---
name: "Martha Raye"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/martha-raye"
fi1m_id: "martha-raye"
imdb_id: "nm0713106"
tmdb_id: 106572
wikidata_id: "Q435236"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "27 August 1916"
died: "19 October 1994"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-25T04:07:36.391050+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."
---

# Martha Raye

## Identity

Martha Raye

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/martha-raye
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** martha-raye
- **IMDb ID:** nm0713106
- **TMDB ID:** 106572
- **Wikidata ID:** Q435236
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Raye, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q435236, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0713106/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/106572

Actor. Born 27 August 1916 in Butte, Montana, USA. Died 19 October 1994.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 27 August 1916, Butte, Montana, USA
- **Died:** 19 October 1994
- **Also known as:** The Big Mouth, The Female Bob Hope, Margaret Teresa Yvonne “Margy” Reed, Margaret Teresa Yvonne Reed, Margy Reed
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Raye, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q435236, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0713106/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/106572

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*Monsieur Verdoux*](https://film.one/film/monsieur-verdoux.md) (82)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Martha Raye (born Margy Reed) was an American comic actress and singer. Born in Butte, Montana, she began performing in her family's vaudeville act at the age of three. She made her feature film debut in *Rhythm on the Range* (1936) and appeared in numerous Paramount comedies during the late 1930s and early 1940s, including *Hellzapoppin'* (1941).

Raye played Annabella Bonheur in Charlie Chaplin's *Monsieur Verdoux* (1947). She performed extensively for US troops through the USO during the Second World War, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, receiving the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1969. Later credits include guest roles in television series such as *The Love Boat* and *Murder, She Wrote*, and she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1993.

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

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Monsieur Verdoux* (1947), Fi1m 82, as Annabella Bonheur — [page](https://film.one/film/monsieur-verdoux.md)

## Complete filmography (47)

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

- *Star Struck* (2026), series, as Susan Mendella
- *Amara:The Statue* (2026), as Martha
- *Airports* (2025), Actor
- *The 13th Year* (1999), as ( Self )
- *Alice in Wonderland* (1985), series, as Duchess
- *Murder, She Wrote* (1984), series, as Sadie Winthrope
- *Showbiz Goes to War* (1982), as (archive footage)
- *Pippin* (1981), as Bertha
- *The Gossip Columnist* (1980), as Georgia O'Hanlon
- *Skinflint: A Country Christmas Carol* (1979), as The Ghost of Christmas Past
- *The Concorde... Airport '79* (1979), as Loretta
- *'Twas the Night Before Christmas* (1977), Actor
- *The Love Boat* (1977), series, as Irene Austin, Zelda
- *Alice* (1976), series, as Carrie Sharples
- *McMillan & Wife* (1971), series, as Agetha, Agatha
- *The Bugaloos* (1970), series, as Benita Bizarre
- *Pufnstuf* (1970), as Boss Witch
- *The Phynx* (1970), as Foxy
- *Clown Alley* (1966), as Washerwoman Clown
- *Burke's Law* (1963), series, as Beulah Brothers
- *Billy Rose's Jumbo* (1962), as Lulu
- *Monsieur Verdoux* (1947), as Annabella Bonheur — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/monsieur-verdoux.md)
- *Pin Up Girl* (1944), as Molly McKay
- *Four Jills in a Jeep* (1944), as Martha Raye
- *Hellzapoppin'* (1941), as Betty Johnson
- *Keep 'Em Flying* (1941), as Gloria Phelps / Barbara Phelps
- *Navy Blues* (1941), as Lilibelle Bolton
- *The Boys from Syracuse* (1940), as Luce
- *The Farmer's Daughter* (1940), as Patience Bingham
- *$1,000 a Touchdown* (1939), as Martha Madison
- *Never Say Die* (1939), as Mickey Hawkins
- *Give Me a Sailor* (1938), as Letty Larkin
- *Tropic Holiday* (1938), as Midge Miller
- *College Swing* (1938), as Mabel Grady
- *The Big Broadcast of 1938* (1938), as Martha Bellows
- *Double or Nothing* (1937), as Liza Lou Lane
- *Artists & Models* (1937), as Specialty
- *Mountain Music* (1937), as Mary Beamish
- *Waikiki Wedding* (1937), as Myrtle Finch
- *College Holiday* (1936), as Daisy Schloggenheimer
- *Hideaway Girl* (1936), as Helen Flint
- *The Big Broadcast of 1937* (1936), as Patsy
- *Rhythm on the Range* (1936), as Emma
- *Ruby Gale & The Diamond Thief*, as Martha Carpenter
- *The Clockmaker’s Secret: Lost in Spindlewood*, as Sabrina Williow
- *A Christmas Child*, as Regina Wlison-Washington/Ghost Of Christmas Past
- *Holly Noel: The Winter Ball (Christmas 3)*, as ( Self )

## Gallery

- ![Martha Raye](https://film.one/media/person/3861388/gallery-c46be421f356.jpg) Martha Raye — Studio Publicity, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/MARTHA_RAYE.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Publicity photo of Martha Raye.](https://film.one/media/person/3861388/gallery-980252a91efb.jpg) Publicity photo of Martha Raye. — studio photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7a/Martha_Raye_-_still.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Press photo of actress Martha Raye (1951)](https://film.one/media/person/3861388/gallery-4d4780ca2abc.jpg) Press photo of actress Martha Raye (1951) — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Martha_Raye_1951_press_photo.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Depicted person: Martha Raye – American comic actress and singer (1916-1994)](https://film.one/media/person/3861388/gallery-a292dcc7992f.jpg) Depicted person: Martha Raye – American comic actress and singer (1916-1994) — Studio Publicity, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/MarthaRaye1944.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Martha Raye](https://film.one/media/person/3861388/gallery-19ab552b5bdf.jpg) Martha Raye — Image via TMDB
- ![Martha Raye](https://film.one/media/person/3861388/gallery-db47facd5ec5.jpg) Martha Raye — Image via TMDB
- ![Martha Raye](https://film.one/media/person/3861388/gallery-79700b5243ba.jpg) Martha Raye — Image via TMDB
- ![Martha Raye on the cover of New York Sunday News](https://film.one/media/person/3861388/gallery-12be45d1b45c.jpg) Martha Raye on the cover of New York Sunday News — New York Daily News Color Studio, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Martha_Raye_NY_Sunday_News_1944.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![An uncaptioned and undated print from an album of World War Two photographs. The photo was probably taken in February of 1943 in Algiers, Algeria. In her book, ](https://film.one/media/person/3861388/gallery-0b9ea902ef71.jpg) An uncaptioned and undated print from an album of World War Two photographs. The photo was probably taken in February of 1943 in Algiers, Algeria. In her book,  — John Atherton, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Martha_Raye_Wrapped_in_python_skin_in_Africa_during_WW_II_%285278410612%29.jpg/1280px-Martha_Raye_Wrapped_in_python_skin_in_Africa_during_WW_II_%285278410612%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Other awards — 2 won

- Presidential Medal of Freedom 1993: Presidential Medal of Freedom (won)
- Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award 1969: Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award (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/martha-raye