Martha Raye

Martha Raye

Martha Raye (born Margy Reed), nicknamed The Big Mouth, was an American comic actress and singer who performed in movies, and later on television. She also acted in plays, including Broadway. She was honored in 1969 at the Academy Awards as the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award recipient for her volunteer efforts and services to the troops. In the early 1930s, Raye was a band vocalist with the Paul Ash and Boris Morros orchestras. She made her first film appearance in 1934 in a band short titled A Nite in the Nite Club. In 1936, she was signed for comic roles by Paramount Pictures, and made her first picture for Paramount. Her first feature film was Rhythm on the Range with crooner Bing Crosby. She was a featured cast member in 39 episodes of Al Jolson's weekly CBS radio show, The Lifebuoy Program, also called Cafe Trocadero. In addition to comedy, Martha sang both solos and duets with Jolson. Over the next quarter century, she would appear with many of the leading comics of her day, including Joe E. Brown, Bob Hope, W. C. Fields, Abbott and Costello (in Keep 'Em Flying), Charlie Chaplin (in Monsieur Verdoux), and Jimmy Durante. She joined the USO in 1942, soon after the US entered World War II. She was known for the size of her mouth, which was large in proportion to her face, earning her the nickname The Big Mouth. She later referred to this in a series of television commercials for Polident denture cleaner in the 1980s: "So take it from The Big Mouth: new Polident Green gets tough stains clean!" Her large mouth would relegate her motion picture work to supporting comic parts, and was often made up so it appeared even larger. In the Disney cartoon Mother Goose Goes Hollywood, she is caricatured while dancing alongside Joe E. Brown, another actor known for a big mouth. In the Warner Bros. cartoon The Woods Are Full Of Cuckoos (1937), she was caricatured as a jazzy scat-singing donkey named 'Moutha Bray'. She often appeared as a guest on other programs, particularly those which often featured older performers as guest stars, such as ABC's The Love Boat, and also on variety programs, including the short-lived The Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Show. She appeared from the third to the ninth seasons as Carrie Sharples on Alice, making two or three appearances a season. She made guest appearances or did cameo roles in such series as Murder, She Wrote on CBS and The Andy Williams Show and McMillan & Wife, both on NBC. She appeared again as Agatha for the six-episode run of the retooled McMillan, taking over for Nancy Walker, who had left the series. Her last film appearance was as an incontinent airline passenger in the disaster film The Concorde ... Airport '79. Later in her career, she made television commercials for Polident denture cleanser, principally during the 1970s and 1980s.

  • Title: Martha Raye
  • Popularity: 5.445
  • Known For: Acting
  • Birthday: 1916-08-27
  • Place of Birth: Butte, Montana, USA
  • Homepage:
  • Also Known As: The Big Mouth, The Female Bob Hope, Margaret Teresa Yvonne “Margy” Reed, Margaret Teresa Yvonne Reed, Margy Reed
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Martha Raye Movies

  • 1947
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    Monsieur Verdoux

    Monsieur Verdoux

    7.7 1947 HD

    The film is about an unemployed banker, Henri Verdoux, and his sociopathic methods of attaining income. While being both loyal and competent in his...

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  • 2003
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    Chaplin Today: 'Monsieur Verdoux'

    Chaplin Today: 'Monsieur Verdoux'

    5.3 2003 HD

    A short documentary in the Chaplin Today series about Chaplin's "Monsieur Verdoux." Includes an interview with Claude Chabrol, whose 1963 film...

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  • 1962
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    Billy Rose's Jumbo

    Billy Rose's Jumbo

    5.6 1962 HD

    The daughter of a circus owner fights to save her father from a takeover spearheaded by the man she loves.

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  • 1938
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    The Big Broadcast of 1938

    The Big Broadcast of 1938

    5.972 1938 HD

    The Bellows family causes comic confusion on an ocean liner, with time out for radio-style musical acts.

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  • 1981
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    Pippin

    Pippin

    7.6 1981 HD

    A mysterious performance troupe led by a Leading Player tells the story of Pippin, a young prince on his search for meaning and significance. Taped...

