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Kaye Ballard

Kaye Ballard

Actor · Died January 21, 2019, aged 93 · Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Singing funny girl Kaye Ballard was born to perform...and perform she did, in a career spanning eight decades. With a strong comedy background and tunnel mouth to rival Martha Raye, the broad and bouncy trouper drew laughs on the musical stage, in night clubs, in recordings and on TV. As the archetypal over-emotive, knuckle-biting Italian wife and mama, the octogenarian tickled the funny bone with her earthy brand of comedy while alternately touching hearts in song. She was born Catherine Gloria Balotta,in Cleveland, Ohio, the daughter of Italian parents, Lena (Nacarato) and Vincenzo/Vincent James Balotta. A deep desire to perform already struck by the time she was five years old. A typical class clown during her high school years, she began to compile a number of star impressions for her act. In her teens, she performed in a Cleveland USO stage production of "Stage Door Canteen" (1941), and soon set out on her own. Earning a job in 1943 touring with Spike Jones and His Orchestra for two years as his featured vocalist and flute/tuba player(!), Kaye eventually set up camp in New York and made her Broadway debut with the revue "Three to Make Ready" (1946). From there she showcased in the musicals "Once in a Lifetime," "Touch and Go" (in London), "Annie Get Your Gun" and the burlesque show "Top Banana". During this time, she built up a strong song-and-comedy reputation for herself on the nightclub circuit, eventually playing the country's best cabarets/niteries including The Bon Soir, Persian Room and Blue Angel in New York, The Hungry i in San Francisco, and Mr. Kelly's in Chicago. During the 1950s and 1960s, Kaye graced nearly every talk/variety show there was including those for Ed Sullivan, Jack Paar, Johnny Carson, Steve Allen, Perry Como, Red Skelton, Carol Burnett, Merv Griffin and Mike Douglas. Two of her classic TV roles were her ugly stepsister Portia (the other sister being fellow scene-stealer Alice Ghostley) in the Julie Andrews version of Cinderella (1957), and as one of The Mothers-In-Law (1967) (the other being fellow veteran Eve Arden) in the popular but short-lived sitcom produced by Desi Arnaz. Both showcases catered perfectly to Kaye's brash comedy instincts. She also pitched in as a meddling second banana for Doris Day for one season of the star's '70s TV show. On stage Kaye had Broadway audiences rolling in the aisles with her Helen of Troy in the 1954 musical "The Golden Apple," while introducing the classic song standard "Lazy Afternoon." Other raves came in the form of "Wonderful Town" (1958), "Carnival" (1961) and Cole Porter Revisited" (1965). On the flip side of the coin, she played a frumpy Lola Delaney in a badly misguided musical version of "Come Back, Little Sheba" (entitled "Sheba") in 1974, and also tried unsuccessfully to bring life to the beloved, indomitable Molly Goldberg radio/TV character in the Broadway musical "Molly" (1973); the show lasted a mere two months. Kaye was much more at home sinking her teeth into two of theater's most impregnable females: Mama Rose in "Gypsy" and Dolly Levi in "Hello, Dolly!" With an out-stretched personality on par with Carol Channing and Ethel Merman, films never became a suitable medium. Although Kaye gave a standout debut performance in The Girl Most Likely (1957), starring Jane Powell, she was seldom seen after that. Her sprinkling of supporting roles included A House Is Not a Home (1964) with Shelley Winters, Which Way to the Front? (1970) starring Jerry Lewis, Freaky Friday (1976) with young Jodie Foster, and, perhaps more notably, in The Ritz (1976) starring Rita Moreno and Jerry Stiller. In later years, Kaye dominated the stage with feisty work in "Nunsense", "The Pirates of Penzance" (a Broadway replacement), "High Spirits" (as Madame Arcati), "Funny Girl" (as Mrs. Brice), "The Full Monty", and the female version of "The Odd Couple". The Rancho Mirage, California resident performed with the Palm Spring Follies show, and was out-and-about doing her one-woman cabaret show belting out the good old songs and retracing her burlesque-styled comedy roots. A survivor of breast cancer, the never-married veteran showed no signs of slowing down. She died in her Rancho Mirage home on January 21, 2019, aged 93.

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Biography from IMDb.

Born
November 20, 1925
Died
January 21, 2019 (aged 93)
From
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
19 on Motif · 42 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 13% in 30 days

What are Kaye Ballard's films like?

