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Irene Tedrow
Irene Tedrow
	Tedrow in the TV series One Step Beyond (1960)
Born	August 3, 1907
Died	March 10, 1995 (aged 87); Hollywood, California, U.S.
Resting place	Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
Alma mater	Carnegie Institute of Technology (BA degree in drama)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1929–1989
Spouse	William Kent (m. 1939; died 1974)
Children	2, including Enid Kent

Irene Tedrow (August 3, 1907 – March 10, 1995)^[1] was an American character actress in stage, film, television and radio.

Among her notable roles are as Janet Archer in the radio series Meet Corliss Archer, Mrs. Lucy Elkins on the TV sitcom Dennis the Menace, and as Mrs. Webb in the stage production Our Town at the Plumstead Playhouse.^[2]

Stage

Tedrow studied with Ben Iden Payne, who directed the Memorial Theater at Stratford-on-Avon, in England. She also had three seasons' experience with Maurice Evans's troupe in New York City and in national tourings.^[3] In 1931, she was a member of the Chautauqua Repertory Theater.^[4]

Tedrow was a founding member of San Diego's Old Globe Theater and was cast as an ingénue in the beginning of her career. In 1934, she portrayed 18 characters in multiple adaptations of Shakespearean plays at The Old Globe during the Chicago Fair.^[2] She later joined Orson Welles' Mercury Theater. She appeared on Broadway through her 80s, including roles in King Richard III (1937), Hamlet (1938-1939), King Henry IV, Part I (1939), Our Town (1969)^[5] and Pygmalion.

Television

One of Tedrow's early roles as a regular cast member on a television program was that of Mrs. Ruggles on the first season of comedy series The Ruggles (1949-1950).^[6] In 1959 she played a small part as Mrs. Adams in the weekly series Maverick in the episode "Gun Shy". She had a recurring role on the Dennis the Menace television sitcom from 1959 to 1963, portraying the character Mrs. Elkins. In 1966, she was cast in The Addams Family in the role of the stern, taciturn governess Miss Thudd ("Just call me Thudd"). As a character actor, she appears in many other shows produced from the mid-1940s into the 1970s. Some of those shows include the Lux Video Theatre,^[7] Jefferson Drum, The Real McCoys, Rawhide, Mannix, The Twilight Zone, Leave it to Beaver, and The Andy Griffith Show. In 1955, she performed on The Jack Benny Program as a contestant with Benny in a mock segment of the You Bet Your Life series hosted by Groucho Marx.^[8]

In the early 1960s, Tedrow made two guest appearances on Perry Mason, including the role of Amy Douglas in "The Case of the Ominous Outcast", and a role on Bonanza in the episode "Abner Willoughby's Return". Later, she also performed in Dundee and the Culhane, Diff'rent Strokes, The Rockford Files, Facts of Life, Three's Company and two episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show as Congresswoman Margaret Geddes. In 1976, Tedrow played Mary Ludlow Hall, Eleanor Roosevelt's grandmother in Eleanor and Franklin.^[9]

Radio

Tedrow's work in radio dated back at least to 1929. As a drama student at Carnegie Institute of Technology, she was master of ceremonies and student director for "Carnegie Tech Day at Gimbel's," which was broadcast on WCAE.^[10] A 1937 radio listing shows her as one of the actresses in George Bernard Shaw's Back to Methuselah when it was broadcast on NBC Blue.^[11]

During the 1940s and 1950s, Tedrow had roles in radio productions, including The Baby Snooks Show.^[12] Tedrow appeared in an episode of Gunsmoke, titled "The Promise" (a.k.a. "The Handcuffs"), in 1954. Her roles included those shown in the table below.

Program	Role
Aunt Mary	Jessie Ward Calvert
Chandu the Magician	Dorothy Regent
Jonathan Trimble, Esquire	Alice Trimble
Meet Corliss Archer	Mrs. Archer^[13]
The Nebbs	Fannie^[14]
This Is Judy Jones	Mrs. Jones^[15]

Source: On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio^[16] except as noted.

