Hope Holiday

Hope Holiday is an American actress, perhaps best known for her role as Mrs. Margie MacDougall in the Billy Wilder film The Apartment.

Early years Holiday was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Manhattan. Her father, a burlesque entertainer who was the son of Russian-Jewish immigrants, changed his name from Allen Zaslawsky to Allen Zee before his daughters were born. She attended Public School 117 in Jamaica, Queens, and then went to Forest Hills High School.

She dropped out of high school and sang at the Copacabana nightclub. Her father was also described by Ed Sullivan as a "Capitol Theater exec." Her mother, Doris, Her father at one time was night manager of WHN. She had an elder sister, Judy, whose stage name was Judy Sinclair. She later recalled:I had a featured role as the Teeny Weeny Genie and got to sing two songs. Before this show I had been billed as "Hope Zee," but since my father was a producer of the show along with Lombardo, he purposely changed my name in the program, as he didn't want audiences thinking there was any nepotism involved. I literally had no say in choosing my new name. Since he loved Judy Holliday, Daddy decided to call me "Hope Holiday" without the extra "L." I hated the name at first but ending up keeping it. In 1949, she played Fifi and was a member of the singing ensemble of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. In the 1956 Broadway production of Li'l Abner, Holiday was understudy for Mammy Yokum in addition to being a featured dancer. An August 4, 1950, newspaper column by Dorothy Kilgallen reported, "Hope Zee ... quit 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' last week to become vocalist with Ralph Flanagan's band ..."

Personal life Holiday is the widow of actor Frank Marth. They were married April 9, 1967. Marth died in January 2014.

Selected filmography

Actress Li'l Abner (1959) .... Chorus Dancer (uncredited) The Apartment (1960) .... Mrs. Margie MacDougall The Ladies Man (1961) .... Miss Anxious Have Gun Will Travel (1961, TV Series) .... Big Red Irma la Douce (1963) .... Lolita The New Phil Silvers Show (1963, TV Series, Episode "The Son of Pygmalion,") .... Mildred Flitterman The Rounders (1965) .... Sister How to Seduce a Woman (1974) .... Mary The Hughes Mystery (1979) The Return of Mod Squad (1979, TV Movie) .... Willy The Last Reunion (1980) .... Sally the Singer Texas Lightning (1981) .... Mrs. Stover Raw Force (1982) .... Hazel Buck Killpoint (1984) .... Anita Low Blow (1986) .... School Head Mistress (uncredited)

Production & casting Texas Lightning (1981; associate producer) Killpoint (1984; associate producer, casting director) Rage to Kill (1987; executive producer) Code Name Vengeance (1987; executive producer) Space Mutiny (1988; executive producer)