Character actress tribute: Mary Wickes

The leading ladies of the golden age of Hollywood are great and all, but some of the greatest performances came from the character actresses, those actresses backing up the leading lady. Born Mary Wickenhauser, Mary Wickes was a perfect example of the character actress, and worked alongside some of classic Hollywood's greatest actresses. Wickes was a tall woman, she was 5 foot 10 inches and she had a gruff voice, making her perfect for these supporting roles with light comedy in them

in "The Man Who Came To Dinner"

Her first screen role, Miss Preen in The Man Who Came To Dinner, was a recreation of the role she played in the Broadway production. Wickes would go on to appear in many films in supporting roles. She played sarcastic nurse Dora in Now, Voyager, a crowning achievement of Bette Davis's career, appeared with Abbott and Costello in Who Done It?, and in the '50's appeared as long suffering maid Stella in the Doris Day musical On Moonlight Bay and it's sequel By The Light Of The Silvery Moon.She also appeared in the beloved classic musical White Christmas as housekeeper Emma and played a maid named "Katie" in Annette Funicello's self titled serial on The Mickey Mouse Club. She would appear with Davis again in 1948's June Bride and Day again in 1959's Leave It To Jane and appeared as one of the "Pick-a-little ladies" in the 1962 film adaptation of the musical The Music Man.

With Bette Davis in "June Bride"

 In the '60's Wickes appeared in The Trouble with Angels and Where Angels Go Trouble Follows a pair of films where she played a nun. Much later in her career, she would appear as a nun again, in the popular Sister Act films. This is where I first saw her as a youngster in the 90's and I loved her gruff line delivery. She also appeared as Aunt March in the 1994 version of Little Women. Wickes also appeared on television throughout her career and frequently with Lucille Ball in her many television series, including an episode of I Love Lucy where she played a ballet instructor. 

With Lucille Ball, 1952; This picture always makes me smile!

Mary Wickes is an actress who should not be forgotten in the scope of Hollywood character actresses. She passed away in 1995, before the release of her final role in Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame. She is one of my favorite actresses and I hope that if you did not know about her, this post has piqued your interest enough to take a look into her widespread career.

Wickes as Sister Mary Lazarus in "Sister Act" and as Aunt March in "Little Women"