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  • 1944
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    Pin Up Girl

    Pin Up Girl

    6.1 1944 HD

    Glamorous Lorry Jones, the toast of a Missouri military canteen, has become "engaged" to almost every serviceman she's signed her pin-up photo for....

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  • 1970
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    The Phynx

    The Phynx

    3.5 1970 HD

    A rock band is invented by the government as a cover to find hostages in a remote castle in Albania held by communist enemies of the USA.

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  • 1966
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    Clown Alley

    Clown Alley

    1 1966 HD

    An all-star cast joins Red Skelton in this lavish 60-minute salute to circus clowns.

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  • 1941
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    Hellzapoppin'

    Hellzapoppin'

    7.1 1941 HD

    Olsen and Johnson, a pair of stage comedians, try to turn their play into a movie and bring together a young couple in love, while breaking the...

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  • 1982
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    Showbiz Goes to War

    Showbiz Goes to War

    10 1982 HD

    While a few Hollywood celebrities such as James Stewart and Clark Gable saw combat during World War II, the majority used their talents to rally the...

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  • 1936
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    Rhythm on the Range

    Rhythm on the Range

    4 1936 HD

    Cowboy Jeff Larabee returns from the east and meets Doris Halloway, a young girl, that he regards as a vagabond, till he learns that she's the owner...

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  • 1937
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    Waikiki Wedding

    Waikiki Wedding

    5.444 1937 HD

    Tony Marvin is a laid back but incredibly successful promoter and fair-haired boy for J. P. Todhunter's pineapple company located in beautiful...

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  • 1937
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    Double or Nothing

    Double or Nothing

    6.6 1937 HD

    A philanthropist's will dictates that four people receive $5,000 apiece, with the stipulation that the first one who can double the amount -- without...

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  • 1944
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    Four Jills in a Jeep

    Four Jills in a Jeep

    5.7 1944 HD

    Reenactments of actual USO experiences of its female stars entertaining troops overseas.

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  • 2005
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    The Adventures of Errol Flynn

    The Adventures of Errol Flynn

    7.8 2005 HD

    A documentary about the life of Errol Flynn, with recollections from friends and family.

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  • 1939
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    Never Say Die

    Never Say Die

    6.8 1939 HD

    Bob Hope is being stalked by a predatory widow who is a widow of wealthy husbands many times over. Martha Raye is a Texan heiress who wants to marry...

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  • 1938
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    College Swing

    College Swing

    6.8 1938 HD

    Gracie Alden tries to graduate from college to get an inheritance.

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  • 1938
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    Give Me a Sailor

    Give Me a Sailor

    5.6 1938 HD

    Jim and Walter are two brother sailors in the United States Navy. Walter tells Jim as soon as they get home he is going to ask his beautiful...

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  • 1970
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    No Substitute for Victory

    No Substitute for Victory

    4.3 1970 HD

    John Wayne hosts this video which was produced during the Vietnam War when the Communist threat was at its height.

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  • 1941
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    Navy Blues

    Navy Blues

    4 1941 HD

    On a layover in Hawaii two conniving Navy seamen borrow money to lay down bets that their ship will win the upcoming gunnery practice trophy, having...

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  • 1936
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    The Big Broadcast of 1937

    The Big Broadcast of 1937

    5.25 1936 HD

    The employees of a failing radio station must put on a huge ratings winner to have any chance of continued operation.

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  • 1938
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    Tropic Holiday

    Tropic Holiday

    5.5 1938 HD

    A screenwriter falls in love with a Mexican woman while searching for a story line south of the border.

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  • 1936
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    College Holiday

    College Holiday

    5.2 1936 HD

    College students rally to save a struggling hotel from closing. Comedy.

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  • 1979
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    The Concorde... Airport '79

    The Concorde... Airport '79

    4.7 1979 HD

    Aviation disaster-prone Joe Patroni must contend with nuclear missiles, the French Air Force and the threat of the plane splitting in two over the...

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  • 1939
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    $1,000 a Touchdown

    $1,000 a Touchdown

    2 1939 HD

    A couple inherits a college and to generate revenue offers a thousand dollars to players for each touchdown they score.

