Carol Channing, in full
Carol Elaine Channing (born
Jan. 31, 1921,
Seattle, Wash., U.S.), American actress and singer known for her comically outsize performances, gravelly voice, and animated features.
Channing was raised in San Francisco. After modeling and teaching dance in high school, she enrolled at
Bennington College in Vermont. Though she ultimately dropped out, during this period she secured work in stock productions and was signed by the William Morris Agency in New York City. In 1941 Channing made her New York City stage debut in
No for an Answer, and the following year she first appeared on Broadway in
Proof Through the Night.
Chorus and understudy work followed before her breakout role in
Lend an Ear (1948), a musical revue that showcased her talent for mimicry.
Anita Loos, author of
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, saw the show and cast her in the 1949 musical adaptation of her novel as the gleefully scheming Lorelei Lee, who memorably asserted that “diamonds [were] a girl’s best friend.” The role would later be identified with
Marilyn Monroe, who played Lee in the 1953 film version. Channing would, however, later reprise her role in
Lorelei; or, Gentlemen Still Prefer Blondes (1975).
Channing made her film debut in
Paid in Full (1950), a little-seen melodrama. She returned to the stage, touring in
Pygmalion (1953) before performing in the Broadway productions of
Wonderful Town (1953; toured 1954) and
The Vamp (1955), a poorly received musical about a silent film star. She appeared in the television special
Svengali and the Blonde (1955) opposite
Basil Rathbone and on-screen in
The First Traveling Saleslady (1956), a western in which she starred with
Clint Eastwood.
In 1964 Channing created what would become the defining role of her career, Dolly Gallagher Levi, an 1890s matchmaker who schemes to wed a wealthy client. The Broadway show,
Hello, Dolly!, based on a
Thornton Wilder play, was widely acclaimed; Channing received the
Tony Award for best actress in a musical. She starred in a number of revivals of the show throughout her career, though
Barbra Streisandwas awarded the role of Dolly for the film version (1969). Channing’s appearance in the
Julie Andrewsvehicle
Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967) as a loopy society widow represented the apex of her own film career. In later years Channing starred in a number of touring cabaret shows and television specials and did voice-over work for numerous children’s films and cartoons.
In addition to her stage and screen work, Channing released several albums, among them Carol Channing Entertains (1965), Jazz Baby (1994), and For Heaven’s Sake (2010); the latter was a compilation of gospel standards learned from her father. She recorded her show-business reminiscences in Just Lucky I Guess: A Memoir of Sorts (2002). She received a special Tony Award in 1968 and in 1995 was awarded a Tony for lifetime achievement. The documentary Carol Channing: Larger than Life was released in 2011.
*****
Carol Channing, in full Carol Elaine Channing (b. January 31, 1921, Seattle, Washington), American actress and singer known for her comically outsize performances, gravelly voice, and animated features.
Channing was born Carol Elaine Channing in Seattle, Washington, on January 31, 1921, the only child of George and Adelaide Channing (née Glaser; 1886–1984). Her father was born George Christian Stucker, but changed his surname before his daughter's birth. A city editor at the Seattle Star, her father took a job in San Francisco and the family moved when Channing was two weeks old. Her father later became a Christian Science practitioner, editor, and teacher. She attended Aptos Junior High School and Lowell High School, San Francisco, graduating in 1938. She won the Crusaders' Oratorical Contest and a free trip to Hawaii with her mother in June 1937.
According to Channing's 2002 memoir, Just Lucky I Guess, when she left home to attend Bennington College in Vermont, her mother informed her that her father George, who Channing had believed was born in Rhode Island, had actually been born in Augusta, Georgia. Adelaide claimed her husband's father was German-American and his mother was African-American, a claim supported in part by 1900 United States Census for Augusta, Georgia, which lists George C. Stucker, his sister, Estelle Stucker, and their elder half-sister, Connie Johnson, living with their mother, Clara Page; all four individuals are identified as black. Channing's paternal grandmother had moved with George to Providence, Rhode Island for his opportunities. According to Channing's account, her mother reportedly did not want Channing to be surprised "if she had a black baby". Channing's mother's family was of German descent.
