Known For
Acting
Known Credits
92
Gender
Female
Birthday
February 22, 1890 (136 years old)
Place of Birth
Acton, Indiana, USA
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Marjorie Main (born Mary Tomlinson, February 24, 1890 – April 10, 1975) was an American actress, best known as a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player and for her role as Ma Kettle in a series of ten Ma and Pa Kettle movies.
Main worked in vaudeville on the Orpheum circuit and in Chautauqua presentations, and debuted on Broadway in 1916. Her first film was A House Divided in 1931.
Main began playing upper class dowagers, but ultimately was typecast in abrasive, domineering, salty roles, for which her distinctive voice was well suited. She repeated her stage role in Dead End in the 1937 film version, and was subsequently cast repeatedly as the mother of gangsters. She again transferred a strong stage performance, as a dude-ranch operator in The Women, to film in 1939. At this time, she guest-starred on radio programs such as Columbia Presents Corwin and The Goldbergs.
Main was signed to a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract in 1940 and stayed with the studio until the mid-1950s. She made six films with Wallace Beery in the 1940s, including Barnacle Bill (1941), Jackass Mail (1942), and Bad Bascomb (1946). She played Sonora Cassidy, the chief cook, in The Harvey Girls (1946). The director George Sidney remarked in the commentary for the film that Miss Main was a "great lady" as well as a great actress who donated most of her paychecks over the years to the support of a school.
Perhaps her most famous role is that of Ma Kettle, which she first played in The Egg and I in 1947 opposite Percy Kilbride as Pa Kettle. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for the part and portrayed the character in nine more Ma and Pa Kettle films.
By the early 1950s, she had appeared in several MGM musicals, including, Meet Me in St. Louis and The Belle of New York. She played Mrs. Wrenley in the studio's all-star film It's a Big Country (1951). In 1954, Marjorie Main played her last roles for the studio: Mrs. Hittaway in The Long, Long Trailer and Jane Dunstock in Rose Marie. In 1956, Main's performance as the widow Hudspeth in the hit film Friendly Persuasion was well-received, earning her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
In 1958, Main appeared twice as rugged frontierswoman Cassie Tanner in the episodes "The Cassie Tanner Story" and "The Sacramento Story" on NBC's television series Wagon Train. In the first segment, she joins the wagon train, casts her romantic interest on Ward Bond as Major Adams, and helps the train locate needed horses despite a Paiute threat.
| 2006 | Summer Stock: Get Happy!as Esme (archive footage) (uncredited) | |
| 1965 | The World of Abbott and Costelloas Widow Hawkins in The Wistful Widow Of Wagon Gap | |
| 1957 | Wagon Trainas Cassie Tanner | |
| 1957 | The Kettles on Old MacDonald's Farmas Ma Kettle | |
| 1956 | Friendly Persuasionas The Widow Hudspeth | |
| 1956 | The Kettles in the Ozarksas Ma Kettle | |
| 1955 | Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikikias Ma' Kettle | |
| 1954 | Ricochet Romanceas Pansy Jones | |
| 1954 | December Brideas | |
| 1954 | Ma and Pa Kettle at Homeas Ma Kettle | |
| 1954 | Rose Marieas Lady Jane Dunstock | |
| 1954 | The Long, Long Traileras Mrs. Hittaway | |
| 1953 | Fast Companyas Ma Parkson | |
| 1952 | Ma and Pa Kettle on Vacationas Ma Kettle | |
| 1952 | Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fairas Ma Kettle | |
| 1952 | The Belle of New Yorkas Mrs Phineas Hill | |
| 1951 | It's a Big Countryas Mrs. Wrenley | |
| 1951 | The Law and the Ladyas Julia Wortin | |
