Mary Wickes

Mary Wickes (June 13, 1910 - October 22, 1995) was an American film and television actress.

Related Topics:
June 13 - 1910 - October 22 - 1995 - American - Film - Television - Actress

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Born Mary Isabelle Wickenhauser in St. Louis, Missouri, Wickes began acting in films in the late 1930s. She was also a member of Orson Welles troupe on his radio drama Mercury Theatre of the Air during this period. One of her earliest significant film appearances was in The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942), reprising her stage role of Nurse Preen. A tall, gangling woman with a distinctive voice, Wickes would ultimately prove herself adept as a comedienne, but she first attracted attention in the film Now, Voyager (1942), as the wise-cracking nurse who helped Bette Davis' character during her mother's illness. The same year she had a large part in the Bud Abbott and Lou Costello comedy-whodunnit, titled Who Done It?. She continued playing supporting roles in films during the next decade.

Related Topics:
St. Louis, Missouri - 1930s - Orson Welles - Radio drama - Mercury Theatre of the Air - The Man Who Came to Dinner - 1942 - Stage - Now, Voyager - Bette Davis - Bud Abbott - Lou Costello - Comedy - Whodunnit - Who Done It?

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In the 1950s she played regular roles in the television sitcoms Make Room for Daddy and Dennis The Menace, as well as appearing as Emma the housekeeper in the holiday classic White Christmas (1954), starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen. She served as the live-action reference model for Cruella De Vil in Walt Disney film One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961). A lifelong friend of Lucille Ball, she played frequent guest roles in each of Ball's television series, I Love Lucy, Here's Lucy and The Lucy Show. She was also a regular on the Sid and Marty Krofft children's television show Sigmund and the Sea Monsters. By the 1980s, her appearances in television series such as M*A*S*H, The Love Boat, ' and Murder, She Wrote had made her a widely recognisable character actress.

Related Topics:
1950s - Television - Sitcoms - Make Room for Daddy - Dennis The Menace - White Christmas - 1954 - Bing Crosby - Danny Kaye - Rosemary Clooney - Vera-Ellen - Cruella De Vil - Walt Disney - One Hundred and One Dalmatians - 1961 - Lucille Ball - I Love Lucy - Here's Lucy - The Lucy Show - Sid and Marty Krofft - Sigmund and the Sea Monsters - 1980s - M*A*S*H - The Love Boat - Murder, She Wrote - Character actress

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Her appearance in the 1990 film Postcards From the Edge brought her attention; however, she achieved the biggest success of her career in Sister Act (1992). As Sister Mary Lazarus, Wickes' portrayal of a gruff but vulnerable elderly nun contributed to the film's popularity, and she reprised the role in the sequel ' (1993). She appeared in the 1994 film version of Little Women before she became ill.

Related Topics:
1990 - Postcards From the Edge - Sister Act - 1992 - Sequel - 1993 - 1994 - Little Women

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Hospitalised in 1995, Wickes died after surgery for cancer.

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Her final film role, voicing the gargoyle Laverne in the animated feature The Hunchback of Notre Dame was released posthumously in 1996.

Related Topics:
Gargoyle - Animated feature - The Hunchback of Notre Dame

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