As she was of majority European-American ancestry, Channing continued to identify as white as a performer on Broadway and in Hollywood. She made her claim to African-American ancestry in her autobiography, Just Lucky I Guess (2002), which contains a photograph of her mother, but no photos of her father or son. The book claims her father's birth certificate was destroyed in a fire.
Channing was raised in San Francisco. After modeling and teaching dance in high school, she enrolled at Bennington College in Vermont. Though she ultimately dropped out, during this period she secured work in stock productions and was signed by the William Morris Agency in New York City. In 1941, Channing made her New York City stage debut in No for an Answer, and the following year she first appeared on Broadway in Proof Through the Night.
Chorus and understudy work followed before her breakout role in Lend an Ear (1948), a musical revue that showcased her talent for mimicry. Anita Loos, author of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, saw the show and cast her in the 1949 musical adaptation of her novel as the gleefully scheming Lorelei Lee, who memorably asserted that “diamonds [were] a girl’s best friend.” The role would later be identified with Marilyn Monroe, who played Lee in the 1953 film version. Channing would, however, later reprise her role in Lorelei; or, Gentlemen Still Prefer Blondes (1975).
Channing made her film debut in Paid in Full (1950), a little-seen melodrama. She returned to the stage, touring in Pygmalion (1953) before performing in the Broadway productions of Wonderful Town (1953; toured 1954) and The Vamp (1955), a poorly received musical about a silent film star. She appeared in the television special Svengali and the Blonde (1955) opposite Basil Rathbone and on-screen in The First Traveling Saleslady (1956), a western in which she starred with Clint Eastwood.
In 1964 Channing created what would become the defining role of her career, Dolly Gallagher Levi, an 1890s matchmaker who schemes to wed a wealthy client. The Broadway show, Hello, Dolly!, based on a Thornton Wilder play, was widely acclaimed; Channing received the Tony Award for best actress in a musical. She starred in a number of revivals of the show throughout her career, though Barbra Streisand was awarded the role of Dolly for the film version (1969). Channing’s appearance in the Julie Andrews vehicle Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967) as a loopy society widow represented the apex of her own film career. In later years Channing starred in a number of touring cabaret shows and television specials and did voice-over work for numerous children’s films and cartoons.
In addition to her stage and screen work, Channing released several albums, among them Carol Channing Entertains (1965), Jazz Baby (1994), and For Heaven’s Sake (2010); the latter was a compilation of gospel standards learned from her father. She recorded her show-business reminiscences in Just Lucky I Guess: A Memoir of Sorts (2002). She received a special Tony Award in 1968 and in 1995 was awarded a Tony for lifetime achievement. The documentary Carol Channing: Larger than Life was released in 2011.
*****
Carol Elaine Channing (born January 31, 1921) is an
American actress, singer, dancer, comedian, and voice artist.
Channing was inducted to the
American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1981, and received a Lifetime Achievement
Tony Awardin 1995. She continues to perform and make appearances, singing songs from her repertoire and sharing stories with fans,
cabaret style. She released an autobiography titled
Just Lucky I Guess in 2002. A documentary about her was released in 2012 titled
Larger Than Life.
Early life[edit]
Channing was born Carol Elaine Channing in
Seattle, Washington on January 31, 1921,
[1] the only child of George and Adelaide Channing (née Glaser; 1886–1984). Her father was born George Christian Stucker, but changed his surname before his daughter's birth.
[2][3] A city editor at the
Seattle Star, her father took a job in
San Francisco and the family moved when Channing was two weeks old. Her father later became a
Christian Sciencepractitioner, editor, and teacher. She attended Aptos Junior High School and
Lowell High School, San Francisco, graduating in 1938. She won the Crusaders' Oratorical Contest and a free trip to Hawaii with her mother in June 1937.