Recognition

Tedrow's performance in Eleanor and Franklin garnered her one of the first Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress in a Television Comedy or Drama Special (Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in Comedy or Drama Special - 1976 per the Emmy Awards website).^[9]

Personal life

Tedrow was married to William Kent, who originally had come to the United States as a refugee from Nazi Germany. The couple had two children, Roger and Enid.^[17]

Death

On March 10, 1995, Tedrow died from stroke complications in Hollywood at age 87.^[2]

Selected radiography

Radio
Original Air Date	Program	Role	Episode
1943-1956	Meet Corliss Archer	Janet Archer
1944	The Gallant Heart	Captain Julia Porter
1944-1961	Aunt Mary	Jessie Ward Calvert
1946	Jonathan Trimble, Esquire	Alice Trimble
1947	My Friend Irma	Louise Cartwright
1947-1951	The Adventures of Philip Marlowe
1948	The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show	Martha Dayton	"The New Neighbors"
1948-1950	Chandu the Magician	Dorothy Regent	1948 Revival Series
1949-1954	Broadway Is My Beat
1951	The Lottery
1953	Lux Radio Theatre	Doctor Lucille Duprey	"The War of the Worlds"
1953	Crime Classics	Lizzie Borden	"The Bloody, Bloody Banks Of Fall River"
September 6, 1954	Gunsmoke	Wife	"The Promise (The Handcuffs)"
July 3, 1956	Suspense		"The Music Lovers"

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1940	We Who Are Young	Office Girl	uncredited
1941	Cheers for Miss Bishop	Teacher waving from window	uncredited
1942	Eagle Squadron	woman
1942	The Moon and Sixpence	Mrs. MacAndrew	uncredited
1943	Nobody's Darling	Julia Rhodes	uncredited
1944	Song of the Open Road	Miss Casper (teacher)	uncredited
1945	The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry	Mrs. Follinsbee	uncredited
1946	Just Before Dawn	Nurse Florence White	uncredited
1947	They Won't Believe Me	First Woman	uncredited
1948	The Mating of Millie	Receptionist	uncredited
1949	Air Hostess	Miss Hamilton
1951	The Company She Keeps	Mrs. Seeley
1953	A Lion Is in the Streets	Mrs. Sophie Peck	uncredited
1953	Julius Caesar	Citizen of Rome	uncredited
1955	Santa Fe Passage	Ptewaquin
1956	Slander	Marion Gregg, Secretary	uncredited
1957	Loving You	Mrs. Jessup	uncredited
1958	Saddle the Wind	Mrs. Mary Ellison	uncredited
1960	Please Don't Eat the Daisies	Mrs. Greenfield	uncredited
1961	A Thunder of Drums	Mrs. Scarborough
1961	The Parent Trap	Miss Lockness
1962	Deadly Duo	Lenora Spence
1965	The Cincinnati Kid	Mrs. Rudd
1970	Getting Straight	Mrs. Stebbins
1975	Mandingo	Mrs. Redfield
1977	Empire of the Ants	Velma Thompson
1978	Foul Play	Mrs. Monk
1979	The Story of Heidi	Granny	English dub
1980	Midnight Madness	Mrs. Grimhaus
1981	All Night Long	Loft Landlady

