Imogene Coca

Acting

Imogene Coca

Born November 18, 1908 · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Died June 2, 2001 · aged 92

Imogene Fernandez de Coca (November 18, 1908 – June 2, 2001) was an American comic actress best known for her role opposite Sid Caesar on Your Show of Shows. Starting out in vaudeville as a child acrobat, she studied ballet and wished to have a serious career in music and dance, graduating to decades of stage musical revues, cabaret and summer stock. Finally in her 40s she began a celebrated care…

Known For

National Lampoon's VacationNational Lampoon's Vacation · 1983
National Lampoon's Vacation
7.11983
MovieComedyAdventure
Clark Griswold is on a quest to take his family to the Walley World theme park for a vacation, but things don't go exactly as planned.
A Special Sesame Street ChristmasA Special Sesame Street Christmas · 1978
A Special Sesame Street Christmas
6.71978
MovieComedyFamily
Leslie Uggams hosts this take on A Christmas Carol, where she and fellow guest stars, Anne Murray, Imogene Coca, and Dick Smothers try to get Oscar to stop being such a Grouch on Christmas.
Under the Yum Yum TreeUnder the Yum Yum Tree · 1963
Under the Yum Yum Tree
6.11963
MovieComedyRomance
A love-struck landlord tries to convince a pretty tenant to dump her fiancé and give him a chance.
Made in HeavenMade in Heaven · 1956
Made in Heaven
1956
Movie
When Zachary and Elsa separate, each seems tempted to start a new love affair.
Hollywood: The MovieHollywood: The Movie · 1996
Hollywood: The Movie
4.61996
MovieFantasyComedy
An ambitious filmmaker sets out to make an avant-garde film but soon learns the only way he can secure financing is if he shows Jessica Hahn's breasts. Also, two old women are magically transformed into young starlets.
Nothing Lasts ForeverNothing Lasts Forever · 1984
Nothing Lasts Forever
6.31984
MovieRomanceScience Fiction
An artist fails a test and is required to direct traffic in New York City's Holland Tunnel. He winds up falling in love with a beautiful woman, who takes him to the moon on a Lunar Cruiser.
Caesar's WritersCaesar's Writers · 1996
Caesar's Writers
9.01996
MovieDocumentaryComedy
On January 24, 1996, at the Writers Guild Theater in Los Angeles, CA, legendary comic Sid Caesar was reunited with nine of his writers from Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour. The event was taped for release on PBS and BBC in a 1-hour cut, and later on VHS and DVD in its full 2-hour length. Be prepared to laugh non-stop as the panel, made up of head writer Mel Tolkin, Caesar, Carl Reiner, Aaron Ruben, Larry Gelbart, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Danny Simon, Sheldon Keller, and Gary Belkin share stories about their time working on Caesar's shows and offer their insights about writing comedy.
Papa Was a PreacherPapa Was a Preacher · 1986
Papa Was a Preacher
5.51986
MovieDrama
Edwin Porter, a Methodist minister, is sent to a little church in the small town of Sterling, Texas, to try to save it from financial insolvency. The move is sudden and is complicated by the fact that Porter’s wife and eight children are all very comfortable in the large, successful church they have been serving in Dallas.

