Marjorie Bennett

Marjorie Bennett (15 January 1896 – 14 June 1982) was an Australian actress who worked mainly in the United States. She began her acting career during the silent film era.

Early life Marjorie Bennett was born on 15 January 1896 in York in Western Australia. Her sisters Enid (1893–1969) and Catherine (1901–1978) were also Hollywood film actresses.

Career Bennett began acting in films in 1917 and later made the transition to talking pictures with bit roles in Monsieur Verdoux (1947), Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949), and Washington Story (1952). In 1952, she appeared as Charlie Chaplin's landlady in the film Limelight and later had guest roles on The Great Gildersleeve, Four Star Playhouse, Sergeant Preston of the Yukon, I Love Lucy, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, and December Bride. In 1959 she appeared on Wagon Train S3 E5 "The Elizabeth McQueeny Story" as one of the dancing girls being taken West by the title character played by Bette Davis. Between 1958 and 1961, she appeared as Amanda Comstock in three episodes of ABC's The Real McCoys, starring Walter Brennan. From 1959 to 1961, she was cast ten times as Blossom Kenney on CBS' The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, starring Dwayne Hickman. In 1962, she played Victor Buono's mother in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?.

During the 1970s, Bennett had television roles on Mission: Impossible, Adam-12, CHiPs, Night Gallery, McMillan & Wife, and Phyllis. She had a role opposite Richard Widmark in the 1973 television film Brock's Last Case. In the 1973 film Charley Varrick, starring Walter Matthau, Bennett portrayed Mrs. Taft, an elderly gardener living in a trailer park who is convinced that every man she meets wants to seduce her. Bennett also appeared in several television commercials in the 1970s. She made her last on-screen appearance in 1980 on ABC's Barney Miller series.

Personal life and death Bennett was married to William Cady Jr. from 1932 until his death in 1976.

