Judy Canova (November 20, 1913 – August 5, 1983),Although one source gives her birth date as November 20, 1916, (DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. , pp. 47–48), census records show an earlier birth date. The 1920 census shows age 7 in January 1920 for Julia Canova
1920 Census.
Starke, Florida. Household of Joe and Retta Canova, indicates 1912. The 1930 census shows age 17 in April 1930 for Juliaett Canova
1930 census
Jacksonville Florida. Line 21. Household of Retta Canova, also indicates 1912.The 1940 census shows age 2
1940 census
Los Angeles, California. Household of Harry Canova (brother). born Juliette Canova (some sources indicate Julietta Canova), was an American comedian, actress, singer, and

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transm ...

personality. She appeared on Broadway and in films. She hosted her own self-titled network radio program, a popular series broadcast from 1943 to 1955.

Biography

Early career

She was born in

Starke, Florida Starke is a city in and the county seat of Bradford County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,796 at the 2020 census. The origin of the city's name is disputed. Starke may have been named in honor of local landowner George W. Cole' ...

, one of seven siblings, to Joseph Francis Canova, a businessman, and Henrietta E. Canova (née Perry), a singer. Young Juliette (or Julietta) became "Judy" and began her show-business career with a family

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic compositio ...

routine, joining her sister Annie and brother Zeke. Their performances as the Three Georgia Crackers took them from Florida theaters to the Village Barn, a

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...

club. Canova sang, yodeled, and played guitar, and she was typed as a wide-eyed likable country bumpkin, often barefoot and wearing her hair in braids, sometimes topped with a straw hat. Sometimes she was introduced as The Ozark Nightingale or The

Jenny Lind Johanna Maria "Jenny" Lind (6 October 18202 November 1887) was a Swedish opera singer, often called the "Swedish Nightingale". One of the most highly regarded singers of the 19th century, she performed in soprano roles in opera in Sweden and a ...

of the Ozarks. In an interview with Rosemary Clooney she said that her family came from the

Pyrenees The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to ...

Mountains of

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

, though other sources say the island of

Menorca Menorca or Minorca (from la, Insula Minor, , smaller island, later ''Minorica'') is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby Majorca. Its capi ...

Stardom: Radio, Broadway, films, and recordings

When bandleader

Rudy Vallée Hubert Prior Vallée (July 28, 1901 – July 3, 1986), known professionally as Rudy Vallée, was an American singer, musician, actor, and radio host. He was one of the first modern pop stars of the teen idol type. Early life Hubert Prior Val ...

offered the still-teenaged Canova a guest spot on his radio show in 1931, '' The Fleischmann Hour'', the door opened to a career that spanned more than five decades. The popularity of the Canova family led to numerous performances on radio in the 1930s, and they made their Broadway theater debut in the revue ''

Calling All Stars Calling All Stars may refer to: * Calling All Stars (1934 musical), a 1934 Broadway musical * Calling All Stars (1937 musical), a 1937 British musical film {{disambiguation ...

''. An offer from Warner Bros. led to specialty appearances in short subjects and minor features before she signed with

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

for one year. Canova left the movies in 1939 to star in a Broadway musical comedy, ''Yokel Boy'', opposite Buddy Ebsen. Executives at

Republic Pictures Republic Pictures Corporation (currently held under Melange Pictures, LLC) was an American motion picture production-distribution corporation in operation from 1935 to 1967, that was based in Los Angeles. It had studio facilities in Studio City a ...

, whose customer base was largely in rural areas, saw ''Yokel Boy'' and signed Canova in 1940, shortly after the show ended its run. Judy Canova quickly became Republic's leading female star, playing country gals who always blundered into trouble, in such titles as ''Scatterbrain'' (1940), ''Sis Hopkins'' (1941), and ''Joan of Ozark'' (1942). Strangely, Canova did not appear in Republic's film adaptation of '' Yokel Boy''; her role was taken by

Joan Davis Josephine "Joan" Davis (June 29, 1907 – May 22, 1961) was an American comedic actress whose career spanned vaudeville, film, radio, and television. Remembered best for the 1950s television comedy '' I Married Joan'', Davis had a successful e ...

. Canova left Republic in 1943 over a salary dispute and was quickly signed by

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the multi ...

for three feature films, each released annually. Republic wooed her back in 1951 to star in comedy features, now in color, and she made six more pictures through 1955. She recorded for the

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Ar ...

label.

