| |
Petite,
feisty Selma Diamond is best remembered for the characters she
played, but this Canadian born, Brooklyn, New York-raised actress
entered show biz through her skills as a writer. Born on August
5, 1920, Diamond first made a living selling stories and cartoons
to the New Yorker Magazine after graduating from New York University.
After moving on to write for radio and television, Diamond had
her big break in acting. However, no one ever saw her first
performance. They could only hear her as the voice on the telephone
of Spencer Tracy's wife in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
(1963). From that moment, Diamond used her spunk and unmistakable
nasal voice in her many film and television appearances including
My Favorite Year (1982), Twilight Zone: The Movie
(1983), The Other Woman (1983), The Ratings Game
(1984), a recurring role on Too Close for Comfort and
feisty court Bailiff Selma Hacker on Night Court. She
was also a favorite guest on The Tonight Show starring Johnny
Carson. Diamond died of lung cancer on May 14, 1985 in Los
Angeles, California. The Night Court episode titled Hello,
Goodbye was dedicated to her memory. |
