Yes, that was Imogene in, at least the first "Vacation", which is the only one I ever saw, lol! She was a big hit in "Your Show of Shows", great early variety show in the late 40's and early 50's. Classic television.
A supremely talented lady, long and happily married to actor King Donovan, who had her brushes with adversity and came out the better for it, funny Philadelphian Imogene Coca was one of the class acts and great ladies of comedy.
I am loving all these clips. People like this supremely talented woman, who both Carol Burnett and Madeline Kahn emulated, would otherwise be almost forgotten. She was great in 'Grindl.' Her showstopping number in 'On the Twentieth Century' in on YouTube.
I watched GRINDL too (because of Imogene) but it was a regular sitcom and didn't begin to use all of Miss Coca's comedic gifts.
If you really want to see Imogene at her best, check out YOUR SHOW OF SHOWS with the Sid Caesar group ('THE CLOCK' is esp. hilarious) here on YOU TUBE.
Thanks for sharing this glimpse of Imogene on WML.
I saw her on Broadway in "The Twentieth Century" back in the early 80s. In the play she plays a kooky evangelist type who sneaks around placing stickers saying "REPENT" all over the place. In one of the musical numbers she actually runs into teh audience and places a few stickers on people in the audience. MY dad included.
After the show we saw her leaveing the theater and she saw the sticker on my dad and came up and gave him a hug for being a good sport, and autographed it. Very sweet Lady
Your Show of Shows was THE landmark variety comedy program of its generation; unfortunately producer Max Liebman and NBC did not think it important to save kinescopes, so little of Coca in its 4 years remains to watch again. Coca's sitcoms after YSOS did not click, so TVLand never shows those videotapes either. I (age 7) first remember her in Grindl (1963-64 NBC opposite Ed Sullivan) I must have been the only person watching, for that sitcom about a funny temp lasted a season. Funny woman!
Yes, that was Imogene in, at least the first "Vacation", which is the only one I ever saw, lol! She was a big hit in "Your Show of Shows", great early variety show in the late 40's and early 50's. Classic television.
mattycat33 3 months ago
A supremely talented lady, long and happily married to actor King Donovan, who had her brushes with adversity and came out the better for it, funny Philadelphian Imogene Coca was one of the class acts and great ladies of comedy.
librarybob1958 6 months ago
Fran Drescher could NEVER be the mystery guest!
Mascro1977 1 year ago
Aunt Edna to Clark: Dog killer!
subfixerlee 1 year ago
AUNT EDNA!
dkamm65 1 year ago
Looking at her reminds me of movie "Some like it hot".
DictatorRoB 1 year ago
why did youtube repeatedly keep reccomending this clip to me?
ive no idea who imogene coca is
Ozimandias84 2 years ago
@Ozimandias84
probably the inventor of Coca Cola
TheSunmanho 1 year ago
hey isn't she the aunt in the movie family vacations?
xcvfr57 2 years ago 4
@xcvfr57 - Yes, she is. =)
vShaede 1 year ago
@xcvfr57 Yes, she was.
Thomas05091942 1 year ago
@xcvfr57 Yep. She's Aunt Edna.
spindalis79 2 weeks ago
I am loving all these clips. People like this supremely talented woman, who both Carol Burnett and Madeline Kahn emulated, would otherwise be almost forgotten. She was great in 'Grindl.' Her showstopping number in 'On the Twentieth Century' in on YouTube.
chucknyc123 2 years ago 6
Oh, Bennett and his ears!
He's the one who usually recognizes the number of guests and the voices of mystery challengers...how does he do that!?
OldTimerGoGetter 2 years ago
Did Marilyn Monroe appear on What's My Line????
n6611 2 years ago
I watched GRINDL too (because of Imogene) but it was a regular sitcom and didn't begin to use all of Miss Coca's comedic gifts.
If you really want to see Imogene at her best, check out YOUR SHOW OF SHOWS with the Sid Caesar group ('THE CLOCK' is esp. hilarious) here on YOU TUBE.
Thanks for sharing this glimpse of Imogene on WML.
erzbet07 3 years ago
It seems like Carol Burnett basically modeled her act after Imogene.
zkzkzk 3 years ago
I recognize Bennett Serf and Victor Borge, who were the rest of the panel?
Qermaq 3 years ago
Arlene francis & Dorothy kilgallen
vistadelmar999 3 years ago
Dorothy Kilgallen
Arlene Francis
BjornPalmen 2 years ago
Why did that deserve a neg? Really?
Qermaq 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
what the hell was that?! at 3:10. He looks like he can be really silly in private, and therefore his TV persona his totally fake.
pasfresh123 3 years ago
I saw her on Broadway in "The Twentieth Century" back in the early 80s. In the play she plays a kooky evangelist type who sneaks around placing stickers saying "REPENT" all over the place. In one of the musical numbers she actually runs into teh audience and places a few stickers on people in the audience. MY dad included.
After the show we saw her leaveing the theater and she saw the sticker on my dad and came up and gave him a hug for being a good sport, and autographed it. Very sweet Lady
JTPolo101 3 years ago
Make it three. I was a little too young for "Your Show of Shows," but I did watch her on "Grindl." Loved it. What a talented lady.
nelsen050317 3 years ago
Make it two. Our family used to watch Grindl every Sunday night also- each week her character screwed up another job.
bigred997 3 years ago
Your Show of Shows was THE landmark variety comedy program of its generation; unfortunately producer Max Liebman and NBC did not think it important to save kinescopes, so little of Coca in its 4 years remains to watch again. Coca's sitcoms after YSOS did not click, so TVLand never shows those videotapes either. I (age 7) first remember her in Grindl (1963-64 NBC opposite Ed Sullivan) I must have been the only person watching, for that sitcom about a funny temp lasted a season. Funny woman!
soulierinvestments 3 years ago