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Abbe Lane

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Abbe Lane
Lane in 1961
Born
Abigail Francine Lassman[1]

(1932-12-14) December 14, 1932 (age 93)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Other nameAbbe Marshall
Occupations
  • Singer
  • dancer
  • actress
Known for
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1952; div. 1964)​
Perry B. Leff
​
​
(m. 1964; died 2020)​
AwardsHollywood Walk of Fame

Abbe Lane (born Abigail Francine Lassman; December 14, 1932) is an American singer and actress. Lane was known in the 1950s and 1960s for her revealing outfits and sultry style of performing. Her first marriage was as the fourth wife of Latin bandleader and musician Xavier Cugat, more than thirty years her senior.

Early years

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Born Abigail Francine Lassman on December 14, 1932, to Jewish parents, Abbey and Grace Lassman,[2][3] in Brooklyn, New York. Lane had a brother, Leonard. She began her career at the age of four as a child actress on Vitaphone and radio. She began dancing on Broadway in 1947 as a teenager.[4][5] On Broadway, she portrayed "Bobo" in Oh Captain! (1958), starring Tony Randall.[6]

Early in her career, Lane was billed as "Abbe Marshall", her adopted forename possibly in tribute to her father, who was known as "Abbey".[7][8] Using that name, she appeared in the Broadway shows Barefoot Boy with Cheek (1947) and As the Girls Go (1948).[9]

Acting and singing

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Abbe Lane and Xavier Cugat

Because of her work in Europe, Lane was known as an actress before she became recognized for her singing and dancing. She had a television program in Europe and made 21 films there early in her career.[10]

In 1952, she married bandleader Xavier Cugat, more than 30 years her senior. During the 1950s and early 1960s she worked as a nightclub singer and was described in a 1963 magazine article as "the swingingest sexpot in show business."[11] Cugat's influence was seen in her music, which favored Latin and rumba styles. In 1958 she starred opposite Tony Randall in the Broadway musical Oh, Captain! but her recording contract prevented her from appearing on the original cast album of the show. Eileen Rodgers performed her songs for the cast LP; Lane later recorded her songs on a solo album.[6]

Lane made several recordings for RCA Victor and Mercury. She worked with Tito Puente on the album Be Mine Tonight released in 1958. She appeared on talk shows with Cugat until 1963. In 1964, Lane and Cugat divorced.

Lane attracted attention for her suggestive comments, such as "'Jayne Mansfield may turn boys into men, but I take them from there." She was the first female star of the Italian television, where she appeared in various shows starting from 1955. She said she was considered "too sexy in Italy". Her costume for an appearance on the Jackie Gleason Show was considered too revealing and she was instructed to wear something else. She was a guest on the television shows of Red Skelton, Dean Martin and Jack Benny.[12]

In the later 1960s Lane starred in several Italian films. She performed on television variety programs such as The Ed Sullivan Show, The Steve Allen Show, The Jack Paar Program, The Mike Douglas Show, The Hollywood Palace, The Joey Bishop Show, The Merv Griffin Show and The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson from the 1950s into the 1970s. She played guest roles in Naked City, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., The Flying Nun, F Troop, The Brady Bunch, Hart to Hart, and Vega$. Her last movie appearance was in Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983) in the minor role of an airline stewardess.

Later years

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In 1992, Lane wrote the semi-autobiographical novel But Where Is Love? which described the painful memories of a teenage girl married to an older man.[13]

Lane received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6381 Hollywood Boulevard for her contribution to television.

Personal life

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In 1952, at age 19, Lane married bandleader Xavier Cugat — who was more than 30 years her senior — as his third wife.[14] In 1964, Lane and Cugat divorced.[15] They had no children together during their marriage.

In December 1964, she married theatrical agent Perry Leff,[16] remaining married until Leff's death in 2020, at age 93.[17][18] Lane and Leff had two sons, Steven and Andrew.[12]

Discography

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As leader:

  • Be Mine Tonight, with Tito Puente and His Orchestra (RCA Victor, 1957)
  • The Lady in Red, with Sid Ramin's Orchestra (RCA Victor, 1958)
  • Where There's a Man, with Sid Ramin and His Orchestra (RCA Victor, 1959)
  • Abbe Lane with Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra (Mercury, 1961, produced by Hal Mooney)
  • The Many Sides of Abbe Lane (Mercury, 1964, produced by Hal Mooney)
  • Rainbows (Butterfly Records, 1980)

With Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra:

  • Dancetime with Xavier Cugat (RCA Victor, 1953)
  • Ole! (Columbia, 1953)
  • Cha Cha Cha (Columbia in western hemisphere and South Africa, Philips in Europe, 1955)
  • Meet Xavier Cugat and Abbe Lane (10" album, Philips, 1955)
    • Compilation: Pan, Amor Y .... (RCA, 1981)

