Kaye Ballard is the greatest star you never knew
Now a new documentary introduces you to the underrated Hollywood comedic legend.
Kaye Ballard – The Show Goes On!, is now available on DVD and multiple streaming platforms. Directed by Dan Wingate, the film chronicles the exuberant life of actress-singer-comedian Kaye Ballard, whose career spanned the 1940s to the 2000s.
Interviews from fellow thespians Ann-Margret, Carol Burnett, Harold Prince, Carol Channing, Michael Feinstein, Joy Behar, and others shed light on what a fabulous, multi-talented performer Ballard was.
From big bands to Broadway, New York nightclubs to the West End, radio to recordings, and television to the big screen, Kaye Ballard did it all in a wide-ranging career that spanned eight decades. From her early days as a musical comedian in the 1940s, joining the Spike Jones touring revue of entertainers to Broadway and Hollywood, Ballard was adept at everything from singing to slapstick, broad physical comedy to stand-up dialogue and guest appearances on beloved TV shows.
When Ballard was a child her mother warned: “Good luck with your mouth!” That wisecrack became her catchphrase in her sketches and on television and Ballard was lucky after all, with a glittering career that lasted until she officially retired in 2015 at the age of 89.
The documentary captures delightful moments in rare archival footage and recent interviews with Kaye’s long-time showbiz pals, as well as with Kaye herself. From Cleveland to Broadway to Hollywood and a hundred stops in between, the extroverted actress-singer-comedian has not just done it all, but she has proven to be one of the most multifaceted talents to ever hit stage and screen.
The film sparkles with the energy of the era of entertainers whose skills had to bridge vaudeville to theater, radio to film, and television variety shows to sitcoms. Check out the trailer here!
Watch KAYE BALLARD – THE SHOW GOES ON! here.