[4]
According to Channing's 2002 memoir, when she left home to attend
Bennington College in
Vermont, her mother informed her that her father George, who Channing had believed was born in
Rhode Island, had actually been born in
Augusta, Georgia. Adelaide claimed her husband's father was
German-American and his mother was
African-American, a claim supported in part by 1900 United States Census for Augusta, Georgia, which lists George C. Stucker, his sister, Estelle Stucker, and their elder half-sister, Connie Johnson, living with their mother, Clara Page; all four individuals are identified as black.
[5] Channing's paternal grandmother had moved with George to
Providence, Rhode Island for his opportunities. According to Channing's account, her mother reportedly did not want Channing to be surprised "if she had a black baby".
[6][7] Channing's mother's family was of German descent.
[8]
As she was of majority European-American ancestry, Channing continued to identify as white as a performer on Broadway and in
Hollywood. She made her claim to African-American ancestry in her autobiography,
Just Lucky I Guess (2002), which contains a photograph of her mother, but no photos of her father or son.
[9] The book claims her father's birth certificate was destroyed in a fire.
[10]
Channing was introduced to the stage while helping her mother. In a 2005 interview with the
Austin Chronicle, Channing recounted this experience:
My mother said, "Carol, would you like to help me distribute
Christian Science Monitors backstage at the live theatres in San Francisco?" And I said, "All right, I'll help you." I don't know how old I was. I must have been little. We went through the stage door alley (for the
Curran Theatre), and I couldn't get the stage door open. My mother came and opened it very well. Anyway, my mother went to put the
Monitors where they were supposed to go for the actors and the crew and the musicians, and she left me alone. And I stood there and realized – I'll never forget it because it came over me so strongly – that this is a temple. This is a cathedral. It's a mosque. It's a mother church. This is for people who have gotten a glimpse of creation and all they do is recreate it. I stood there and wanted to kiss the floorboards.
[11]
Channing's first job on stage in New York was in
Marc Blitzstein's
No for an Answer, starting January 5, 1941, at the Mecca Temple (later New York's
City Center). She was 19 years old. Channing moved to Broadway for
Let's Face It!, in which she was an understudy for
Eve Arden. Decades later, Arden would play Dolly in a road company after Channing finally relinquished her signature role.
Channing came to national prominence as the star of
Jerry Herman's
Hello, Dolly! (1964). Her performance as Dolly won the Tony Award for
Best Actress in a Musical, in a year when her chief competition was
Barbra Streisand for
Funny Girl and
Bea Lillie for
High Spirits. Carol Channing reprised her role of Lorelei Lee when the musical
Lorelei, directed by
Robert Moore and choreographed by Ernest O. Flatt, premiered in 1973 at the Oklahoma City (6000 seat) Civic Center Music Hall and broke all box office records after six days worth of performances sold out within 24 hours. To commemorate this record event the street running in front of the Music Hall was renamed Channing Square Drive in honor of Miss Channing. Also in the cast were
Tamara Long as Dorothy and
Peter Palmer as Gus, with
Brandon Maggart,
Dody Goodman, and
Lee Roy Reams in supporting roles. For nearly a year, the stage musical then toured 11 cities across the country.
Lorelei had already earned a hefty profit by the time it opened on
Broadway at the
Palace Theatre on January 27, 1974 and ran for a total of 320 performances. Channing also appeared in two
New York revivals of
Hello, Dolly!, and toured with it extensively throughout the United States.
She also appeared in a number of films, including
The First Traveling Sales Lady (1956) with
Ginger Rogers, the cult film
Skidoo and
Thoroughly Modern Millie, opposite
Julie Andrews and
Mary Tyler Moore. For
Millie she received a nomination for the
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, and was awarded a
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture.
