Madeline Lee Gilford (born Madeline Lederman; May 30, 1923 â€" April
15, 2008) was an American film and stage actress and social activist,
who later enjoyed a career as a theatrical producer. Gilford was
married, secondly, to actor Jack Gilford from 1949 until his death in
1990.Gilford was born in the New York City borough of the Bronx on May
30, 1923 to Polish Jewish immigrant parents. She began working as a
child actress when she was just three years old. Her elder sister,
Frances Lederman (September 28, 1910 â€" February 13, 2010), was an
actress, known professionally as Fran Lee.Madeline Lee reportedly
appeared in the early Our Gang episode reels, which were shot in
Brooklyn in the 1920s. Copies of the original cast list are hard to
verify as many records have been lost. She later worked as an actress
on radio, appearing as a regular on The Henry Morgan Show in the
1946-47 season, and stage, performing in the play, Embezzled Heaven,
with Ethel Barrymore in 1944.A documentary is in production in Los
Angeles entitled, Calling All Women about her life as an activist and
her work as a producer and organizer of events for Civil Liberties
causes such as SNCC and anti-war protest movements. The film was
directed by her grandson, Max Smerling, and features interviews with
Richard Dreyfuss, Bob Balaban, Lily Tomlin, Norman Lear, James
Cromwell, Martin Sheen, Valerie Harper, and Carl Reiner.
15, 2008) was an American film and stage actress and social activist,
who later enjoyed a career as a theatrical producer. Gilford was
married, secondly, to actor Jack Gilford from 1949 until his death in
1990.Gilford was born in the New York City borough of the Bronx on May
30, 1923 to Polish Jewish immigrant parents. She began working as a
child actress when she was just three years old. Her elder sister,
Frances Lederman (September 28, 1910 â€" February 13, 2010), was an
actress, known professionally as Fran Lee.Madeline Lee reportedly
appeared in the early Our Gang episode reels, which were shot in
Brooklyn in the 1920s. Copies of the original cast list are hard to
verify as many records have been lost. She later worked as an actress
on radio, appearing as a regular on The Henry Morgan Show in the
1946-47 season, and stage, performing in the play, Embezzled Heaven,
with Ethel Barrymore in 1944.A documentary is in production in Los
Angeles entitled, Calling All Women about her life as an activist and
her work as a producer and organizer of events for Civil Liberties
causes such as SNCC and anti-war protest movements. The film was
directed by her grandson, Max Smerling, and features interviews with
Richard Dreyfuss, Bob Balaban, Lily Tomlin, Norman Lear, James
Cromwell, Martin Sheen, Valerie Harper, and Carl Reiner.
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