Movies

National Lampoon's VacationNational Lampoon's Vacation · 1983
National Lampoon's Vacation
7.11983
MovieComedyAdventure
Clark Griswold is on a quest to take his family to the Walley World theme park for a vacation, but things don't go exactly as planned.
A Special Sesame Street ChristmasA Special Sesame Street Christmas · 1978
A Special Sesame Street Christmas
6.71978
MovieComedyFamily
Leslie Uggams hosts this take on A Christmas Carol, where she and fellow guest stars, Anne Murray, Imogene Coca, and Dick Smothers try to get Oscar to stop being such a Grouch on Christmas.
Under the Yum Yum TreeUnder the Yum Yum Tree · 1963
Under the Yum Yum Tree
6.11963
MovieComedyRomance
A love-struck landlord tries to convince a pretty tenant to dump her fiancé and give him a chance.
Made in HeavenMade in Heaven · 1956
Made in Heaven
1956
Movie
When Zachary and Elsa separate, each seems tempted to start a new love affair.
Hollywood: The MovieHollywood: The Movie · 1996
Hollywood: The Movie
4.61996
MovieFantasyComedy
An ambitious filmmaker sets out to make an avant-garde film but soon learns the only way he can secure financing is if he shows Jessica Hahn's breasts. Also, two old women are magically transformed into young starlets.
Nothing Lasts ForeverNothing Lasts Forever · 1984
Nothing Lasts Forever
6.31984
MovieRomanceScience Fiction
An artist fails a test and is required to direct traffic in New York City's Holland Tunnel. He winds up falling in love with a beautiful woman, who takes him to the moon on a Lunar Cruiser.
Caesar's WritersCaesar's Writers · 1996
Caesar's Writers
9.01996
MovieDocumentaryComedy
On January 24, 1996, at the Writers Guild Theater in Los Angeles, CA, legendary comic Sid Caesar was reunited with nine of his writers from Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour. The event was taped for release on PBS and BBC in a 1-hour cut, and later on VHS and DVD in its full 2-hour length. Be prepared to laugh non-stop as the panel, made up of head writer Mel Tolkin, Caesar, Carl Reiner, Aaron Ruben, Larry Gelbart, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Danny Simon, Sheldon Keller, and Gary Belkin share stories about their time working on Caesar's shows and offer their insights about writing comedy.
Papa Was a PreacherPapa Was a Preacher · 1986
Papa Was a Preacher
5.51986
MovieDrama
Edwin Porter, a Methodist minister, is sent to a little church in the small town of Sterling, Texas, to try to save it from financial insolvency. The move is sudden and is complicated by the fact that Porter’s wife and eight children are all very comfortable in the large, successful church they have been serving in Dallas.
Rabbit TestRabbit Test · 1978
Rabbit Test
4.51978
MovieComedy
Lionel's life turns around after a one-night stand on top of a pinball table... he becomes the world's first pregnant man!
Mel Brooks: UnwrappedMel Brooks: Unwrapped · 2018
Mel Brooks: Unwrapped
6.42018
MovieDocumentaryComedy
At the age of 91, Mel Brooks is unstoppable, with his musical "Young Frankenstein" opening to great critical acclaim in London in late 2017. Alan Yentob visits Mel at home in Hollywood, at work and at play.
The Sound of LaughterThe Sound of Laughter · 1963
The Sound of Laughter
5.01963
MovieComedyDocumentary
A compilation of film clips of comedies from 1930's.
The Emperor's New ClothesThe Emperor's New Clothes · 1972
The Emperor's New Clothes
6.51972
MovieAnimationFamily
Two con men convince a king that they have woven for him a suit made of magical cloth that only stupid or incompetent people are unable to see. Not wanting to seem dull, everyone pretends to admire the king's new clothes although he is completely naked.
Buy & CellBuy & Cell · 1989
Buy & Cell
5.51989
MovieComedy
Herbie Altman is framed for Stock fraud by his boss when the SEC starts investigating his company. Sent to prison, he helps a fellow inmate successfully invest his money. Soon all the inmates want his help. To manage all the money, he forms CON INC. and runs it from the prison under the noses of the warden and the guards. But when the IRS and SEC begin to investigate this successful company, it looks like he may be in trouble again
The Return of the Beverly HillbilliesThe Return of the Beverly Hillbillies · 1981
The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies
5.81981
MovieComedyTV Movie
Jed Clamplett and his backwoods family help solve an energy crisis in their own rustic ways for their Beverly Hills neighborhood they still cannot adjust to.
Imogene Coca Screen TestImogene Coca Screen Test · 1936
Imogene Coca Screen Test
1936
Movie
Based on two routines: "The Modest Striptease" (choreography by Imogene Coca, to Harry Warren and Mort Dixon's "Nagasaki") and "Miss Mimsey" (music and lyrics by Irvin Graham)
Too Easy to KillToo Easy to Kill · 1975
Too Easy to Kill
1975
MovieTV MovieHorror
A nurse deeply involved in the occult is hired to care for a wounded policeman who is secretly setting a trap for a cop-killer.
Promises! Promises!Promises! Promises! · 1963
Promises! Promises!
4.81963
MovieComedyRomance
After a drunken spree on a cruise ship, two women discover that they're pregnant, and set out to find who the fathers are.
In the Beginning: The Caesar YearsIn the Beginning: The Caesar Years · 2012
In the Beginning: The Caesar Years
2012
MovieDocumentaryComedy
New interviews with Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner, footage from the reunion of Caesar's Writers (1996), and sketches from Your Show of Shows (1950) and Caesar's Hour (1954).
Ten from Your Show of ShowsTen from Your Show of Shows · 1973
Ten from Your Show of Shows
8.01973
MovieComedy
Ten comedy sketches compiled from the 1950s TV series, "Your Show of Shows."
The Little Match GirlThe Little Match Girl · 1987
The Little Match Girl
1987
MovieFamilyFantasy
Adaptation of a Hans Christian Andersen story about a poor dying child who dreams of different uses of a lighted match - the same pack she'd attempted to sell on the street.

