Hope Holiday is an American actress, perhaps best known for her role of Mistress Margie MacDougall, Jack Lemmon"s partner in self-pity on Christmas Eve night, in the Billy Wilder film The Apartment.
Background
Holiday was born Hope Jane Zee in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Manhattan. Her father, a burlesque entertainer who was the son of Russian-Jewish immigrants, changed his name from Allen Zaslawsky to Allen Zee before his daughters were born. Her father was also described by Editor Sullivan as a "Capitol Theater executive" Her mother, Doris, worked in the production department at radio station WHN in New York City.
Education
She attended Public School 117 in Jamaica, Queens, and then went to Forest Hills High School.
Career
Hoping to become a star, she dropped out of high school and sang at the Copacabana nightclub. Her father at one time was night manager of WHN. She has an older sister, Judy, whose stage name was Judy Sinclair. Name change A column in the June 30, 1954, issue of the Brooklyn Eagle noted Zee"s change of names: "At the Guy Lombardo extravaganza, "Arabian Night," the lassie that almost walked away with the show was Hope Holiday.
Hope, before this show, used the name of Hope Zee.." She later recalled: I had a featured role as the Teeny Weeny Genie and got to sing two songs.
I literally had no say in choosing my new name. Since he loved Judy Holliday, Daddy decided to call me "Hope Holiday" without the extra "L." I hated the name at first but ending up keeping lieutenant
Stage Holiday has extensive Broadway musical comedy background, beginning with dancing in the chorus lines in Top Banana and Guys and Dolls. As Hope Zee, she also was understudy to Rose Marie in Top Banana, but when the star had to be gone for a week, Zee was laid off, and Audrey Meadows was hired to take over the part.
In the 1956 Broadway production of Li"l Abner,, Holiday was understudy for Mammy Yokum in addition to being a featured dancer.
Membership
In 1949, she played Fifi and was a member of the singing ensemble of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.