WHAT A CHARACTER: CHARLOTTE GREENWOOD

When I first got into old movies, I was a big fan of Eddie Cantor movies. After watching 1931's Palmy Days, I noticed a woman in the ancient movie that did amazing high kicks. I was more into Eddie Cantor, than the actress at the time, but I am so glad to have gotten to know the great Charlotte Greenwood. She was an amazing woman.

Charlotte Greenwood was born Frances Charlotte Greenwood on June 25, 1890, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was a sickly child and her father left the family when she was very young. Charlotte grew into a healthy, six foot tall woman. She started her career dancing in vaudeville where she became known for her long legs. Her signature dance move was doing a high kick. She was nicknamed "Lady Longlegs".

 Although she dreamed of becoming a dramatic actress she had greater success in comedy. She starred in a series of stage shows playing a man crazy character named "Letty". The character became so popular that Charlotte starred in the movie version So Long Letty in 1929.

She appeared in dozens of films including Down Argentine Way, Star Dust, and The Gang's All Here. Charlotte was usually cast as the comedic sidekick and became one the most recognizable character actresses. Originally she had a prominent part in the Broadway version of "Annie Get Your Gun". At the insistence of star Ethel Merman, the part was pared down to almost nothing. When a dispirited Greenwood gave co-producer Richard Rodgers notice, a sympathetic Rodgers replied, "Letty, I can hardly blame you."

In 1942, Charlotte took part in the famed Hollywood Victory Caravan, in which over fifty film stars traveled by train across the country to Washington D.C. to raise funds for the war effort. The trip culminated with a visit to Eleanor Roosevelt at the White House, where Charlotte made one of her signature high kicks over the First Lady’s head, prompting Groucho Marx to comment to Mrs. Roosevelt, “You could do that, too, if you put your mind to it.”

 She was a devout Christian scientist and her faith made her turn down roles she felt were too risqué. In 1955 she played Aunt Eller in the hit musical Oklahoma. Greenwood was the original choice to play "Aunt Eller" in the Broadway musical "Oklahoma!" In fact, the part was conceived with her in mind. Film commitments, however, kept her from doing the role and the part went to actress Betty Garde. As a testament to her popularity, Greenwood was asked to do the film version over a decade later.

Charlotte made a few more films before retiring. Her last film was 1956's The Opposite Sex. Charlotte died on December 28, 1978 from natural causes. Although she died in 1978, her death was not reported to the public until Valentines Day 1979 when an obituary appeared in the New York Times, stating she had no known survivors and that she left her personal papers to playwright William Luce as per her final wishes. In her private life as well as her Hollywood life, she was quite a character...