Image of Elizabeth Patterson

Elizabeth Patterson

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.


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Born:
Nov 22, 1875 In Savannah, Tennessee, USA
Movie/TV Credits:
113
First Appeared:
In the movie The Boy Friend 1926-01-01
Latest Project:
Movie Sons of... 1985-10-31
Known For
Poster of Kiss the Boys Goodbye
Poster of Anne of Windy Poplars
Poster of Hold 'Em Navy
Poster of Hide-Out
Filmography
Movie Sons of... Annie Brereton 1985-10-31
Series New York Confidential Unknown 1959-01-01
Movie The Oregon Trail Maria Cooper 1959-08-31
Series Johnny Staccato Unknown 1959-09-10
Series Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse Unknown 1958-10-06
Series 77 Sunset Strip Unknown 1958-10-10
Movie Pal Joey Mrs. Casey 1957-10-25
Series The Adventures of Jim Bowie Unknown 1956-09-07
Movie Las Vegas Shakedown Mary Raff 1955-05-15
Movie The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Aunt Polly 1955-09-01
Series Alfred Hitchcock Presents Unknown 1955-10-02
Series Playwrights '56 Unknown 1955-10-04
Series Climax! Unknown 1954-10-07
Series General Electric Theater Unknown 1953-02-01
Series Cavalcade of America Unknown 1952-10-01
Movie Washington Story Miss Dee 1952-07-01
Series Adventures of Superman Unknown 1952-09-19
Series I Love Lucy Unknown 1951-10-15
Series Lux Video Theatre Unknown 1950-10-02
Movie Bright Leaf Tabitha Singleton 1950-06-16
Movie Katie Did It Aunt Priscilla Wakely 1950-11-26
Movie Little Women: Meg's Story Aunt March 1950-12-18
Movie Little Women: Jo's Story Aunt March 1950-12-25
Movie Little Women Hannah 1949-03-10
Movie Song of Surrender Mrs. Beecham 1949-10-27
Movie Intruder in the Dust Miss Eunice Habersham 1949-11-22
Movie Miss Tatlock's Millions Cora 1948-11-19
Movie The Shocking Miss Pilgrim Catherine Dennison 1947-01-04
Movie Out of the Blue Miss Spring 1947-04-21
Movie Welcome Stranger Mrs. Gilley 1947-06-13
Movie Colonel Effingham's Raid Cousin Emma 1946-01-24
Movie I've Always Loved You Mrs. Sompter 1946-12-02
Movie The Secret Heart Mrs. Stover 1946-12-25
Movie Lady on a Train Aunt Charlotte Waring 1945-08-03
Movie Follow the Boys Annie 1944-05-05
Movie Together Again Jessie 1944-12-23
Movie Hail the Conquering Hero Martha - Libby's Aunt 1944-08-09
Movie The Sky's the Limit Mrs. Fisher 1943-07-13
Movie Almost Married Aunt Matilda Manning 1942-05-22
Movie Her Cardboard Lover Eva 1942-07-16
Movie The Vanishing Virginian Grandma 1942-02-01
Movie Beyond the Blue Horizon Mrs. Daly 1942-06-25
Movie I Married a Witch Margaret 1942-10-30
Movie Lucky Legs Annabelle Dinwiddie 1942-10-01
Movie My Sister Eileen Grandma Sherwood 1942-09-24
Movie Tobacco Road Ada Lester 1941-02-20
Movie Kiss the Boys Goodbye Aunt Lily Lou Bethany 1941-08-01
Movie Belle Starr Sarah 1941-09-12
Movie Adventure in Diamonds Nellie 1940-03-08
Movie Remember the Night Aunt Emma 1940-01-19
Movie Earthbound Becky Tilden 1940-06-06
Movie Who Killed Aunt Maggie? Maggie Ambler 1940-11-01
Movie Anne of Windy Poplars Rebecca 1940-06-28
