Actress. She was a 20th-century American actress as well as a singer. Born Thelma Goodman in New York City, she gained recognition on radio after singing in light opera. She was discovered in New York singing at a nightclub in the 1930s by a talent scout for RKO. She was placed under contract and was professionally known as 'Thelma Leeds' due to RKO changing her name. In 1936, she had an uncredited role in the musical "Follow the Fleet," which starred Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. In 1937, she had a supporting role in "The Toast of New York," which starred Edward Arnold, Frances Farmer, and Cary Grant. While filming another movie with a supporting role, "New Faces of 1937," she met her future husband, dialect comedian Harry Einstein, who was also a cast member and was professionally known as Harry Parke. They married in 1937, and she gave up her career to focus on her new life. The marriage produced three children: comedy filmmaker and actor Albert Brooks, comedy writer and actor Bob Einstein, who is known by his well-known alter-ego "Super Dave Osborne," and Hollywood advertising executive Clifford Einstein. The marriage lasted until Harry died in 1958. She would later re-marry in 1960 to Irving Bernstein. That marriage lasted until Irving died in 1983. With her son Albert being a filmmaker, she was able to take small roles in some of his films. After a long absence, her first role was a small role in the 1979 comedy "Real Life." In another movie of Albert's 1981's "Modern Romance," she took the role doing what she did best, playing her son's mother. The film was a family affair, with her son Bob playing the role of a sporting goods salesman and her son Clifford playing a sound mixer. Thelma would become an inspiration to one of Albert's movies, "Mother," which starred Debbie Reynolds as the mother who loved to control everything in her son's life. She died at her home in Beverly Hills, California of natural causes.
Actress. She was a 20th-century American actress as well as a singer. Born Thelma Goodman in New York City, she gained recognition on radio after singing in light opera. She was discovered in New York singing at a nightclub in the 1930s by a talent scout for RKO. She was placed under contract and was professionally known as 'Thelma Leeds' due to RKO changing her name. In 1936, she had an uncredited role in the musical "Follow the Fleet," which starred Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. In 1937, she had a supporting role in "The Toast of New York," which starred Edward Arnold, Frances Farmer, and Cary Grant. While filming another movie with a supporting role, "New Faces of 1937," she met her future husband, dialect comedian Harry Einstein, who was also a cast member and was professionally known as Harry Parke. They married in 1937, and she gave up her career to focus on her new life. The marriage produced three children: comedy filmmaker and actor Albert Brooks, comedy writer and actor Bob Einstein, who is known by his well-known alter-ego "Super Dave Osborne," and Hollywood advertising executive Clifford Einstein. The marriage lasted until Harry died in 1958. She would later re-marry in 1960 to Irving Bernstein. That marriage lasted until Irving died in 1983. With her son Albert being a filmmaker, she was able to take small roles in some of his films. After a long absence, her first role was a small role in the 1979 comedy "Real Life." In another movie of Albert's 1981's "Modern Romance," she took the role doing what she did best, playing her son's mother. The film was a family affair, with her son Bob playing the role of a sporting goods salesman and her son Clifford playing a sound mixer. Thelma would become an inspiration to one of Albert's movies, "Mother," which starred Debbie Reynolds as the mother who loved to control everything in her son's life. She died at her home in Beverly Hills, California of natural causes.
Bio by: Allcalmap
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