Acting
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.
Filmography
Tall Story
Film · 1960
The Barbara Stanwyck Show
Series · 1960
The Oregon Trail
Film · 1959
Johnny Staccato
Series · 1959
New York Confidential
Series · 1959
Portrait of a Murderer
Film · 1958
77 Sunset Strip
Series · 1958
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
Series · 1958
Pal Joey
Film · 1957
The Ninth Day
Film · 1957
Rendezvous in Black
Film · 1956
The Adventures of Jim Bowie
Series · 1956
Las Vegas Shakedown
Film · 1955
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Film · 1955
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Series · 1955
Playwrights '56
Series · 1955
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Series · 1955
Climax!
Series · 1954
Climax!
Series · 1954
Climax!
Series · 1954
Climax!
Series · 1954
Three Lives
Film · 1953
General Electric Theater
Series · 1953
Washington Story
Film · 1952
Adventures of Superman
Series · 1952
Cavalcade of America
Series · 1952
Four Star Playhouse
Series · 1952
The Ford Television Theatre
Series · 1952
I Love Lucy
Series · 1951
I Love Lucy
Series · 1951
Bright Leaf
Film · 1950
Katie Did It
Film · 1950
Little Women: Jo's Story
Film · 1950
Little Women: Meg's Story
Film · 1950
Lux Video Theatre
Series · 1950
Lux Video Theatre
Series · 1950
Little Women
Film · 1949
Intruder in the Dust
Film · 1949
Song of Surrender
Film · 1949
Miss Tatlock's Millions
Film · 1948
The Shocking Miss Pilgrim
Film · 1947
Welcome Stranger
Film · 1947
Out of the Blue
Film · 1947
I've Always Loved You
Film · 1946
The Secret Heart
Film · 1946
Colonel Effingham's Raid
Film · 1946
Lady on a Train
Film · 1945
Together Again
Film · 1944
Follow the Boys
Film · 1944
Hail the Conquering Hero
Film · 1944
The Sky's the Limit
Film · 1943
My Sister Eileen
Film · 1942
Her Cardboard Lover
Film · 1942
Beyond the Blue Horizon
Film · 1942
Almost Married
Film · 1942
I Married a Witch
Film · 1942
Lucky Legs
Film · 1942
The Vanishing Virginian
Film · 1942
Tobacco Road
Film · 1941
Belle Starr
Film · 1941
Kiss the Boys Goodbye
Film · 1941
Remember the Night
Film · 1940
Michael Shayne: Private Detective
Film · 1940
Anne of Windy Poplars
Film · 1940
Adventure in Diamonds
Film · 1940
Who Killed Aunt Maggie?
Film · 1940
Earthbound
Film · 1940
The Story of Alexander Graham Bell
Film · 1939
The Cat and the Canary
Film · 1939
Bad Little Angel
Film · 1939
Bulldog Drummond's Bride
Film · 1939
Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police
Film · 1939
Our Leading Citizen
Film · 1939
Bluebeard's Eighth Wife
Film · 1938
Sing, You Sinners
Film · 1938
Bulldog Drummond's Peril
Film · 1938
Sons of the Legion
Film · 1938
Scandal Street
Film · 1938
High, Wide and Handsome
Film · 1937
Night of Mystery
Film · 1937
Night Club Scandal
Film · 1937
Hold 'Em Navy
Film · 1937
Go West Young Man
Film · 1936
Small Town Girl
Film · 1936
The Return of Sophie Lang
Film · 1936
Old Hutch
Film · 1936
Her Master's Voice
Film · 1936
Timothy's Quest
Film · 1936
Three Cheers for Love
Film · 1936
So Red the Rose
Film · 1935
Chasing Yesterday
Film · 1935
Men Without Names
Film · 1935
Hide-Out
Film · 1934
The Story of Temple Drake
Film · 1933
Hold Your Man
Film · 1933
Dinner at Eight
Film · 1933
Secret of the Blue Room
Film · 1933
Doctor Bull
Film · 1933
Infernal Machine
Film · 1933
Golden Harvest
Film · 1933
They Just Had to Get Married
Film · 1933
Love Me Tonight
Film · 1932
No Man of Her Own
Film · 1932
A Bill of Divorcement
Film · 1932
Breach of Promise
Film · 1932
Miss Pinkerton
Film · 1932
The Expert
Film · 1932
New Morals for Old
Film · 1932
They Call It Sin
Film · 1932
Guilty as Hell
Film · 1932
Boo
Film · 1932
Man Wanted
Film · 1932
Life Begins
Film · 1932
So Big!
Film · 1932
Husband's Holiday
Film · 1931
Daddy Long Legs
Film · 1931
Tarnished Lady
Film · 1931
Penrod and Sam
Film · 1931
Heaven on Earth
Film · 1931
The Smiling Lieutenant
Film · 1931
Harmony at Home
Film · 1930
The Big Party
Film · 1930
The Lone Star Ranger
Film · 1930
The Cat Creeps
Film · 1930
Words and Music
Film · 1929
South Sea Rose
Film · 1929
The Dancing Town
Film · 1928
The Boy Friend
Film · 1926
The Return of Peter Grimm
Film · 1926