Marie Wilson | |
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Born | Katherine Elizabeth Wilson August 19, 1916 |
Died | November 23, 1972 Hollywood, California, U.S. | (aged 56)
Cause of death | Cancer |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1934–1972 |
Spouses |
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Marie Wilson (born Katherine Elizabeth Wilson; August 19, 1916 – November 23, 1972) was an American radio, film, and television actress. She may be best remembered as the title character in My Friend Irma.
Wilson was born in Anaheim, California on August 19, 1916. Her nickname in at Anaheim High School was Maybelle.[1] Wilson graduated high school in 1933. She soon moved her family to Hollywood.[1]
Wilson was in the radio situation comedy My Friend Irma as Irma Peterson the Columbia network from April 11, 1947 to August 23, 1954.[2] With the success of My Friend Irma, she would start filming movies.[3]
Wilson began her career in Hollywood in the 1934 film Down to Their Last Yacht as a ship passenger although uncredited.[4] She was in Babes in Toyland as Mary Quite Contrary also in 1934.[5] Babes in Toyland was based on Victor Herbert's popular 1903 operetta Babes in Toyland.[6] Wilson would appear in Ladies Crave Excitement (1935),[7] The Girl Friend (1935),[8] Stars Over Broadway (1935),[9] Miss Pacific Fleet (1935),[10] The Big Noise (1936),[11][12] Melody for Two (1937),[13] Boy Meets Girl (1938),[14][15] Sweepstakes Winner (1939),[16] Virginia (1941),[17] She's in the Army (1942),[18][19][20] You Can't Ration Love (1944), [21] Young Widow (1946), [22] and Never Wave at a WAC (1952).[23]
Wilson was in Satan Met a Lady in 1936 as Miss Murgatroyd.[24] Satan Met a Lady is a loose adaptation of the 1929 novel The Maltese Falcon1 by Dashiell Hammett.[25] Satan Met a Lady is based on the Pre-Code, under its original title directed by Roy Del Ruth.[26] She was in The Great Garrick as Nicolle in 1937.[27] The Great Garrick was based on the play Ladies and Gentlemen by Ernest Vajda.[28] Wilson was in Fools for Scandal as Myrtle in 1938.[29] Fools for Scandal is based on the unproduced[30] the 1936 play Return Engagement by Nancy Hamilton, James Shute, and Rosemary Casey.[31] She was in Waterfront in 1939 as Ruby Waters.[32] '"Waterfront is adapted from the play Blind Spot by Kenyon Nicholson.[33][34][35][36][37]
In 1949, Wilson was in My Friend Irma as Irma Peterson.[38] reprising her role from the television series My Friend Irma. In 1950, she was in My Friend Irma Goes West as Irma Peterson[38] reprising her role from My Friend Irma. Wilson was in A Girl in Every Port in 1952 as Jane Sweet.[39] A Girl in Every Port was based on the short story They Sell Sailors Elephants by Frederick Hazlitt Brennan.[40] In 1957, she was in The Story of Mankind as Marie Antoinette. The Story of Mankind is very loosely based on the nonfiction book The Story of Mankind (1921) by Hendrik Willem van Loon.[41] Wilson's last film was 1962's Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation as Mrs. Turner.[42] Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation is vased on the novel Mr. Hobbs' Vacation by Edward Streeter.[43]
Wilson was in short films. Some of them were Bum Voyage, (1934)[44] Slide, Nellie, Slide (1936),[45] Vitaphone Pictorial Revue (Series 2 No. 6) (1938),[46] and Vitaphone Pictorial Revue (Series 2 No. 12).[46]
Wilson first appeared on television with the television series My Friend Irma from 1952 to 1954. She was in two episodes of Burke's Law. Wilson was in the short-lived television series Where's Huddles?. Her last role was in 1972 before she died as Margaret Cooperman in Love, American Style. Wilson was a guest on The Ed Sullivan Show on four occasions.