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1949	The Ruggles	Margaret Ruggles	first season only
1953	Dragnet	Bernice Hopper	episode: "The Big Crime"
1955	Alfred Hitchcock Presents	Lucy the Sister-in-Law	Season 1 Episode 4: "Don't Come Back Alive"
	The Millionaire	Countess Turec	1 episode
	Letter to Loretta	Beatrice	1 episode
	The Jack Benny Program	You Bet Your Life Contestant	1 episode, with Jack Benny in a skit in which they play contestants on You Bet Your Life
1956	Alfred Hitchcock Presents	Mrs. Hewitt	Season 1 Episode 23: "Back for Christmas"
1956	The Joseph Cotten Show: On Trial	Mrs. Patterson	episode: "The Trial of Edward Pritchard"
1957	Highway Patrol	Eileen Haley	1 episode
1958	Jefferson Drum	Mary Easton	episode: "Showdown"
	The Real McCoys	Mehitabel Swanson (1958) Mrs. Platt and Mrs. Gherkins (both 1961)	3 episodes
	Northwest Passage	Cora Klagg	1 episode
	Leave It to Beaver	Mrs. Claudia Hathaway	1 episode
1959	Rawhide	Minnie Lou	1 episode
1959	The Twilight Zone	Martin Sloan's mother	episode: "Walking Distance"
1959-1963	Dennis the Menace	Mrs. Lucy Elkins	26 episodes
1960	Alfred Hitchcock Presents	Lady Musgrave	Season 5 Episode 29: "The Hero"
	Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond	Dr. J.H. Sesselshreiber	1 episode
	Perry Mason	Amy Douglas	Season 3 Episode 24: "The Case of the Ominous Outcast"
	Mr. Lucky	Madam Maria	1 episode
	The Twilight Zone	Mrs. Loren	episode: "The Lateness of the Hour"
	Wagon Train	Freda	1 episode
1961	Pete and Gladys	Mrs. Vincent	episode: "The House Next Door"
	Sea Hunt	Naomi Roundtree	1 episode
	Bonanza	Mrs. Bufford	episode: "The Outcast"
1961–1962	Father of the Bride	Miss Bellamy	4 episodes
1962	The Tall Man	Maw Killgore	episode: "Three for All"
1962	Bonanza	Winifred Mahon	episode: "Blessed Are They"
1963	The Alfred Hitchcock Hour	Ethel	episode: "The Paragon"
	Dr. Kildare	June Crowley	1 episode
	Ensign O'Toole	Mrs. Barnes	1 episode
	Grindl	Nurse Gardiner	1 episode
	Perry Mason	Sister Theresa	Season 7 Episode 1: "The Case of the Nebulous Nephew"
1964	Burke's Law	Librarian	1 episode
1965	Branded	Mrs. Wilcox	1 episode
	Karen	Mrs. Sloat	1 episode
	The Andy Griffith Show	Mrs. Foster	episode: "Opie's Newspaper"
	The Fugitive	Maude Keller	1 episode
1966	Hogan's Heroes	Jenny	1 episode
1966	The Addams Family	Miss Thudd	episode: "Morticia & Gomez vs Fester & Grandmama"
1967	The Invaders	Clare Lapham	1 episode
	The Flying Nun	Mother Provincial David	1 episode
	Dundee and the Culhane	Widow Hughes	1 episode
1968	Bonanza	Kerri Pickett	episode: "Different Pines, Same Wind" Tedrow's third of five appearances in the series
1969	Family Affair	Alice	1 episode
	The Mod Squad	Eloise	1 episode
	Bonanza	Minnie Mitchell	episode: "Abner Willoughby's Return"
1970	Room 222	Victoria Langley	Season 2, Episode 3: "The Lincoln Story"
1971	Mannix	Sara Dawes	1 episode
1972	Banacek	Dr. Dora Bancroft	1 episode
1972	Bonanza	Mrs. Caines	episode: "The Sound of Sadness"
1973	Barnaby Jones	Mrs. Ryan	1 episodes
1973	Mary Tyler Moore Show	Congresswoman Margaret Geddes	2 episodes
1974	Kung Fu	Mrs. Stekel	1 episode
1974	Marcus Welby, M.D.	Eileen McAdams	1 episode
1975	Little House on the Prairie	Minerva Farnsworth	1 episode
1976	Good Heavens	Old Lady	1 episode
1976	Charlie's Angels	Sister Anne	1 episode
1977	The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries	Ruby	1 episode
1977	Halloween Is Grinch Night	Mariah	TV special
1977	Quincy M.E.	Doctor Ruth Thaler	episode: "A Question of Time"
1978	The Amazing Spider-Man	Aunt May	episode: "Night of the Clones"
1978	Diff'rent Strokes	Mrs. Drummond	1 episode
1978	Three's Company	Aunt Martha	episode: "The Older Woman"
1979	Salvage 1	Aunt Adah	1 episode
	Quincy M.E.	Mrs. Osborne	episode: "Mode of Death"
	240-Robert	Fake Sissie	1 episode
1980	House Calls	Mrs. Bruckner	1 episode
1980	Quincy M.E.	Mrs. Estes	episode: "The Night Killer"
1981	Isabel's Choice	Mrs. Harper	TV movie^[18]
1982	Trapper John, M.D.	Mrs. Pinkler	episode: "Love and Marriage"
	Quincy M.E.	Mrs. Weinecke	episode: "Expert in Murder"
	Three's Company	Miss Arlington	episode: "The Brunch"
	The Devlin Connection	Margaret Hollister	episode: "Erica"
1983	The Last Ninja	Dr. Sanford	TV movie^[19]
1984	CBS Schoolbreak Special	Miss Bowring	episode: "Welcome Home, Jellybean"
	Family Secrets	Mrs. Fenwick	TV movie^[20]
	Remington Steele	Nanny Perkins	episode: "Blue Blooded Steele"
1985	The Paper Chase	Mrs. Whitney	episode: "The Day Kingsfield Missed Class"
	The Facts of Life	Grace	episode: "Teacher, Teacher"
	Magnum, P.I.	Mrs. Wilson, the Antique Dealer	episode: "Going Home"
1987	St. Elsewhere	Guest	episode: "Slip Sliding Away"
	Punky Brewster	Maude Fierstein	episode: "Hands Across the Halls"
	The New Leave It To Beaver	Aunt Martha Bronson	episode: "A Part of Life"
1988	The New Leave It To Beaver	Aunt Martha Bronson	episode: "Ensign Cleaver"
	14 Going on 30	May	TV movie^[21]
	It's Garry Shandling's Show	Grandma Shandling	episode: "Garry Falls Down a Hole"
	L.A. Law	Katherine Crutcher	episode: "Open Heart Perjury"
1989	A Deadly Silence	Grandma Virginia Pierson	TV movie^[22]

