Sylvia Lennick
Encyclopedia
Sylvia Lennick, née Paige (November 14, 1915 – August 10, 2009) was a Canadian
comedic actress. A supporting cast member of Wayne & Shuster' s television comedy troupe, she was most famous for her role as Calpurnia
, with the famous catch phrase "I told him, Julie! Don't go!", in the Julius Caesar
sketch "Rinse the Blood Off My Toga".
In addition to her work with Wayne and Shuster, Lennick was a semi-regular on many of the CBC's weekly television series in the 1950s, including Cannonball and Tugboat Annie, as well as numerous comedy, drama and musical specials throughout the 1950s, 60s and 70s, and also played Mrs. Sherwood in the 1970-71 sitcom The Trouble with Tracy
. She had supporting roles in film and television in her later years, including the Disney Channel
television film Get a Clue
and the horror film Visiting Hours
.
In a 2008 interview with the Toronto Star
to mark the 50th anniversary of the troupe's historic performance on The Ed Sullivan Show
, Lennick stated that when she first read the script, she hadn't thought that "I told him, Julie! Don't go!" would be the sketch's biggest laugh line: "I thought I was going to kill them when I said, `It's the Ides of March, already.'"
Sylvia and Ben met in the early days of World War II as members of the Toronto left-of-center Theatre of Action. Together and separately they won many awards for their work in theatre, radio and the early days of Canadian television, most notably on the CBC. They were among the founding members of what eventually became the Canadian actors' performing union, ACTRA
. In the 1940s Ben and Sylvia teamed with others to form their own Toronto stage company. A decision to keep the marquee on the theatre they rented to save money gave the production company its name, Belmont Theatre Productions.
In the early 1960s Ben and Sylvia, along with partner Jack Merigold, revived Belmont Theatre Productions and produced several seasons of well-received dramas, comedies and musicals. In the mid-1970s Ben and Sylvia, along with Jack Merigold and new cast member Alan Price, took the concept one crucial step further with the creation of their new company Theatre in the Home, bringing professional theatre productions to shut-ins in retirement communities and private residences.
's Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
of complications from pneumonia
, aged 93.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
comedic actress. A supporting cast member of Wayne & Shuster
Calpurnia Pisonis
Calpurnia Pisonis , daughter of Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus, sister of Lucius Calpurnius Piso, "the Pontifex", was a Roman woman and the third and last wife of Julius Caesar. Calpurnia was the great-granddaughter of a lieutenant of Lucius Cassius Longinus, whose name was Lucius Piso...
, with the famous catch phrase "I told him, Julie! Don't go!", in the Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
sketch "Rinse the Blood Off My Toga".
In addition to her work with Wayne and Shuster, Lennick was a semi-regular on many of the CBC's weekly television series in the 1950s, including Cannonball and Tugboat Annie, as well as numerous comedy, drama and musical specials throughout the 1950s, 60s and 70s, and also played Mrs. Sherwood in the 1970-71 sitcom The Trouble with Tracy
The Trouble with Tracy
The Trouble with Tracy was a Canadian television series produced by CTV for the 1970–1971 television season, with intended distribution by the U.S.-based National General Pictures. It is considered by some to be one of the worst situation comedies ever produced.The show was produced as a daily...
. She had supporting roles in film and television in her later years, including the Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
television film Get a Clue
Get a Clue
Get a Clue is a 2002 Disney Channel Original Movie starring Lindsay Lohan as Lexy Gold, a high-school student who investigates a mystery after one of her teachers goes missing, Bug Hall as a boy who helps her, Ian Gomez as the missing teacher, Brenda Song as Lexy's best friend, Ali Mukaddam as...
and the horror film Visiting Hours
Visiting Hours
Visiting Hours is a 1982 horror film starring Michael Ironside, Lee Grant, Linda Purl, William Shatner and Lenore Zann...
.
In a 2008 interview with the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
to mark the 50th anniversary of the troupe's historic performance on The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
, Lennick stated that when she first read the script, she hadn't thought that "I told him, Julie! Don't go!" would be the sketch's biggest laugh line: "I thought I was going to kill them when I said, `It's the Ides of March, already.'"
Personal life
She spent much of her life married to her Wayne & Shuster castmate Ben Lennick. They had three children: Michael, a television producer, Julie, an actress, and David, a radio disc jockey. The Lennicks were Jewish, and the scheduling of the troupe's breakthrough appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show forced the Lennicks to postpone David's bar mitzvah.Sylvia and Ben met in the early days of World War II as members of the Toronto left-of-center Theatre of Action. Together and separately they won many awards for their work in theatre, radio and the early days of Canadian television, most notably on the CBC. They were among the founding members of what eventually became the Canadian actors' performing union, ACTRA
ACTRA
The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists is a Canadian labour union representing performers in English-language media. It has 22,000 members working in film, television, radio, and all other recorded media....
. In the 1940s Ben and Sylvia teamed with others to form their own Toronto stage company. A decision to keep the marquee on the theatre they rented to save money gave the production company its name, Belmont Theatre Productions.
In the early 1960s Ben and Sylvia, along with partner Jack Merigold, revived Belmont Theatre Productions and produced several seasons of well-received dramas, comedies and musicals. In the mid-1970s Ben and Sylvia, along with Jack Merigold and new cast member Alan Price, took the concept one crucial step further with the creation of their new company Theatre in the Home, bringing professional theatre productions to shut-ins in retirement communities and private residences.
Death
Lennick died on August 10, 2009 at TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
's Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, abbreviated SHSC and known simply as Sunnybrook, is an academic health sciences centre located in Toronto, Ontario....
of complications from pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
, aged 93.