Adelaide Klein

Adelaide Klein (July 8, 1900–March 18, 1983) was an actress who performed on radio, television, films, and the stage. She was best known for her dialects as a radio performer. Over the course of her thirty-year career, Klein performed in radio comedies and soap operas, appeared in eight shows on Broadway, four films, and on thirteen television series. She died at the age of 82 in 1983.

Early life

Klein was born in New York City on July 8, 1900.[1] Her parents were Morris Klein and Sophia Klein. She had two siblings: an older brother, Matthew, and a younger sister, Irene. While she attended Julia Richman High School, she prepared for a career in business but also was exposed to drama. After graduation, she began working as a secretary.[2]

Career

Klein began her radio as a singer in the late 1920s. However, demand for her talents with dialect and as a character actress led her to acting full-time by 1933.[3]

Klein performed in a variety of radio programs, including portraying Hilda, the maid in We, The Abbotts,[4]:349 Dragon Lady in Terry and the Pirates,[4]:328 Agatha Meek in Meet Mr. Meek,[4]:224 and a Russian countess in The House on Q Street.[4] She also was heard in Sometime Before Morning.[5] Klein mastered use of 12 dialects in radio performances.[6]

Klein performed in a USO production of Blithe Spirit during World War II.[2] Broadway shows in which she appeared included Double Dummy (1936), Brooklyn, U.S.A. (1941), Uncle Harry (1942), Collector's Item (1952), The Immoralist (1954), Once Upon a Tailor (1955), Jane Eyre (1958), and Marathon '33 (1963).[7] Her film credits included The Naked City (1948) and The Enforcer (1951).[8] She was signed to play the role of Martha in director Otto Preminger's Where the Sidewalk Ends and scenes were shot in New York City, but the role was ultimately played by another actress.

On television, Klein portrayed the landlady on the situation comedy Two Girls Named Smith (1951).[9]:25 She also had roles on other TV shows, including The Boris Karloff Mystery Playhouse (1949), Studio One in Hollywood (1949), The Ford Theatre Hour (1950), and The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse (1950).[9]

Blacklist

In the mid-1940s, Klein was active in the American Federation of Radio Artists (AFRA) and served as a delegate for New York at national conferences in 1943 and 1944.[10] Klein was one of 56 delegates for New York at national conferences in 1943 and 1944, where she worked with others, including Donna Keath, Minerva Pious, Ann Shepherd, Selena Royle, and Hester Sondergaard.[10][11]

Along with Keath, Pious, Shepherd, Royle, Sondergaard, Klein was listed in the blacklisting publication, Red Channels: The Report of Communist Influence in Radio and Television in 1950. She continued to perform in theatre, but television roles dried up as a consequence of Klein being labelled a communist.[12]

Personal life

Klein married Louis S. Wettels in Manhattan in the late 1920s. She later married Norman Annenberg. Klein died of a brain tumor on March 18, 1983. She was 82 years old.[1]

Filmography
Film
Year Title Role Notes
1948The Naked CityMrs. Batory
1949C-ManMinnie Hoffman
1951The EnforcerOlga Kirshen
1964The TroublemakerPsychiatrist(final film role)
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1949SuspenseMrs. BroderEpisode: "Collector's Item"
1949The Big StoryEpisode: "Frank Shenkel of the Pittsburgh Sun Telegraph"
1949The Boris Karloff Mystery PlayhouseEpisode: "Mad Illusion"
1949Studio One in HollywoodMrs. Bruhl / Psychotic Woman2 episodes
1949-1951The Clock2 episodes
1950The Ford Theatre HourMawEpisode: "The Barker"
1950The Philco-Goodyear Television PlayhouseEpisode: "The End Is Known"
1950Hands of Mystery2 episodes
1950The WebEpisode: "Blessed Are the Meek"
1951Two Girls Named SmithLandladyEpisode: "Premier"
1951Somerset Maugham TV TheatreEpisode: "Appearances and Reality"
1951-1952Lights OutMrs. Manifold2 episodes
1958DecoyMrs. KramerEpisode: "The Lost Ones"

Broadway
  • Double Dummy (November 11, 1936 – December 1936)
  • Brooklyn, U.S.A. (December 21, 1941 – February 7, 1942)
  • Uncle Harry (May 20, 1942 – May 9, 1943)
  • Collector’s Item (February 8, 1952 – February 9, 1952)
  • The Immoralist (February 8, 1954 – May 1, 1954)
  • Once Upon A Tailor (May 23, 1955 – May 28, 1955)
  • Jane Eyre (May 1, 1958 – June 14, 1958)
  • Marathon ‘33 (December 22, 1963 – February 1, 1964)
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References
  1. "Memorial Service Scheduled For Adelaide Klein, Actress". Retrieved 2018-09-14.
  2. Mara, Margaret (May 6, 1948). "Real Life Mothers Seek Guidance From a Movie 'Mom'". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. New York, Brooklyn. p. 17. Retrieved May 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "What Does the Listener Want In Programs?". Dayton Daily News. Ohio, Dayton. September 10, 1933. p. 13. Retrieved September 9, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. Terrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 158. ISBN 978-0-7864-4513-4.
  5. Historical Dictionary of American Radio Soap Operas.
  6. "Radio 'mother' described role". Arizona Daily Star. Arizona, Tucson. June 13, 1937. p. 11. Retrieved May 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Adelaide Klein". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on May 1, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  8. "Broadway actress in 'The Enforcer'". The Newark Advocate. Ohio, Newark. March 6, 1951. p. 9. Retrieved May 1, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. Hyatt, Wesley (2003). Short-Lived Television Series, 1948–1978: Thirty Years of More Than 1,000 Flops. McFarland. pp. 25–26. ISBN 9780786414208. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  10. ""The Billboard AFRA Convention Pix"". The Billboard: 13. September 9, 1944 – via Google Books.
  11. Frohlich, Shirley (April 17, 1943). ""Air Fraternity Gathers Coin from Field Which Once Gave Mikes Cold Shoulder Routine"". The Billboard: 1 – via Google Books.
  12. The American Business Consultants (1950). Red Channels: The Report of Communist Influence on Radio and Television. New York City: Self-published.
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