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  • 1940
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    The Farmer's Daughter

    The Farmer's Daughter

    5 1940 HD

    Broadway producer Nickie North and press agent Scoop Trimble find an investor for their next show who insists that they cast his ex-girlfriend,...

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  • 1979
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    Skinflint: A Country Christmas Carol

    Skinflint: A Country Christmas Carol

    5.5 1979 HD

    Charled Dicken's tale A Christmas Carol takes a contemporary jolt in this original musical set in modern-day Tennessee. Cyrus Flint is a mean old...

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  • 1937
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    Artists & Models

    Artists & Models

    6 1937 HD

    An ad man gets his model girlfriend to pose as a debutante for a new campaign.

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  • 1941
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    Keep 'Em Flying

    Keep 'Em Flying

    5.9 1941 HD

    When a barnstorming stunt pilot decides to join the air corps, his two goofball assistants decide to go with him. Since the two are Abbott &...

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  • 1940
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    The Boys from Syracuse

    The Boys from Syracuse

    6.5 1940 HD

    The action takes place in Ephesus in ancient Asia Minor, and the concerns The efforts of two boys from Syracuse, Anthipholus and his servant Dromio,...

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  • 1970
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    Pufnstuf

    Pufnstuf

    6.1 1970 HD

    Jimmy (Jack Wild) ventures to Living Island with his magical, talking flute, Freddy. Once there, he befriends many of the island's inhabitants, but...

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  • 1943
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    Show-Business at War

    Show-Business at War

    7 1943 HD

    A multi-studio effort to show the newsreel audience the progress of the Hollywood war effort.

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  • 1980
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    The Gossip Columnist

    The Gossip Columnist

    7.5 1980 HD

    New Tinseltown gossip columnist Dina Moran helps faded movie star Georgia O'Hanlon dig up dirt on amoral characters.

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  • 1936
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    Hideaway Girl

    Hideaway Girl

    1 1936 HD

    An unfortunate marriage and a bogus Count are the ingredients for this musical.

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  • 2014
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    And the Oscar Goes To...

    And the Oscar Goes To...

    6.97 2014 HD

    The story of the gold-plated statuette that became the film industry's most coveted prize, AND THE OSCAR GOES TO... traces the history of the Academy...

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  • 2014
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    Bing Crosby: Rediscovered

    Bing Crosby: Rediscovered

    7 2014 HD

    Bing Crosby was, without a doubt, the most popular and influential multi-media star of the first half of the twentieth century, pulling audiences in...

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  • 1977
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    'Twas the Night Before Christmas

    'Twas the Night Before Christmas

    1 1977 HD

    The story of the Cosgrove family on Christmas Eve in a New England town in the late 1890s.

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  • 2019
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    Sid & Judy

    Sid & Judy

    7.6 2019 HD

    Explore the dramatic career and personal struggles of the talented and tragically short-lived entertainer Judy Garland through rare concert footage,...

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  • 1937
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    Mountain Music

    Mountain Music

    6.5 1937 HD

    Mary Beamish, a folksy Ozark girl, yearns for the glitter of show business and for a man. She knows she is anything but gorgeous, but figures her...

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  • 1976
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    Alice

    Alice

    7 1976 HD

    Alice is an American sitcom television series that ran from August 31, 1976 to March 19, 1985 on CBS. The series is based on the 1974 film Alice...

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  • 1963
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    Burke's Law

    Burke's Law

    6 1963 HD

    Burke's Law is an American detective series that ran on ABC from 1963 to 1965 and was revived on CBS in the 1990s. The show starred Gene Barry as...

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  • 1950
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    The Colgate Comedy Hour

    The Colgate Comedy Hour

    7 1950 HD

    The Colgate Comedy Hour is an American comedy-musical variety series that aired live on the NBC network from 1950 to 1955. The show starred many...

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  • 1970
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    The Bugaloos

    The Bugaloos

    6.2 1970 HD

    The Bugaloos was an American children's television series, produced by brothers Sidney Krofft and Martin Krofft, that aired on NBC on Saturday...