[13][14][15] Because of her phenomenal success on Broadway in
Hello Dolly! and her co-starring role in
Thoroughly Modern Millie, Channing attracted the attentions of
Lucille Ball and
Desi Arnaz, who were interested in starring her in a sitcom. Directed and produced by Arnaz and written by
Bob Carroll, Jr. and
Madelyn Davis (who were responsible for the success of
I Love Lucy and
The Lucy Show),
The Carol Channing Show starred Channing as Carol Hunnicut, a small-town girl trying and failing to make it in New York City show business. Character actors
Richard Deacon and Jane Dulo were in the supporting cast. The pilot was filmed in front of a live audience (with a laugh track added for sweetening) at
Desilu in 1966, but did not manage to sell as a series. For over 40 years,
The Carol Channing Show was unavailable for viewing until a few years ago when the program was donated to the
Paley Center for Media, where it now can easily be seen at both the New York and Los Angeles locations.
In 1966, she won the
Sarah Siddons Award for her work in
Chicago theatre. During her film career, Channing also made some guest appearances on television sitcoms and talk shows, including
What's My Line?, where she appeared in 11 episodes from 1962 to 1966. Channing did voice-over work in cartoons, most notably as
Grandmama in an animated version of
The Addams Family from 1992 to 1995.
In 1986, Channing appeared on
Sesame Street and sang a parody of the song "
Hello, Dolly!" called "Hello, Sammy!". She performed it as a love song to Sammy the Snake (voiced by
Jim Henson) as Sammy coiled himself around Channing's arms. This song includes lyrics, such as, "So... turn on your charm, Sammy / Coil yourself around my arm, Sammy / Sammy the Snake, I'll stake a claim on you."
[16] In 1993, she poked a little fun at herself in an episode of
The Nanny. The episode "Smoke Gets in Your Lies" shows the producer auditioning for a new musical and Channing, playing herself, is trying out. Just after the producer announces he wants a stage presence that is instantly recognizable to the entire country, Channing begins with her signature "
Hello, Dolly!", but he stops her with a resounding "Next!".
In January 2003, Channing recorded the audiobook of her best-selling autobiography
Just Lucky, I Guess: A Memoir of Sorts, directed and produced by Steve Garrin at VideoActive Productions in New York City. It was during the recording sessions that she received a phone call from her childhood sweetheart Harry Kullijian that rekindled their romance and led to their marriage a few months later. In January 2011, the documentary
Carol Channing: Larger Than Life (which chronicles Channing's life and career) was released.
[17]
Family and personal life[edit]
In 1956, Channing married her manager and publicist Charles Lowe. They remained married for 42 years. During this time, Carson took his stepfather's surname; he publishes his cartoons as Chan Lowe and has been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for his work.
[18] Channing filed for divorce from Lowe in 1998, but her estranged husband died before the divorce was finalized.
After Lowe's death and until shortly before her fourth marriage, the actress's companion was Roger Denny, an interior decorator.
[19]
On May 10, 2003, she married Harry Kullijian (December 27, 1919 – December 26, 2011), her junior high-school sweetheart, who reunited with her after she mentioned him fondly in her memoir. The two performed at their old junior high school, which had become Aptos Middle School, in a benefit for the school. She and Kullijian were active in promoting arts education in California schools through their Dr. Carol Channing and Harry Kullijian Foundation. The couple resided in
Modesto,
[20]California. Kullijian died on December 26, 2011, the eve of his 92nd birthday.
Legacy and honors[edit]
- 1970, Channing was the first celebrity to perform at a Super Bowl halftime.
- 1981, Channing was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame.[23]
- 1995, she was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Tony Award.[24]
- The city of San Francisco, California, proclaimed February 25, 2002, to be Carol Channing Day, for her advocacy of gay rights and her appearance as the celebrity host of the Gay Pride Day festivities in Hollywood.
