Betty Wragge

Betty Wragge with her husband Walter Brooke, 1953

Elizabeth Wragge (September 22, 1918 - October 2002)[1][2] was an actress who appeared on more than 10,000 old-time radio programs[3] in addition to working in other media. She was sometimes billed as Elizabeth Wragge.

Early years

Elizabeth Wragge was born in New York City.[2] Her mother was a star in opera in Holland.[4] Wragge graduated from the Professional Children's School, after which she attended the David Mannes School of Music.[5] She was a model before she began working in radio.[6]

Radio

In 1927, Wragge appeared in Gold Spot Pals, an NBC program that may have been the first commercial program that used child actors.[7] She also acted as a child on other programs, including Mary and Bob's True Stories, an anthology series on which she portrayed Mary.[8] Perhaps her best known role on radio was portraying Peggy Young Trent, sister of the title character in the soap opera Pepper Young's Family.[7] She also acted on other programs of that era, including Lux Radio Theatre, March of Time, Texaco Star Theatre, and We the People.[9]

Stage

Wragge's Broadway credits (billed as Elizabeth Wragge) included Up the Line (1926), The Silver Box (1927), and Dead End (1935).[10] She also toured in musical troupes[7] and acted in local and regional theaters, including the Allenberry Playhouse.[3]

Film

When she was 3 years old, Wragge acted in the silent film Yolanda.[11] As an adult, she did dubbing for Italian films.[7]

Television

On television, Wragge had running parts on The Brighter Day, Love of Life, and The Secret Storm. She also appeared on Armstrong Circle Theatre,[3] and in the "Flight Thirteen" episode of Fireside Theatre on January 2, 1951.[12]

Personal life

In January 1951, Wragge married actor Walter Brooke. They had two children, Thomas Brooke and Christina Brooke.[13]

References

  1. ^ "Paid Notice: Deaths WRAGGE, ELIZABETH". The New York Times. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  2. ^ a b DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-2834-2. Pp. 289-290.
  3. ^ a b c "Betty Wragge Stars In 'No, No, Nanette'". Sunday News. Pennsylvania, Lancaster. August 22, 1976. p. 37. Retrieved 27 June 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Ranson, Jo (June 4, 1936). "Radio Dial Log". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. New York, Brooklyn. p. 27. Retrieved September 21, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Dahl, Lucille (January 1953). "Two women am I" (PDF). Radio-TV Mirror. 39 (2): 26–27, 88–89. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  6. ^ "(untitled brief)". Carroll Daily Herald. Iowa, Carroll. August 3, 1936. p. 5. Retrieved September 22, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  7. ^ a b c d Cox, Jim (1999). The Great Radio Soap Operas. McFarland. p. 168. ISBN 9781476604145. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  8. ^ Terrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 220. ISBN 978-0-7864-4513-4.
  9. ^ "Information Booth" (PDF). Radio and Television Mirror. 30 (4): 72. September 1948. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  10. ^ "("Elizabeth Wragge" search results)". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  11. ^ Service, R.F. (April 14, 1936). "Right Out Of The Air". Carroll Daily Herald. Iowa, Carroll. p. 4. Retrieved September 21, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  12. ^ Hawes, William (2015). Live Television Drama, 1946-1951. McFarland. p. 294. ISBN 9781476608495. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  13. ^ Ball, Elizabeth (January 1954). "Three steps to Heaven". Radio-TV Mirror. 41 (2): 36, 66. Retrieved 27 June 2019.