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Bryna Raeburn (born Bertha Sinai; March 14, 1915 – January 3, 1985) was an American radio and voice actress, known for her versatility, in particular her command of a wide range of accents and dialects.

Early life and career

Born and raised in Jersey City, New Jersey, Raeburn was the youngest of three children born to Russian-born Julius Sinai and Dora Hanna Blumenthal.

Although little is known of her formal education, she spoke many years later with Bergen Record entertainment writer Virginia Lambert.

I majored in drama in college and knew how to use movement and facial expression, but I never really wanted to do anything except radio acting. I'm in love with speech and language. I love radio drama. I've never been a raving beauty, but radio lets me play glamorous ladies.

To which her interviewer immediately appended, "or Scottish crones, French maids, Spanish dancers, Italian opera singers, British royalty, or whatever else a scriptwriter may dream up." As Raeburn's colleague Mary Jane Higby later recalled, "Most of us could imitate some of our fellows, but some, like Art Carney, Bryna Raeburn and Billy Mack, could imitate anybody."

On radio, aside from recurring roles such as Mrs. Graham—opposite Bob Griffin—on Mutual's Dr. Graham and Family, she was a frequent guest performer on NBC's Dimension X and CBS Radio Mystery Theater. The latter, 1974's nearly decade nearly decade-long revival of radio's "golden age," was especially gratifying for Raeburn, who recalled, "I was in the last episode of so many of the old radio shows, it was really depressing."

Personal life and death

By 1950, Raeburn had married fellow Jersey City native Dr. Meyer Smith. They had one child, a daughter, born on New Year's Day, 1956.

On January 3, 1985, at age 69, Raeburn died of undisclosed causes in Jersey City. She was survived by her husband and daughter. Her remains are interred at Riverside Cemetery in Rochelle Park, New Jersey.

Filmography

Discography

With Bob McFadden

• Fast, Fast, Fast Relief From TV Commercials (Audio Fidelity, 1963)
• Charting the Globe (Classroom Materials, 196-)
• Halloween (Classroom Materials, 196-)
• Introducing the Rhythm Instruments (Classroom Materials, 1967)

With Jacques Hirschler

• Let's Visit France And Italy (Vocalion, 1964)

With Bob Booker

• The New First Family, 1968 – A Futuristic Fairy Tale (Verve, 1966)
• Scream on Someone You Love Today (Verve, 1967)
• Senator Bobby's Christmas Party (Columbia, 1967);
  as Lady Bird Johnson, 2nd staff member, secretary
• Beware of Greeks Bearing Gifts (Musicor ), 1968)

With Charlie Manna

• The Rise & Fall of the Great Society (Verve, 1966)

With Napoleon XIV

• They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa! (Warner Bros., 1966); featuring Raeburn, credited as Josephine XV, performing "I'm Happy They Took You Away, Ha-Haaa!"

With Marshall McLuhan

• The Medium Is the Massage (Columbia, 1967)

With Richard Kiley

• "Mowgli's Brothers" and "Tiger! Tiger!" (Leo the Lion Records, 1967)

With Pat McCormick

• Tell It Like It Is (Atco, 1968)

With David Frye

• I Am the President (Elektra, 1969); as Lady Bird Johnson, Julie Nixon, and charlady.
• Radio Free Nixon (Elektra, 1971); as Lady Bird, Martha Mitchell, and Julie Eisenhower

With William Griffis  

• The Cricket in Times Square (Newberry Award Records, 1971); also feat. Herb Duncan, Aurora Jorgensen, George Selden and Lionel Wilson   
• A Wrinkle in Time (Newberry Award Records, 1972); also feat. Corinne Orr, Earl Hammond and Malachy McCourt 

