Eileen Brennan Biography

American actress Eileen Brennan was the daughter of Jean Manahan, a moderately successful silent screen actress. Brennan studied at both Georgetown University and the American Academy of Dramatic Art before making her mark as star of the 1959 off-Broadway musical Little Mary Sunshine. On the surface, it would seem that this production was out of character for the earthy, sardonic Brennan most familiar to filmgoers. Not so. A lampoon of insipid 1920s operettas, Little Mary Sunshine was in its own lah-dee-dah way one of the dirtiest musicals ever written (something that doesn't seem to dawn on the many high schools that have since produced it). Brennan was among the first-season stars of TV's Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, essentially doing hilarious variations of her simpering "Mary Sunshine" persona. With her 1970s film appearances in The Last Picture Show (1971), The Sting (1972) and Hustle (1974) came the world-weary, hard-bitten characterizations with which she built her movie following. She was nominated for an Oscar for her expert interpretation of an army sergeant in Goldie Hawn's Private Benjamin (1980), then recreated the role for the 1981 TV sitcom version of this film (which won her an Emmy). While filming the TV Benjamin, Brennan was seriously injured in a car accident. The recovery was long and painful, but by 1985 she was back at work, as caustic as ever in recent films as White Palace (1991) and the Last Picture Show sequel Texasville (1990). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

• 1. Tess Skeffington: He was my uncle. He was very good to me, he used to take me to the circus and give me candy. We stopped going when I was...about twenty-six.
  2. Sam Diamond: Twenty-six? What the hell kind of circus was it?
  From Murder by Death. Submitted by Tracy K (2 months ago)

• 1. Prof. Plum: What are you afraid of, a fate worse than death?
  2. Mrs. Peacock: No, just death, isn't that enough?
  From Clue. Submitted by David E (3 months ago)

• 1. Col. Mustard: This is war, Peacock. Casualties are inevitable. You can not make an omelet without breaking eggs, every cook will tell you that.
  2. Mrs. Peacock: But look what happened to the cook!
  From Clue. Submitted by David E (3 months ago)

• 1. Tess Skeffington: Twain picked up Sam in a gay bar.
  2. Sam Diamond: I was working on a case! Working.
  3. Tess Skeffington: Every night for six months?
  From Murder by Death. Submitted by Francis L (4 months ago)

• 1. Mrs. Peacock: Well, someone's got to break the ice, and it might as well be me. I mean, I'm used to being a hostess, it's part of my husband's work. And it's always difficult when a group of new friends meet together for the first time, to get acquainted. So I'm perfectly prepared to start the ball rolling. I mean, I-I have absolutely no idea what we're doing here. Or what I'm doing here, or what this place is about, but I am determined to enjoy myself. And I'm very intrigued, and, oh my, this soup's delicious, isn't it?
  From Clue. Submitted by Lety C (4 months ago)