Fritzi Burr
Fritzi Burr (May 31, 1924 – January 17, 2003) was an American character/comedic actress who appeared as various foils to Fred Sanford on the sitcom Sanford and Son. She was the sister-in-law of Sanford and Son producer Saul Turteltaub.
Fritzi Burr | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 24, 1924 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | January 17, 2003 (aged 78) Fort Myers, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress, Comedienne |
| Years active | 1953-1997 |
| Spouse(s) | Aaron Heyman, ?-1995, his death |
Biography
Born in Philadelphia, Burr performed in little theater and in skits with the vaudeville comedy team of Smith and Dale. By the late 1950s, she was working on Broadway and appeared in I Can Get It for You Wholesale, the show in which Barbra Streisand first gained national attention.[1] Later, Burr replaced Kaye Medford as the mother of Fanny Brice (played by Streisand) in Funny Girl (1968).[1]
Burr worked regularly in small theaters and dinner theaters and in touring companies of such musicals as Fiddler on the Roof, in which she played, at different times, Yente and Tevye's long-suffering wife, Golde. Moving to Hollywood, she found steady work as a character actress in movies and on television.[1][2]
Career
Burr appeared in the movies How Do I Love Thee? (1970), Frasier, The Senusous Lion (1973), Chinatown (1974), The New, Original Wonder Woman (1975), Mary Jane Harper Cried Last Night (1977), and 3 Ninjas (1992). Her television appearances include The Rockford Files (6 different roles in 6 episodes), What's Happening!, The Nanny, Melrose Place, Hunter, The Golden Girls, The Incredible Hulk, NBC-TV's Sanford and Son, Seinfeld, Friends[2] and The Odd Couple.[1]
Death
Burr died in Fort Myers, Florida of natural causes.[1]
Partial filmography
- How Do I Love Thee? (1970) as Mrs. Gromulka
- Frasier, The Sensuous Lion (1973) as Marvin's Mother
- Chinatown (1974) as Mulwray's Secretary
- The New, Original Wonder Woman (1975) as Saleslady
- Cover Girls (1977) as Seamstress #1
- Mary Jane Harper Cried Last Night (1977) as Nancy West
- Like Normal People (1979) as Mrs. Peterson
- The Star Chamber (1983) as Judge Alice McCardle (uncredited)
- Trabbi Goes to Hollywood (1991) as Mrs. Peugeot
- 3 Ninjas (1992) as Babysitter
References
- "Fritzi Burr, 78; Versatile Vaudeville, Stage, TV and Movie Performer". Los Angeles Times (.com), Obituaries/PASSINGS, from Staff and wire reports. January 23, 2003. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
- "Biography: Fritzi Burr". Fandango.com. Retrieved August 9, 2016.