Job Actress
Years active 1916-1959
Known for Haranguing harridans, abrasive women
Top Roles The Widow Hudspeth, Mrs. Cantrell, aka Mrs. Adams, 'Gashouse' Mary, Mrs. Varner, Phoebe 'Ma' Kettle
Top GenresComedy, Drama, Romance, Crime, Western, Musical
Top TopicsBook-Based, Sisters, Screwball Comedy
Top Collaborators , (Director), (Producer), (Producer)
Shares birthday with Victor Moore, Barbara Lawrence, Douglass Watson  see more..

Marjorie Main Overview:

Legendary character actress, Marjorie Main, was born Mary Tomlinson on Feb 24, 1890 in Acton, IN. Main appeared in over 85 film roles. Her best known films include Meet Me in St. Louis, The Women, The Egg and I, and the Ma and Pa Kettle films. Main died at the age of 85 on Apr 10, 1975 in Los Angeles, CA .

MINI BIO:

Unique, crow-voiced Marjorie Main had a bundled-up nest of dark hair and a sack-of-Potatoes figure. She became a film regular after the early death of her husband and delighted audiences with a great series of haranguing harridans both comic and tragic; most memorably in partnership with Wallace Beery and later on, in the Ma and Pa Kettle series. She was Oscar nominated for The Egg and I. Died from cancer.

(Source: available at Amazon Quinlan's Illustrated Dictionary of Film Character Actors).

HONORS and AWARDS:

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Although Main was nominated for one Oscar, she never won a competitive Academy Award.

Academy Awards

YearAwardFilm nameRoleResult
1947Best Supporting ActressThe Egg and I (1947)Ma KettleNominated
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BlogHub Articles:

Know Your Character Actor –

By smumcountry on Feb 24, 2016 From Smum County

February 24, 2016 by smumcounty was born Mary Tomlinson on February 24th, 1890 in Acton Indiana. Marjorie caught the acting bug at an early age. She attended Franklin College in Franklin, Indiana for a year but then convinced her father to allow her to attend the Hamilton School of Dra... Read full article


Know Your Character Actor –

By smumcountry on Feb 24, 2016 From Smum County

February 24, 2016 by smumcounty was born Mary Tomlinson on February 24th, 1890 in Acton Indiana. Marjorie caught the acting bug at an early age. She attended Franklin College in Franklin, Indiana for a year but then convinced her father to allow her to attend the Hamilton School of Dra... Read full article


, Happy Birthday! Born February 24th; 1890-1975 (2)

By C. S. Williams on Feb 24, 2014 From Classic Film Aficionados

Funny lady, , born?Mary Tomlinson, in?Acton, Indiana, on Monday, February 24th, 1890, made her feature film debut in 1931 with ?A House Divided; she had 88 film credits and?was nominated for 1 Academy Award for?Best Actress in a Supporting Role,?as?Phoebe ‘Ma’ Kettle in The ... Read full article


, Happy Birthday! Born February 24th; 1890-1975

By C. S. Williams on Feb 24, 2014 From Classic Film Aficionados

Funny lady, , born?Mary Tomlinson, in?Acton, Indiana, on Monday, February 24th, 1890, made her feature film debut in 1931 with ?A House Divided; she had 88 film credits and?was nominated for 1 Academy Award for?Best Actress in a Supporting Role,?as?Phoebe ‘Ma’ Kettle in The ... Read full article


, Happy Birthday! Born February 24th; 1890-1975

By C. S. Williams on Feb 24, 2014 From Classic Film Aficionados

Funny lady, , born?Mary Tomlinson, in?Acton, Indiana, on Monday, February 24th, 1890, made her feature film debut in 1931 with ?A House Divided; she had 88 film credits and?was nominated for 1 Academy Award for?Best Actress in a Supporting Role,?as?Phoebe ‘Ma’ Kettle in The ... Read full article


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Marjorie Main Quotes:

Agnes Smith: Katie, where's my cat?
Katie the Maid: I don't know... a little while ago, she got in my way and I kicked her down the cellar steps. I could hear her spine hitting on every step.
Agnes Smith: Oh, if you killed her, I'll kill you! I'll stab you to death in your sleep, then I'll tie your body to two wild horses until you're pulled apart.
Katie the Maid: Oh, won't that be terrible, now? There's your cat.


Henry: I'm very, very nervous about the whole thing. She wants to climb that flagpole and put up this aerial.
Marie: And she wants us to help?
Henry: Yes, and I really think she ought to have a net under her.
Nora: She ought to have a net *over* her if you ask me.


Katie the Maid: Would it start a minor revolution in this household if dinner was served an hour early today?
Mrs. Anna Smith: Mr. Smith hates to eat early on a hot day.
Katie the Maid: Eating early on a hot day gives you more time to digest your food before retiring. Besides, I'm due at my sister's at seven o'clock on a family matter.
Mrs. Anna Smith: Is there something wrong with your sister?
Katie the Maid: She's having trouble with her husband. Him bein' a man.
Mrs. Anna Smith: Well, eating early is all right with me, but you'll have to explain it to Mr. Smith.
Katie the Maid: Oh, he won't mind, seein' as how tonight's corn beef night.


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Best Supporting Actress Oscar 1947





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Marjorie Main Facts
Long-time companion of actress Spring Byington.

Had been known to wear white gloves and a surgical mask for fear of germ contamination.

There were a total of 10 movies in which Main played the character of Ma Kettle. She also co-starred with Kettle co-star Percy Kilbride in Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin' (1948) though it isn't a Kettle film.

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