Marilyn Borden
Encyclopedia
Marilyn Borden was an American
actress
and singer, and together with her sister, Rosalyn "Roz" Borden
, known as The Borden Twins
. The duo are best-remembered for their appearance on I Love Lucy
playing "Teensy and Weensy" in the episode "Tennessee Bound" (1955).
Although never anything other than supporting players, the duo performed in several venues, including gigs on the nightclub circuit, as well as larger events including Rose Bowl. The twins also performed at countless USO shows at home and overseas, and worked with such entertainers as: Lucille Ball
, Dean Martin
, Jerry Lewis
, Andy Williams
, Sammy Davis, Jr.
, Jimmy Durante
, Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan
and Bob Newhart
.
on May 29, 1932, to Harry (1906–1973) and Elizabeth Borden (1909–1995) and would be followed by a younger sister, Barbara, in 1945. Shortly after the birth of Barbara, Harry left the family.
The Borden Twins got into acting with the encouragement of their parents and as children worked with such famous actors including Bill Robinson
. At age four, they performed on a local radio show with Ed Begley
in their hometown of Hartford. As teenagers, their family moved to Los Angeles
. In high school, they started doing network television. In 1951, they caught the eye of Gene Kelly
who wanted to get them a part in Singin' in the Rain
. They can only be seen as extras in large crowd scenes.
. The twins soon began their association with Jimmy Durante
that would span seven years, appearing on many of his TV shows and travelling in his nightclub act. Between their work with Durante, the twins played local nightclubs and travelled with the U.S.O. entertaining servicemen in Korea
, Japan
, and the Philippines
.
While appearing on an episode of The Ed Wynn Show the twins caught the attention of Lucille Ball
, who promised them she would find a part for them on I Love Lucy
. True to her word, Ball
featured the twins in episode 112, "Tennessee Bound", in which they played the sheriff's daughters, 'Teensy' and Weensy', opposite Tennessee Ernie Ford
.
The twins continued work on television and appeared on CHiPs
, Maude
, and The Ropers
. In the 1970s and 1980s the twins worked on the San Francisco
-based morning show A.M. San Francisco as fitness experts. Also in the 1980s they began work with Bob Newhart
in his stage show in Las Vegas
and Lake Tahoe
.
Roz and Marilyn were last seen together on television on the 1998 All-Star Tribute to Aaron Spelling. They would continue to appear at Lucy conventions in California
and Jamestown, New York
, but they had gotten into the travel business and booked cruise tours on which they would perform.
area to Modesto, California
.
On May 29, 2002, the twins celebrated their 70th birthday, but Roz's health soon declined and she died of liver failure on January 23, 2003, at the age of 70. After her sister's death, Marilyn became a volunteer for the local community hospice, a position she retained for the next four years. In May 2003, Marilyn made her first trip without Roz to Jamestown for the annual "Loving Lucy Festival". She would return again in 2005.
, alongside her younger sister, San Francisco area musician Barbara Borden.
In March 2007 she put together a show called "The Senior Divas", and performed along with jazz singer Miss Delta and newcomer Shirley Hausner. Their first show on March 24, 2007, was to a sell out audience.
On May 18, 2007, Marilyn was re-united with her old boss Bob Newhart
when she opened for him at his show in Turlock, California
.
The couple had no children.
, aged 76.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and singer, and together with her sister, Rosalyn "Roz" Borden
Rosalyn Borden
Rosalyn "Roz" Borden was an American actress and singer, and along with her sister, Marilyn Borden, were known as The Borden Twins. The duo are perhaps best known for their appearance on I Love Lucy playing "Teensy and Weensy" in the episode entitled "Tennessee Bound"...
, known as The Borden Twins
The Borden Twins
The Borden Twins , Rosalyn Borden and Marilyn Borden, were twin sisters who acted together in numerous television programs from the 1950s until the 1980s. They were best remembered as "Teensy" and "Weensy" in a classic episode of I Love Lucy entitled "Tennessee Bound"...
. The duo are best-remembered for their appearance on I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy is an American television sitcom starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley. The black-and-white series originally ran from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, on the Columbia Broadcasting System...
playing "Teensy and Weensy" in the episode "Tennessee Bound" (1955).
Although never anything other than supporting players, the duo performed in several venues, including gigs on the nightclub circuit, as well as larger events including Rose Bowl. The twins also performed at countless USO shows at home and overseas, and worked with such entertainers as: Lucille Ball
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...
, Dean Martin
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
, Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, singer, film producer, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He was originally paired up with Dean Martin in 1946, forming the famed comedy team of Martin and Lewis...
, Andy Williams
Andy Williams
Howard Andrew "Andy" Williams is an American singer who has recorded 18 Gold- and three Platinum-certified albums. He hosted The Andy Williams Show, a TV variety show, from 1962 to 1971, as well as numerous television specials, and owns his own theater, the Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri,...
, Sammy Davis, Jr.
Sammy Davis, Jr.
Samuel George "Sammy" Davis Jr. was an American entertainer and was also known for his impersonations of actors and other celebrities....