Award nominations

Year	Award	Result	Category	Film or series
1976	Emmy Award	Nominated	Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in Comedy or Drama Special	Eleanor and Franklin
1978	Emmy Award	Nominated	Outstanding Lead Actress for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series	James at 15 for the episode "Ducks"

References

^ Ellenberger, Allan R. (2001). Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 222. ISBN 0-7864-0983-5.
^ ^a ^b ^c Oliver, Myrna (March 18, 1995). "Irene Tedrow; Actress on Radio, Stage and Screen". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
^ "Actress Will Give Program". The San Bernardino County Sun. California, San Bernardino. The San Bernardino County Sun. February 11, 1942. p. 15. Retrieved January 30, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Chautauqua Has Varied Program". Dunkirk Evening Observer. New York, Dunkirk. Dunkirk Evening Observer. July 18, 1931. p. 12. Retrieved January 29, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Irene Tedrow". Playbill Vault. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
^ Vernon, Terry (October 23, 1949). "Tele-Vues". Independent. California, Long Beach. Long Beach Independent. p. 34. Retrieved January 30, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "(TV listing)". The Berkshire Eagle. Massachusetts, Pittsfield. The Berkshire Eagle. March 31, 1945. p. 10. Retrieved January 30, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^ The Jack Benny Program, "Groucho Marx", 1955 on YouTube
^ ^a ^b "Awards Search". Emmy Awards. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
^ "Radio Programs". The Indiana Gazette. Pennsylvania, Indiana. The Indiana Gazette. March 23, 1929. p. 16. Retrieved January 29, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "(radio listing)". The Hutchinson News. Kansas, Hutchinson. The Hutchinson News. September 29, 1937. p. 10. Retrieved January 29, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Spooks Give Snooks Wide Berth During Halloween Celebration". Harrisburg Telegraph. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. Harrisburg Telegraph. October 26, 1946. p. 21. Retrieved January 30, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Corliss Archer Is Coming Back". The Sunday Star. August 20, 1950.
^ ""The Nebbs" Gain New Stars Sunday". Janesville Daily Gazette. Wisconsin, Janesville. Janesville Daily Gazette. November 10, 1945. p. 4. Retrieved January 30, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "This Is Judy Jones". Harrisburg Telegraph. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. Harrisburg Telegraph. August 21, 1941. p. 17. Retrieved January 30, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Dunning, John (1998). "Meet Corliss Archer". On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. Oxford University Press. pp. 444–45. ISBN 9780199770786. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
^ "Mama Archer". Harrisburg Telegraph. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. Mama Archer. January 27, 1945. p. 16. Retrieved January 30, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Isabel's Choice". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
^ "The Last Ninja". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
^ "Family Secrets". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
^ "14 Going on 30". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
^ "A Deadly Silence". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved April 25, 2016.