A series of critically panned plays followed until a huge door opened for her in the form of Miss Preen, the beleaguered nurse to an acid-tongued, wheelchair-bound radio star (played by the hilarious Monty Woolley) in the George S. Kaufman/Moss Hart comedy "The Man Who Came to Dinner"; for once, it was Wickes doing the cowering. In 1953, Wickes played Martha the housekeeper to Ezio Pinza's character in the short-lived Bonino. Television roles also began filtering in for Wickes she continued to put her cryptic comedy spin on her harried housekeepers, teachers, servants and other working commoner types. U.S. Census, 1880, State of Missouri, City of St. Louis, enumeration district 333, p. 160-A, family 147. Wickes had great comedic timing, an imposing presence, and always stood out even when relegated to small or bit parts. She started her acting career with a cameo role in the 1935 short film, Watch the Birdie. Cruella De Vil in Disney's animated feature. Archive, Manuscript & Rare Book collections are accessed in Olin Library at the Special Collections reading room. Winking at the Audience - St. Louis Magazine Mary Wickes - Biography - IMDb We will continue to update information on Mary Wickess parents. Women like me. She made numerous appearances as a celebrity panelist on the game show Match Game. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Her few other shows were from the 70s are Hallmark Hall of Fame (1972), Sigmund and the Sea Monsters (1973-75), Doc (1976), Murder, She Wrote (1985), Father Dowling Mysteries (1987-91), Punky Brewster (1987) etc. After graduating, she secured a job on campus as the university's assistant publicity director. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? Mary Wickes (Mary Isabelle Wickenhauser) was born on 13 June, 1910 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, is an Actress, Soundtrack, Miscellaneous. She also acted as Nurse Preen in The Man Who Came to Dinner. Saint Louis, St. Louis City, Missouri, USA, Westwood, Los Angeles County, California, USA. In the 196162 season, she appeared as Maxfield opposite Gertrude Berg and Cedric Hardwicke in Mrs. G. Goes to College. She was interred beside her parents. Mary Wickes: I Know I've Seen That Face Before - Goodreads She died in Los Angeles as a result of surgical complications. Her first professional theatre appearances were in 1933 as Sophia is Reunion In Vienna and Helen Hallam in Another Language with the Arthur Casey Stock Company. is 5'10"(1.78m) . She entered Washington University at 16, and her parents moved to Pershing in University City. During the last years of her life, Mary suffered from several ailments and health issues. In the 1950s, Wickes played the warm yet jocular maid Katie in the Mickey Mouse Club serial Annette and regular roles in the sitcoms Make Room for Daddy and Dennis the Menace. The play was the toast of Broadway for two wacky years and she went on tour with it as well. Mary Isabelle Wickenhauser grew up at 5017 Garfield in Fairground Park. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. People born under this sign are fiercely loyal and can always keep a secret. By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. One of her earlier significant film appearances was in The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942), reprising her stage role of Nurse Preen.