, Jimmy Durante
Jimmy Durante
James Francis "Jimmy" Durante was an American singer, pianist, comedian and actor. His distinctive clipped gravelly speech, comic language butchery, jazz-influenced songs, and large nose helped make him one of America's most familiar and popular personalities of the 1920s through the 1970s...
, Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan
Rue McClanahan
Rue McClanahan was an American actress, best known for her roles on television as Vivian Harmon on Maude, Fran Crowley on Mama's Family, and Blanche Devereaux on The Golden Girls, for which she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in 1987.-Early life:McClanahan was born Eddie Rue...
and Bob Newhart
Bob Newhart
George Robert Newhart , known professionally as Bob Newhart, is an American stand-up comedian and actor. Noted for his deadpan and slightly stammering delivery, Newhart came to prominence in the 1960s when his album of comedic monologues The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart was a worldwide...
.
Early life
Marilyn and Rosalyn Borden were born in Hartford, ConnecticutHartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
on May 29, 1932, to Harry (1906–1973) and Elizabeth Borden (1909–1995) and would be followed by a younger sister, Barbara, in 1945. Shortly after the birth of Barbara, Harry left the family.
The Borden Twins got into acting with the encouragement of their parents and as children worked with such famous actors including Bill Robinson
Bill Robinson
Bill “Bojangles” Robinson was an American tap dancer and actor of stage and film. Audiences enjoyed his understated style, which eschewed the frenetic manner of the jitterbug in favor of cool and reserve; rarely did he use his upper body, relying instead on busy, inventive feet, and an expressive...
. At age four, they performed on a local radio show with Ed Begley
Ed Begley
Edward James Begley, Sr. was an Academy Award-winning American actor.-Biography:Born in Hartford, Connecticut, Begley began his career as a Broadway and radio actor while in his teens. He appeared in the hit musical Going Up on Broadway in 1917 and in London the next year. He later acted in...
in their hometown of Hartford. As teenagers, their family moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. In high school, they started doing network television. In 1951, they caught the eye of Gene Kelly
Gene Kelly
Eugene Curran "Gene" Kelly was an American dancer, actor, singer, film director and producer, and choreographer...
who wanted to get them a part in Singin' in the Rain
Singin' in the Rain
Singin' in the Rain is a 1952 American comedy musical film starring Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds and directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, with Kelly also providing the choreography...
. They can only be seen as extras in large crowd scenes.
Career
The Twins would appear on several television shows including The Spike Jones Show and became regular performers on The Jimmy Durante ShowThe Jimmy Durante Show
The Jimmy Durante Show is a 51-episode half-hour comedy/variety program presented live on NBC from October 2, 1954 to June 23, 1956.-Production background:...
. The twins soon began their association with Jimmy Durante
Jimmy Durante
James Francis "Jimmy" Durante was an American singer, pianist, comedian and actor. His distinctive clipped gravelly speech, comic language butchery, jazz-influenced songs, and large nose helped make him one of America's most familiar and popular personalities of the 1920s through the 1970s...
that would span seven years, appearing on many of his TV shows and travelling in his nightclub act. Between their work with Durante, the twins played local nightclubs and travelled with the U.S.O. entertaining servicemen in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
Television
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...
, who promised them she would find a part for them on I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy is an American television sitcom starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley. The black-and-white series originally ran from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, on the Columbia Broadcasting System...
. True to her word, Ball
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...
featured the twins in episode 112, "Tennessee Bound", in which they played the sheriff's daughters, 'Teensy' and Weensy', opposite Tennessee Ernie Ford
Tennessee Ernie Ford
Ernest Jennings Ford , better known as Tennessee Ernie Ford, was an American recording artist and television host who enjoyed success in the country and Western, pop, and gospel musical genres...
.
The twins continued work on television and appeared on CHiPs
CHiPs
CHiPs is an American television drama series produced by MGM Studios that originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to July 17, 1983. CHiPs followed the lives of two motorcycle police officers of the California Highway Patrol...
, Maude
Maude (TV series)
Maude was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS network from September 12, 1972 until April 22, 1978.Maude starred Beatrice Arthur as Maude Findlay, an outspoken, middle-aged, politically liberal woman living in suburban Tuckahoe, Westchester County, New York with...
, and The Ropers
The Ropers
The Ropers is an American sitcom that ran from March 13, 1979 to May 22, 1980 on ABC. The series is a spinoff of Three's Company and based on the British sitcom George and Mildred...
. In the 1970s and 1980s the twins worked on the San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
-based morning show A.M. San Francisco as fitness experts. Also in the 1980s they began work with Bob Newhart
Bob Newhart
George Robert Newhart , known professionally as Bob Newhart, is an American stand-up comedian and actor. Noted for his deadpan and slightly stammering delivery, Newhart came to prominence in the 1960s when his album of comedic monologues The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart was a worldwide...
in his stage show in Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
and Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...
.