TV Shows

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson · 1962
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
7.51962
Series
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under The Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night. For its first ten years, Carson's Tonight Show was based in New York City with occasional trips to Burbank, California; in May 1972, the show moved permanently to Burbank, California. In 2002, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was ranked #12 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.
The Mike Douglas ShowThe Mike Douglas Show · 1961
The Mike Douglas Show
5.81961
SeriesComedy
The Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that originally aired only in the Cleveland area during much of its first two years on the air. It then went into syndication in 1963 and remained on television until 1982. It was distributed by Westinghouse Broadcasting and for much of its run, originated from studios of two of the company's TV stations in Cleveland and Philadelphia.
BewitchedBewitched · 1964
Bewitched
7.91964
SeriesSci-Fi & FantasyComedy
Samantha Stephens is a seemingly normal suburban housewife who also happens to be a genuine witch, with all the requisite magical powers. Her husband Darrin insists that Samantha keep her witchcraft under wraps, but situations invariably require her to indulge her powers while keeping her bothersome mother Endora at bay.
The Merv Griffin ShowThe Merv Griffin Show · 1962
The Merv Griffin Show
6.61962
Series
Tony AwardsTony Awards · 1956
Tony Awards
1956
Series
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway productions and performances, and an award is given for regional theatre.
Love, American StyleLove, American Style · 1969
Love, American Style
6.21969
SeriesComedy
An anthology comedy series featuring a line up of different celebrity guest stars appearing in anywhere from one, two, three, and four short stories or vignettes within an hour about versions of love and romance.
What's My Line?What's My Line? · 1950
What's My Line?
7.01950
SeriesFamilyComedy
Four panelists must determine guests' occupations - and, in the case of famous guests, while blindfolded, their identity - by asking only "yes" or "no" questions.
The Ed Sullivan ShowThe Ed Sullivan Show · 1948
The Ed Sullivan Show
6.81948
SeriesComedy
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the CBS Sunday Night Movie, which ran only one season and was eventually replaced by other shows. In 2002, The Ed Sullivan Show was ranked #15 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.
MoonlightingMoonlighting · 1985
Moonlighting
7.51985
SeriesComedyDrama
After being duped and going bankrupt, model Maddie is convinced by David to become a partner in a detective agency. Together they solve various cases, while getting comfortable with each other.
The Carol Burnett ShowThe Carol Burnett Show · 1967
The Carol Burnett Show
7.71967
SeriesComedyFamily
The Carol Burnett Show is an American variety/sketch comedy television show starring Carol Burnett, Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, Lyle Waggoner, and Tim Conway. It originally ran on CBS from September 11, 1967, to March 29, 1978, for 278 episodes and originated from CBS Television City's Studio 33. The series won 25 prime time Emmy Awards, was ranked No. 16 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time in 2002 and in 2007 was listed as one of Time magazine's "100 Best TV Shows of All Time."
Night GalleryNight Gallery · 1970
Night Gallery
7.81970
SeriesSci-Fi & FantasyMystery
Rod Serling narrates an anthology of fantasy, horror and sci-fi stories from a set resembling a macabre museum. A chilling work of art serves as the connective link between the stories.
The Colgate Comedy HourThe Colgate Comedy Hour · 1950
The Colgate Comedy Hour
6.91950
SeriesComedy
The Colgate Comedy Hour is an American comedy-musical variety series that aired live on the NBC network from 1950 to 1955. The show starred many notable comedians and entertainers of the era, including Eddie Cantor, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Fred Allen, Donald O'Connor, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, Bob Hope, Jimmy Durante, Ray Bolger, Gordon MacRae, Ben Blue, Robert Paige, Tony Curtis, Burt Lancaster, Broadway dancer Wayne Lamb and Spike Jones and His City Slickers.
Trapper John, M.D.Trapper John, M.D. · 1979
Trapper John, M.D.
6.61979
SeriesDrama
Trapper John, M.D. is an American television medical drama and spin-off of the film MASH, concerning a lovable doctor who became a mentor and father figure in San Francisco, California. The show ran on CBS from September 23, 1979, to September 4, 1986.
The Steve Allen ShowThe Steve Allen Show · 1956
The Steve Allen Show
6.21956
SeriesComedy
MonstersMonsters · 1988
Monsters
7.11988
SeriesSci-Fi & FantasyMystery
Monsters is a syndicated horror anthology series which originally ran from 1988 to 1991 and reran on the Sci-Fi Channel during the 1990s. Similarly to Tales from the Darkside, Monsters shared the same producer, and in some ways succeeded the show. It differed in some respects nonetheless. While Tales sometimes dabbled in stories of science fiction and fantasy, this series was more strictly horror. As the name implies, each episode features a different monster, from the animatronic puppet of a fictional children's television program to mutated, weapon-wielding lab rats.
