Margaret Irving

Margaret Irving (January 18, 1898 – March 5, 1988) was an American stage and film actress. She is best remembered today for her roles as Aunt Gus in the 1950s sitcom The People's Choice and as Mrs. Whitehead in Animal Crackers starring the Marx Brothers, a role she originated on the Broadway stage.

Biography Margaret Irving was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on January 18, 1898. In 1917 she portrayed Lady of Dreams in the Broadway musical Jack O'Lantern at the Globe Theatre; a work created by Ivan Caryll, Anne Caldwell and R. H. Burnside. After this she worked for Florence Ziegfeld on Broadway in the revues Ziegfeld Follies of 1919 and Ziegfeld Follies of 1920 before appearing in Irving Berlin's Music Box Revue during the 1921-1922 and 1922-1923 seasons at the Music Box Theatre. This was followed by the role of June in William B. Friedlander and Con Conrad's Mercenary Mary (1925, Longacre Theatre); a show which lasted less than four months.

Irving created the role of Clementina in Sigmund Romberg's hit musical The Desert Song which had a long Broadway run at the Casino Theatre in 1926-1927. The production then transferred to first the Century Theatre (1927) and then the Imperial Theatre (1927-1928) for a collective run of 471 performances. This was followed by the role of Mrs. Whitehead in Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby's musical Animal Crackers which had a successful run at the 44th Street Theatre with a cast led by the four Marx Brothers and Margaret Dumont. Irving reprised this role in the 1930 sound film adaptation of this show; having previously worked as a silent film actress in the pictures Radio-Mania (1922) and The Broadway Boob (1926).

During the 1930s Irving worked more often in film than on the stage. Some of her film credits during this decade included Sheer Luck (1931), Thanks a Million (1935), San Francisco (1936), Captain Calamity (1936), Follow Your Heart (1936), Charlie Chan at the Opera (1936), and Mr. Moto's Last Warning (1939). In 1939 she returned to the stage as Marguerite Worms in the play Where There's a Will at Broadway's John Golden Theatre. This was followed by multiple roles in the musical revue The Streets of Paris which ran at the Broadhurst Theatre in 1939-1940. In the 1940-1941 Broadway season she portrayed Sierra in E. Y. Harburg and Burton Lane's musical Hold On to Your Hats at the Shubert Theatre. Her final Broadway roles were Mrs. Warren in Harold Orlob's Hairpin Harmony (1943) and Gail in Anita Loos's Happy Birthday (1946). She also made a few films in the 1940s, including In Society (1944) and The Beautiful Cheat (1945). Her final film was Ain't Misbehavin' (1955).

She was married to William Frederick James. She died on March 5, 1988 in Westminster, California, at the age of 90.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes and References1922 Radio-Mania Mary Langdon 1926 The Broadway Boob Mabel Golden 1930 Animal Crackers Mrs. Whitehead 1931 Sheer Luck Patsy 1935 Thanks a Million Mrs. Kruger 1936 Exclusive Story Mrs. Higgins 1936 Wife vs. Secretary Edna Wilson 1936 Captain Calamity Mamie Gruen 1936 I Married a Doctor Maude Dyer 1936 San Francisco Della Bailey 1936 Women Are Trouble Frances Blaine 1936 Follow Your Heart Louise Masetti 1936 Four Days' Wonder Aunt Jessica 1936 Charlie Chan at the Opera Mme. Lilli Rochelle 1937 Men in Exile Mother Haines 1937 The Outcasts of Poker Flat The Duchess 1937 Wife, Doctor and Nurse Mrs. Cunningham 1937 Under Suspicion Laura Walters 1937 Sh! The Octopus Polly Crane 1938 Little Miss Roughneck Mrs. Gertrude 'Gert' LaRue 1938 The Baroness and the Butler Countess Olga 1938 Love, Honor and Behave Nan Bowleigh 1938 The Toy Wife Madame DeCambri 1938 Sweethearts Madame 1938 Kentucky Woman with Man at Race Track 1939 Mr. Moto's Last Warning Madame Delacour 1944 In Society Mrs. Winthrop 1945 The Beautiful Cheat Olympia Haven 1955 Ain't Misbehavin' Mrs. Grumbacher