In 1943, she began her own radio program, '' The Judy Canova Show'', that ran for 12 years: first on CBS and then on NBC. Playing herself as a love-starved Ozark bumpkin dividing her time between home and Southern California, Canova was accompanied by a cast that included voicemaster

Mel Blanc Melvin Jerome Blanc (born Blank ; May 30, 1908July 10, 1989) was an American voice actor and radio personality whose career spanned over 60 years. During the Golden Age of Radio, he provided character voices and vocal sound effects for comedy ra ...

as Pedro (using the accented voice he later gave the cartoon character

Speedy Gonzales Speedy Gonzales is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of cartoons. He is portrayed as "The Fastest Mouse in all Mexico" with his major traits being the ability to run extremely fast ...

) and Sylvester (using the voice that later became associated with the Looney Tunes character); Ruth Perrott as Aunt Aggie;

Ruby Dandridge Ruby Jean Dandridge (née Butler; March 3, 1900 – October 17, 1987) was an American actress from the early 1900s through to the late 1950s. Dandridge is best known for her role on the radio show '' Amos 'n Andy'', in which she played Sadi ...

as Geranium;

Joseph Kearns Joseph Sherrard Kearns
TV Guide. July 15–21, 1961, Savetheorgan.org; retrieved September 28, 2011.

as Benchley Botsford; and Sharon Douglas as Brenda.

Gale Gordon Gale Gordon (born Charles Thomas Aldrich Jr., February 20, 1906 – June 30, 1995) was an American character actor perhaps best remembered as Lucille Ball's longtime television foil—and particularly as cantankerously combustible, tightfist ...

, Sheldon Leonard,

Gerald Mohr Gerald Mohr (June 11, 1914 – November 9, 1968) was an American radio, film, and television character actor and frequent leading man, who appeared in more than 500 radio plays, 73 films, and over 100 television shows. Early years Mohr w ...

, and

Hans Conried Hans Georg Conried Jr. (April 15, 1917 – January 5, 1982) was an American actor and comedian. He was known for providing the voices of George Darling and Captain Hook in Walt Disney's ''Peter Pan'' (1953), Snidely Whiplash in Jay Ward's '' D ...

also appeared sporadically. Judy Canova Billboard

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, she closed her show with the song "

Goodnight Soldier Goodnight Soldier is a song written by Harry Johnson in 1943 and published by Joe Cascales Publications. References Bibliography *Crew, Danny O. “Presidential Sheet Music: An Illustrated Catalogue of Published Music Associated with the Ame ...

" ("Wherever you may be... my heart's lonely... without you") and used her free time to sell U.S. War Bonds. After the war, she introduced a new closing theme that she once said she remembered her own mother singing to her when she was a small child: :Go to sleep-y, little baby. :Go to sleep-y, little baby. :When you wake :You'll patty-patty cake :And ride a shiny little pony.

Television

Her radio and movie careers ended in 1955. Canova made a smooth transition to television; she never transitioned the radio show to a standalone television series (in contrast to many of her contemporaries) but made frequent guest appearances on ''

The Colgate Comedy Hour ''The Colgate Comedy Hour'' was an American comedy-musical variety series that aired live on the NBC network from 1950 to 1955. The show featured many notable comedians and entertainers of the era as guest stars. Many of the scripts of the series ...

'', ''

The Steve Allen Show ''The Steve Allen Show'' was an American variety show hosted by Steve Allen from June 1956 to June 1960 on NBC, from September 1961 to December 1961 on ABC,

'', ''

Matinee Theatre ''Matinee Theater'' is an American anthology series that aired on NBC during the Golden Age of Television, from October 31, 1955, to June 27, 1958. Its name is often seen as ''Matinee Theatre''. The series, which ran daily from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. ...

'', ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was r ...

'', ''

The Mickey Mouse Club ''The Mickey Mouse Club'' is an American variety television show that aired intermittently from 1955 to 1996 and returned to social media in 2017. Created by Walt Disney and produced by Walt Disney Productions, the program was first televised f ...

'', ''

The Danny Thomas Show ''The Danny Thomas Show'' (titled ''Make Room for Daddy'' for its first three seasons) is an American sitcom that ran from 1953 to 1957 on ABC and from 1957 to 1964 on CBS. Starring Danny Thomas as a successful night club entertainer, the show ...

'', and other shows. In 1967, she portrayed Mammy Yokum in an unsold TV pilot adapted from

Al Capp Alfred Gerald Caplin (September 28, 1909 – November 5, 1979), better known as Al Capp, was an American cartoonist and humorist best known for the satirical comic strip ''Li'l Abner'', which he created in 1934 and continued writing and (w ...

