Carole Cook
Mildred Frances Cook (January 14, 1924 – January 11, 2023) professionally as Carole Cook, was an American actress, active on screen and stage, best known for appearances on Lucille Ball's light entertainment comedy television series The Lucy Show and Here's Lucy.
Carole Cook | |
|---|---|
Attending the premiere of The Incredible Mr. Limpet in 1964 | |
| Born | Mildred Frances Cook January 14, 1924[1][2] Abilene, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | January 11, 2023 (aged 98) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1954–2018 |
| Spouse | |
Her best known film roles include Sixteen Candles and American Gigolo[3]
Biography
Early life
Mildred Frances Cook was born on January 14, 1924, in Abilene, Texas, one of four children of Leland Preston (L.P.) Cook Sr. and his wife, Maudine.[1][2] She studied Greek drama at Baylor University.[4] After graduating in 1945, she worked in regional theater.[4] By 1954, she had moved to New York, where she made her theatrical debut.[4]
Lucille Ball, having recently seen her success, in a stage production of Annie Get Your Gun, invited her to work for her production company Desilu Studios and changed her stage name to Carole, after her favourite actress Carole Lombard[4]
Film and television
She appeared in such feature films as The Incredible Mr. Limpet, Grandview, U.S.A., Summer Lovers, and Palm Springs Weekend.
She made guest appearances on such television shows as The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy, Darkroom, Knight Rider, Emergency!, Magnum, P.I., McMillan and Wife, Murder, She Wrote, Dynasty, Charlie's Angels, Cagney & Lacey, Grey's Anatomy, and a starring role in a Season 4 episode of Hart to Hart.[5]
Cook starred in the animated Walt Disney Pictures film Home on the Range voicing Pearl Gesner.
Theatre
In addition to her film and television work, Cook appeared in the original Broadway productions of 42nd Street and Romantic Comedy, and was the second actress (after Carol Channing) to star as Dolly Levi in Hello, Dolly!.
She made her theatrical debut playing Mrs. Peacham in the 1956 off-Broadway production of The Threepenny Opera, starring Lotte Lenya.[6]
Personal life
On September 9, 2018, a reporter from TMZ approached Cook to ask her opinion about an actor who grabbed a Trump 2020 sign from someone who had held it up in the audience during a performance of the musical Frozen. She replied "Where's John Wilkes Booth when you need him?" Someone off camera questioned "So we need to kill President Trump?", to which she replied "Why not?"[7] Cook's comment received widespread attention and criticism.[8][9]
She was married to actor and writer Tom Troupe from 1964 until her death.[4] Lucille Ball was her matron of honor.[4]
Cook died from heart failure in Beverly Hills, California, on January 11, 2023, three days before her 99th birthday.[4]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Palm Springs Weekend | Naomi Yates | |
| 1964 | The Incredible Mr. Limpet | Bessie Limpet | |
| 1977 | The Gauntlet | Waitress | |
| 1980 | American Gigolo | Mrs. Dobrun | |
| 1982 | Summer Lovers | Barbara Foster | |
| 1984 | Sixteen Candles | Helen | |
| Grandview, U.S.A. | Betty Welles | ||
| 1996 | Fast Money | Ester | |
| 1999 | Lost & Found | Sylvia | |
| 2004 | Home on the Range | Pearl Gesner | Voice |
| 2017 | A Very Sordid Wedding | Hortense | |
| 2018 | Waiting in the Wings: Still Waiting | Erika Ericson |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959–1960 | U.S. Marshal | Mrs. Parker / Nurse | 2 episodes |
| 1963 | The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis | Fifi LaVerne / Molly O'Day | |
| 1963–1968 | The Lucy Show | Thelma Green / Woman in Station (uncredited) / Hotel Guest / Mrs. Valance / Lady at the Health Club / Mrs. Baldwin / Lady Cynthia (voice) / Carrie / Effie Higgins / Piano Bar Patron (uncredited) / Gladys | 18 episodes |
| 1964 | The New Phil Silvers Show | Gertrude / Mrs. Kerrigan | 2 episodes |
| Kentucky Jones | Dodie Wipple | Episode: "The Dread Disease" | |
