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Raye's marriage to Harris in a quick Las Vegas ceremony made headlines. Martha was then 75, and Harris was then 42, and Raye had known Harris for less than a month. Harris was a self-proclaimed bisexual. Also, it was speculated^[who?] that Raye was already suffering from the dementia associated with advancing Alzheimer's disease, and other ailments which plagued her, and so it was argued that the marriage was clearly an exploitive one in which Harris was motivated most by a desire for control of Raye's fortune and for publicity.^{[citation needed]}

A tug of war ensued between Martha's daughter Melodye and Mark Harris over Martha's possessions, her will, and eventually her burial.^{[citation needed]} Raye left the bulk of her estate to Harris, with a portion going to PETA, as Raye was a great animal lover.^{[citation needed]} Ironically, Harris used a large portion of his inheritance from Raye to fund his own line of furs for his fashion company.^{[citation needed]}

Raye and Harris sued Bette Midler and the producers of the movie For The Boys in the early 1990s, because they felt the story was Martha's story. They lost the case.^{[citation needed]}

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Death and burial

Raye's final years were spent dealing with ongoing health problems. She suffered from Alzheimer's disease and had lost both legs in 1993 due to circulatory problems. She died of pneumonia on October 19, 1994, after a long history of cardiovascular disease. Raye was 78 years of age, and residing in Los Angeles at the time of her death.

On November 2, 1993, Martha Raye was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by President Bill Clinton, for her service to her country. The citation reads:

"A talented performer whose career spans the better part of a century, Martha Raye has delighted audiences and uplifted spirits around the globe. She brought her tremendous comedic and musical skills to her work in film, stage, and television, helping to shape American entertainment. the great courage, kindness, and patriotism she showed in her many tours during World War II, the Korean Conflict, and the Vietnam Conflict earned her the nickname "Colonel Maggie." The American people honor Martha Raye, a woman who has tirelessly used her gifts to benefit the lives of her fellow Americans."

In appreciation of her work with the USO during World War II and subsequent wars, special consideration was given to bury her in Arlington National Cemetery upon her death, however, at her request, she was ultimately buried with full military honors in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Martha Raye has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for motion pictures, located at 6251 Hollywood Blvd., and for television, located at 6547 Hollywood Blvd.

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Filmography

Features:

• Rhythm on the Range (1936)
• The Big Broadcast of 1937 (1936)
• Hideaway Girl (1936)
• College Holiday (1936)
• Waikiki Wedding (1937)
• Mountain Music (1937)
• Artists & Models (1937)
• Double or Nothing (1937)
• The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938)
• College Swing (1938)
• Tropic Holiday (1938)
• Give Me a Sailor (1938)
• Never Say Die (1939)
• $1000 a Touchdown (1939)
• The Farmer's Daughter (1940)
• The Boys from Syracuse (1940)
• Navy Blues (1941)
• Keep 'Em Flying (1941)
• Hellzapoppin' (1941)
• Four Jills in a Jeep (1944)
• Pin Up Girl (1944)
• Monsieur Verdoux (1947)
• Billy Rose's Jumbo (1962)
• No Substitute for Victory (1970) (documentary)
• The Phynx (1970)
• Pufnstuf (1970)
• The Concorde: Airport '79 (1979)

Short Subjects:

• A Nite in a Nite Club (1934)
• Cinema Circus (1937)

Awards
Preceded by Gregory Peck	Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award 1968	Succeeded by George Jessel
Preceded by Frank Sinatra	Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award 1973	Succeeded by Walter Pidgeon

[

Television Work

• Four Star Revue (host from 1951-1953)
• The Martha Raye Show (1954-1956)
• The Judy Garland Show (1964)
• The Bugaloos (1970-1972)
• Skinflint: A Country Christmas Carol (1979)
• The Gossip Columnist (1980)
• Pippin: His Life and Times (1981)
• Alice (cast member from 1982-1984)
• Alice in Wonderland (1985)

[

References

[

External links

• Martha Raye at the Internet Movie Database
• Martha Raye at TV.com
• Martha Raye at Find A Grave
• All Star Revue episode guide at Classic TV Info.
• The Martha Raye Show episode guide at Classic TV Info.
• Martha's Bio (from ALICE Website)
• Colonel Maggie
• Story of Raye

Persondata
NAME	Raye, Martha
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Margy Reed (christened name)
SHORT DESCRIPTION	American comic actress and singer
DATE OF BIRTH	August 27, 1916
PLACE OF BIRTH	Butte, Montana
DATE OF DEATH	October 19, 1994
PLACE OF DEATH	Los Angeles, California

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