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1949A Night of Fame
1953Wings of the HawkElena Noriega
1954Ride Clear of DiabloKate
1955The AmericanoTeresa
1955Chicago SyndicateConnie Peters
1956The WanderersDolores
1956Time of VacationDolores
1956The BachelorHerself
1956DonatellaHerself
1957Parola di ladroLalla / Adelaide L'amour
1957Susana y yoSusana Garcés
1957The Lady DoctorDottoressa Brigitte Bellomo
1957A sud niente di nuovoJane
1958MaracaiboElena Holbrook
1958Marinai, donne e guaiManuela
1959Totò, Eva e il pennello proibitoEva
1959Sunset in NaplesEugenia Fougère
1959Roulotte e rouletteRossana Possenti
1960I baccanali di TiberioCinthia O'Connor
1960My Friend, Dr. JekyllMafalda
1961The Naked City (TV series episode)Estelle Reeves"The Day It Rained Mink" S2 E15: February 15, 1961
1962Julius Caesar Against the PiratesPlauzia
1963The Lightship
1965Burke's Law (two TV series episodes)Melissa Hammer; Tashua Amil
1966The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (TV series episode)Ayesha"The Come with Me to the Casbah Affair" S3 E9: November 11, 1966
1967The Cricket on the HearthMollTV movie
1968The Flying Nun (TV series episode)Felicia Fiero"The Organ Transplant" S2 E6: November 7, 1968
1970Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (TV sketch comedy episode)
1970The Brady Bunch (TV series episode)Beebee Gallini“Mike's Horror-Scope” S1 E16: January 16, 1970
1973Love, American Style (TV series episode)Evelyn Carson"Love and Other Mistakes" S5: October 26, 1973
1979Vega$ (TV series episode)Elizabeth Kyle“Best Friends" S1 E16: February 7, 1979
1983Hart to Hart (TV series episode)Eleanor Bracken"Straight Through the Hart"
1983Twilight Zone: The MovieSr. Stewardess(segment "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet")

Bibliography

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  • Lane, Abbe (1992). But Where Is Love?: A Novel. Warner Books. ISBN 978-0446515986.

References

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  1. ↑ Goodall, H. Lloyd (2006). A Need to Know: The Clandestine History of a CIA Family. Left Coast Press. p. 146. ISBN 978-1-5987-4041-7. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  2. ↑ Saunders, Dick (May 7, 1975). "Abbe Lane rebels against her sexy image". The Miami News. Chicago Sun-Times Service. p. 4B. Retrieved February 5, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "Abbe Lane". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  4. ↑ "Abbe Marshall – Broadway Cast & Staff". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 2022-12-19.[unreliable source?]
  5. ↑ "Abbe Lane: A Child Star Who Grew Up a LOT". Travalanche. December 14, 2017. Archived from the original on February 5, 2019. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  6. 1 2 Mandelbaum, Ken (August 15, 1992). Not Since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Musical Flops. St. Martin's. p. 168. ISBN 978-1-4668-4327-1.
  7. ↑ Parsons, Louella (January 25, 1950). "Louella Parsons In Hollywood". Courier-Post. Camden, New Jersey. p. 12. Retrieved February 6, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ Kilgallen, Dorothy (April 7, 1964). "Cougat Implores Abbe To Return". The Miami News. p. 5B. Retrieved February 6, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Abbe Marshall". Internet Broadway Database. Archived from the original on February 6, 2019. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  10. ↑ Pesmen, Sandra (November 21, 1974). "That Beverly Hills housewife is really singer Abbe Lane". The Minneapolis Star. Chicago Daily News. p. 10C. Retrieved 5 February 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ Thistle, Frank (1963). "The Swingingest Sexpot In Show Business". Adam. 7 (4) – via Java's Bachelor Pad.
  12. 1 2 MacKenzie, Carina (23 June 2010). "Abbe Lane: Hollywood Star Walk". Los Angeles Times.
  13. ↑ Infusino, Divina (April 25, 1993). "Seeking Catharsis". Chicago Tribune.
  14. ↑ "Obituary". Xavier Cugat i Mingall - www.xaviercugat.com. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  15. ↑ "abbe-lane-wins-divorce". The New York Times. 1964-06-04. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  16. ↑ "Perry Leff Weds Abbe Lane". The New York Times. December 17, 1964. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Abbe Lane". Ed Sullivan Show. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  18. ↑ "Abbe Lane Prepares to Rewed". The New York Times. 1964-12-15. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
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