Elizabeth Patterson

Elizabeth Patterson

Personal Info

  • Name:

    Elizabeth Patterson

  • Birthday:

    1874-11-21

  • Place of Birth: Savannah, Tennessee, USA
  • Gender:

    Female

  • Know For:

    Acting

  • Popularity: 0.2864
  • Also Known As

    Mary Elizabeth Patterson

Elizabeth Patterson

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mary Elizabeth Patterson (November 22, 1874 – January 31, 1966) was an American theatre, film, and television character actress who gained popular recognition late in her career playing the elderly neighbor Matilda Trumbull on the television comedy series I Love Lucy.

In 1926, at the age of 51, Patterson was cast in her first movie, a silent film, The Boy Friend. Transitioning successfully into the era of "talkies", she remained a very busy actress in Hollywood throughout the 1930s, averaging more than five films a year during that decade, usually in supporting roles. A few of her screen credits at that time include Tarnished Lady; Husband's Holiday; A Bill of Divorcement; So Big!; The Story of Temple Drake; Hold Your Man; Dinner at Eight; High, Wide, and Handsome; and No Man of Her Own. She also appeared in the role of Susan in two adaptations of John Willard's popular play The Cat and the Canary: The Cat Creeps in 1930 and The Cat and the Canary in 1939.

Patterson continued to perform frequently in the 1940s, when she was cast in more than 30 additional films. Among her notable roles is her 1949 portrayal of the heroic character Eunice Habersham in the groundbreaking racial crime drama Intruder in the Dust, a film based on the William Faulkner novel of the same name and set in the Deep South. Although she would appear in a few more feature films in the 1950s, such as Washington Story and Pal Joey, Patterson by then began to focus her work increasingly on roles in the rapidly expanding medium of television.

In 1952, at the age of 77, Patterson made her first appearance on the hit CBS-TV sitcom I Love Lucy in the episode "The Marriage License". Her character on I Love Lucy proved to be so popular among viewers, as well as useful to the writers of the series, that she continued in the role for three more years, often serving in episode storylines as a convenient babysitter for "Little Ricky".

Prior to, during, and after her work on I Love Lucy, Patterson appeared in many other American television series during the 1950s and early 1960s. Her first credited performance on the "small screen" was in March 1950 in "The Walking Stick", a teleplay on the NBC anthology series The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre. During the 11 years after that initial televised performance to her final role on television in 1961, she portrayed characters in a variety of other series, including Pulitzer Prize Playhouse, Studio One in Hollywood, General Electric Theater, Stage 7, Lux Video Theatre, Crossroads, The Star and the Story, The Adventures of Jim Bowie, Adventures of Superman, New York Confidential, 77 Sunset Strip, Johnny Stacatto, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Playhouse 90, The Barbara Stanwyck Show, and The New Breed.

Patterson, who never married, lived at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel during her 35-year film and television career.. On January 31, 1966, she died at age 91 in Los Angeles of complications from pneumonia. Her gravesite is in Savannah Cemetery in her hometown in Tennessee.

