Elaine Stritch

Parents were George Joseph (1892-1987) and Mildred Stritch (1893-1987).

A Brash, sharp-tongued, incorrigible actress/singer who led a six decade career that contained many highs and lows, veteran Elaine Stritch's raucous six-decade career certainly lived up well to the Stephen Sondheim song lyrics "I'm Still Here. " A popular, magnetic performer, she stole so many moments on stage she could have been convicted of grand larceny This tough old bird approached her octogenarian years with still-shapely legs, a puffy blonde hairdo, a deep, whiskey voice and enough sardonic bluster and bravado to convince anyone that she would be around forever. The Detroit-born (February 2, 1925) Elaine Stritch was the daughter of a B. F. Goodrich executive, of Irish/Welsh heritage, and the youngest of three sisters. Educated locally at Sacred Heart Convent and Duschesne Residence Finishing School, she prepared for the stage at the Dramatic Workshop of the New School where fellow "school mates" included Marlon Brando.

Niece of the late Samuel Cardinal Stritch, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Chicago from 1940 to 1958.

She made her first appearance at the New School as a tiger and a cow in a 1944 children's production entitled "Babino," then followed it the following year with the part of a parlor maid in "The Private Life of the Master Race.

"Elaine made it to Broadway in October 1946 as "Pamela Brewster" in "Loco" at the Biltmore Theatre. Taking over the part of "Miss Crowder" in "Made in Heaven" after that, she finished off the decade appearing in such theatre productions as "Three Indelicate Ladies," "The Little Foxes" (as Regina), the revue "Angel in the Wings" and "Yes M'Lord.

She appeared as one of the Paynes in the early Dumont family comedy series The Growing Paynes (1948), and made appearances on several anthology series ("Kraft Theatre," "Goodyear Playhouse," "The Alcoa Hour," "The Dupont Show of the Month"). A few guest spots also decorated her small screen resume, including "Mister Peepers," "Adventures in Paradise" and "Wagon Train".

"From the 1950's on, Elaine would become the toast of both Broadway and (later) London's West End, earning award-worthy acclaim on both continents over the years.

Starting with a tour of "Pal Joey" (as Melba) in 1952, she followed this success with such shows as "Call Me Madam" (as Sally); "On Your Toes" (as Peggy); "Bus Stop" (Tony nom: as waitress Grace), "The Sin of Pat Muldoon" (as Gertrude); "Goldilocks" (as Maggie); "Sail Away!" (Tony nom, and also London debut as Mimi); "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" (as Martha); "The King and I" (as Anna); "The Grass Harp" (as Babylove); "Wonderful Town" (as Ruth); "Private Lives" (as Amanda); "Mame" (as Vera, then Mame); "Company" (Tony-nom: as Joanne); "Small Craft Warnings" (as Leona); "The Gingerbread Lady" (as Evy); "Show Boat" (Drama Desk Award: as Parthy); and "A Delcate Balance" (Tony-nom, Drama Desk Award: as Claire). Through sheer personality alone, her cacophonous singing voice miraculously took classic songs from, among others, Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart to Noël Coward and Stephen Sondheim and put her own indelibly raucous stamp on them. Oddly, Elaine never made the same kind of impact on film.

Nevertheless, she appeared in an armful of supports over the years, growing increasingly abrasive, in such movies as The Scarlet Hour (1956), Three Violent People (1956), A Farewell to Arms (1957), The Perfect Furlough (1958), Kiss Her Goodbye (1959), Who Killed Teddy Bear (1965), Too Many Thieves (1966), The Sidelong Glances of a Pigeon Kicker (1970), The Spiral Staircase (1975), Providence (1977), September (1987), Cocoon: The Return (1988), Cadillac Man (1990), Out to Sea (1997), Krippendorf's Tribe (1998), Screwed (2000), Small Time Crooks (2000); Autumn in New York (2000), Monster-in-Law (2005), ParaNorman (2012) and River of Fundament (2014)The actress fared somewhat better on early TV.

In the 60's, Elaine returned to the series format, but only enjoyed single season life on three: My Sister Eileen (1960), as Ruth Sherwood; the acclaimed The Trials of O'Brien (1965) as lawyer Peter Falk's secretary "Miss G.

Noël Coward first saw Elaine Stritch featured in the much vaunted 1958 musical "Goldilocks" written and directed by the New York newspaper critic Walter Kerr and his bubbly giggling wife! Coward's opinion of the musical: "How does an eminent New York critic of his calibre have the bloody impertinence to dish out such inept, amateurish, nonsense! Elaine Stritch saved that show!" Remembering Stritch's performance, Noël Coward cast Elaine as "Mimi" in his 1961 Broadway musical "Sail Away" - "an excellent comedienne, wildly enthusiastic and very funny. An ardent Catholic, has been in analysis for five years! A girl with a problem." Elaine Stritch had a reputation of being tiresome, complicated and difficult; not bitchy and vile like some. Stretch, as Noël suspected began by being tiresome, over-full of suggestions and not knowing a word, but after a few rehearsal days she saw the light. "She was never, I hasten to add, beastly in any way, just fluffy and nervous inside, sure, authoritative and a real deliverer!" After Broadway, "Sail Away" opened 21 June 1962 at London's Savoy Theatre, produced by the London theatrical impresario specializing in musicals, Harold Fielding, after a two-and-a-half-week try-out in Bristol. Noël had Stritch for five days of rehearsal. Noël's assistant Coley was wonderful with Stritch and had given her a list of five words which must never again cross her lips - guilt, problem, scared, frightened, insecurity! Coward observed Elaine was completely confused about everything. "She is an ardent Catholic and never stops saying fuck and Jesus Christ. Like most Americans dreadfully noisy!".

