Sally Marr, the mother of comedian Lenny Bruce, was a comedian and talent agent herself, credited with discovering Cheech and Chong, Sam Kinison and Pat Morita, died December 14, 1997. Marr, who lived in West Hollywood, died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. She was 91.
A native of Jamaica, N.Y., born Sadie Kitchenberg, on December 30, 1906, Marr later married British-born Myron (Mickey) Schneider (b.1904), in the mid-1920s, worked as a shoe clerk. Their son Leonard Alfred Schneider was born October 13, 1925. By the 1940s, the marriage failed, and Mickey Schneider moved to southern California, and become a podiatrist. Sally worked as a waitress and maid, and later became a stand-up comedian, doing impersonations of James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart. She was a stage performer and had an enormous influence on Bruce's career. Her son started his career by imitating his mother's act.
By the 1950s, Sally tried her hand in acting on the big and small screen, over a three decade career as character actress. Most notable appearance came in a bit part in director Paul Mazursky's 1974 hit, "Harry & Tonto", with Academy Award nominated actor Art Carney. Marr portrayed octogenarian 'Celia' who befriended Carney's character in the final scenes of the film.
She was very influential in her son's career, having started out as a dancer herself. She was a known professional comic and talent spotter. Among those she helped discover were Pat Morita, Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong and Sam Kinison.
In a 1989 interview, Marr said: "People are always saying that everything in comedy stems from Lenny--that everything touches him. What can I tell you? He took after me."
After her son's overdose death in August 1966, Marr continued to perform in nightclubs, on television and in films. She starred in the Broadway play "Sally Marr . . . and Her Escorts."
She is survived by a granddaughter, Kitty Bruce of Pittston, Pa.
Obit ...
http://articles.latimes.com/1997/dec/21/local/me-1010
A native of Jamaica, N.Y., born Sadie Kitchenberg, on December 30, 1906, Marr later married British-born Myron (Mickey) Schneider (b.1904), in the mid-1920s, worked as a shoe clerk. Their son Leonard Alfred Schneider was born October 13, 1925. By the 1940s, the marriage failed, and Mickey Schneider moved to southern California, and become a podiatrist. Sally worked as a waitress and maid, and later became a stand-up comedian, doing impersonations of James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart. She was a stage performer and had an enormous influence on Bruce's career. Her son started his career by imitating his mother's act.
By the 1950s, Sally tried her hand in acting on the big and small screen, over a three decade career as character actress. Most notable appearance came in a bit part in director Paul Mazursky's 1974 hit, "Harry & Tonto", with Academy Award nominated actor Art Carney. Marr portrayed octogenarian 'Celia' who befriended Carney's character in the final scenes of the film.
She was very influential in her son's career, having started out as a dancer herself. She was a known professional comic and talent spotter. Among those she helped discover were Pat Morita, Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong and Sam Kinison.
In a 1989 interview, Marr said: "People are always saying that everything in comedy stems from Lenny--that everything touches him. What can I tell you? He took after me."
After her son's overdose death in August 1966, Marr continued to perform in nightclubs, on television and in films. She starred in the Broadway play "Sally Marr . . . and Her Escorts."
She is survived by a granddaughter, Kitty Bruce of Pittston, Pa.
Obit ...
http://articles.latimes.com/1997/dec/21/local/me-1010
Sally Marr, the mother of comedian Lenny Bruce, was a comedian and talent agent herself, credited with discovering Cheech and Chong, Sam Kinison and Pat Morita, died December 14, 1997. Marr, who lived in West Hollywood, died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. She was 91.
A native of Jamaica, N.Y., born Sadie Kitchenberg, on December 30, 1906, Marr later married British-born Myron (Mickey) Schneider (b.1904), in the mid-1920s, worked as a shoe clerk. Their son Leonard Alfred Schneider was born October 13, 1925. By the 1940s, the marriage failed, and Mickey Schneider moved to southern California, and become a podiatrist. Sally worked as a waitress and maid, and later became a stand-up comedian, doing impersonations of James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart. She was a stage performer and had an enormous influence on Bruce's career. Her son started his career by imitating his mother's act.
By the 1950s, Sally tried her hand in acting on the big and small screen, over a three decade career as character actress. Most notable appearance came in a bit part in director Paul Mazursky's 1974 hit, "Harry & Tonto", with Academy Award nominated actor Art Carney. Marr portrayed octogenarian 'Celia' who befriended Carney's character in the final scenes of the film.
She was very influential in her son's career, having started out as a dancer herself. She was a known professional comic and talent spotter. Among those she helped discover were Pat Morita, Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong and Sam Kinison.
In a 1989 interview, Marr said: "People are always saying that everything in comedy stems from Lenny--that everything touches him. What can I tell you? He took after me."
After her son's overdose death in August 1966, Marr continued to perform in nightclubs, on television and in films. She starred in the Broadway play "Sally Marr . . . and Her Escorts."
She is survived by a granddaughter, Kitty Bruce of Pittston, Pa.
Obit ...
http://articles.latimes.com/1997/dec/21/local/me-1010
A native of Jamaica, N.Y., born Sadie Kitchenberg, on December 30, 1906, Marr later married British-born Myron (Mickey) Schneider (b.1904), in the mid-1920s, worked as a shoe clerk. Their son Leonard Alfred Schneider was born October 13, 1925. By the 1940s, the marriage failed, and Mickey Schneider moved to southern California, and become a podiatrist. Sally worked as a waitress and maid, and later became a stand-up comedian, doing impersonations of James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart. She was a stage performer and had an enormous influence on Bruce's career. Her son started his career by imitating his mother's act.
By the 1950s, Sally tried her hand in acting on the big and small screen, over a three decade career as character actress. Most notable appearance came in a bit part in director Paul Mazursky's 1974 hit, "Harry & Tonto", with Academy Award nominated actor Art Carney. Marr portrayed octogenarian 'Celia' who befriended Carney's character in the final scenes of the film.
She was very influential in her son's career, having started out as a dancer herself. She was a known professional comic and talent spotter. Among those she helped discover were Pat Morita, Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong and Sam Kinison.
In a 1989 interview, Marr said: "People are always saying that everything in comedy stems from Lenny--that everything touches him. What can I tell you? He took after me."
After her son's overdose death in August 1966, Marr continued to perform in nightclubs, on television and in films. She starred in the Broadway play "Sally Marr . . . and Her Escorts."
She is survived by a granddaughter, Kitty Bruce of Pittston, Pa.
Obit ...
http://articles.latimes.com/1997/dec/21/local/me-1010
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