by Sheri Poe-Pape

Created on: July 06, 2009   Last Updated: August 04, 2010

From 1967 to 1978, we were all so glad to spend some time together on Saturday evenings with America's "other funny redhead," Carol Burnett, what with her infectious laugh, larger than life smile, gracious rapport between herself and the audience with the show's opening dialogue, madcap skits and a supporting cast of actors that were irreplaceable. Yet, this other "Queen of Comedy" had to pay her dues in many entertainment levels long before she made it to the big time.

Born Carol Creighton Burnett on April 26, 1933 in San Antonio, Texas to Joseph and Ina Louise Burnett, both who basically were unemployed most of the time and living on welfare, leaving the littlest Burnett in the care of her maternal grandmother, Mabel Eudora White

By the late 1930's, Burnett's parents were divorced, inspiring grandmother White to move Burnett and herself to an apartment in the vicinity of the mother's home in a less desirable section of Hollywood. By the years 1954 and 1957, however, both of Burnett's parents passed away due to the effects of alcoholism.

As a teen, Burnett enrolled in Hollywood High School, graduating in 1951 with a plan to pursue a major in journalism in college. Winning a scholarship to the University of California, Burnett's career interest changed to the areas of English and theatre arts, with a concentration towards becoming a playwright. University productions beckoned to her, and she soon became known as a regular performer of musical and comedic versatility.

During 1954, while in her junior year, Burnett and boyfriend Don Saroyan dropped out of college and departed for New York towards a career in acting. At the end of 1955, Burnett, working as a hatcheck girl and beating the pavement auditioning, finally landed a role of a ventriloquist dummy's girlfriend on "The Winchell-Mahoney Show." This exposure led her to yet another role on a short-lived series, "Stanley," with Buddy Hackett, airing from 1956 to 1957.

When 1957 rolled around, Burnett had established herself amongst New York's night clubs and cabarets, basically over the musical spoof "I Made a Fool of Myself Over John Foster Dulles," which eventually was reenacted on "The Tonight Show" " and "Toast of the Town."

Burnett opened Off-Broadway in April 1959 with "Once Upon a Mattress," a musical version of "The Princess and the Pea," which proved to be a smashing hit for the young thespian, as well as a stepping stone to a regular spot on "The Garry Moore Show." The show ran until 1962, earning

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>