Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives." Volume One, 1981-1985, pages 230-231. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1998.
Early careers included freelance writer, selling to the New Yorker.
Nominated for an Emmy in 1956 as a writer on "Caesar's Hour" (1954)
Nominated for an Emmy in 1985 as Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for "Night Court" (1984)
On "Night Court" (1984), the episode titled "Hello, Goodbye" (the first episode made after her death) was dedicated in her memory. At the end of the episode, a still photo of her is shown with a sound bite of Bull asking "So what didja think?" and Selma responding with, "I laughed I cried, it became a part of me".
Selma had a deadpan demeanor and distinctively nasal crackle in her voice that was made for comedy. She was just becoming a household name thanks to her role as the impassive, chain-smoking bailiff on the sitcom "Night Court" (1984) when she died of lung cancer after only one season. In a sad ironic twist, her replacement, actress Florence Halop, would die of lung cancer the following year, after only one season.
Was the inspiration for the character Sally Rogers, played by Rose Marie, on "The Dick Van Dyke Show" (1961).