's ''

Li'l Abner ''Li'l Abner'' is a satirical American comic strip that appeared in many newspapers in the United States, Canada and Europe. It featured a fictional clan of hillbillies in the impoverished mountain village of Dogpatch, USA. Written and drawn b ...

''. She also worked on Broadway and in Vegas nightclubs through the early 1970s, touring with the revival of ''

No, No Nanette ''No, No, Nanette'' is a musical comedy with lyrics by Irving Caesar and Otto Harbach, music by Vincent Youmans, and a book by Otto Harbach and Frank Mandel, based on Mandel's 1919 Broadway play ''My Lady Friends''. The farcical story involves th ...

'' in 1971. She appeared as a mystery guest on the TV show ''

What's My Line ''What's My Line?'' is a panel game show that originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, originally in black and white and later in color, with subsequent U.S. revivals. The game uses celebrity panel ...

'' on July 18, 1954.

Business

In 1954, Canova and her husband obtained controlling interest in Camera Vision Productions Incorporated. The Los-Angeles-based firm developed a new type of camera which was reported to reduce production costs for TV film and motion pictures from 30 to 50 percent by providing automatic adjustments of steps that previously had to be done manually.

Personal life

Her first husband (1936–39) was Robert Burns—a New York insurance man, not the comedian-actor. While still legally wed to Burns, she became romantically involved with

Edgar Bergen Edgar John Bergen (born Edgar John Berggren; February 16, 1903 – September 30, 1978) was an American ventriloquist, actor, comedian, vaudevillian and radio performer, best known for his proficiency in ventriloquism and his characters C ...

in 1937 before breaking the engagement. Canova was next briefly married to James Ripley in 1941; the union was annulled later that year. Her third marriage was to Chester B. England in 1943, which ended in divorce by 1950. Her fourth and final husband was musician Filberto Rivero in 1950. She lived in

Palm Springs, California Palm Springs (Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Riverside County by la ...

, from 1956 to 1959. The union produced a daughter, Diana, but the marriage ended in 1964.

Diana Canova Diana Canova (born June 1, 1953) is an American actress, director, and professor. She is best known for her role as Corinne Tate on '' Soap'' (1977-1980). Early life Canova was born Diane Canova Rivero in West Palm Beach, Florida, to actress ...

is an actress best known for her role as Corinne on ''

Soap Soap is a salt of a fatty acid used in a variety of cleansing and lubricating products. In a domestic setting, soaps are surfactants usually used for washing, bathing, and other types of housekeeping. In industrial settings, soaps are used ...

''.

Death

In 1983, at age 69, Judy Canova died from cancer and her ashes were interred in the secluded Columbarium of Everlasting Light section, at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in

Glendale, California Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents ac ...

.''Hollywood Death and Scandal Sites''
/ref> Her ashes are among those of her siblings Annie and Zeke Canova. Canova is honored with a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...

for her contribution to the film industry (6821 Hollywood Boulevard) and a second star for her radio career (6777 Hollywood Boulevard).

Filmography

Features: * '' In Caliente'' (

1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * January 12 – Amelia Earhart bec ...

) – Specialty Singer * ''

Going Highbrow ''Going Highbrow'' is a 1935 American comedy-musical film directed by Robert Florey Robert Florey (14 September 1900 – 16 May 1979) was a French-American director, screenwriter, film journalist and actor. Born as Robert Fuchs in Paris, he ...

'' (1935) – Annie * '' Broadway Gondolier'' (1935) – Hillbilly Specialty (uncredited) * '' Artists & Models'' (

1937 Events January * January 1 – Anastasio Somoza García becomes President of Nicaragua. * January 5 – Water levels begin to rise in the Ohio River in the United States, leading to the Ohio River flood of 1937, which continues into Febr ...

) – Toots * '' Thrill of a Lifetime'' (1937) – Herself * '' Scatterbrain'' (

1940 A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January *January ...

) – Judy Hull * '' Sis Hopkins'' (

1941 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January– August – 10,072 men, women and children with mental and physical disabilities are asphyxiated with carbon monoxide in a gas chamber, at Hadamar E ...