Across their 14 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy6 titlesTypical Motif score: 23rd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary3 titlesTypical Motif score: 84th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Motif score: 12th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies

Their Motif films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Motif score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
35%
Self
28%
Society
19%
Ideas
8%
Power
6%
Morality
4%
Ambition3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFame2 titles, browse their movies with this themeMemory2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 14 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 13 · Serious 1 · Dark 0

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 8 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 2

Gentle: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their gentle movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 9 · Charged 5 · Intense 0

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 7 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 3

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 0 · Some laughs 9 · Funny 5

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 2

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 13 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 13 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

3 analyzed roles
Threshold guardian
1 of 3
Trickster
1 of 3
Shadow
1 of 3

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
8
Warm
5
Absurd
3
Melancholic
3
Bittersweet
3
Other
14

How their films linger

Feel-good10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy8
  • Bittersweet5
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Kaye Ballard's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 12 of their 19 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (9).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Kaye Ballard's titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Motif score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

42 credits, 19 with a Motif page; 21 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Senior Moment(2021)

    as Maria

    Motif score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Troupers(2011)

    Actor

    Motif score: 97th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Million Dollar Kid(2000)

    as Mrs. Crabby

    Motif score: 1st percentile of all films

  • Baby Geniuses(1999)

    as Mayor

    Motif score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Ava's Magical Adventure(1994)

    as Leona

    Motif score: 28th percentile of all films

  • The Modern Adventures of Tom Sawyer(2000)

    as Mrs. Grumpy Old Man

    Motif score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • E! True Hollywood Story (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Due South (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 2 episodes · as Mrs. Vecchio

  • Eternity (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1990)

    as Sabrina / Selma

  • What a Dummy (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1990)

    Show 24 episodes · Actor

  • Modern Love (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1990)

    as Receptionist

  • Fate (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1990)

    as Judy

  • The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!(1989)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Motif score: 30th percentile of all shows

  • Monsters(1988)

    Show 1 episode · as Faye Ingram

    Motif score: 56th percentile of all shows

  • Tiger Warsaw (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1988)

    as Aunt Thelma

  • The Perils of P.K.(1986)

    Actor

    Motif score: 3rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Alice in Wonderland (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1983)

    as Duchess

  • Pandemonium(1982)

    as Glenn's Mom

    Motif score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Here's Boomer (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1981)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Falling in Love Again(1980)

    as Mrs. Lewis (1940's)

    Motif score: 11th percentile of all films

  • The Robber Bridegroom (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1980)

    as Salome

  • The Dream Merchants (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1980)

    Show 3 episodes · as Esther Kessler

  • Trapper John, M.D. (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • Li'l Abner in the Dogpatch Today (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1978)

    as Bella Asgood

  • The Love Boat(1977)

    Show 1 episode · as Babe · as Cora Bass · as Joan Redmond

    Motif score: 20th percentile of all shows

  • Freaky Friday(1976)

    as Coach Betsy

    Motif score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Alice(1976)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Motif score: 46th percentile of all shows

  • The Ritz(1976)

    as Vivian Proclo

    Motif score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Montefuscos (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1975)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Sonic Boom (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1974)

    as Aggie

  • Police Story (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Great Performances (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · as Duchess

  • Which Way to the Front?(1970)

    as Senora Messina

    Motif score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Love, American Style (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 1 episode · as Helen · as Sally

  • The Doris Day Show(1968)

    Show 6 episodes · as Angie Pallucci · as Flossie Moore

    Motif score: 44th percentile of all shows

  • Here's Lucy (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 1 episode · as Donna

  • The Mothers-in-Law (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 56 episodes · as Kaye Buell

  • A House Is Not a Home(1964)

    as Sidonia

    Motif score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Be Our Guest (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 19 episodes · Actor

  • The Girl Most Likely (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1958)

    as Marge

  • Cinderella(1957)

    as Stepsister Portia

    Motif score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Kraft Television Theatre (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1947)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 77th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 42 titles from 1947 to 2021; peak year 1975.

Biggest box office

Baby Geniuses (1999)

$36M worldwide

Highest rated

Cinderella (1957)

Motif 87th

Most popular right now

Baby Geniuses (1999)

Film career

19472021

Peak 1975 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1970Screen debut· Which Way to the Front?

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting42 of 42: 42 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Motif score30th

By decade

1940s1 · acting1950s2 · acting1960s6 · acting1970s11 · acting1980s10 · acting1990s9 · acting2000s1 · acting2010s1 · acting2020s1 · acting

Billing

usually 8th · top billed in 0% of 6 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Motif score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on Motif, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Kaye Ballard's films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Motif score in the 25th percentile, the median of all 14; across their 14 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 38th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

38thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Approval · how many liked their films

29thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Reach · how many have seen their films

42ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Motif score across 19 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up3
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th8

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 19 titles are Mixed.

  • Divisive2
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed11

Most divisive · actor

Baby Geniuses (1999)

94th percentile spread · 66% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Cinderella (1957)

Motif 87th · 79% liked

Reviewers score the acting 54/100 in their films, across 9 reviewed titles; fans 74, detractors 31. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Motif score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their Motif titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Kaye Ballard work with?

People who share at least 2 of Kaye Ballard's Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; Steven Paul shares the most, 4.

Writers

Actors

Producers