Jean Carroll Dies

Jean Carroll, a comedian of the 1940s and ’50s whose ready wit, impeccable timing and unorthodox blend of glamour and humor made her one of the first female stars of mainstream stand-up comedy, died at a hospital in White Plains on Jan. 1. She was 98 and lived in Hartsdale, N.Y.

The death was confirmed by her daughter, Helen Tunick.

…

When Ms. Carroll came to prominence, no woman was expected to sustain a comedy act by herself; traditionally (think of George Burns and Gracie Allen), a woman had a straight man beside her as a counterweight. Nor was she supposed to be hugely attractive: The combination of feminine wit and beauty seemed too potent a cocktail to foist on the American public. Many 20th-century female comics, like Ms. Diller, Lucille Ball and Totie Fields, cultivated public personas that were variously frazzled, madcap or disarmingly dowdy. What was more, they often used their looks as the butt of self-deprecating jokes.

…

Mr. Howe, who became chairman of the Creative Management Agency, died in 1981. Ms. Carroll, who was known in private life as Celine Howe, is survived by Ms. Tunick of Carmel, N.Y., and two granddaughters, Susan Hamilton of Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., and Andrea Ramos of Carmel.

Rest In Peace, Jean.