Gertrude Lawrence but when he proved to be unenthused by the suggestion, Lawrence sent the book to Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. Rodgers initially demurred because he felt Lawrence's vocal range was limited and she had a tendency to sing flat. But he realised the story had strong potential, and the two men agreed to write what ultimately became "The King and I". It opened on Broadway in March 1951, and ultimately, Lawrence won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance. Her triumph was short-lived; her health deteriorated rapidly, forcing her to miss numerous performances until
Gertrude Hoffmann (actress) in the 1950s sitcom "My Little Margie" and made her final performance in an episode of the sitcom "Car 54, Where Are You?" that aired in 1963. Gertrude W. Hoffmann died on February 13, 1968, in Santa Barbara, California, aged 96. Gertrude Hoffmann (actress) Gertrude W. Hoffmann (born Eliza Gertrude Wesselhoeft, May 17, 1871 – February 13, 1968) was a German-born American character actress who began her Hollywood career as she was entering her later years. Hoffmann was born on May 17, 1871, at Heidelberg (German Empire), the daughter of Walter and Mary Sara Silver (née Fraser) Wesselhoeft. Her father