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Patsy Kelly




Patsy Kelly ( January 12 , 1910 - September 24 , 1981 ) was an American film comedienne. She was born '''Sarah Veronica Rose Kelly''' in Brooklyn, New York and began on stage in New York City in the 1920s and made her Broadway debut in 1928.


CAREER


In 1930 and 1931, she performed for producer Earl Carroll in his popular ''Sketches'' and ''Vanities'' musicals before going west to make films in Hollywood . There, she teamed with Thelma Todd in a series of 1930s comedies after ZaSu Pitts left the team over money issues for producer Hal Roach .

She admitted to author Boze Hadleigh in his book ''Hollywood Lesbians'' (1996), which was published after the deaths of all the interviewees, that she was a Lesbian . She had a long tempestuous relationship with Bisexual actress Tallulah Bankhead . Returned to Broadway in 1973 in the revival of '' No, No, Nanette '' with fellow Irish Catholic hoofers Ruby Keeler and Helen Gallagher . Kelly won the Tony Award for Best Actress In A Musical for her performance in this show. The following year she starred in ''Irene'', and was nominated for a second consecutive Best Actress in a Musical Tony.

Kelly appeared as the housekeeper Mrs. Schmauss in the 1976 film '' Freaky Friday '' which starred Jodie Foster and Barbara Harris .

She died in 1981 at the age of 71 in Woodland Hills, California of cancer.


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