The Bob Hope ShowThe Bob Hope Show · 1950
The Bob Hope Show
7.01950
SeriesComedyFamily
The Bob Hope Show hosted by Bob Hope, debuted on April 9, 1950. During the 1952-1953 season, NBC rotated with other variety shows in a Sunday night block known as "The Colgate Comedy Hour" (Sept. 1950 to Dec. 1955). Also known as, "The Chevy Show with Bob Hope." When the first special debuted in October of 1950 it was the most expensive television program made up to that point - costing an astronomical $1,500 a minute to produce. Bob Hope had his own television show and radio show at the same time. For the next three seasons, The Bob Hope Show was broadcast once a month on Tuesday nights, giving Milton Berle a week off. Bob ended his radio show in April, 1956. Bob Hope also had another show by a similar name, "The Bob Hope Show (All Star Revue)". In addition, he performed in "Specials" for many years. It is the longest running variety program in television's history with a record of 45 years of televised entertainment.
Mama's FamilyMama's Family · 1983
Mama's Family
7.51983
SeriesComedy
Thelma Harper and her spinster sister Fran open their home to Thelma's recently divorced son Vinton and his teenage son and daughter. It's quite an adjustment for everyone, especially the cranky, argumentative Thelma.
The Brady BunchThe Brady Bunch · 1969
The Brady Bunch
6.71969
SeriesComedy
When widower Mike Brady marries a lovely lady widow Carol Ann, their two families become one. These are the misadventures of this new couple, their six children, a dog named Tiger, and quirky housekeeper Alice.
Reading RainbowReading Rainbow · 1983
Reading Rainbow
8.31983
Series
Journey to exciting places and build a lasting connection with your favorite books. Each episode centers on a theme from a book, or other children's literature, which is explored through a number of segments or stories.
Shirley Temple's StorybookShirley Temple's Storybook · 1958
Shirley Temple's Storybook
6.51958
SeriesFamilySci-Fi & Fantasy
Shirley Temple's Storybook is an American children's anthology series hosted and narrated by actress Shirley Temple. The series features adaptations of fairy tales like Mother Goose and other family-oriented stories performed by well-known actors, although one episode, an adaptation of The House of the Seven Gables, was meant for older youngsters. Temple's three children made their acting debuts in the last episode of the first season, "Mother Goose".
This Is Your LifeThis Is Your Life · 1952
This Is Your Life
6.51952
SeriesDocumentary
This Is Your Life is an American television documentary series broadcast on NBC, originally hosted by its producer, Ralph Edwards from 1952 to 1961. In the show, the host surprises a guest, and proceeds to take them through their life in front of an audience, including special guest appearances by colleagues, friends and family. Edwards revived the show in 1971-72, while Joseph Campanella hosted a version in 1983. Edwards returned for some specials in the late 1980s, before his death in 2005. The show originated as a radio show on NBC Radio airing from 1948 to 1952.
The Danny Kaye ShowThe Danny Kaye Show · 1963
The Danny Kaye Show
7.01963
SeriesComedy
The Danny Kaye Show is an American variety show hosted by Danny Kaye that aired on CBS from 1963 to 1967 on Wednesday nights. Directed by Robert Scheerer, the show premiered in black-and-white, but later switched to color broadcasts. At the time, Kaye was at the height of his popularity, having starred in a string of successful films in the 1940s and '50's, made successful personal appearances at such venues as the London Palladium, and appeared many times on television. His most recent films had been considered disappointing, but the television specials he starred in were triumphant, leading to this series. Prior to his television and film career, Kaye had made a name for himself with his own radio show, and numerous other guest appearances on other shows.
Bobby's WorldBobby's World · 1990
Bobby's World
6.91990
SeriesAnimation
Bobby Generic lives in a typical suburban neighborhood and uses his overactive imagination to discover a world of daring adventure, incredible wonder and lots of laughs — all in pint-sized perspective.
Your Show of ShowsYour Show of Shows · 1950
Your Show of Shows
7.31950
SeriesComedy
Your Show of Shows was a live 90-minute variety show that was broadcast weekly in the United States on NBC, from February 25, 1950, until June 5, 1954, featuring Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca. Other featured performers were Carl Reiner, Howard Morris, Bill Hayes, Judy Johnson, The Hamilton Trio and the soprano Marguerite Piazza. José Ferrer made several guest appearances on the series. The series was telecast from the now-demolished International Theatre at 5 Columbus Circle and the Century Theater, now demolished, in New York. During 2002, Your Show of Shows was ranked #30 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.