Madeline Lee (actress)
Madeline Lee Gilford | |
---|---|
Born | Madeline Lederman May 30, 1923 Bronx, New York, U.S. |
Died | April 15, 2008 Manhattan, New York City, U.S. | (aged 84)
Occupation(s) | Actress, producer |
Spouse(s) | First husband: details unknown (divorced late 1940s); 1 daughter Second husband: Jack Gilford (1949–1990; his death); 2 sons |
Madeline Lee Gilford (born Madeline Lederman; May 30, 1923 – April 15, 2008) was an American film and stage actress and
Early career
Gilford was born in the New York City borough of the
Madeline Lee reportedly appeared in the early Our Gang episode reels, which were shot in Brooklyn in the 1920s.[2] Copies of the original cast list are hard to verify as many records have been lost.[2] She later worked as an actress on radio, appearing as a regular on The Henry Morgan Show in the 1946-47 season, and stage, performing in the play, Embezzled Heaven, with Ethel Barrymore in 1944.[1]
A documentary is in production in Los Angeles entitled, Calling All Women[3] about her life as an activist and her work as a producer and organizer of events for Civil Liberties causes such as SNCC and anti-war protest movements. The film was directed by her grandson, Max Smerling,[4] and features interviews with Richard Dreyfuss, Bob Balaban, Lily Tomlin, Norman Lear, James Cromwell, Martin Sheen, Valerie Harper, and Carl Reiner.
Social activism
Gilford began her social activism early in life. She organized the National Student Union at
McCarthy Era
Both Madeline and Jack were
A 1953
According to The New York Times, she purportedly retorted to the HUAC committee, "Look, I'm a comedian, not Joan of Arc. The words 'recant', 'confess', 'you're a heretic' are not exactly my dish", although such a response would have violated her right to claim the Fifth Amendment.[2][5]
Jack Gilford also testified at the same hearing as his wife.
The couple made their professional comeback during the post-McCarthy Era of the early 1960s. Jack Gilford made his comeback in the 1962 production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. The production costarred Zero Mostel, a close friend of the couple, but was choreographed by Jerome Robbins, who had testified against the Gilfords in 1953.[2] Several years later, Lee encountered Jerome Robbins at a New Year's Eve party. According to A Journal of the Plague Years, a 1973 book by Stefan Kanfer, Madeline reportedly told Robbins with a toast that "1953 can kiss my ass".[2]
Later career
Madeline Lee Gilford continued her role as a
Gilford co-authored a memoir in 1978[2] with Kate Mostel, the wife of Zero Mostel, entitled 170 Years in Show Business.[1] The book told the story of the professional and personal lives of the two couples, including their encounters with other showbiz celebrities ranging from Dorothy Parker to Lotte Lenya.[1][2]
During the 1980s, Gilford became a Broadway
She continued to act until shortly before her death. Her most recent television credits included
Death
Madeline Lee died on April 15, 2008, in her apartment on Bank Street in Greenwich Village,[2] at the age of 84 from undisclosed causes.[1] She was survived by her daughter, Lisa, two sons, Joe and Sam, and three grandchildren.[2] Her funeral was held on April 17, 2008, at the Riverside Memorial Chapel on Manhattan's Upper West Side.[1]
She was buried at Mount Hebron Cemetery in Flushing, Queens.[6]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Actress Madeline Lee Gilford dies, Veteran thesp became a Broadway producer". Variety. 2008-04-15. Retrieved 2008-04-28.
- ^ New York Sun. nysun.com. Retrieved 2008-04-28.
- ^ "Calling All Women - From the Heart Productions". More Than A Movie. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
- ^ "Calling All Women - From the Heart Productions". Retrieved September 2, 2017.
- ^ United States. Congress. House. Committee on Un-American Activities (August 17–18, 1955). Investigation of Communist Activities, New York Area — Part VII (Entertainment). Hearings Before the Committee On Un-American Activities, House Of Representatives, Eighty-Fourth Congress, First Session. Vol. pt. 7. Washington, U.S. Govt. Printing Office. pp. 2387–98. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
- ^ "Interment Search Results". mounthebroncemetery.com. Mount Hebron Cemetery. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
External links
- Madeline Lee at IMDb
- Profile, ibdb.com; accessed September 2, 2017.