Lulu McConnell (April 8, 1882 – October 9, 1962) was an American comic actress who performed in

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 composition ...

Broadway musicals Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...

, radio, and television. She was best known as a panelist on the comedic radio show '' It Pays to be Ignorant'', and for her distinctive raspy voice. McConnell was born in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

in 1882. She began acting in church socials, and at the age of 17, joined a repertory theatre company, and later moved to the vaudeville circuit. She married fellow vaudeville performer Grant Simpson in 1907. She attributed her trademark "sawblade" voice to an instance of

stage fright Stage fright or performance anxiety is the anxiety, fear, or persistent phobia which may be aroused in an individual by the requirement to perform in front of an audience, real or imagined, whether actually or potentially (for example, when perf ...

when performing at the

Alhambra Theatre The Alhambra was a popular theatre and music hall located on the east side of Leicester Square, in the West End of London. It was built originally as the Royal Panopticon of Science and Arts opening on 18 March 1854. It was closed after two yea ...

in 1910, causing her to lose her voice and rasp through the performance, to the approval of the audience. Between 1920 and 1937, McConnell performed in a number of Broadway shows at the

Winter Garden Theatre The Winter Garden Theatre is a Broadway theatre at 1634 Broadway in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It opened in 1911 under designs by architect William Albert Swasey. The Winter Garden's current design dates to 1922, when ...

. In 1936, she appeared in two feature films: the musical '' Stage Struck'', and comedy '' Lady Luck''. Toward the end of her career she performed on the popular comedy radio show '' It Pays to Be Ignorant'', which aired from 1942 to 1951. A parody of the quiz show format, the show featured McConnell and two other regular panelists giving amusing incorrect answers to general knowledge questions. McConnell died in 1962 in New York City, where she resided, whilst visiting the home of a former maid.

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* * {{DEFAULTSORT:McConnell, Lulu 1882 births 1962 deaths Vaudeville performers American stage actresses American radio actresses Actresses from Kansas City, Missouri