- 2004, she was awarded an honorary doctorate in Fine Arts by California State University, Stanislaus.[25]
- 2004, she also received the Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre.[26]
- 2010, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California, Walk of Stars was dedicated to her.[27]
- Lowell High School renamed its auditorium "The Carol Channing Theatre" in her honor.
- Also in 2010, drag queen Pandora Boxx impersonated Carol in RuPaul's Drag Race "Snatch Game" episode. Pandora got great reviews for her interpretation and was one of the top drags of the episode. The judges told that she was committed to the character the entire challenge and managed to bring all the expressions from Carol.
- In December 2010, Channing was honored at Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Gypsy of the Year competition.[28]
- It should be noted that in 1973, it came to light during the Watergate hearings that Channing was on a master list of Nixon's political opponents, informally known as Nixon's "enemies list". She has subsequently said that her appearance on this list was the highest honor in her career.[29]
Theater credits[edit]
Channing with Peter Palmer in
Lorelei
Filmography[edit]
Television[edit]
- The Red Skelton Show, Starring Red Skelton (Daisy June) (1957)
- What's My Line? (11 episodes, 1962 – 1966)
- The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford (NBC, December 4, 1958)
- The Flip Wilson Show (NBC, Season 2, Episode 15, December 30, 1971 )[30]
- The Flip Wilson Show (NBC, Season 3, Episode 7, November 21, 1972)[31]
- The Muppet Show (1980)
- The Love Boat (1981)
- Magnum, P.I. (1983)
- Parade of Stars (1983)
- Alice in Wonderland (1985)
- Sesame Street (1988)
- Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers (1989) (voice)
- Where's Waldo? (1991) (voice)
- The Addams Family (1992) (voice)
- 2 Stupid Dogs (1993) (voice)
- The Nanny (1993)
- The Magic School Bus (1994 - Episode "In the Haunted House") (voice)
- Burke's Law (1994)
- Space Ghost Coast to Coast: 'Girlie Show' (1995)
- Family Guy: 'Patriot Games' (2006)
- Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List: 'Kathy Is a Star...Kind Of' (2009) (guest appearance)
Discography[edit]
- Original Cast Albums:
- Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Columbia Records, 1950
- Show Girl, 1961
- Hello, Dolly!, RCA Records, 1964
- Lorelei, Decca Records, 1974
- Hello, Dolly!, 1994
- Additional albums:
- Archy And Mehitabel - A Back-Alley Opera (with Eddie Bracken), 1954
- Carol Channing, Vanguard Records, 1961
- Carol Channing Reads Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Caedmon Records, 1962
- Carol Channing Entertains, Command Records, 1965
- Carol Channing Reads Madeleine, Caedmon Records, 1970s
- C and W (with Webb Pierce), Plantation Records, 1976
- Carol Channing and Her Country Friends (guest appearances by Jimmy C. Newman, Hank Locklin, and others), Plantation Records, 1977
- Carol Channing on Tour, 51 West Records, 1980
- Jazz Baby, DRG Records. 1994
- "Just Lucky, I Guess: A Memoir of Sorts", Audiobook, 2003
- For Heaven's Sake, New Day Records, 2010
- True To The Red, White, and Blue, Homesick Entertainment, 2012
Awards and nominations[edit]
| Year | Awards | Award | Outcome |
|---|
| 1956 | Tony Awards | Best Actress, Musical, The Vamp | Nominated |
| 1961 | Tony Awards | Best Actress, Musical, Show Girl | Nominated |
| 1964 | Tony Awards | Best Actress, Musical, Hello, Dolly! | Won |
| 1968 | Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actress, Thoroughly Modern Millie | Nominated |
| Golden Globes | Best Supporting Actress, Thoroughly Modern Millie | Won |
| Tony Awards | Special Award | Won |
| 1974 | Tony Awards | Best Actress, Musical, Lorelei | Nominated |
| 1995 | Tony Awards | Lifetime Achievement Award | Won |
| 2002 | Grammy Awards | Grammy Hall of Fame, Hello, Dolly! original cast album | Won |