Movie Michael Shayne: Private Detective Aunt Olivia 1940-12-19
Movie The Story of Alexander Graham Bell Mrs. MacGregor 1939-04-04
Movie Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police Aunt Blanche 1939-03-29
Movie Bulldog Drummond's Bride Aunt Blanche 1939-07-12
Movie Our Leading Citizen Aunt Tillie 1939-08-23
Movie Bad Little Angel Mrs. Perkins 1939-10-27
Movie The Cat and the Canary Aunt Susan 1939-10-27
Movie Bulldog Drummond's Peril Aunt Blanche 1938-03-18
Movie Bluebeard's Eighth Wife Aunt Hedwige 1938-03-25
Movie Scandal Street Ada Smith 1938-02-11
Movie Sing, You Sinners Mrs. Daisy Beebe aka Mother Beebe 1938-09-02
Movie Sons of the Legion Grandmother Lee 1938-09-18
Movie High, Wide and Handsome Grandma Cortlandt 1937-07-21
Movie Night of Mystery Mrs. Tobias Greene 1937-05-21
Movie Hold 'Em Navy Grandma Holland 1937-11-04
Movie Night Club Scandal Mrs. Elvira Ward 1937-11-11
Movie Her Master's Voice Mrs. Ellie Martin 1936-01-17
Movie Small Town Girl Ma Brannan 1936-04-10
Movie Go West Young Man Aunt Kate Barnaby 1936-11-18
Movie The Return of Sophie Lang Araminta Sedley 1936-06-18
Movie Old Hutch Sarah Hutchins 1936-09-25
Movie Men Without Names Aunt Ella 1935-06-29
Movie Chasing Yesterday Mlle. Prefere 1935-05-03
Movie So Red the Rose Mary Cherry 1935-12-20
Movie Hide-Out 'Ma' Miller 1934-08-24
Movie The Story of Temple Drake Aunt Jennie 1933-05-06
Movie Hold Your Man Miss Tuttle 1933-06-30
Movie Infernal Machine Elinor's Aunt 1933-04-08
Movie They Just Had to Get Married Lizzie 1933-01-05
Movie Dinner at Eight Miss Copeland 1933-12-22
Movie Doctor Bull Aunt Patricia Banning 1933-09-22
Movie Secret of the Blue Room Mary, Cook 1933-07-20
Movie Golden Harvest Lydia 1933-09-21
Movie New Morals for Old Aunty Doe 1932-06-04
Movie Miss Pinkerton Juliet Mitchell 1932-05-27
Movie Man Wanted Miss Harper 1932-04-23
Movie Guilty as Hell Elvira Ward 1932-08-05
Movie So Big! Mrs. Tebbit (uncredited) 1932-04-30
Movie The Expert Miss Crackenwald 1932-03-05
Movie No Man of Her Own Mrs. Randall 1932-12-30
Movie Love Me Tonight First Aunt 1932-08-18
Movie Boo Susan (edited from "The Cat Creeps") 1932-12-01
Movie They Call It Sin Mrs. Cullen 1932-11-05
Movie Life Begins Mrs. Tubby (uncredited) 1932-09-10
Movie A Bill of Divorcement Aunt Hester Fairfield 1932-09-28
Movie The Smiling Lieutenant Baroness Von Schwedel (uncredited) 1931-08-01
Movie Tarnished Lady Mrs. Courtney 1931-05-01
Movie Daddy Long Legs Mrs. Lippett 1931-06-05
Movie Husband's Holiday Mrs. Caroline Reid 1931-12-19
Movie Heaven on Earth Vergie 1931-11-27
Movie Penrod and Sam Schoolteacher (uncredited) 1931-10-01
Movie The Lone Star Ranger Sarah Martin 1930-01-05
Movie Harmony at Home Emma Haller 1930-01-12
Movie The Cat Creeps Susan 1930-11-10
Movie The Big Party Mrs. Goldfarb 1930-02-23
Movie Words and Music Dean Crockett 1929-08-18
Movie South Sea Rose Sarah 1929-12-09
Movie The Dancing Town Ma Pepperall 1928-10-26
Movie The Boy Friend Mrs. Harper 1926-01-01
Movie The Return of Peter Grimm Mrs. Bartholomey 1926-12-07