| 1966 | Vacation Playhouse | Nurse | Episode: "The Hoofer" |
| Daniel Boone | Annie Boyd | Episode: "The Symbol" | |
| 1969 | My World and Welcome to It | Aunt Kate | Episode: "The Disenchanted" |
| That Girl | Dorothy Desmond | Episode: "My Part Belongs to Daddy" | |
| 1969–1974 | Here's Lucy | Second Woman / Mrs. Sheila Casten / Lillian Rylander / Ma Parker / Cynthia Duncan | 5 episodes |
| 1971 | Sarge | Cass | Episode: "Identity Crisis" |
| 1972–1974 | McMillan & Wife | Marnie / Carole Crenshaw | 4 episodes |
| 1973 | Lady Luck | Fran | Television film |
| 1974 | Maude | Marta | Episode: "Walter's Ex" |
| 1975 | Baretta | Mrs. Marriott | Episode: "Woman in the Harbor" |
| 1975–1976 | Chico and the Man | Flora | 3 episodes |
| 1976 | Ellery Queen | Gossip Columnist | Episode: "The Adventure of the Sinister Scenario" |
| Emergency! | Nurse | Episode: "The Nuisance" | |
| Bronk | Beatrice | Episode: "The Vigilante" | |
| 1976–1977 | Charlie's Angels | Madam Dorian / Hildy Slater | 2 episodes |
| 1977 | Starsky & Hutch | Scorchy | Episode: "Huggy Bear and the Turkey" |
| In the Glitter Palace | Daisy Dolon | Television film | |
| Kojak | Marie Stella | 4 episodes | |
| 1979 | Rendezvous Hotel | Lucille Greenwood | Television film |
| 1980 | Make Me an Offer | Pru Babcock | |
| 1981 | Darkroom | Sally Anne | Episode: "The Partnership" |
| 1982 | Laverne & Shirley | Mrs. Harmon | Episode: "I Do, I Don't" |
| Strike Force | Mitzi | Episode: "The John Killer" | |
| Trapper John, M.D. | Natasha | Episode: "The Object of My Affliction" | |
| Knight Rider | Sen. Maggie Flynn | Episode: "Just My Bill" | |
| Something So Right | Cahuenga | Television film | |
| Hart to Hart | Christine Garrick | Episode: "One Hart Too Many" | |
| CBS Children's Mystery Theatre | Florence Dumont | Episode: "The Zertigo Diamond Caper" | |
| 1983 | The Love Boat | Phyllis Faraday | Episode: "Paroled to Love / First Impressions / Love Finds Florence Nightingale" |
| Quincy, M.E. | Winslow | 2 episodes | |
| Now We're Cookin' | Marge | Television film | |
| 1983–1984 | Capitol | Sugar Laine | |
| 1985, 1988 | Murder, She Wrote | Christine Carpenter / Shayna Grant | 2 episodes |
| 1986 | The A-Team | Mrs. Prescott | Episode: "Members Only" |
| Magnum, P.I. | Sarah Tate | Episode: "All Thieves on Deck" | |
| 1986–1988 | Cagney & Lacey | Donna LaMarr | 5 episodes |
| 1986–1987 | Dynasty | Cora Van Husen | 4 episodes |
| 1987 | Carly's Web | Myrtle | Television film |
| 1990 | A Family for Joe | Medium | Episode: "The Medium" |
| 1993 | Gloria Vane | Mona Lewis | Television film |
| 2000 | Strip Mall | Doreen Krudup | Episode: "Burbank Bigfoot" |
| 2006 | Grey's Anatomy | Sophie Larson | Episode: "Tell Me Sweet Little Lies" |
| 2014 | Major Crimes | Marcella Brewster | Episode: "Frozen Assets" |
| 2015, 2018 | Break a Hip | Pearl Goodfish | 3 episodes |
Theatre
| Year | Play | Role | Venue | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | The Threepenny Opera | Mrs. Peacham | Off-Broadway, New York City | [6] |
| 1960 | Kismet | The Melody Tent, Pittsburgh | [10] | |
| 1961 | Parade | Performer | Hollywood Theatre Center, Los Angeles CA | [10] |
| 1965–1966 | Hello, Dolly! | Dolly Levi | Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney; Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne; His Majesty's Theatre, Auckland | [11] |
| 1964 | Stop the World – I Want to Get Off | Evie | [12] | |
| 1974, 1978 | Father's Day | Louise | Huntington Hartford Theatre, Los Angeles (1974); Total Theatre, Melbourne; Mayfair Theatre, Sydney | [13][14] |
| 1979–1980 | Romantic Comedy | Blanche Dailey | Broadway, New York | [15] |
| 1980–1989 | 42nd Street | Maggie Jones | Broadway; US Tour (1984) | |
| 1982 | The Supporting Cast | Huntington Hartford Theatre, Los Angeles, Summer Tour Also with Barbara Rush and Sandy Dennis | [16] | |
| 1988–1989 | Steel Magnolias | Ouiser Boudreaux | Pasadena Playhouse, Pasadena; John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C. National Tour With Barbara Rush,June Lockhart, and Marion Ross | [17][18] |
