The Life and Tragic Ending of Martha Raye

Mini bio of the life of actress Martha Raye who is probably most famous for starring in the short-lived The Martha Raye Show

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[Boomer-cfbr]

She brought happiness into our home back in the 50's, RIP Martha.

[trackman]

I met her at our base camp in Vietnam in 1966. She was a wonderful person.

[cindylawrence]

The thing about Martha Raye, besides her often less than fully recognized level of talent, was her being a total dedicated PATRIOT.
Her service to American War efforts over four decades speaks volumes about who this lady really was. During the Viet Nam war where entertainers who stood WITH our fighting men were at best ignored and more often derided and/or attacked (remember what happened to Georgie Jessel on NBC?) Martha stood fast reminding audiences and often a hostile press about our men's sacrifices in the cause of freedom.

[raytempleton]

I remember her entertaining the Marines in Chu Lai, Vietnam in 1966. Greatly appreciated!

[jamesfuria]

She was buried at Fort Bragg because she did nursing at a Special Forces camp in Vietnam. It's sad that it wasn't mentioned in this video. She was made an honorary Colonel by her beloved Green Berets.

[mikegehre]

I knew her personally and she was not only very talented but a great person

[PamperedPetz]

She is fantastic and missed very much.

[runwayray]

A great patriot, the mold was broken when she past. She buried with the greatest guys in world🇺🇸

[glamgal]

I remember Martha Raye for her role as Benita Bizarre in “The Bug-a-loos” and her Polident commercials. I was a kid during those years so I wasn’t fully aware of her talents. Not long ago, Caroline Ellis(who played Joy in “The Bug-aloos”)mentioned in an interview that it was great to work with Martha and that she was truly a professional. I think that arrests to how her peers admired her abilities.

[michaeltipton]

I loved her as Mel's Mother on Alice,

[myearzonly]

For the Boys, w/Bette Midler was based on her USO service

[jackkircher]

One of her Pollident commercials, one of her lines was "take it from rhe big mouth' which spoke of her humble attitude toward her nickname.

[mildredpierce]

She was in my childhood Sid and Marty Croft shows?

[marcuspd]

I loved her on the Bugaloos when I was a little boy. I had the opportunity to meet her when I was 7, and all I wanted to do was tell her how much I loved her on the show and see if I could get an autograph. She said, “Sorry, kid. I’m in a hurry., ” then stood there next to me for five minutes having a conversation with someone else while I stared up at her with tears in my eyes. She was an absolute asshole.

[meyerj]

She was well remembered for her role as Benita Bizarre in the Bugaloos while still working with the USO for the boys in Vietnam. She even had her face parodized later that decade as "mother nature" in advertisements for Polyglycoat.

[robertbesemer]

All of these people did not have sad endings

[DebbiesSanctuary]

That is Life Buoy, pronounced 'BOY' as in the bar of soap. Life Buoy was the show's sponsor.

[CandC]

Failed to mention that she was an honorary Green Beret. Was an honorary Colonel. Visited many Special Forces camps during the Vietnam war(including mine). Was loved by many vets, especially Special Forces. and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

[Bluewolfdude]

Robert O'Shea was a friend of mine. He was a great guy.

[MrRezillo]

"Sadly Raye died at age 78". Why the hell is that sad? That's a long life. Her last years were very bad, so her death was a blessing. I remember seeing her in TV when I was a little kid in the 50's.