a Comment