Classic Film Journeys: Arlene Golonka
Arline Leanore Golonka was born on January 23, 1936 in Chicago, Illinois to Elinor Wroblewski Golonka and Frank Golonka. Her father died when she was two years old and her mother later married Edward Rejba. Elinor and Edward then had two children named Zorine and Jimmy.
Golonka was of Polish descent, lived in a Chicago neighborhood and attended Wicker Park School. A social worker encouraged her to follow her dream of becoming an actress.
Over the years she worked as a waitress while also pursuing her interest in acting, appearing in summer productions as Arlene Golonka. As a teenager she took singing and acting lessons.
Eventually she studied at the Goodman Theater in Chicago and the Second City, later becoming a member of The Actors Studio. She has also appeared in the Chicago Playboy Club and in the Hinsdale Summer Theater production burlesque alongside Burt Lahr. Her roommate in New York City was Valerie Harper, who would also go on to have a successful career in entertainment.
After their first major production The night circusShe performed at the Shubert Theater in Connecticut and on Broadway in 1958. Although the play closed after seven performances, her stage career continued with other Broadway productions including Take me with you; Come blow your horn; And One flew over the cuckoo’s nest. She recorded a comedy album called You don’t have to be Jewish in 1965.
In 1967, Golonka moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in television. During this time she made numerous appearances in small roles
The Flying Nun, Barnaby Jones, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, M*A*S*H, The Andy Griffith Show, Mayberry RFD, and many more. She also occasionally provided voices in animated series, including
Yogi’s Treasure Hunt And The new Scooby-Doo movies. Her career also continued with supporting roles in over thirty films along with Golonka teaching acting.
Golonka died on May 31, 2021 as a result of complications from Alzheimer’s disease. She was 85 years old.
During the 1940s and 1950s, Golonka resided at 2053 Evergreen Ave., Chicago, Illinois, which survives to this day.
The Goodman Theater is located at 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago, Illinois.
Chicago’s Second City is located at 230 W. North Ave., Chicago, Illinois.
The apartment she shared with Valerie Harper is at 290 Riverside Dr., New York, New York.
The Shubert Theater is located at 225 W. 44th St., New York, New York.
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–Annette Bochenek for Classic Movie Hub
Annette Bochenek writes our monthly Classic Movie Travels column. Here you can read all articles from Annette’s Classic Movie Travel.
Annette Bochenek, from Chicago, Illinois, is a graduate student at Dominican University and an independent scholar of Hollywood’s Golden Age. She manages the blog Hometowns to Hollywood, where she writes about her travels exploring the legacies and hometowns of Golden Age stars. Annette also hosts the Hometowns to Hollywood film series in the Chicago area. She has appeared in Turner Classic Movies and is the President of the Chicago chapter of TCM Backlot. Not only does she write for Classic Movie Hub, but also for Silent Film Quarterly, nostalgia digestAnd Magazine of the Chicago Art Deco Society.
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