Edwina Barry

Edwina Barry (July 3, 1886 – July 9, 1988) was an American vaudeville performer and comedian. She was billed alongside stars including Sophie Tucker, Eddie Cantor, Al Jolson, Eva Tanguay, Kate Smith, and Harry Lauder, among others.

Early life and education Edwina Barry was born in Boston, Massachusetts on July 3, 1886. Her father, Edward Barry, was a Shakesperean scholar and manager of the Howard Theatre. In the sketch, Barry played Dotty Plumdaffy, a servant girl who kisses men and then keeps their photograph, and in doing so, almost causes the breakup of a marriage.

In the 1940s, Barry hosted a talk radio show in Shanghai, China and also worked as a columnist for American newspapers. She never married and had no children.

On June 28, 1988, Barry was admitted to the hospital after sustaining a concussion following a fall. She died of pneumonia at the UCLA Medical Center on July 9, 1988. She had recently turned 102. Upon Barry's death, the Actors Fund, which had planned a birthday celebration in her honor, cancelled the event. Performers including Carroll O'Connor, Ed Asner, and Donald O'Connor had been expected to attend.

After her death, Dale Olson said of Barry, "She was very popular all over the country and, in fact, all over the world for about a 20-year period."