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From Wikipedia Barbara Jo Allen (September 2, 1906 – September 14, 1974) was an actress also known as Vera Vague, the spinster character she created and portrayed on radio and in films during the 1940s and 1950s. She based the character on a woman she had seen delivering a PTA literature lecture in a confused manner. As Vague, she popularized the catch phrase "You dear boy!" Allen's acting ability first surfaced in school plays. Following her high school graduation, she went to Paris to study at the Sorbonne. Concentrating on language, she became proficient in French, Spanish, German and Italian. After the death of her parents, she moved to Los Angeles where she lived with her uncle. In 1937, she debuted on network radio drama as Beth Holly on NBC's One Man's Family, followed by roles on Death Valley Days, I Love a Mystery and other radio series. According to Allen, her Vera Vague character was “sort of a frustrated female, dumb, always ambitious and overzealous… a spouting Bureau of Misinformation.” After Vera was introduced in 1939 on NBC Matinee, she became a regular with Bob Hope beginning in 1941. Allen appeared in at least 60 movies and TV series between 1938 and 1963, often credited as Vera Vague rather than her own name. The character she created was so popular that she eventually adopted the character name as her professional name. From 1943 to 1952, as Vera, she made more than a dozen comedy two-reel short subjects for Columbia Pictures. In 1948, she did less acting and instead opened her own commercial orchid business, while also serving as the Honorary Mayor of Woodland Hills, California. In 1953, as Vera, she hosted her own television series, Follow the Leader, a CBS audience participation show. In 1958, she appeared as Mabel, the boss of the flight attendants, in Jeannie Carson's syndicated version of her situation comedy Hey, Jeannie! The program aired only six episodes in syndication. Allen's first marriage was to actor Barton Yarborough. They had one child together. In 1946, the couple co-starred in the two-reel comedy short, Hiss and Yell, nominated for an Academy Award as Best Short Subject. In 1931-32, Allen married Charles H. Crosby. In 1943, she married Bob Hope's producer, Norman Morrell. They had one child and were married for three decades, until her 1974 death in Santa Barbara, California.

Known For

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6.0

Goliath II’s Mother (voice) (archive sound) (uncredited)

Disney’s Coyote Tales

1991

0.0

Vera Clayton (archive footage)

The Three Stooges Follies

1974

7.2

Scullery Maid (voice) (uncredited)

The Sword in the Stone

1963

5.0

Surfside 6

1960

6.4

Goliath II's Mother

Goliath II

1960

5.2

Irene Hoffman

Born to Be Loved

1959

6.9

Fauna (voice)

Sleeping Beauty

1959

6.9

Celia Mallaver

Maverick

1957

5.2

Dolly DeHaven

The Opposite Sex

1956

5.3

Aunt Agatha

Mohawk

1956

Credits

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Disney’s Coyote Tales

as Goliath II’s Mother (voice) (archive sound) (uncredited)

1991

6.0

The Three Stooges Follies

as Vera Clayton (archive footage)

1974

0.0

The Sword in the Stone

as Scullery Maid (voice) (uncredited)

1963

7.2

Surfside 6

1960

5.0

Goliath II

as Goliath II's Mother

1960

6.4

Born to Be Loved

as Irene Hoffman

1959

5.2

Sleeping Beauty

as Fauna (voice)

1959

6.9

Maverick

as Celia Mallaver

1957

6.9

The Opposite Sex

as Dolly DeHaven

1956

5.2

Mohawk

as Aunt Agatha

1956

5.3

Columbia Laff Hour

as Vera Vague (archive footage)

1956

7.0

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The George Gobel Show

as Self

1954

7.3

General Electric Theater

as Mrs. Parkinson

1953

6.4

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Happy Go Wacky

as Vera Vague

1952

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She Took a Powder

as Vera Vague

1951

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Nursie Behave

as Vera Vague

1950

0.0

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Square Dance Katy

as Gypsy Jones

1950

2.0

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Wha' Happen?

as Vera

1949

0.0

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Clunked in the Clink

as Vera Vague

1949

0.0

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Miss in a Mess

as Vera Vague

1949

0.0

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Cupid Goes Nuts

as Vera Vague / Prudy Vague

1947

0.0

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Reno-Vated

as Vera Butts

1946

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Earl Carroll Sketchbook

as Sherry Lane

1946

6.0

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Headin' for a Weddin'

as Vera Vague

1946

0.0

Hiss and Yell

as Vera Vague

1946

3.7

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Calling All Fibbers

as Vera Vague

1945

0.0

Snafu

as Madge Stevens

1945

6.0

The Jury Goes Round 'n' Round

as Vera Vague

1945

0.0

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She Snoops to Conquer

as Vera

1944

0.0

Lake Placid Serenade

as Countess

1944

0.0

Girl Rush

as Suzie Banks

1944

5.0

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Strife of the Party

as Vera Clayton

1944

0.0

Rosie the Riveter

as Vera Watson

1944

4.5

Henry Aldrich Plays Cupid

as Mrs. Terwilliger ("Blue Eyes")

1944

0.0

Moon Over Las Vegas

as Auntie

1944

0.0

Cowboy Canteen

as Vera Vague

1944

0.0

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Doctor, Feel My Pulse

as Vera Vague

1944

1.0

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You Dear Boy!

as Vera

1943

0.0

Get Going

as Matilda Jones

1943

0.0

Swing Your Partner

as Vera Vague

1943

0.0

Ice Capades Revue

as Aunt Nellie

1942

5.7

Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch

as Tabitha Hazy

1942

0.0

Priorities on Parade

as Mariposa Ginsbotham

1942

0.0

Larceny, Inc.

as Mademoiselle Gloria

1942

7.0

Design for Scandal

as Janie

1941

4.9

Buy Me That Town

as Henriette Teagarden

1941

6.0

Ice-Capades

as Vera Vague

1941

5.5

Kiss the Boys Goodbye

as Myra Stanhope

1941

5.0

The Mad Doctor

as Louise Watkins (as Barbara Allen [Vera Vague])

1940

6.2

Melody and Moonlight

as Adelaide Barnett

1940

5.0

Melody Ranch

as Veronica Whipple

1940

5.8

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Sing, Dance, Plenty Hot

as Susan

1940

0.0

Broadway Melody of 1940

as Ms. Konk (uncredited)

1940

6.7

🎬

Village Barn Dance

as Vera Vague

1940

0.0

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Kennedy the Great

as Mrs. John Potter

1939

0.0

The Women

as Receptionist (uncredited)

1939

7.1

Moving Vanities

as Mrs. Errol

1939

0.0

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Major Difficulties

N/A

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