Florence Halop

Florence Halop (January 23, 1923 in Queens, New York was a diminutive comic actress and sister of Billy Halop, one of the original Dead End/East Side Kids. She had a long career on radio and got her start at age 4 when she appeared on Orson Welles' Mercury Theater of the Air. Between 1976-1982, she played 6 different characters on the TV series Barney Miller. Her character in St. Elsewhere Mrs. Hufnagel, was only supposed to be in one episode, but her role was so well received the writers found a way to get her into 15 more episodes. Halop also went uncredited in the films The Glass Bottom Boat and Pretty In Pink.

Related Topics:
January 23 - 1923 - Queens, New York - Billy Halop - East Side Kids - Orson Welles - Mercury Theater of the Air - 1976 - 1982 - Barney Miller - St. Elsewhere - The Glass Bottom Boat - Pretty In Pink

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Florence succeeded Selma Diamond on Night Court after Diamond's death from lung cancer, but rather bizarrely succumbed herself to the same disease during the run of the show. (She was replaced on Night Court by Marsha Warfield, who played Rosalind "Roz" Russell until the series ended in May 1992.) Halop just like Diamond lasted one season on Night Court before dying of cancer brought on by smoking. Also, both she and Diamond were short, Jewish, had raspy voices from years of smoking, played the feisty female bailiff role on the show and were named 'Selma' and 'Florence' respectively. Florence developed breast cancer that metastasized, so biographies of her alternate between her dying of breast or lung cancer on July 15, 1986 at the age of 63.

Related Topics:
Selma Diamond - Night Court - Lung cancer - Marsha Warfield - Smoking - Breast cancer - July 15 - 1986

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