Dorothy McHugh (Dorothy McHugh)

Dorothy McHugh

Actress. Dorothy McHugh gained fame as “Mrs. Fletcher” in the commercials for LifeLine Systems Inc., a medical alarm system company. In the commercials she uttered the now famous line “I’ve fallen… and I can’t get up!” Ms. McHugh learned about the job from a tenant in one of the buildings she owned. She received $60 for the job. She dropped out of school in the sixth grade, and went to work at a rug factory. During her time off she would attend local burlesque shows, and memorized the routines. She eventually filled in for one of the dancers. Even though she was only five feet tall, she became part of the Ziegfield Follies, standing on platforms to compensate for her height. She also worked as a model for the Saturday Evening Post. Her movie debut was in 1937’s “Artists and Models” starring Jack Benny and Ida Lupino. Two years later she worked as a model at the New York World’s Fair. Around 1960 she bought an apartment building in Philadelphia for extra income. She was married and divorced twice, but did not have any children. She died at Cathedral Village Nursing Center in Philadelphia after suffering several strokes the week before. Her funeral was on July 24, 1995, at St. Patrick’s Church in Philadelphia. (bio by: GraveGirl)

Born

  • August, 17, 1907

Died

  • July, 07, 1995

Cemetery

  • Mount Vernon Cemetery
  • Pennsylvania
  • USA

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