Charlotte Rae
(1926 - )Certainly one of the funniest female character actors is the inimitable Ms. Rae. To me she will always be remembered as Sylvia Schnauser on the hilarious Nat Hiken comedy TV series "Car 54, Where Are You?" A short, stocky woman with dark hair and a very expressive face she was a master at comedy. Her voice was also distinct with its fluctuating inflections. She was born Charlotte Rae Lubotsky on April 22, 1926 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Very little is known of her early years but she attended Northwestern University and worked in local theatre groups in the Midwest where she met and became friends with actor Jeffrey Hunter. Both shared a love of performing. Shortly after graduating in 1950 she moved to New York where she got her first break singing and doing satire at the Village Vanguard and Blue Angel nightclubs. Eventually she made her stage debut on Broadway and appeared in such works as "Li'l Abner" as Mammy Yokum. She also garnered two Tony Award nominations. She made her television debut in the mid-fifties and starred in comedy productions on such series as "Ponds Theatre" and "DuPont Show of the Month." Although TV was her most successful medium she appeared in a few films and returned to stage work occasionally. Her film credits include: "Jenny" (1969) as Bella Star, her film debut; "Hello Down There" (1969) as Myrtle Ruth; Woody Allen's "Bananas" (1971) as Mrs. Mellish; "The Hot Rock" (1972) as Ma Murch; "Sidewinder One" (1977) as Mrs. Holt; "Rabbit Test" (1978) as Cousin Claire; "A Different Approach" (1978) a short; "The Beanes of Boston" (1979) as Mrs. Slocombe; "Hair" (1979) as Party Guest/Lady in Pink; "Tom and Jerry: The Movie" (1992) as Voice of Aunt Pristine and "Nowhere" (1997) as Fortune Teller. On TV she was a regular on the series: "From These Roots" (1961) a soap opera, as Hilda Furman; "Car 54, Where Are You" (1961-63) as Sylvia Schnauser; "Sesame Street" (1969) as Molly the Mail Lady; "Hot L Baltimore" (1975) as Mrs. Bellotti; "The Rich Little Show" (1976) a variety show, as a Regular; "Diff'rent Strokes" (1978-79) as Mrs. Garrett and "The Facts of Life" (1979-86) as Edna Garrett. She has appeared in TV movies including: "Queen of the Stardust Ballroom" (1975); "The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal" (1979) and "Crime in Connecticut: The Story of Alex Kelly" (1999). She has guested on such TV series as: "The Partridge Family"; "Good Times"; "Barney Miller"; "St. Elsewhere"; "Murder, She Wrote" and "Thunder in Paradise."
From Great Character Actors, Page 6.
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