| 1992; 2007 | Dress Up | Herself | Pasadena Playhouse, Pasadena (1992); New Conservatory Theatre Center, San Francisco (2007) | [19][20] |
| 1994 | The Lion in Winter | Eleanor | Pasadena Playhouse, Pasadena | [21] |
| 1995 | Ladies in Retirement | Leonora Fiske | Coconut Grove Playhouse, Miami | [22] |
| 1996 | Radio Gals | Hazel C. Hunt | John Houseman Theatre, New York | [23] |
| 2002 | Follies | Hattie Walker | Wadsworth Theatre, Los Angeles | [24] |
| 2006 | 70, Girls 70 | Gert Appleby | New York City Center, New York | [10] |
References
- ^ a b "FamilySearch". FamilySearch. from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
- ^ a b "FamilySearch". FamilySearch. from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
- ^ tonight.com.au/2023/01/vale-carole-cook.html "Vale: Carole Cook".
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help) - ^ a b c d e f g Barnes, Mike (January 11, 2023). "Carole Cook, Lucille Ball Protégé and 'Sixteen Candles' Actress, Dies at 98". The Hollywood Reporter. from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
- ^ Carole Cook at IMDb
- ^ a b Green, Stanley. “The Threepenny Opera”. Broadway Musicals: Show by Show. Hal Leonard Corporation, 2011. ISBN 9781557837844
- ^ Flood, Brian (September 10, 2018). "Hollywood grande dame Carole Cook goes after Trump". Fox News. from the original on September 10, 2018. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
- ^ Deb, Sopan (September 10, 2018). "Actress Carole Cook Jokes About a Trump Assassination". The New York Times. from the original on April 28, 2020. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
- ^ "Carole Cook: Broadway star criticized for Trump comments". The Washington Post. September 10, 2018. from the original on January 9, 2019. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Carole Cook theatre profile". www.abouttheartists.com. Retrieved March 3, 2020. Cite error: The named reference ":2" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ "Hello, Dolly! (Australian Production, 1965)". Ovrtur. from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
- ^ "1983/001/SBPM05424 - Sacramento Bee". sacramento.pastperfectonline.com. from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- ^ "San Bernardino Sun 21 July 1974 — California Digital Newspaper Collection". cdnc.ucr.edu. from the original on January 13, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- ^ "AusStage". www.ausstage.edu.au. from the original on January 13, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- ^ "Carole Cook – Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB". www.ibdb.com. from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
- ^ "Special Collections Registry". library.osu.edu. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- ^ "'Magnolias'--a Celebration of Women". Los Angeles Times. September 27, 1988. from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
- ^ Richards, David (February 24, 1989). "'STEEL MAGNOLIAS' GRIT WITH A GRIN". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
- ^ "STAGE REVIEWS : Carole Cook Reveals Her Life in 'Dress Up'". Los Angeles Times. April 10, 1992. from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- ^ "Carole Cook in Dress Up (Closed December 09, 2007) | San Francisco | reviews, cast and info | TheaterMania". www.theatermania.com. from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- ^ Hilsman, Hoyt (November 15, 1994). "The Lion in Winter". Variety. from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- ^ Gordon, Pamela (November 30, 1995). "Gonna Take a Miracle". Miami New Times. from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- ^ "Carole Cook". iobdb.com. from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
- ^ Hirschhorn, Joel (June 17, 2002). "Follies". Variety. from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
External links
- Carole Cook at IMDb
- Carole Cook at the Internet Broadway Database
- Carole Cook at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
- Carole Cook discography at Discogs