Thelma Ritter
| Thelma Ritter | |
|---|---|
Ritter in 1955
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| Born |
February 14, 1902 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | February 5, 1969 (aged 66) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Cause of death | heart attack |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1947–68 |
| Spouse(s) | Joseph Moran (1927-1969; her death); 2 children |
| Children | Monica Moran Joseph Moran Jr. |
Thelma Ritter (February 14, 1902 – February 5, 1969) was an American actress, best known for her comedic roles as working class characters and her strong New York accent. She received six Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress, and won one Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical.
Ritter was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1902. After appearing in high school plays and , she trained as an actress at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She established a stage career but took a hiatus to raise her two children by her husband, Joseph Moran, an actor turned advertising executive.
Ritter did stock theater and radio shows early in her career, without much impact. Ritter's first movie role was in Miracle on 34th Street (1947). She made a memorable impression in a brief uncredited part, as a frustrated mother unable to find the toy that Kris Kringle has promised her son. Her second role, in writer-director Joseph L. Mankiewicz's A Letter to Three Wives (1949), left a mark, although Ritter was again uncredited. Mankiewicz kept Ritter in mind, and cast her as "Birdie" in All About Eve (1950), which earned her an Oscar nomination. A second nomination followed for her work in Mitchell Leisen's' classic ensemble screwball comedy The Mating Season (1951) starring Gene Tierney and John Lund. She enjoyed steady film work for the next dozen years.
She appeared in many of the episodic drama TV series of the 1950s, such as Alfred Hitchcock Presents, General Electric Theater, and The United States Steel Hour. Other film roles were as James Stewart's nurse in Rear Window (1954) and as Doris Day's housekeeper in Pillow Talk (1959). Although best known for comedy roles, she played the occasional dramatic role, most notably in With a Song in My Heart (1952), Pickup on South Street (1953), Titanic (1953), and The Misfits (1961).
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