Thelma Ritter
| Thelma Ritter | |
|---|---|
from the trailer for The Mating Season (1951) |
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| Born | February 14, 1902 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Died | February 5, 1969 (aged 66) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1947–68 |
| Spouse | Joseph Moran (April 21, 1927 – February 5, 1969; her death); 2 children |
Thelma Ritter (February 14, 1902 — February 5, 1969) was an American actress. She typically played working class characters and was noted for her distinctive voice, with a strong Brooklyn accent.
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[edit] Early life
Ritter was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1902.[1] After appearing in high school plays and stock companies, she trained as an actress at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She established a stage career but took a hiatus to raise her two children by her husband, Joseph Moran, an actor turned advertising executive.
[edit] Career
Ritter did stock theater and radio shows early in her career, without much impact. Ritter's first movie role was in Miracle on 34th Street (1947). She made a memorable impression in a brief uncredited part, as a frustrated mother unable to find the toy that Kris Kringle has promised to her son. Her second role, in writer-director Joseph L. Mankiewicz's A Letter to Three Wives (1949), also left a mark, although Ritter was again uncredited.
Mankiewicz kept Ritter in mind, and cast her as "Birdie" in All About Eve (1950), which earned her an Oscar nomination. A second nomination followed for her work in Mitchell Leisen's' classic ensemble screwball comedy The Mating Season (1951) starring Gene Tierney and John Lund. Ritter enjoyed steady film work for the next dozen years. She also appeared in many of the episodic drama TV series of the 1950s, such as Alfred Hitchcock Presents, General Electric Theater, and The United States Steel Hour. Other film roles were as James Stewart's nurse in Rear Window (1954) and as Doris Day's housekeeper in Pillow Talk (1959). Although best-known for comedy roles, she played the occasional dramatic role, most notably in Pickup on South Street (1953), Titanic (1953), and The Misfits (1961).[citation needed]
[edit] Death
In February 1969, shortly after having made an appearance on The Jerry Lewis Show, Ritter died of a heart attack in New York City, nine days before her 67th birthday.
[edit] Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Other notes |
| 1947 | Miracle on 34th Street | Peter's Mother | Uncredited Role |
| 1948 | Call Northside 777 | Receptionist | Uncredited Role |
| 1949 | A Letter to Three Wives | Sadie Dugan | Uncredited Role |
| City Across the River | Mrs. Katie Cusack | ||
| Father was a Fullback | Geraldine | ||
| 1950 | Perfect Strangers | Lena Fassler | |
| I'll Get By | Miss Murphy | ||
| All About Eve | Birdie Coonan | ||
| 1951 | The Mating Season | Ellen McNulty | |
| As Young as You Feel | Della Hodges | ||
| The Model and the Marriage Broker | Mae Swasey | ||
| 1952 | With a Song in My Heart | Clancy | |
| 1953 | Titanic | Maude Young | Based on Molly Brown |
| Pickup on South Street | Moe Williams | ||
| The Farmer Takes a Wife | Lucy Cashdollar | ||
| 1954 | Rear Window | Stella | |
| 1955 | Daddy Long Legs | Alicia Pritchard | |
| Lucy Gallant | Molly Basserman | Alternative title: Oil Town | |
| 1956 | The Proud and Profane | Kate Connors | |
| 1959 | A Hole in the Head | Sophie Manetta | |
| Pillow Talk | Alma | ||
| 1961 | The Misfits | Isabelle Steers | |
| The Second Time Around | Aggie Gates | ||
| 1962 | Birdman of Alcatraz | Elizabeth Stroud | |
| How the West Was Won | Agatha Clegg | ||
| 1963 | For Love or Money | Chloe Brasher | |
| A New Kind of Love | Leena | ||
| Move Over, Darling | Grace Arden | ||
| 1965 | Boeing Boeing | Bertha | Alternative title: Boeing (707) Boeing (707) |
| 1967 | The Incident | Bertha Beckerman | |
| 1968 | What's So Bad About Feeling Good? | Mrs. Schwartz | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1955 | The Best of Broadway | Mrs. Fisher | Episode: The Show-Off |
| Goodyear Television Playhouse | Episode: The Ghost Writer Episode: The Catered Affair |
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| The 20th Century Fox Hour | Abby | Episode: Christopher Bean | |
| 1956 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Lottie Slocum | Episode: The Baby Sitter |
| The Christophers | Episode: Washington Speaks for Himself | ||
| 1957 | The United States Steel Hour | Ma Garfield | Episode: The Human Pattern |
| Telephone Time | Mary Devlin | Episode: Plot to Save a Boy | |
| 1960 | G.E. True Theater | Doris Green | Episode: Sarah's Laughter |
| Startime | Mrs. Gillis | Episode: The Man | |
| 1961 | Frontier Circus | Bertha Beecher | Episode: Journey from Hannibal |
| 1962 | Wagon Train | Madame Sagittarius | Episode: The Madame Sagittarius Story |
[edit] Awards and nominations
During her career, Ritter was nominated for an Oscar six times, giving her the distinction of being one of the two actresses (tied with Deborah Kerr) most nominated for the award in an acting category without a win. The current record for all actors is Peter O'Toole with eight nominations without a win, followed by Richard Burton with seven nominations. Both Kerr and O'Toole have received honorary awards from the Academy, however. In 1954, Thelma Ritter co-hosted the Oscar ceremony, notably trading wisecracks with Bob Hope.
[edit] Academy Awards
Nominated Best Actress in a Supporting Role for:
- All About Eve (1950)
- The Mating Season (1951)
- With a Song in My Heart (1952)
- Pickup on South Street (1953)
- Pillow Talk (1959)
- Birdman of Alcatraz (1962)
[edit] Emmy Awards
Nominated Emmy Best Actress in a Supporting Role for the Goodyear Television Playhouse production of The Catered Affair.
[edit] Golden Globe Awards
Nominated for Best Supporting Actress for:
- All About Eve (1950)
- The Mating Season (1951)
- Boeing Boeing (1965)
[edit] Tony Awards
Awarded Best Actress (Musical) (1957) for New Girl in Town in a rare tie (with her co-star, Gwen Verdon).
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[edit] References
- ^ Born in 1902 as per Social Security Death Index under the name Thelma Ritter
[edit] External links
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