Carol Wayne
Encyclopedia
Carol Wayne was an American television
and film
actress. She was best known for her many appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
as the Matinée Lady.
along with her younger sister Nina Wayne (born September 18, 1943). The Wayne Sisters later became showgirl
s of the Folies Bergère at the Tropicana Resort & Casino
in Las Vegas
. Carol followed Nina to Hollywood in the mid 1960s and the sisters began appearing in TV shows of the era.
, I Dream of Jeannie
(as dim-witted starlet "Bootsie Nightingale"), Love American Style, Emergency!
and The Fall Guy
, she also appeared in many sketches on The Red Skelton Show
. She gained her greatest fame for 100-plus appearances (1971–1982) as the buxom Matinée Lady on The Tonight Show in Johnny Carson's popular Art Fern's Tea Time Movie sketches. After her death, Carson kept the Art Fern character off the air for most of the next year. He eventually hired Danuta Wesley and later Teresa Ganzel
to be his new Matinée Lady.
Wayne made appearances on several game shows including Mantrap and Hollywood Squares
. She was a regular panelist on Celebrity Sweepstakes
. She landed roles in several films, including Gunn
, The Party
(both directed by Blake Edwards
), Savannah Smiles
and Surf II
. Her final onscreen appearance, including a nude scene, came in the 1984
drama Heartbreakers.
In 1984, Wayne appeared in a nude pictorial for Playboy
magazine. That same year, she filed for bankruptcy
.
(the father of her only son, Alex), and her third husband was television and film producer Burt Sugarman
, who served as producer on Celebrity Sweepstakes. Wayne told Johnny Carson in a 1974 interview that she enjoyed gardening and growing bonsai
trees.
, Mexico
. After an argument with Durston, Wayne reportedly left to take a walk on the beach. Three days later a local fisherman found Wayne's body in the shallow bay.
Authorities later discovered Durston had checked out of the resort the day the couple argued. He had left Wayne's luggage at the airport. Later, an autopsy performed in Mexico revealed no signs of drugs or alcohol in Wayne's body. Her death was eventually ruled as "accidental".
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
actress. She was best known for her many appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night....
as the Matinée Lady.
Early life
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Wayne began her show business career as a teenage figure skater in the Ice CapadesIce Capades
The Ice Capades was a traveling entertainment show featuring theatrical performances involving ice skating. Shows often featured former Olympicand National Champion figure skaters who had retired from amateur competition....
along with her younger sister Nina Wayne (born September 18, 1943). The Wayne Sisters later became showgirl
Showgirl
A showgirl is a dancer or performer in a stage entertainment show. Showgirl is also often used as a term for a promotional model in trade fairs and car shows, etc...
s of the Folies Bergère at the Tropicana Resort & Casino
Tropicana Resort & Casino
Tropicana Las Vegas is located on the Las Vegas Strip, in the township of Paradise, Nevada. It is owned by Tropicana Las Vegas Hotel and Resort Inc. and operated by Alex Yemenidjian's Armenco Holdings. It offers 1,658 rooms and is attached to a casino...
in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. Carol followed Nina to Hollywood in the mid 1960s and the sisters began appearing in TV shows of the era.
Career
While Wayne did television guest shots on I Spy (as the title character in the episode "Trouble With Temple"), BewitchedBewitched
Bewitched is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York and Dick Sargent , Agnes Moorehead, and David White. The show is about a witch who marries a mortal and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban...
, I Dream of Jeannie
I Dream of Jeannie
I Dream of Jeannie is a 1960s American sitcom with a fantasy premise. The show starred Barbara Eden as a 2,000-year-old genie, and Larry Hagman as an astronaut who becomes her master, with whom she falls in love and eventually marries...
(as dim-witted starlet "Bootsie Nightingale"), Love American Style, Emergency!
Emergency!
Emergency! is an American television series that combines the medical drama and action-adventure genres. It was produced by Mark VII Limited and distributed by Universal Studios...
and The Fall Guy
The Fall Guy
The Fall Guy is an American action/adventure television program produced for ABC and originally broadcast from November 4, 1981 to May 2, 1986. It starred Lee Majors, Douglas Barr, and Heather Thomas. Majors and Barr are the only two actors to appear in all 112 episodes of the series...
, she also appeared in many sketches on The Red Skelton Show
The Red Skelton Show
The Red Skelton Show is an American variety show that was a television staple for two decades, from 1951 to 1971. It was second to Gunsmoke and third to The Ed Sullivan Show in the ratings during that time. Skelton, who had previously been a radio star, had appeared in several motion pictures as...
