Portland Hoffa

Common card · No. 481596

Portland Hoffa (January 25, 1905 – December 26, 1990) was an American comedian, radio host, actress, and dancer. The daughter of an itinerant optometrist, she was named after Portland, Oregon, the city in which she was born. She began her career performing as a dancer in numerous Broadway productions in the 1920s, before meeting her first husband, comedian Fred Allen. They were married in 1927, and Hoffa began performing characters with Allen in comic radio programs, often portraying a dimwitted female counterpart in fast-paced, witty skits. She gained particular notice from audiences for her distinctive, high-pitched voice. Allen hosted several highly successful network radio shows in the 1930s and 1940s, in which Hoffa was a frequent participant. They remained married until his death in 1956; afterward she married bandleader Joe Rines, who later worked as an advertising executive. Hoffa helped compile her first husband's correspondence, which was published as Fred Allen's Letters in 1965...

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