Elise Alyse Cavanna (January 30, 1902 – May 12, 1963) was an American film actress, stage comedian, dancer, and fine artist.

[3] She gave dance recitals in New York City, but grew dissatisfied and instead became a dancer in the Ziegfeld Follies.

[4] Her on-screen interplay with Fields was compared by film historian William K. Everson to that between Groucho Marx and Margaret Dumont.

In 1932, while living in Los Angeles, she met and married Merle Armitage (1893–1975),[6] a writer, book designer, musician, and WPA administrator.

Oils, water colors, and prints from 20th-century artists were presented along with a historical section, which assembled early art.

[10] In 1937, Cavanna completed the 16′ x 6′ oil-on-canvas painting Air Mail for the Oceanside, California, post office.

In 1961 Cavanna and her husband James Welton co-authored the book Gourmet Cookery for a Low Fat Diet, which contains 200 recipes for making fatless meals.