Roz and Marilyn were last seen together on television on the 1998 All-Star Tribute to Aaron Spelling. They would continue to appear at Lucy conventions in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Jamestown, New York
Jamestown, New York
Jamestown is a city in Chautauqua County, New York in the United States. The population was 31,146 at the 2010 census.The City of Jamestown is adjacent to Town of Ellicott and is at the southern tip of Chautauqua Lake...
, but they had gotten into the travel business and booked cruise tours on which they would perform.
Roz's death
Roz had been ill for several years, and the twins moved from the San Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
area to Modesto, California
Modesto, California
Modesto is a city in, and is the county seat of, Stanislaus County, California. With a population of approximately 201,165 at the 2010 census, Modesto ranks as the 18th largest city in the state of California....
.
On May 29, 2002, the twins celebrated their 70th birthday, but Roz's health soon declined and she died of liver failure on January 23, 2003, at the age of 70. After her sister's death, Marilyn became a volunteer for the local community hospice, a position she retained for the next four years. In May 2003, Marilyn made her first trip without Roz to Jamestown for the annual "Loving Lucy Festival". She would return again in 2005.
Later years
After Roz's death, Marilyn started a solo career. She appeared in the Modesto Area Senior Spotlight Show, and in October 2006, Marilyn gave a concert from her home in ModestoModesto, California
Modesto is a city in, and is the county seat of, Stanislaus County, California. With a population of approximately 201,165 at the 2010 census, Modesto ranks as the 18th largest city in the state of California....
, alongside her younger sister, San Francisco area musician Barbara Borden.
In March 2007 she put together a show called "The Senior Divas", and performed along with jazz singer Miss Delta and newcomer Shirley Hausner. Their first show on March 24, 2007, was to a sell out audience.
Bob Newhart
George Robert Newhart , known professionally as Bob Newhart, is an American stand-up comedian and actor. Noted for his deadpan and slightly stammering delivery, Newhart came to prominence in the 1960s when his album of comedic monologues The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart was a worldwide...
when she opened for him at his show in Turlock, California
Turlock, California
Turlock is a city in Stanislaus County, California, United States, part of the Modesto Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 Census, Turlock had a population of 80,549, up from 55,810 at the 2000 census, making it the second-largest city in Stanislaus County.-Geography:Turlock lies in the...
.
Marriage
Marilyn was married to Herman "Ted" Thiel from March 2, 1968, until his death on December 4, 2007.The couple had no children.
Death
Marilyn Borden Thiel died of heart failure at 9:45 am on Wednesday, March 25, 2009, in Modesto, CaliforniaModesto, California
Modesto is a city in, and is the county seat of, Stanislaus County, California. With a population of approximately 201,165 at the 2010 census, Modesto ranks as the 18th largest city in the state of California....
, aged 76.
Television
- Four Star Revue (1 episode; 1952)
- The Spike Jones Show (two appearances)
- The Jimmy Durante ShowThe Jimmy Durante ShowThe Jimmy Durante Show is a 51-episode half-hour comedy/variety program presented live on NBC from October 2, 1954 to June 23, 1956.-Production background:...
(1955-1957 regular performer) - I Love LucyI Love LucyI Love Lucy is an American television sitcom starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley. The black-and-white series originally ran from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, on the Columbia Broadcasting System...
(episode 112 "Tennessee Bound" January 24, 1955 as Teensy) - CHiPsCHiPsCHiPs is an American television drama series produced by MGM Studios that originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to July 17, 1983. CHiPs followed the lives of two motorcycle police officers of the California Highway Patrol...
... Lottie Tidwell (1 episode, 1977) - MaudeMaude (TV series)Maude was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS network from September 12, 1972 until April 22, 1978.Maude starred Beatrice Arthur as Maude Findlay, an outspoken, middle-aged, politically liberal woman living in suburban Tuckahoe, Westchester County, New York with...
... Monica (1 episode, 1978) - Apple PieApple Pie (TV series)Apple Pie is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on the ABC network from September 23, 1978 until September 30, 1978. It is based on the play Nourish the Beast, by Steve Tesich, who won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for 1979's Breaking Away.Apple Pie starred Rue...
... Trudy Laskey (1 episode, 1978) - The RopersThe RopersThe Ropers is an American sitcom that ran from March 13, 1979 to May 22, 1980 on ABC. The series is a spinoff of Three's Company and based on the British sitcom George and Mildred...
... Hetty (1 episode, 1979) - Lottery!Lottery!Lottery! is an American drama series premiered on ABC on September 9, 1983. The series aired for one season of 17 episodes and starred Ben Murphy as Patrick Sean Flaherty, and Marshall Colt as Eric Rush...
... Flora (1 episode, 1984) - The Joan Rivers Show ... (as herself; 1989)
- Out of This WorldOut of This World (TV series)Out Of This World is an American fantasy sitcom about a teenage girl who is half alien, which gives her unique supernatural powers. It first aired in U.S. syndication on September 17, 1987 and ended on May 25, 1991. It was first broadcast in the UK on the ITV network on April 9, 1990, usually at...
... Buffalo Breath Twin (1 episode, 1990) - All-Star Party for Aaron Spelling 1998 (as herself)