There are those whose knowledge of Kaye Ballard is limited to the caricatured screaming Italian she playing opposite demure Eve Arden on TV’s The Mothers-In-Law. Ballard’s ball-shaped eyes, radiating angst from beneath a perfectly manicured pageboy, clung for dear life as the stirred-up signora stormed the stage with half-gnawed index finger firmly clenched between her teeth. Kaye Ballard - The Show Goes On, well, goes on to showcase a performer of incredible range who never received her due. She was also an accomplished actress, singer, mimic, musician, champion of animal rights, stand up comedienne, and what her dear friend Jerry Lewis would have called, “a funny broad.” It’s a pity Ballard doesn’t allow director Dan Wingate to peel away enough layers of the showbiz mask to allow the real person to peek through. The only family member given more than passing mention is her maternal grandmother. Ballard never married, and while I’m not fishing for dirt, the only hint of intimacy here came in passing. While discussing her relationship with Brando, she noted, “I’m Catholic and afraid of sex.” She was a performer capable of generating love and affection among millions, yet was unable to speak of love in terms of anything but her audience. The show goes on. (2019) — Scott Marks
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