Known for movies
Short Info
Died | April 3, 1993, Mission Viejo, California, United States |
Mark | Garish plaid suit, checkered baggy pants and hat, and a huge lisp |
Fact | Later years were spent on the The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) (aka "Ed Sullivan Show"), Bob Hope specials, game shows, and the burlesque and dinner theatre circuit. |
Pinky Lee was born in St. Louis, Missouri on March 13, 1907. Her parents were vaudeville performers, so she was exposed to the entertainment industry at a young age. When she was just three years old, her family moved to Hollywood so her parents could pursue their careers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xri0zbSzuds
Pinky had two older sisters, one of whom died at a young age. As a result, Pinky became the family’s primary breadwinner. She started her career as a child actress and appeared in a number of films throughout the 1920s.
Pinky’s big break came in 1930 when she was cast as the lead in the film “Pinky.” The film was a huge success and made Pinky a household name.
Throughout the 1930s, Pinky appeared in a number of films and television shows. She also began to produce her own shows, including “The Pinky Lee Show” which aired on NBC from 1954-1955.
Pinky retired from show business in the late 1950s but made a comeback in the 1970s with a series of successful nightclub appearances.
Pinky Lee died of natural causes on November 4, 1993 at the age of 86.
During her career, Pinky Lee appeared in over 50 films and television shows. She was best known for her work in the 1930s, when she appeared in films like “Pinky” and “The Little Rascals.” Pinky was also known for her high-energy performances and her signature catchphrase, “You kids!”
Pinky Lee had a net worth of $5 million at the time of her death.
General Info
Full Name | Pinky Lee |
Died | April 3, 1993, Mission Viejo, California, United States |
Profession | Comedian |
Nationality | American |
Accomplishments
Movies | Ocean's 11, South of Caliente, In Old Amarillo, That's My Gal, One Exciting Week, Blonde Ransom |
TV Shows | The Pinky Lee Show |
Social profile links
Marks
# | Marks / Signs |
---|---|
1 | Garish plaid suit, checkered baggy pants and hat, and a huge lisp |
Quotes
# | Quote |
---|---|
1 | I was the cleanest comedian in burlesque. I don't sing any love songs. I'm never in love. No Jane Russell type jokes. No violence. There are no gestures alluring to the derrière or other parts of the anatomy. Words like 'lousy' or 'stinker' are absolutely verboten. It's a happy, wholesome show. |
2 | If I've done nothing else, I've at least left some love with children who have grown up. I've reached a very great height to say I've touched people's hearts and I've stayed there. |
Facts
# | Fact |
---|---|
1 | Always maintained that his lisp was not an affectation, but was inherited, as there were several lispers on both sides of his family. |
2 | Children: Patty and Morgan. His daughter, Patty, has one child, a daughter. |
3 | Wild burlesque comic whose silly, childish routines worked perfectly as the manic host of a children's show. His program, The Pinky Lee Show (1950) proved a solid lead-in to the long-running Howdy Doody (1954) in the 50s. |
4 | Plagued by parental complaints that his frenetic kiddie show caused their children to misbehave, NBC tone down Pinky's show by limiting the destruction of property, bad grammar, squirting seltzer water, throwing things, name-calling and other antisocial behavior. |
5 | Pee Wee Herman (aka Paul Reubens) and his show, Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986) was lifted almost 100% from Pinky Lee -- right down to the little slanted window on the set, the ill-fitting checked suit, the laugh, the hat, the behavior, even the eyebrows. The resemblance was eerie. |
6 | One of the hardest-working men in TV, Pinky collapsed live on the air in 1955 in what appeared to be a heart attack, but was later discovered as a severe sinus attack. When he regained his health and attempted to return, the TV networks were not receptive and his career went downhill fast. They were afraid he might once again collapse in front of thousands of children on THEIR station. |
7 | Often the punchline of other comedian's jokes, one Broadway critic called him "the comedian that comedians hate" because of his brash, over-the-top persona. |
8 | Later years were spent on the The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) (aka "Ed Sullivan Show"), Bob Hope specials, game shows, and the burlesque and dinner theatre circuit. |
9 | Comic. |
Movies
Actor
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Here It Is, Burlesque! | 1979 | TV Movie | Skits |
The ABC Comedy Hour | 1972 | TV Series | |
Ocean's 11 | 1960 | Pinky Lee (scenes deleted) | |
The Pinky Lee Show | 1957 | TV Series | Pinky Lee |
The Gumby Show | 1956 | TV Series | Host (1957) |
Hawaiian Nights | 1954 | Short | Pinky - the Valet |
Those Two | 1951 | TV Series | Regular |
Pals of the Golden West | 1951 | Photographer Pinky | |
South of Caliente | 1951 | Pinky | |
In Old Amarillo | 1951 | Pinky Lee | |
That's My Gal | 1947 | Harry Coleman | |
One Exciting Week | 1946 | Itchy | |
Blonde Ransom | 1945 | Pinky Lee | |
Earl Carroll Vanities | 1945 | Pinky Price | |
Lady of Burlesque | 1943 | Mandy | |
Dental Follies | 1937 | Short | Dentist |
Soundtrack
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Hawaiian Nights | 1954 | Short performer: "Kumu in the Muumuu" | |
Earl Carroll Vanities | 1945 | performer: "Rockabye Boogie", "The Last Man in Town" |
Self
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
The Mike Douglas Show | 1965-1980 | TV Series | Himself / Himself - Guest |
The Merv Griffin Show | 1965-1966 | TV Series | Himself |
The Ed Sullivan Show | 1951-1960 | TV Series | Himself / Comedian |
Musical Chairs | 1955 | TV Series | Himself |
Stump the Stars | 1953 | TV Series | |
The Pinky Lee Show | 1950 | TV Series | Himself - Host |
The Pinky Lee Show | 1950 | TV Series | Himself / Himself - Host |
Cavalcade of Stars | 1949 | TV Series | Himself - Guest Comedian |
Awards
Won Awards
Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
---|---|---|---|---|
1960 | Star on the Walk of Fame | Walk of Fame | Television | On 8 February 1960. At 6201 Hollywood Blvd. |
Source: IMDb, Wikipedia