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  • 1964
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    The Hollywood Palace

    The Hollywood Palace

    4.5 1964 HD

    The Hollywood Palace is an hour-long American television variety show that was broadcast weekly on ABC from January 4, 1964 to February 7, 1970....

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  • 1963
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    Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre

    Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre

    5.5 1963 HD

    Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre is an American anthology series, sponsored by Chrysler Corporation, which ran on NBC from 1963 through 1967....

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  • 1956
    imgS5 E31

    The Steve Allen Show

    The Steve Allen Show

    5 1956 HD

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  • 1969
    imgS2 E26

    The Barbara McNair Show

    The Barbara McNair Show

    1 1969 HD

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  • 1953
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    The Oscars

    The Oscars

    7 1953 HD

    An annual American awards ceremony honoring cinematic achievements in the film industry. The various category winners are awarded a copy of a...

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  • 1985
    imgS1 E2

    Alice in Wonderland

    Alice in Wonderland

    6.9 1985 HD

    Sometimes she's too big. Or much too small. Sometimes things are backwards. And there's always too much pepper in the soup! Nothing is quite right...

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  • 1971
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    McMillan & Wife

    McMillan & Wife

    7.3 1971 HD

    McMillan & Wife is a lighthearted American police procedural that aired on NBC from September 17, 1971 to April 24, 1977. Starring Rock Hudson and...

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  • 1963
    imgS1 E26

    The Judy Garland Show

    The Judy Garland Show

    8 1963 HD

    The Judy Garland Show is an American musical variety television series that aired on CBS on Sunday nights during the 1963-1964 television season....

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  • 1952
    imgS9 E30

    This Is Your Life

    This Is Your Life

    6.556 1952 HD

    This Is Your Life is an American television documentary series broadcast on NBC, originally hosted by its producer, Ralph Edwards from 1952 to 1961....

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  • 1961
    imgS22 E21

    The Mike Douglas Show

    The Mike Douglas Show

    5.1 1961 HD

    The Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that originally aired only in the Cleveland area during much...

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  • 1950
    imgS34 E7

    The Bob Hope Show

    The Bob Hope Show

    7 1950 HD

    The Bob Hope Show hosted by Bob Hope, debuted on April 9, 1950. During the 1952-1953 season, NBC rotated with other variety shows in a Sunday night...

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  • 1959
    imgS1 E13

    The Big Party

    The Big Party

    1 1959 HD

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  • 1967
    imgS11 E24

    The Carol Burnett Show

    The Carol Burnett Show

    7.5 1967 HD

    The Carol Burnett Show is an American variety/sketch comedy television show starring Carol Burnett, Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, Lyle Waggoner, and...

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  • 1977
    imgS10 E4

    The Love Boat

    The Love Boat

    6.3 1977 HD

    Passengers who search for romantic nights aboard a beautiful ship travelling to tropical or mysterious countries, decide to pass their vacation...

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  • 1977
    imgS10 E4

    The Love Boat

    The Love Boat

    6.3 1977 HD

    Passengers who search for romantic nights aboard a beautiful ship travelling to tropical or mysterious countries, decide to pass their vacation...

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  • 1968
    imgS12 E100

    The Dick Cavett Show

    The Dick Cavett Show

    6.658 1968 HD

    The Dick Cavett Show has been the title of several talk shows hosted by Dick Cavett on various television networks.

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  • 1950
    imgS1 E876

    What's My Line?

    What's My Line?

    6.7 1950 HD

    Four panelists must determine guests' occupations - and, in the case of famous guests, while blindfolded, their identity - by asking only "yes" or...

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  • 1971
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    McMillan & Wife

    McMillan & Wife

    7.3 1971 HD

    McMillan & Wife is a lighthearted American police procedural that aired on NBC from September 17, 1971 to April 24, 1977. Starring Rock Hudson and...

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  • 1984
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    Murder, She Wrote

    Murder, She Wrote

    7.6 1984 HD

    An unassuming mystery writer turned sleuth uses her professional insight to help solve real-life homicide cases.

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