Once nearly married late actor Gig Young. After their broken engagement he married pre-Bewitched (1964) star Elizabeth Montgomery.

The Broadway musical "The Grass Harp", based upon the Truman Capote novella, composed by Claibe Richardson, book and lyrics by Kenward Elmslie, had the first staging in 1967. Elaine Stritch did "Baby Love" in Providence for a month's run, and is considered by many the best to take the role.

In 1973, Elaine married English actor John Bay and moved to London.

Other memorable TV appearances included her Aunt Polly in the mini-series Pollyanna (1973); a 1984 continuing role on the daytime soaper The Edge of Night (1956); the role of Ouisar in the TV movie version of Steel Magnolias (1990); and three Emmy Award-winning portrayals -- as a guest on "Law & Order," for the 2004 TV documentary of her one-woman triumph, and for a recurring character on the hit sitcom 30 Rock (2006).

While there she appeared in a number of plays/musicals and then played an American authoress in the British comedy series Two's Company (1975) co-starring Donald Sinden as the butler. When she returned to America in the early 80's, she returned alone. At age 76, a razor-sharp Elaine captivated audiences in a candid one woman musical stage memoir that would win her the Tony, Drama Desk, Obie, Outer Circle Critics and New York Drama Critics awards.

The documentary, "Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me" directed by Chiemi Karasawa, is anything but depressing. The former Catholic school girl has packed a couple of life-times in her 89 years. "Shoot Me" features clips and photos from her past and lively conversations about her work with Sondheim and Noël Coward, her brief - and chaste - encounter as a teenager with a young John Kennedy ("He was the best-looking guy I ever saw in my life") and marrying the love of her life, British actor John Bay, who died of brain cancer in 1982. The film also features interviews with such friends and colleagues as Alec Baldwin, who is an executive producer on the film, Hal Prince, Nathan Lane, Cherry Jones, Tina Fey, John Turturro and James Gandolfini. A chance encounter at a New York hair salon was the genesis for "Shoot Me." Karasawa was getting her hair done when she saw Stritch in the salon. "My hair dresser said she has been a longtime client, you should be making a documentary about her," Karasawa said. "I thought it was an interesting idea. I didn't know that much about her." But she had briefly worked with Stritch a few years before as a script supervisor on Turturro's "Romance and Cigarettes," in which Stritch played Gandolfini's mother. "I just remember she was a tornado of a woman. She just blew in there, and every take was different." It took about four months of conversations before Stritch agreed to participate in the documentary. And then there was no holding back. "We were astonished at the amount of access she gave us," Karasawa said. "I liked Chiemi very much," Stritch said. "We had a laugh or two or four or 75. I said all right, come, let's do it. I thought she's fun to be with." Stretch noted that she "opened up more than I had planned" to the camera. "But I said to myself, 'Why not tell the truth?'".

"; and as Ellen Burstyn's derisive mother on The Ellen Burstyn Show (1986).

Struggled with alcoholism throughout her adult life. Stritch quit drinking in 1987 following a severe diabetic attack and remained sober for 24 years. Into her mid 80s, Stritch began to allow herself a single drink a day which lead to further health problems including a series of strokes, as documented in Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me (2013). The actress sobered up again, and remained alcohol free for the rest of her life.

Truly one of a kind, she would eventually be inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1995.

Elaine Stritch at Liberty (2002) show also chronicled her notorious private life, combative nature, which included a long bout with the bottle (to curb her stage fright), and a destructive relationship with fellow alcoholic Gig Young. Add to that a fair share of Hollywood gossip all cleverly packaged up with raw wit and show-stopping patter songs and you had quintessential Elaine Stritch.

Made a "Living Landmark" of New York City in 2003 for her contributions to Broadway.

Performed her cabaret act at the Carlysle in New York City through the fall. [September 2006]

Bernadette Peters, who shared the stage with Stritch in "A Little Night Music" (Stritch's last Broadway role) revealed some little known facts about the woman she called "my girlfriend." Stritch's favorite stripper name was Tequila Mockingbird, and when anyone died Elaine would say "they left the building." Stritch, who left the building in July 2014 at 89, did so "on her own terms," Peters confided. As her memory problem worsened, she apparently refused food and drink, stage-managing an ending more in keeping with how she wanted to go out.