Top Movie Cast

Lady on a Train
Lady on a Traintrue- Aunt Charlotte Waring

1945-08-03

6.5
Love Me Tonight
Love Me Tonighttrue- First Aunt

1932-08-18

6.6
Husband's Holiday
Husband's Holidaytrue- Mrs. Caroline Reid

1931-12-19

0.0
Bluebeard's Eighth Wife
Bluebeard's Eighth Wifetrue- Aunt Hedwige

1938-03-25

7.0
Together Again
Together Againtrue- Jessie

1944-12-23

5.4
My Sister Eileen
My Sister Eileentrue- Grandma Sherwood

1942-09-24

6.7
Pal Joey
Pal Joeytrue- Mrs. Casey

1957-10-25

6.2
Follow the Boys
Follow the Boystrue- Annie

1944-05-05

5.3
The Story of Temple Drake
The Story of Temple Draketrue- Aunt Jennie

1933-05-06

6.5
Hail the Conquering Hero
Hail the Conquering Herotrue- Martha - Libby's Aunt

1944-08-09

7.0
Remember the Night
Remember the Nighttrue- Aunt Emma "Emmie"

1940-01-19

7.3
No Man of Her Own
No Man of Her Owntrue- Mrs. Randall

1932-12-30

6.5
Little Women
Little Womentrue- Hannah

1949-03-10

7.4
The Sky's the Limit
The Sky's the Limittrue- Mrs. Fisher

1943-07-13

6.2
Hide-Out
Hide-Outtrue- 'Ma' Miller

1934-08-24

7.1
Tobacco Road
Tobacco Roadtrue- Ada Lester

1941-02-20

6.6
The Story of Alexander Graham Bell
The Story of Alexander Graham Belltrue- Mrs. MacGregor

1939-04-04

5.9
The Cat and the Canary
The Cat and the Canarytrue- Aunt Susan

1939-10-27

7.0
High, Wide and Handsome
High, Wide and Handsometrue- Grandma Cortlandt

1937-07-21

6.3
Intruder in the Dust
Intruder in the Dusttrue- Miss Eunice Habersham

1949-11-22

7.3
Go West Young Man
Go West Young Mantrue- Aunt Kate Barnaby

1936-11-18

5.3
A Bill of Divorcement
A Bill of Divorcementtrue- Aunt Hester Fairfield

1932-09-28

6.2
Belle Starr
Belle Starrtrue- Sarah

1941-09-12

5.6
Bad Little Angel
Bad Little Angeltrue- Mrs. Perkins

1939-10-27

4.9
Bright Leaf
Bright Leaftrue- Tabitha Singleton

1950-06-16

5.9
Her Cardboard Lover
Her Cardboard Lovertrue- Eva

1942-07-16

5.1
Michael Shayne: Private Detective
Michael Shayne: Private Detectivetrue- Aunt Olivia

1940-12-19

6.5
Small Town Girl
Small Town Girltrue- Ma Brannan

1936-04-10

6.2
The Shocking Miss Pilgrim
The Shocking Miss Pilgrimtrue- Catherine Dennison

1947-01-04

8.5
Sing, You Sinners
Sing, You Sinnerstrue- Mrs. Daisy Beebe aka Mother Beebe

1938-09-02

6.7
Welcome Stranger
Welcome Strangertrue- Mrs. Gilley

1947-06-13

6.6
Las Vegas Shakedown
Las Vegas Shakedowntrue- Mary Raff

1955-05-15

5.2
Anne of Windy Poplars
Anne of Windy Poplarstrue- Rebecca

1940-06-28

5.8
Bulldog Drummond's Peril
Bulldog Drummond's Periltrue- Aunt Blanche

1938-03-18

5.7
Adventure in Diamonds
Adventure in Diamondstrue- Nellie

1940-03-08

5.2
Harmony at Home
Harmony at Hometrue- Emma Haller

1930-01-12

0.0
I've Always Loved You
I've Always Loved Youtrue- Mrs. Sompter

1946-12-02

6.4
Miss Pinkerton
Miss Pinkertontrue- Juliet Mitchell

1932-05-27

5.7
Washington Story
Washington Storytrue- Miss Dee

1952-07-01

6.0
The Expert
The Experttrue- Miss Crackenwald

1932-03-05

6.3
Who Killed Aunt Maggie?
Who Killed Aunt Maggie?true- Maggie Ambler

1940-11-01

4.3
Sons of the Legion
Sons of the Legiontrue- Grandmother Lee

1938-09-18

5.0
Night of Mystery
Night of Mysterytrue- Mrs. Tobias Greene

1937-05-21

0.0
The Return of Sophie Lang
The Return of Sophie Langtrue- Araminta Sedley

1936-06-18

6.0
New Morals for Old
New Morals for Oldtrue- Aunty Doe

1932-06-04

4.2
Daddy Long Legs
Daddy Long Legstrue- Mrs. Lippett

1931-06-05

4.0
Kiss the Boys Goodbye
Kiss the Boys Goodbyetrue- Aunt Lily Lou Bethany

1941-08-01

5.0
So Red the Rose
So Red the Rosetrue- Mary Cherry

1935-12-20

6.5
Chasing Yesterday
Chasing Yesterdaytrue- Mlle. Prefere

1935-05-03

3.5
The Secret Heart
The Secret Hearttrue- Mrs. Stover

1946-12-25

6.3
Tarnished Lady
Tarnished Ladytrue- Mrs. Courtney

1931-05-01

4.7
Portrait of a Murderer