| 1951 | Ma and Pa Kettle Back on the Farmas Ma Kettle | |
| 1951 | Mr. Imperiumas Mrs. Cabot | |
| 1950 | Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Maloneas Harriet O'Malley | |
| 1950 | Summer Stockas Esme | |
| 1950 | Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Townas Ma Kettle | |
| 1949 | Big Jackas Flapjack Kate | |
| 1949 | Ma and Pa Kettleas Phoebe 'Ma' Kettle | |
| 1948 | Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin'as Maribel Mathews | |
| 1947 | The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gapas Widow Hawkins | |
| 1947 | The Egg and Ias Phoebe 'Ma' Kettle | |
| 1946 | The Show-Offas Mrs. Fisher | |
| 1946 | Undercurrentas Lucy | |
| 1946 | Bad Bascombas Abbey Hanks | |
| 1946 | The Harvey Girlsas Sonora Cassidy | |
| 1945 | Murder, He Saysas Mamie Fleagle Smithers Johnson | |
| 1944 | Gentle Annieas Annie Goss | |
| 1944 | Meet Me in St. Louisas Katie | |
| 1944 | Rationingas Iris Tuttle | |
| 1943 | Johnny Come Latelyas 'Gashouse' Mary | |
| 1943 | Heaven Can Waitas Mrs. Strabel | |
| 1942 | Tennessee Johnsonas Mrs. Maude Fisher | |
| 1942 | Tishas Miss Letitia 'Tish' Carberry | |
| 1942 | Jackass Mailas Clementine 'Tina' Tucker | |
| 1942 | The Affairs of Marthaas Mrs. McKissick | |
| 1942 | We Were Dancingas Judge Hawkes | |
| 1942 | The Bugle Soundsas Susie 'Suz' | |
| 1941 | Honky Tonkas Mrs. Varner | |
| 1941 | The Shepherd of the Hillsas Granny Becky | |
| 1941 | A Woman's Faceas Emma Kristiansdotter | |
| 1941 | Barnacle Billas Marge Cavendish | |
| 1941 | The Trial of Mary Duganas Mrs. Collins | |
| 1941 | The Wild Man of Borneoas Irma, the Cook | |
| 1940 | Wyomingas Mehitabel | |
| 1940 | The Captain is a Ladyas Sarah May Willett | |
| 1940 | Susan and Godas Mary | |
| 1940 | Turnaboutas Nora, the Cook | |
| 1940 | Dark Commandas Mrs. Cantrell / Mrs. Adams | |
| 1940 | Women Without Namesas Mrs. Lowery | |
| 1940 | I Take This Womanas Gertie | |
| 1939 | Two Thoroughbredsas Hildegarde 'Hildy' Carey | |
| 1939 | Another Thin Manas Mrs. Dolley | |
| 1939 | The Womenas Lucy | |
| 1939 | Angels Wash Their Facesas Mrs. Arkelian | |
| 1939 | They Shall Have Musicas Mrs. Miller | |
| 1939 | Lucky Nightas Mrs. Briggs | |
| 1938 | There Goes My Heartas Fireless Cooker Customer (uncredited) | |
| 1938 | Girls' Schoolas Miss Armstrong | |
| 1938 | Too Hot to Handleas Miss Wayne | |
| 1938 | Under the Big Topas Sara Post | |
| 1938 | Little Tough Guyas Mrs. Boylan | |
| 1938 | Prison Farmas Matron Brand | |
| 1938 | Romance of the Limberlostas Nora | |
| 1938 | Three Comradesas Old woman by phone (uncredited) | |
| 1938 | Test Pilotas Landlady | |
| 1938 | King of the Newsboysas Mrs. Stephens (uncredited) | |
| 1938 | Penitentiaryas Miss Katie Mathews | |
| 1938 | Boy of the Streetsas Mrs. Mary Brennan | |
| 1938 | City Girlas Mrs. Ward (uncredited) | |
| 1937 | The Shadowas Hannah Gillespie | |
| 1937 | The Wrong Roadas Martha Foster | |
| 1937 | The Man Who Cried Wolfas Amelia Bradley | |
| 1937 | Dead Endas Mrs. Martin | |
| 1937 | Stella Dallasas Mrs. Martin | |
| 1937 | Love in a Bungalowas Miss Emma Bisbee | |
| 1936 | Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1)as Self | |
| 1934 | Music in the Airas Anna (Uncredited) | |
| 1934 | Crime Without Passionas Backstage Wardrobe Woman (uncredited) | |
| 1934 | Art Troubleas Woman Who Sits on Painting | |
| 1933 | Close Relationsas Woman in Depot (uncredited) | |
| 1933 | New Deal Rhythmas Arizona Representative | |
| 1932 | Hot Saturdayas Gossip in Window (uncredited) | |
| 1932 | Broken Lullabyas Frau Schmidt - Townswoman (uncredited) | |
| 1931 | A House Dividedas Townswoman at Wedding (uncredited) | |
| 1929 | Harry Fox and His Six American Beautiesas Statler Hotel Beauty |