Wilson's talents have been recognized with three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame[1]: for radio at 6301 Hollywood Boulevard, for television at 6765 Hollywood Boulevard and for movies at 6601 Hollywood Boulevard.[47]
Wilson was afraid of the microphone used in radio.[3] She was married to actor Allan Nixon from 1942 until their divorce in 1950.[48] Her marriage to actor Robert Fallon, in 1951, lasted until her death from cancer at age 56.[3] Wilson was interred in the Columbarium of Remembrance at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood Hills.[49]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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1934 | Down to Their Last Yacht | Ship Passenger |
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Babes in Toyland | Mary Quite Contrary |
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1935 | Ladies Crave Excitement | Girl |
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The Girl Friend | Girl | Musical film directed by Edward Buzzell.[8] | |
Stars Over Broadway | Molly | Musical film directed by William Keighley.[9] | |
Miss Pacific Fleet | Virginia 'Vergie' Matthews | Comedy film directed by Ray Enright.[10] | |
Broadway Hostess | Dorothy | Romantic comedy musical film directed by Frank McDonald.[50] | |
1936 | Colleen | Mabel | Romantic–musical film directed by Alfred E. Green.[51] |
The Big Noise | Daisy | Romantic–comedy crime film directed by Frank McDonald.[11][12] | |
Satan Met a Lady | Miss Murgatroyd |
| |
China Clipper | Sunny Avery | Drama film directed by Ray Enright.[52] | |
King of Hockey | Elsie | Drama film directed by Noel M. Smith.[53] | |
1937 | Melody for Two | Camille Casey | Musical film directed by Louis King.[13][54] |
Public Wedding | Tessie | Comedy film directed by Nick Grinde.[55] | |
Over the Goal | Co–ed |
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The Great Garrick | Nicolle |
| |
1938 | The Invisible Menace | Sally | Mystery film directed by John Farrow.[57] |
Fools for Scandal | Myrtle |
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Boy Meets Girl[14] | Susie | Screwball comedy film directed by Lloyd Bacon.[15] | |
Broadway Musketeers | Miss Connie Todd | Drama film directed by John Farrow.[58] | |
1939 | Sweepstakes Winner | Jennie Jones | Comedy film directed by William C. McGann.[16] |
Waterfront | Ruby Waters |
| |
Should Husbands Work? | Myrtle | Comedy film directed by Gus Meins.[59] | |
The Cowboy Quarterback | Maizie Williams | Comedy film directed by Noel M. Smith.[60][61] | |
1941 | Virginia | Connie Potter | Drama film directed by Edward H. Griffith.[17] |
Rookies on Parade | Kitty Mulloy | Musical–comedy film directed by Joseph Santley.[62] | |
Flying Blind | Veronica Gimble | Action–comedy film directed by Frank McDonald.[63] | |
Harvard, Here I Come! | Zella Phipps | Comedy film directed by Lew Landers.[64] | |
1942 | Broadway | Grace | Crime–drama musical film directed by William A. Seiter.[65] |
She's in the Army[19][20] | Susan Slatterty | Comedy–drama film directed by Jean Yarbrough.[18] | |
1944 | You Can't Ration Love | Bubbles Keenan | Comedy film directed by Lester Fuller.[21] |
Shine on Harvest Moon | Margie | Musical–biographical film of the vaudeville team of Nora Bayes and Jack Norworth directed by David Butler.[66] | |
Music for Millions | Marie | Musical–comedy film directed by Henry Koster.[67] | |
1946 | Young Widow | 'Mac' McCallister | Drama film directed by Edwin L. Marin.[22] |
No Leave, No Love | Rosalind | Mmusical film directed by Charles Martin.[68] | |
1947 | The Private Affairs of Bel Ami | Rachel Michot | Drama film directed by Albert Lewin.[69] |
The Fabulous Joe | Gorgeous Gilmore | Comedy film directed by Harve Foster.[70] | |
Linda, Be Good[20] | Margie LaVitte | Comedy film directed by Frank McDonald.[71] | |
1949 | My Friend Irma | Irma Peterson |
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1950 | My Friend Irma Goes West |
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1952 | Never Wave at a WAC | Clara Schneiderman / Danger O'Dowd | Comedy film directed by Norman Z. McLeod.[23] |
A Girl in Every Port | Jane Sweet |
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1953 | I Was a Burlesque Queen | Margie LaVitte |
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Marry Me Again | Doris | Comedy film written and directed by Frank Tashlin.[73] | |
1957 | The Story of Mankind | Marie Antoinette |
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1962 | Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation | Mrs. Turner |
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Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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1934 | Bum Voyage | Ship's Passenger at Party | Short–comedy film directed by Nick Grinde.[44] |
1935 | My Girl Sally | Leading actress | Short film directed by Alfred J. Goulding.[75] |
1936 | Slide, Nellie, Slide[45] | Nellie, the Softball Player | Short comedy–sports film directed by Ralph Staub. |
1938 | Swingtime in the Movies | Herself | Short comedy–musical film directed by written by Crane Wilbur.[76] |
For Auld Lang Syne #3 | Herself | Documentary short–musical film | |
Vitaphone Pictorial Revue (Series 2 No. 6)[46] | Herself | Documentary–short film directed by Willard Du Brul, Clem McCarthy, and I. Miller.[77] | |
Vitaphone Pictorial Revue (Series 2 No. 12)[46] | Herself | Short film directed by Lloyd French. | |
1950 | Screen Snapshots: The Great Showman | Herself | Short film written and directed by Ralph Staub. |
1954 | Screen Snapshots: Hollywood Stars on Parade | Herself | Documentary–short film written and directed by Ralph Staub. |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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1952–54 | My Friend Irma | Irma Peterson | Contract role |
1962 | The Comedy Spot[78] | Ernestine | Episode: "The Soft Touch" |
Ernestine | Ernestine McDougal[79] | Made-for-TV-Movie directed by Sidney Salkow.[3][80] | |
1963 | Empire | Guest | Episode: "Hidden Asset" (S 1:Ep 26) |
1964 | Burke's Law | Chuchi Smith | Episode: "Who Killed Marty Kelso?" (S 1:Ep 22) |
My Son, the Witch Doctor | Leading actress | Made-for-TV-Movie[81] | |
1965 | Burke's Law | Ramona Specks | Episode: "Who Killed Wimbledon Hastings?"( S2:Ep 20) |
1968 | Mr. Blackwell Presents | Herself | Made-for-TV-Movie–musical film directed by William Edwards and William Stierwalt. |
1969 | Jack Cassidy's St. Patrick's Day TV Special[82] | Singer | Directed by William Rainbolt. |
1970 | Where's Huddles? | Penny McCoy | Contract role |
1972 | Love, American Style | Margaret Cooperman | Episode: "Love and the Girlish Groom / Love and the New You / Love and the Oldlyweds / Love and the Wishing Star" (S 4:Ep 4) |
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