. She gained her greatest fame for 100-plus appearances (1971–1982) as the buxom Matinée Lady on The Tonight Show in Johnny Carson's popular Art Fern's Tea Time Movie sketches. After her death, Carson kept the Art Fern character off the air for most of the next year. He eventually hired Danuta Wesley and later Teresa Ganzel
Teresa Ganzel
Teresa Ganzel is an actress, comedienne, and cartoon voice-over actress.-Career:Teresa Ganzel was best known as a recurring cast member of The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson, having replaced the late Carol Wayne as the Matinee Lady in the popular "Mighty Carson Art Players" skits...
to be his new Matinée Lady.
Wayne made appearances on several game shows including Mantrap and Hollywood Squares
Hollywood Squares
Hollywood Squares is an American panel game show in which two contestants play tic-tac-toe to win cash and prizes. The "board" for the game is a 3 × 3 vertical stack of open-faced cubes, each occupied by a celebrity seated at a desk and facing the contestants...
. She was a regular panelist on Celebrity Sweepstakes
Celebrity Sweepstakes
Celebrity Sweepstakes is an American television game show that aired on NBC's daytime schedule from April 1, 1974 to October 1, 1976. The show also had two separate weekly syndicated runs from September 9, 1974 to September 1975 and September 20, 1976 to September 1977.Jim McKrell hosted the show....
. She landed roles in several films, including Gunn
Gunn (film)
Gunn is an American 1967 mystery film directed by Blake Edwards, and starring Craig Stevens. It featured the same lead character from the 1958-1961 television series Peter Gunn, and a Henry Mancini score but the characters of Gunn's singing girlfriend Edie Hart and Police Lieutenant Jacoby were...
, The Party
The Party (film)
The Party is a 1968 comedy film directed by Blake Edwards, starring Peter Sellers and Claudine Longet. The film has a very loose structure, and essentially serves as a series of set pieces for Sellers's improvisational comedy talents...
(both directed by Blake Edwards
Blake Edwards
Blake Edwards was an American film director, screenwriter and producer.Edwards' career began in the 1940s as an actor, but he soon turned to writing radio scripts at Columbia Pictures...
), Savannah Smiles
Savannah Smiles
Savannah Smiles is a 1982 family comedy film starring Bridgette Andersen, Donovan Scott, Mark Miller, Peter Graves and Barbara Stanger.-Plot summary:...
and Surf II
Surf II
Surf II is a 1984 American independent comedy film written and directed by Randall M. Badat and starring Eddie Deezen, Linda Kerridge, Eric Stoltz, Jeffrey Rogers and Peter Isacksen...
. Her final onscreen appearance, including a nude scene, came in the 1984
1984 in film
-Events:* The Walt Disney Company founds Touchstone Pictures to release movies with subject matter deemed inappropriate for the Disney name.* Tri-Star Pictures, a joint venture of Columbia Pictures, HBO, and CBS, releases its first film....
drama Heartbreakers.
In 1984, Wayne appeared in a nude pictorial for Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
magazine. That same year, she filed for bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
.
Personal life
Wayne was married three times. Her second husband was rock and roll photographer Barry FeinsteinBarry Feinstein
Barry Feinstein was an American photographer who was reputed to have produced over 500 album covers. Barry Feinstein began in his youth as a photographer. In 1955 he was engaged as an assistant at Life magazine...
(the father of her only son, Alex), and her third husband was television and film producer Burt Sugarman
Burt Sugarman
Burt Sugarman is an American television producer best known for producing the 1970s game show Celebrity Sweepstakes, and The Richard Pryor Show.He also produced The Midnight Special and The Wizard of Odds in the 1970s....
, who served as producer on Celebrity Sweepstakes. Wayne told Johnny Carson in a 1974 interview that she enjoyed gardening and growing bonsai
Bonsai
is a Japanese art form using miniature trees grown in containers. Similar practices exist in other cultures, including the Chinese tradition of penjing from which the art originated, and the miniature living landscapes of Vietnamese hòn non bộ...
trees.
Death
In January 1985, Wayne and her companion Edward Durston were vacationing at the Las Hadas Resort in Manzanillo, ColimaManzanillo, Colima
The name Manzanillo refers to the city as well as its surrounding municipality in the Mexican state of Colima. The city, located on the Pacific Ocean, contains Mexico's busiest port. Manzanillo was the third port created by the Spanish in the Pacific during the New Spain period...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. After an argument with Durston, Wayne reportedly left to take a walk on the beach. Three days later a local fisherman found Wayne's body in the shallow bay.
Authorities later discovered Durston had checked out of the resort the day the couple argued. He had left Wayne's luggage at the airport. Later, an autopsy performed in Mexico revealed no signs of drugs or alcohol in Wayne's body. Her death was eventually ruled as "accidental".