Portrait of a Murderertrue- Mrs. Finch

1958-02-27

9.0
They Call It Sin
They Call It Sintrue- Mrs. Cullen

1932-11-05

5.8
Guilty as Hell
Guilty as Helltrue- Elvira Ward

1932-08-05

5.8
Bulldog Drummond's Bride
Bulldog Drummond's Bridetrue- Aunt Blanche

1939-07-12

6.3
Penrod and Sam
Penrod and Samtrue- Schoolteacher (uncredited)

1931-10-01

6.0
Hold Your Man
Hold Your Mantrue- Miss Tuttle

1933-06-30

6.1
The Dancing Town
The Dancing Towntrue- Ma Pepperall

1928-10-26

6.0
Old Hutch
Old Hutchtrue- Sarah Hutchins

1936-09-25

0.0
Dinner at Eight
Dinner at Eighttrue- Miss Copeland

1933-12-22

6.7
The Boy Friend
The Boy Friendtrue- Mrs. Harper

1926-08-14

0.0
Words and Music
Words and Musictrue- Dean Crockett

1929-08-18

0.0
Earthbound
Earthboundtrue- Becky Tilden

1940-06-06

4.8
The Return of Peter Grimm
The Return of Peter Grimmtrue- Mrs. Bartholomey

1926-12-07

0.0
Miss Tatlock's Millions
Miss Tatlock's Millionstrue- Cora

1948-11-19

5.9
Heaven on Earth
Heaven on Earthtrue- Vergie

1931-11-27

3.0
Men Without Names
Men Without Namestrue- Aunt Ella

1935-06-29

6.0
Her Master's Voice
Her Master's Voicetrue- Mrs. Ellie Martin

1936-01-17

6.0
Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police
Bulldog Drummond's Secret Policetrue- Aunt Blanche

1939-03-29

6.1
Boo
Bootrue- Susan (edited from "The Cat Creeps")

1932-12-01

5.1
Timothy's Quest
Timothy's Questtrue- Vilda Cummins

1936-01-31

3.0
Out of the Blue
Out of the Bluetrue- Miss Spring

1947-04-21

6.5
Night Club Scandal
Night Club Scandaltrue- Mrs. Elvira Ward

1937-11-11

4.0
Beyond the Blue Horizon
Beyond the Blue Horizontrue- Mrs. Daly

1942-06-25

0.0
Our Leading Citizen
Our Leading Citizentrue- Aunt Tillie

1939-08-23

0.0
Man Wanted
Man Wantedtrue- Miss Harper

1932-04-23

5.5
Hold 'Em Navy
Hold 'Em Navytrue- Grandma Holland

1937-11-04

3.0
Almost Married
Almost Marriedtrue- Aunt Matilda Manning

1942-05-22

0.0
South Sea Rose
South Sea Rosetrue- Sarah

1929-12-09

0.0
The Ninth Day
The Ninth Daytrue

1957-01-10

0.0
I Married a Witch
I Married a Witchtrue- Margaret

1942-10-30

6.9
Song of Surrender
Song of Surrendertrue- Mrs. Beecham

1949-10-27

0.0
Secret of the Blue Room
Secret of the Blue Roomtrue- Mary, Cook

1933-07-20

5.6
Life Begins
Life Beginstrue- Mrs. Tubby (uncredited)

1932-09-10

6.0
The Big Party
The Big Partytrue- Mrs. Goldfarb

1930-02-23

2.0
Lucky Legs
Lucky Legstrue- Annabelle Dinwiddie

1942-10-01

0.0
Katie Did It
Katie Did Ittrue- Aunt Priscilla Wakely

1950-11-26

6.0
The Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trailtrue- Maria Cooper

1959-08-31

5.3
Doctor Bull
Doctor Bulltrue- Aunt Patricia Banning

1933-09-22

6.5
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finntrue- Aunt Polly

1955-09-01

4.2
Colonel Effingham's Raid
Colonel Effingham's Raidtrue- Cousin Emma

1946-01-24

5.7
Infernal Machine
Infernal Machinetrue- Elinor's Aunt

1933-04-08

0.0
Golden Harvest
Golden Harvesttrue- Lydia

1933-09-21

5.0
The Vanishing Virginian
The Vanishing Virginiantrue- Grandma

1942-02-01

6.0
Scandal Street
Scandal Streettrue- Ada Smith

1938-02-11

0.0
So Big!
So Big!true- Mrs. Tebbit (uncredited)

1932-04-30

5.8
The Lone Star Ranger
The Lone Star Rangertrue- Sarah Martin

1930-01-05

5.0
The Cat Creeps
The Cat Creepstrue- Susan

1930-11-10

6.0
The Smiling Lieutenant
The Smiling Lieutenanttrue- Baroness Von Schwedel (uncredited)

1931-08-01

6.9
Little Women: Jo's Story
Little Women: Jo's Storytrue- Aunt March

1950-12-25

0.0
Little Women: Meg's Story
Little Women: Meg's Storytrue- Aunt March

1950-12-18

0.0
They Just Had to Get Married
They Just Had to Get Marriedtrue- Lizzie

1933-01-05

0.0
Three Lives
Three Livestrue- Mrs. Adams

1953-09-17

0.0

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