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Lorna Thayer

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Lorna Thayer
Thayer in an episode of Medic (1954)
Born
Lorna Patricia Casey

(1919-08-16)August 16, 1919
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedJune 4, 2005(2005-06-04) (aged 85)
Woodland Hills, California, U.S.
Resting placeValhalla Memorial Park Cemetery
OccupationActress
Years active1952–1991
Spouses
Children2

Lorna Thayer (born Lorna Patricia Casey;[1] August 16, 1919 – June 4, 2005) was an American character actress, best known as Jack Nicholson's foil in the famous "chicken salad sandwich scene" in Five Easy Pieces.

Early years

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Born on August 16, 1919,[1][2][3] in Boston, Massachusetts, Thayer was the daughter of silent screen actress Louise Gibney and George Casey.[4][5] Her father built sets for Universal Studios. She began taking dance classes by age 5, and she attended Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles.[4]

Career

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Thayer's acting career began in 1946 with a production of Street Scene by the Players Ring.[4][a] After that she performed in Berkeley Square at the Geary Theatre in San Francisco.[4]

In 1955, she played in The Beast with a Million Eyes with Paul Birch. She played minor roles in The Lusty Men, Texas City and Frankie and Johnny.

On Broadway, Thayer portrayed Mrs. McCarthy in Comes a Day (1958) and Bel Air Bonnie in Never Live Over a Pretzel Factory (1964).[8]

She is most likely to be remembered for her role in the iconic 1970 film Five Easy Pieces as the waitress who refuses to allow Jack Nicholson's character to order a side of wheat toast.[1] The scene has come to be known as the "chicken salad sandwich scene".[4]

Thayer was cast in a historical role as Jessie Benton Frémont, loyal wife of John C. Frémont (Roy Engel), in the 1960 episode "The Gentle Sword" of the anthology series Death Valley Days. In the story, the Frémonts are in California during the gold rush. The couple becomes involved in a mining claim dispute; Mrs. Frémont stares down organized claim jumpers.

On January 2, 1960, in season 3, episode 16 "The Prophet" of Have Gun - Will Travel, Thayer was cast as Serafina, wife of Colonel Benjamin Nunez (Shepperd Studrick). She also appeared as Doris in the November 21, 1959, episode titled "The Golden Toad", written by Gene Roddenberry.[9] Also, Season 5, Episode 36 "Pandora's Box", as Hanna.

Personal life

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Thayer was married to actor George N. Neise, and they had two daughters.[10]

Death

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After battling Alzheimer's disease for five years, Thayer died at the Motion Picture and Television Fund Retirement Home in Woodland Hills, California, aged 85.[11]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1952 Texas City Aunt Harriet Upton uncredited
1952 Just Across the Street Girl uncredited
1952 The Lusty Men Grace Burgess
1953 Jennifer Molly, Grocery Clerk
1955 Women's Prison Deputy Sheriff Green uncredited
1955 The Beast with a Million Eyes Carol Kelley
1956 I've Lived Before Mrs. Fred Bolan uncredited
1956 The Women of Pitcairn Island Moa'tua, weeping woman
1958 I Want to Live! Corona Guard uncredited
1960 Freckles Alice Cooper
1963 Police Nurse
1966 Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round Passenger on Mexico Flight uncredited
1968 The Shakiest Gun in the West Saloon Girl uncredited
1970 Five Easy Pieces Waitress
1970 The Traveling Executioner Madam uncredited
1971 The Andromeda Strain Woman uncredited
1972 Glass Houses
1972 Cisco Pike Swimming Lady
1972 Skyjacked Weber's Mother
1974 Rhinoceros Restaurant Owner
1974 The Gravy Train TV Interviewer uncredited
1974 Alice Goodbody Yvonne
1975 Smoke in the Wind Ma Mondier
1976 Revenge of the Cheerleaders Lilly Downs
1981 Buddy Buddy Lady
1986 Nothing in Common Auditioning Grandma
1991 Frankie and Johnny Flower Vendor

Notes

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  1. ^ At least two retrospective sources—first, an exceedingly concise 1950 Los Angeles Times piece and a 1966 article from Boston College's Alumni News (regarding Thayer's father, BC alumnus George J. Casey)—both clearly state that long before her serious pursuit of acting in college (and, by extension, her generally acknowledged 1952 screen debut), Thayer had appeared in films as a child.[6][7] It appears that, at present, any such body of work remains undocumented by existing online and in-print reference sources. In any event, verification of these claims is made difficult by the fact that neither article names any of the films in question, nor states whether any of these appearances were actually credited, nor, if so, under what name.

References

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  1. ^ a b c Wilson, Scott (2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons (3rd ed.). McFarland. ISBN 9781476625997. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  2. ^ "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JGXL-RZ9 : 11 January 2021), Lorna Thayer, 04 Jun 2005; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
  3. ^ "Lorna Thayer (1919-2005): gravestone image". Find a Grave.
  4. ^ a b c d e Mewse, Austin Mutti (June 11, 2005). "Lorna Thayer: Actress who held Jack Nicholson's chicken". The Independent. England, London. p. 41. Retrieved September 23, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Just Weds Honeymoon in Mexico". Long Beach Independent. July 10, 1956. p. 12. Retrieved October 7, 2024. "Ann Davis Casey exchanged wedding vows with Joseph Anthony Budzisz. [...] A teacher at Buffum Elementary School, the bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Casey of Hollywood. Her sister, Lorna Thayer, was her honor attendant and Patricia Thayer, a niece, was bridesmaid."
  6. ^ "Former Film Actress Now Appears on Stage". The Los Angeles Times. April 1, 1950. p. 14. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
  7. ^ "Parade of Classes". Boston College Alumni News. Fall 1966. p. 20. Retrieved October 7, 2024. "Actually it was quite a few years later, to be exact, 1923, when George J. Casey, accompanied by his wife, Lillian Gertrude Harrington, of Roxbury and their family made this trip [...] George settled in Hollywood. His wife, under the name of Louise Gibney, had a long and successful career as a silent screen favorite. [...] Daughter Patricia, known as Lorna Thayer worked as a child actress in motion pictures. She is an alumna of Immaculate Heart College, Los Angeles, where she excelled in dramatics. She has appeared in many television serials, and in major network shows ..."
  8. ^ "Lorna Thayer". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  9. ^ Aired on H&I Network July 9, 2019
  10. ^ Aaker, Everett (2017). Television Western Players, 1960–1975: A Biographical Dictionary. McFarland. p. 318. ISBN 9781476628561. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  11. ^ McLellan, Dennis (17 June 2005). "Lorna Thayer, 85; Character Actress Played Memorable Waitress in 'Five Easy Pieces'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 8, 2022.
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