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Carol Channing

Carol Channing

Actor · Born January 31, 1921 (105) · Seattle, Washington, USA

Carol Elaine Channing (born January 31, 1921) was an American actress, singer, dancer and comedian. Known for starring in Broadway and film musicals, her characters typically radiated a fervent expressiveness and an easily identifiable voice, whether singing or for comedic effect. Channing also studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City. She began as a Broadway musical actress, starring in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes in 1949 and Hello, Dolly! in 1964, winning the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for the latter. She revived both roles several times throughout her career, most recently playing Dolly in 1995. Channing was nominated for her first Tony Award in 1956 for The Vamp followed by a nomination in 1961 for Show Girl. She received her fourth Tony Award nomination for the musical Lorelei in 1974. As a film actress, she won the Golden Globe Award and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Muzzy in Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967). Her other film appearances include The First Traveling Saleslady (1956) and Skidoo (1968). On television, she appeared as an entertainer on variety shows, from The Ed Sullivan Show in the 1950s to Hollywood Squares. She had a standout performance as The White Queen in the TV production of Alice in Wonderland (1985), and had the first of many TV specials in 1966, An Evening with Carol Channing. Channing was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1981 and received a Lifetime Achievement Tony Award in 1995. She continued to perform and make appearances well into her 90s, singing songs from her repertoire and sharing stories with fans, cabaret style. She released an autobiography, Just Lucky I Guess, in 2002, and Larger Than Life, a documentary film about her career, was released in 2012.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 31, 1921 (105)
From
Seattle, Washington, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
15 on MovieCove · 34 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 65 days to Oct 28Down 5% in 30 days

What are Carol Channing's films like?

Across their 7 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 22nd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 82nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits 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
Self
38%
Bonds
34%
Society
14%
Ideas
8%
Power
4%
Morality
2%
Ambition3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 7 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 7 · Serious 0 · Dark 0

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 4 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 1

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 3 · Charged 4 · Intense 0

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

Steady 6 · Shifting 0 · Whiplash 1

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

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 0 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 4

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 0

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

Casual 5 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 6 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

3 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 2 of 3 analyzed roles.

Ally
2 of 3
Mentor
1 of 3

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
6
Warm
5
Absurd
1
Romantic
1
Tense
1
Other
4

How their films linger

Feel-good5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy5
  • Bittersweet1
  • 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 Carol Channing's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 8 of their 15 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Carol Channing's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits 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

34 credits, 15 with a MovieCove page; 53 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Broadway's Lost Treasures (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Dolly Levi (segment "Hello, Dolly!")

  • Great Broadway Musical Moments from the Ed Sullivan Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Lorelei Lee (archive footage)

  • Family Guy(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Carol Channing (voice)

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars(1998)

    as Fanny (voice)

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Style & Substance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Live from Broadway: Hello, Dolly! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Actor

  • The Drew Carey Show(1995)

    Show 1 episode · as Carol Channing

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all shows

  • Touched by an Angel(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Carol Channing

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all shows

  • The Magic School Bus(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Cornelia C. Contralto II (voice)

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Thumbelina(1994)

    as Ms. Fieldmouse (voice)

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Burke's Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Daphne LeMay

  • The Nanny(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Carol Channing

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • The Addams Family (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 39 episodes · as Grandmama (voice)

  • Where's Wally? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 7 episodes · as (voice)

  • Happily Ever After(1989)

    as Muddy (voice)

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Chip 'n' Dale Rescue Rangers(1989)

    Show 2 episodes · as Canina LaFur (voice)

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • Alice in Wonderland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · as White Queen

  • Magnum, P.I.(1980)

    Show 1 episode · as Carol Channing

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band(1978)

    as Our Guests at Heartland

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • The Love Boat(1977)

    Show 3 episodes · as Aunt Sylvia · as Aunt Sylvia Duvall · as Sylvia Duvall

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all shows

  • Shinbone Alley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as Mehitabel (voice)

  • Skidoo(1968)

    as Flo Banks

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Thoroughly Modern Millie(1967)

    as Muzzy Van Hossmere

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Carol Channing Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Show 1 episode · as Carol Honeycutt

  • The Dean Martin Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • Password (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Show Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Lynn / Naomi / Performer

  • The Christmas Tree (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Promenade Member

  • The George Burns Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 1 episode · as Carol Channing · as Self

  • Three Men on a Horse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Mabel

  • The First Traveling Saleslady(1956)

    as Molly Wade

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • Omnibus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Hallmark Hall of Fame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Paid in Full (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Mrs. Peters (uncredited)

Career shape

Star power in the 87th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 34 titles from 1950 to 2003; peak year 1967.

Biggest box office

Happily Ever After (1989)

$3.3M worldwide

Highest rated

Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967)

Midcredits 76th

Film career

19502003

Peak 1967 · 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.

  • 1967Screen debut· Thoroughly Modern Millie

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting34 of 34: 34 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score41st

By decade

1950s7 · acting1960s6 · acting1970s3 · acting1980s4 · acting1990s12 · acting2000s2 · acting

Billing

usually 4th · top billed in 0% of 5 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 Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Carol Channing's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 32nd percentile, the median of all 7; across their 7 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 73rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

73rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Approval · how many liked their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Reach · how many have seen their films

39thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Midcredits score across 15 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 15 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · actor

Happily Ever After (1989)

87th percentile spread · 33% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967)

Midcredits 76th · 68% liked

Reviewers score the acting 58/100 in their films, across 5 reviewed titles; fans 75, detractors 37. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; 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 Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove 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 Carol Channing work with?

People who share at least 2 of Carol Channing's MovieCove titles; Phyllis Diller shares the most, 2.