) – Sis Hopkins * '' Puddin' Head'' (1941) – Judy Goober * ''

Sleepytime Gal ''Sleepytime Gal'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Albert S. Rogell and written by Art Arthur, Albert Duffy and Max Lief. The film stars Judy Canova, Tom Brown, Billy Gilbert, Ruth Terry, Thurston Hall, Elisha Cook Jr., Jerry Lester, ...

'' (

1942 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Declaration by United Nations is signed by China, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, and 22 other nations, in wh ...

) – Bessie Cobb * '' True to the Army'' (1942) – Daisy Hawkins * '' Joan of Ozark'' (1942) – Judy Hull * '' Chatterbox'' (

1943 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Soviet Union announces that 22 German divisions have been encircled at Stalingrad, with 175,000 killed and 137,650 captured. * January 4 – ...

) – Judy Boggs * '' Sleepy Lagoon'' (1943) – Judy Joyner * '' Louisiana Hayride'' (

1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in No ...

) – Judy Crocker * ''

Hit the Hay ''Hit the Hay'' is a 1945 black-and-white American musical comedy film starring directed by Del Lord and starring Judy Canova.Hit the Hay Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 13, Iss. 145, (Jan 1, 1946): 82. Plot The plot evolves around an opera ...

'' (

1945 1945 marked the end of World War II and the fall of Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan. It is also the only year in which nuclear weapons have been used in combat. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. Januar ...

) – Judy Stevens / Helen Rand * '' Singin' in the Corn'' ( 1946) – Judy McCoy * '' Honeychile'' (

1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the Uni ...

) – Herself * '' Oklahoma Annie'' (

1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Cairo Fire, Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh ...

) – Herself * ''

The WAC from Walla Walla ''The WAC from Walla Walla'' is a 1952 American comedy film directed by William Witney and written by Arthur T. Horman. The film stars Judy Canova, Stephen Dunne, George Cleveland, June Vincent, Irene Ryan and Roy Barcroft. The film was rele ...

'' (1952) – Herself * ''

Untamed Heiress ''Untamed Heiress'' is a 1954 American comedy film directed by Charles Lamont, written by Barry Shipman and starring Judy Canova, Don "Red" Barry, George Cleveland, Taylor Holmes, Chick Chandler and Jack Kruschen. It was released on April 1 ...

'' ( 1954) – Herself * ''

Carolina Cannonball ''Carolina Cannonball'' is a musical comedy film, released by Republic Pictures in 1955. Plot During the testing of an experimental nuclear-powered rocket by the US Government, the rocket's guidance system is hijacked by three enemy agents of a ...

'' (

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yiji ...

) – Herself * '' Lay That Rifle Down'' (1955) – Herself * ''

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn ''Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' or as it is known in more recent editions, ''The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'', is a novel by American author Mark Twain, which was first published in the United Kingdom in December 1884 and in the United St ...

'' (

1960 It is also known as the " Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * J ...

) – Sheriff's Wife * ''

Cannonball! ''Cannonball'' (stylized on-screen as ''Cannonball!'', and released theatrically in the UK as ''Carquake'') is a 1976 American comedy film directed by Paul Bartel and starring David Carradine. The film is one of two released in 1976 that were bas ...

'' (

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phil ...

) – Sharma Capri Short Subjects: * ''The Song of Fame'' (

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 Nepal–Bihar earthquake strikes Nepal and Bihar with a max ...

) – Herself * ''Husband's Holiday'' (

) * ''Meet the Stars #7: Meet Roy Rogers'' (

) – Herself * ''Meet the Stars #8: Stars Past and Present'' (1941) – Herself * ''Screen Snapshots: Radio Shows'' (

) – Herself * ''Screen Snapshots: Fashions and Rodeo'' (1945) – Herself * ''Screen Snapshots: The Judy Canova Show'' ( 1946) – Herself * ''Screen Snapshots: Famous Hollywood Mothers'' (

1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January– February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the count ...

) – Herself

Listen to

OTR Network Library: ''The Judy Canova Show''
(10 episodes), otr.net; accessed December 12, 2014.

Bibliography

* Ohmart, Ben. ''Judy Canova: Singin' in the Corn'', BearManor Media, 2010.

References

External links

* *

Judy Canova at Find a Grave
* Kevin Lause
"Judy Canova"
in ''St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture''.
Judy Canova Yahoo Group

"Tex and Judy"
video clip. {{DEFAULTSORT:Canova, Judy 1913 births 1983 deaths 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American singers 20th-century American women singers Actresses from Palm Springs, California American film actresses American radio actresses American television actresses Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) Deaths from cancer in California People from Starke, Florida Vaudeville performers