---
name: "Ethel Merman"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/ethel-merman"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "16 January 1908"
died: "15 February 1984"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_fi1m_score: 80
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 2
updated: "2026-09-19T23:48:40.622025+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Ethel Merman

Actor. Born 16 January 1908 in Astoria, New York, USA. Died 15 February 1984.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 16 January 1908, Astoria, New York, USA
- **Died:** 15 February 1984
- **Active:** 1938–1980
- **Also known as:** Ethel Agnes Zimmermann
- **Average Fi1m score:** 80, as actor, over 2 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1930s 70 (1), 1980s 89 (1)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethel_Merman, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q129087, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0581062/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/109897

## Biography

Ethel Merman, born Ethel Agnes Zimmermann, was an American actress and singer. She worked as a secretary while performing in nightclubs and made her Broadway debut in the musical *Girl Crazy* (1930).

Merman starred in many Broadway musicals and appeared in films such as *Anything Goes* (1936), *Alexander's Ragtime Band* (1938) as Jerry Allen, *Call Me Madam* (1953), *There's No Business Like Show Business* (1954) and *It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World* (1963). Her later screen work included a role in *Airplane!* (1980). She also made guest appearances on television series including *The Lucy Show* and *The Love Boat*.

*Sources: imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org.*

## On Fi1m (2)

- *Airplane!* (1980), Fi1m 89, as Lieutenant Hurwitz — [page](https://film.one/film/airplane.md)
- *Alexander's Ragtime Band* (1938), Fi1m 70, as Jerry Allen — [page](https://film.one/film/alexanders-ragtime-band.md)

## Complete filmography (42)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *It's a Zabriskie, Zabriskie, Zabriskie, Zabriskie Point* (2023), as Mrs. Marcus (archive footage)
- *Marilyn Monroe: In The Movies* (2012), Actor
- *Airplane!* (1980), as Lieutenant Hurwitz — Fi1m 89, [page](https://film.one/film/airplane.md)
- *Musical Comedy Tonight* (1979), Actor
- *Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July* (1979), as Lilly Loraine (voice)
- *The Love Boat* (1977), series, as Roz Smith
- *Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood* (1976), as Hedda Parsons
- *Journey Back to Oz* (1972), as Mombi (voice)
- *That's Life* (1968), series, as Decorator
- *The Mountains of the Moon* (1967), as Rosanna McCloud
- *Annie Get Your Gun* (1967), as Annie Oakley
- *Tarzan* (1966), series, as Rosanna McCloud
- *Batman* (1966), series, as Lola Lasagne
- *The Art of Love* (1965), as Madame Coco La Fontaine
- *It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World* (1963), as Mrs. Marcus
- *Kraft Suspense Theatre* (1963), series, as Clara Lovelace
- *Vacation Playhouse* (1963), series, as Maggie Brown
- *The Lucy Show* (1962), series, as Ethel Merman
- *There's No Business Like Show Business* (1954), as Molly Donahue
- *The Best of Broadway* (1954), series, as Hattie Maloney
- *Anything Goes* (1954), as Reno Sweeney
- *The United States Steel Hour* (1953), series, as Libby Marks
- *Call Me Madam* (1953), as Sally Adams
- *General Electric Theater* (1953), series, as Muriel Flood
- *Stage Door Canteen* (1943), as Ethel Merman
- *Straight, Place and Show* (1938), as Linda Tyler
- *Alexander's Ragtime Band* (1938), as Jerry Allen — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/alexanders-ragtime-band.md)
- *Happy Landing* (1938), as Flo Kelly
- *Anything Goes* (1936), as Reno Sweeney
- *Strike Me Pink* (1936), as Joyce Lennox
- *The Big Broadcast of 1936* (1935), as Ethel Merman
- *Kid Millions* (1934), as Dot Clark
- *We're Not Dressing* (1934), as Edith
- *Song Shopping* (1933), as Ethel Merman
- *Ireno* (1932), as Irene
- *Roaming* (1931), as Mary
- *Be Like Me* (1931), as Eve
- *Old Man Blues* (1931), as Helen
- *Devil Sea* (1931), as Arlene
- *Follow the Leader* (1930), as Helen King
- *The Cave Club* (1930), Actor
- *Her Future* (1930), Actor

## Gallery

- ![Crop of Image:Ethel Merman NYWTS.jpg (1953)](https://film.one/media/person/451217/gallery-8cfca523932e.jpg) Crop of Image:Ethel Merman NYWTS.jpg (1953) — Walter Albertin, World Telegram staff photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/Ethel_Merman_NYWTS_cropped.jpg/1280px-Ethel_Merman_NYWTS_cropped.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Singer Ethel Merman performs for the honored guests during the gala celebration at the Capital Center, on Inauguration Day. (1981)](https://film.one/media/person/451217/gallery-c6b158088eb3.jpg) Singer Ethel Merman performs for the honored guests during the gala celebration at the Capital Center, on Inauguration Day. (1981) — Greg Mathison, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ed/Ethel_Merman_1981_Inauguration_DN-SC-83-02682.jpg/1280px-Ethel_Merman_1981_Inauguration_DN-SC-83-02682.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- !["Ethel Merman still has the touch" / World-Telegram photo by Walter Albertin. (2011)](https://film.one/media/person/451217/gallery-4d6fdfdf50e6.jpg) "Ethel Merman still has the touch" / World-Telegram photo by Walter Albertin. (2011) — Ethel_Merman_NYWTS.jpg: Walter Albertin, World Telegram staff photographer
derivative work: PawełMM (talk), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4a/Ethel_Merman_NYWTS-restored.jpg/1280px-Ethel_Merman_NYWTS-restored.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Ethel Merman](https://film.one/media/person/451217/gallery-8fbb083837e1.jpg) Ethel Merman — Image via TMDB
- ![Ethel Merman](https://film.one/media/person/451217/gallery-c6df7739829f.jpg) Ethel Merman — Image via TMDB
- ![Ethel Merman](https://film.one/media/person/451217/gallery-350b6c51a18d.jpg) Ethel Merman — Image via TMDB
- ![Ethel Merman](https://film.one/media/person/451217/gallery-a436238dfc6f.jpg) Ethel Merman — Image via TMDB
- ![Ethel Merman](https://film.one/media/person/451217/gallery-426f26e3328c.jpg) Ethel Merman — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Other awards — 2 won, 2 nominated

- Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year 1966: Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year (won)
- Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical 1960: Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical (nominated)
- Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical 1957: Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical (nominated)
- Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical 1951: Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/ethel-merman