References

1. ^ "Death Notices: Bertha Smith, was an actress". The Jersey Journal. January 4, 1985. p. 18.
2. "Death Notices". The Jersey Journal. January 5, 1985. p. 14.
3. "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JBPX-QXM : 7 January 2021), Bertha Smith, Jan 1985; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
4. ^ Higby, Mary Jane (1968). Tune in Tomorrow; or, How I Found the Right to Happiness with Our Gal Sunday, Stella Dallas, John's Other Wife, and Other Sudsy Radio Serials. New York: Cowles. p. 174. LCCN 68--31130.
5. ^ Lambert, Virginia (December 21, 1975). "Unseen Stars: Meet the voices behind those radio dramas". The Hackensack Record. p. B-18.
6. Dept. of Public Instruction (193). Sixty-Third Report of the Board of Education of Jersey City, N.J.. Jersey City, NJ: Board of Education. p. 42.
7. "New Jersey State Census, 1915", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV9Q-GRNJ : Sun Mar 10 01:56:14 UTC 2024), Entry for Julous Sinai and Dora Sinai, 1915.
8. "New York, New York City Births, 1846-1909," , FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2W8M-SF1 : 11 February 2018), Julius Sinai in entry for Ida Sinai, 20 Sep 1909; citing Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, reference 29525 New York Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 2,022,750.
9. "Doctor and Wife". The Sioux City Journal. February 9, 1947. Sec. 3, p. 8.
10. Cox, Jim (2013). Radio After the Golden Age: The Evolution of American Broadcasting Since 1960. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. pp. 150, 156. ISBN 978-0-7864-7434-9.
11. "United States Census, 1950", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6F9P-NGTZ : Tue Mar 19 00:40:34 UTC 2024), Entry for Meyer Smith and Bertha Smith, 15 April 1950.
12. ^ "Obituaries". The Jersey Journal. September 13, 1993. p. 6.
13. "United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6K96-LMF6 : 10 February 2023), Meyer Smith, .
14. "Births". Variety. January 18, 1956. p. 75. "Dr. and Mrs. M. Smith, daughter, Jersey City, Jan. 1. Mother is Bryna Raeburn, radio actress."
15. "American Jewish Life: Filmstrips". The Jewish Audio-Visual Review. January 1965. p. 11.
16. "Rally to Open Jewish Appeal; Workers in $26,400 Drive Meet Monday Night at Temple". Lancaster New Era. June 25, 1943. p. 3.
17. Lenburg, Jeff (1991). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. New York : Facts on File. p. 180. ISBN 9780816027750.
18. Olszewski, Anthony (January 21, 2016). "Bryna Raeburn of Jersey City". HudsonCountyFacts.com.
19. Scott, Bob (December 22, 1963). "Records: The Tonsils Go on Tour; Laugh Tracks". Los Angeles Times.
20. "Charting the Globe". WorldCat.
21. "Halloween". WorldCat.
22. "Introducing the Rhythm Instruments". Discogs.
23. Thistle, Lauretta (November 21, 1964). "The Last Four Piano Sonatas". The Ottawa Citizen World of Entertainment. p. 2. "A great deal of factual information is incorporated. For instance, did you remember that the Italians didn't have spaghetti until Marco Polo brought it to them? Bryna Raeburn, who does the narration about Italy, has an accent heavier than any pasta should be, and she's delightful."
24. Glazer, Barney (December 3, 1966). "Record Chart". Anaheim Bulletin. p. B6.
25. "Senator Bobby's Christmas Party". Internet Archive.
26. "At All Discount Record Center Stores (AND MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT THAT!): DAVID FRYE – I AM THE PRESIDENT". The Los Angeles Times Calendar. p. 29. 29.
27. "Radio Free Nixon". Internet Archive.
28. "A Wrinkle in Time". WorldCat.

Further reading

• Green, Ted (September 17, 1965). "Main Street". Back Stage. p. 2. ProQuest 963077152. The Stetson's Off To: Diana and Dick Ratazzi on the celebration of their 25th wedding anniversary, (Diana, you certainly deserve the Congressional Medal of Honor) Rex Marshall, for his great commercial voice . . . Jack Lescoulie, for that everlasting smile of his . . . Bryna Raeburn, for her terrific cartoon voices . . .

External links

• Bryna Raeburn at IMDb
• Bryna Raeburn at Old Time Radio Researchers

• 1915 births
• 1985 deaths
• American radio actresses
• American voice actresses
• Actresses from New Jersey
• People from Jersey City, New Jersey
• 20th-century American women