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Marjorie Main

Known For
Acting

Known Credits
92

Gender
Female

Birthday
February 22, 1890 (136 years old)

Place of Birth
Acton, Indiana, USA

Marjorie Main

Biography

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.

Known For

Acting

2006Summer Stock: Get Happy!as Esme (archive footage) (uncredited)
1965The World of Abbott and Costelloas Widow Hawkins in The Wistful Widow Of Wagon Gap
1957Wagon Trainas Cassie Tanner
1957The Kettles on Old MacDonald's Farmas Ma Kettle
1956Friendly Persuasionas The Widow Hudspeth
1956The Kettles in the Ozarksas Ma Kettle
1955Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikikias Ma' Kettle
1954Ricochet Romanceas Pansy Jones
1954December Brideas
1954Ma and Pa Kettle at Homeas Ma Kettle
1954Rose Marieas Lady Jane Dunstock
1954The Long, Long Traileras Mrs. Hittaway
1953Fast Companyas Ma Parkson
1952Ma and Pa Kettle on Vacationas Ma Kettle
1952Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fairas Ma Kettle
1952The Belle of New Yorkas Mrs Phineas Hill
1951It's a Big Countryas Mrs. Wrenley
1951The Law and the Ladyas Julia Wortin
1951Ma and Pa Kettle Back on the Farmas Ma Kettle
1951Mr. Imperiumas Mrs. Cabot
1950Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Maloneas Harriet O'Malley
1950Summer Stockas Esme
1950Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Townas Ma Kettle
1949Big Jackas Flapjack Kate
1949Ma and Pa Kettleas Phoebe 'Ma' Kettle
1948Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin'as Maribel Mathews
1947The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gapas Widow Hawkins
1947The Egg and Ias Phoebe 'Ma' Kettle
1946The Show-Offas Mrs. Fisher
1946Undercurrentas Lucy
1946Bad Bascombas Abbey Hanks
1946The Harvey Girlsas Sonora Cassidy
1945Murder, He Saysas Mamie Fleagle Smithers Johnson
1944Gentle Annieas Annie Goss
1944Meet Me in St. Louisas Katie
1944Rationingas Iris Tuttle
1943Johnny Come Latelyas 'Gashouse' Mary
1943Heaven Can Waitas Mrs. Strabel
1942Tennessee Johnsonas Mrs. Maude Fisher
1942Tishas Miss Letitia 'Tish' Carberry
1942Jackass Mailas Clementine 'Tina' Tucker
1942The Affairs of Marthaas Mrs. McKissick
1942We Were Dancingas Judge Hawkes
1942The Bugle Soundsas Susie 'Suz'
1941Honky Tonkas Mrs. Varner
1941The Shepherd of the Hillsas Granny Becky
1941A Woman's Faceas Emma Kristiansdotter
1941Barnacle Billas Marge Cavendish
1941The Trial of Mary Duganas Mrs. Collins
1941The Wild Man of Borneoas Irma, the Cook
1940Wyomingas Mehitabel
1940The Captain is a Ladyas Sarah May Willett
1940Susan and Godas Mary
1940Turnaboutas Nora, the Cook
1940Dark Commandas Mrs. Cantrell / Mrs. Adams
1940Women Without Namesas Mrs. Lowery
1940I Take This Womanas Gertie
1939Two Thoroughbredsas Hildegarde 'Hildy' Carey
1939Another Thin Manas Mrs. Dolley
1939The Womenas Lucy
1939Angels Wash Their Facesas Mrs. Arkelian
1939They Shall Have Musicas Mrs. Miller
1939Lucky Nightas Mrs. Briggs
1938There Goes My Heartas Fireless Cooker Customer (uncredited)
1938Girls' Schoolas Miss Armstrong
1938Too Hot to Handleas Miss Wayne
1938Under the Big Topas Sara Post
1938Little Tough Guyas Mrs. Boylan
1938Prison Farmas Matron Brand
1938Romance of the Limberlostas Nora
1938Three Comradesas Old woman by phone (uncredited)
1938Test Pilotas Landlady
1938King of the Newsboysas Mrs. Stephens (uncredited)
1938Penitentiaryas Miss Katie Mathews
1938Boy of the Streetsas Mrs. Mary Brennan
1938City Girlas Mrs. Ward (uncredited)
1937The Shadowas Hannah Gillespie
1937The Wrong Roadas Martha Foster
1937The Man Who Cried Wolfas Amelia Bradley
1937Dead Endas Mrs. Martin
1937Stella Dallasas Mrs. Martin
1937Love in a Bungalowas Miss Emma Bisbee
1936Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1)as Self
1934Music in the Airas Anna (Uncredited)
1934Crime Without Passionas Backstage Wardrobe Woman (uncredited)
1934Art Troubleas Woman Who Sits on Painting
1933Close Relationsas Woman in Depot (uncredited)
1933New Deal Rhythmas Arizona Representative
1932Hot Saturdayas Gossip in Window (uncredited)
1932Broken Lullabyas Frau Schmidt - Townswoman (uncredited)
1931A House Dividedas Townswoman at Wedding (uncredited)
1929Harry Fox and His Six American Beautiesas Statler Hotel Beauty

Production