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Gunn Gunn (film) Gunn is an American 1967 mystery film directed by Blake Edwards, and starring Craig Stevens. It featured the same lead character from the 1958-1961 television series Peter Gunn, and a Henry Mancini score but the characters of Gunn's singing girlfriend Edie Hart and Police Lieutenant Jacoby were... |
Ernestine | |
| 1968 | June Warren | ||
| 1979 | Scavenger Hunt Scavenger Hunt Scavenger Hunt is a 1979 comedy film with a large ensemble cast, in the mold of the 1963 comedy It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.-Plot summary:... |
Nurse | |
| 1980 | Gypsy Angels | Waitress | |
| 1982 | Savannah Smiles Savannah Smiles Savannah Smiles is a 1982 family comedy film starring Bridgette Andersen, Donovan Scott, Mark Miller, Peter Graves and Barbara Stanger.-Plot summary:... |
Doreen | |
| 1984 | Surf II Surf II Surf II is a 1984 American independent comedy film written and directed by Randall M. Badat and starring Eddie Deezen, Linda Kerridge, Eric Stoltz, Jeffrey Rogers and Peter Isacksen... |
Mrs. O'Finlay | Alternative title: Surf II: The End of the Trilogy |
| 1984 | E. Nick: A Legend in His Own Mind | Regine | |
| 1984 | Heartbreakers | Candy |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Ginger LaVeer | Episode: "The Super-Colossal Affair" | |
| 1966 | Shelia | Episode: "The Faustus Affair" | |
| 1967 | I Spy | Temple | Episode: "The Trouble with Temple" |
| 1967 | Occasional Wife Occasional Wife Occasional Wife is an American sitcom that aired on NBC on September 13, 1966, and ran until May 9, 1967 . It was originally on NBC's Tuesday night schedule; in the Eastern Time Zone it aired from 8:30-9:00 p.m... |
Miss Orange Grove | Episode: "The New Secretary" |
| 1967 | I Dream of Jeannie I Dream of Jeannie I Dream of Jeannie is a 1960s American sitcom with a fantasy premise. The show starred Barbara Eden as a 2,000-year-old genie, and Larry Hagman as an astronaut who becomes her master, with whom she falls in love and eventually marries... |
Bootsie Nightingale | Episode: "Here Comes Bootsie Nightingale" |
| 1969 | Bewitched Bewitched Bewitched is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York and Dick Sargent , Agnes Moorehead, and David White. The show is about a witch who marries a mortal and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban... |
Bunny | Episode: "A Bunny for Tabitha" |
| 1970 | NBC Soundstage Tour Guide Chambermaid |
Episodes: "The Magic Act" "The Private Detective" |
|
| 1970–1972 | Love, American Style Love, American Style Love, American Style is an hour-long TV anthology produced by Paramount Television and originally aired between September 1969 and January 1974... |
Various | 6 episodes |
| 1971 | Sarge Sarge (TV series) Sarge was a Universal Television / Harbour Productions television series starring George Kennedy as Samuel Patrick Cavanaugh, a San Diego police detective sergeant who decides to retire and enter the priesthood after his wife is murdered... |
Receptionist | Episode: "Psst! Wanna Buy a Dirty Picture?" |
| 1971 | Christie Mullins | Episode: "The Letter of the Law" | |
| 1971–1982 | Art Fern's Tea-Time Movie Lady | Unknown episodes | |
| 1972 | Mannix Mannix Mannix is an American television detective series that ran from 1967 through 1975 on CBS. Created by Richard Levinson and William Link and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller, the title character, Joe Mannix, is a private investigator. He is played by Mike Connors... |
Bobbi | Episode: "A Puzzle for One" |
| 1972 | Every Man Needs One | Nancy | Television movie |
| 1973 | Mimi | Episode: "John & Sally & Fred & Linda" | |
| 1974 | Medical Center Medical Center (TV series) Medical Center is a medical drama series which aired on CBS from 1969 to 1976.-Synopsis:The show starred James Daly as Dr. Paul Lochner and Chad Everett as Dr. Joe Gannon, surgeons working in an otherwise unnamed university hospital in Los Angeles. The show focused both on the lives of the doctors... |
Blanche | Episode: "Adults Only" |
| 1974 | Emergency! Emergency! Emergency! is an American television series that combines the medical drama and action-adventure genres. It was produced by Mark VII Limited and distributed by Universal Studios... |
Renee, Miss October | Episode: "The Screenwriter" |
| 1979 | Heaven on Earth | Television movie | |
| 1981 | Allegra Farrenpour | Television movie | |
| 1981 | Rose | Episodes: "The Meek Shall Inherit Rhonda" "The Japanese Connection" |