Bennett died in Hollywood, California, on 14 June 1982, and her ashes were interred in the Great Mausoleum's Columbarium of Dawn at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1917 The Girl, Glory Sally Barton Credited as Margery Bennett 1918 Naughty, Naughty! Prudence Sampson 1918 Hugon, The Mighty Marie 1918 The Midnight Patrol Minnie 1946 Dressed to Kill Antique shop assistant Uncredited 1947 Monsieur Verdoux Maid of Marie Grosnay 1948 To the Victor Pablo's Model Uncredited 1948 Silver River Large Woman Uncredited 1948 The Big Punch Housekeeper Uncredited 1948 June Bride Mrs. Nellie Brinker 1949 Flaxy Martin Nora's Neighbor Uncredited 1949 Take One False Step Waitress Uncredited 1949 Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff Second Maid Uncredited 1949 Undertow Wife at bar in Vegas Uncredited 1950 Perfect Strangers Mrs. Moore 1950 Peggy Flossie the Maid Uncredited 1950 Two Flags West Mrs. Simpkins Uncredited 1950 The Man Who Cheated Himself Mrs. Muriel Quimby 1951 Lightning Strikes Twice Drug Store Customer Uncredited 1952 The Congregation 1952 Washington Story Woman with Pass Uncredited 1952 Limelight Mrs. Alsop 1952 The Steel Trap Cleaning Woman Uncredited 1953 Never Wave at a WAC Mrs. Martha Pratt Uncredited 1953 Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Militant Woman on Soapbox Uncredited 1953 So Big Housekeeper Uncredited 1954 Ma and Pa Kettle at Home Corset Saleslady Uncredited 1954 Sabrina Margaret 1954 The Human Jungle Mrs. Lee Uncredited 1954 Ricochet Romance Mrs. Harvey 1954 Young at Heart Mrs. Ridgefield Uncredited 1955 Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops Fat Movie Patron Uncredited 1955 Kiss Me Deadly Manager 1955 The Cobweb Sadie 1955 Lay That Rifle Down Mrs. Speckleton Uncredited 1955 Female on the Beach Mrs. Murchison 1955 The Girl Rush Woman at Dice Table 1956 Our Miss Brooks Mrs. J. Boynton Uncredited 1956 Autumn Leaves Waitress 1956 Strange Intruder Jodie, Carmichaels' maid 1956 The Girl He Left Behind Madeline's Friend Uncredited 1956 Death of a Scoundrel Angry Woman Uncredited 1957 The Iron Sheriff Nettie Holcomb Uncredited 1957 Shoot-Out at Medicine Bend Townswoman Uncredited 1957 Man of a Thousand Faces Vera, Housekeeper Uncredited 1958 Man on Fire Mrs. Delaney Uncredited 1958 Cry Terror! Woman in Elevator Uncredited 1958 Home Before Dark Hazel Evans 1959 No Name on the Bullet Store Customer Uncredited 1959 Holiday for Lovers Elvira Uncredited 1959 Have Rocket, Will Travel Mrs. Hermine Huntingford Uncredited 1959 Career Fan Magazine Columnist 1960 The Rat Race Mrs. Edie Kerry 1960 Ocean's 11 Mrs. Allenby Uncredited 1961 One Hundred and One Dalmatians Duchess Voice 1961 A Thunder of Drums Mrs. Yates 1961 Summer and Smoke Saleslady Uncredited 1961 Sail a Crooked Ship Mrs. Chowder 1962 Saintly Sinners Mrs. Madigan Uncredited 1962 The Notorious Landlady Autograph Seeker Uncredited 1962 What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? Dehlia Flagg 1962 Girls! Girls! Girls! Mrs. Dicks Uncredited 1963 Promises! Promises! Mrs. Snavely 1963 4 for Texas Miss Emmaline 1963 The Man from Galveston Mrs. Warren 1964 What a Way to Go! Mrs. Freeman Uncredited 1964 3 Nuts in Search of a Bolt Mrs. Berkeley-Kent 1964 The New Interns Apartment Superintendent Uncredited 1964 Mary Poppins Miss Lark 1964 Quick Before It Melts Bar Maid 1964 My Fair Lady Cockney with Pipe Uncredited 1964 36 Hours Charwoman 1964 The Night Walker Manager 1965 Zebra in the Kitchen Hefty Woman Uncredited 1965 The Family Jewels Airline Passenger #5 1966 Billy the Kid Versus Dracula Mary Ann Bentley 1966 The Swinger Philbert's Wife Uncredited 1967 The Reluctant Astronaut Woman at Mailbox Uncredited 1967 Games Nora 1968 Coogan's Bluff Mrs. Fowler, Little Old Lady 1968 Creature of Comfort 1969 The Love God? Miss Pickering 1971 Calliope Snoopy lady Alternative title: Love Is Catching 1973 Stacey Florence Chambers 1973 Charley Varrick Mrs. Taft Alternative title: Kill Charley Varrick 1974 Harrad Summer 1974 Airport 1975 50th Anniversary Celebrant – Passenger 1975 I Wonder Who's Killing Her Now? Sleepy Bartender 1979 The North Avenue Irregulars Mother Thurber Alternative title: Hill's Angels Television Year Title Role Notes 1951 The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok Widow Season 1 Episode 8: "The Tax Collecting Story" 1952 Racket Squad Mrs. Fogarty Season 3 Episode 6: "Beauty for Hire" 1953 The Pride of the Family Mrs. Mallory Season 1 Episode 5: "Albie Sells the House" 1953 I Married Joan Aquarium Society Woman Season 2 Episode 5: "Tropical Fish" 1953 I Married Joan Miss Patterson Season 2 Episode 7: "Initiation" 1954 My Little Margie Miss Flannigan / The Old Lady Robber Season 3 Episode 25: "Margie Babysits" 1954 Lassie Birdie Brockway (uncredited) Season 1 Episode 7: "Feud" 1954 Lassie Birdie Brockway (uncredited) Season 1 Episode 13: "Sale of Lassie" 1955 I Married Joan Ruth Season 3 Episode 24: "How to Win Friends" 1955–1958 The Bob Cummings Show Mrs. Neimeyer 6 episodes 1956 Lassie Birdie Brockway Season 2 Episode 27: "Lassie's Double" 1956 Lassie Birdie Brockway Season 2 Episode 38: "Diane" 1956 Cheyenne Mrs. Smallwood Season 1 Episode 7: "Decision" 1957 Lassie Birdie Brockway (uncredited) Season 4 Episode 13: "Transition" 1957 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Cake Lady (uncredited) Season 2 Episode 33: "A Man Greatly Beloved" 1957 The Ford Television Theatre Mrs. Morris Season 5 Episode 25: "The Man Across the Hall" 1957–1959 The Thin Man Mrs. Blascombe 6 episodes 1958 Trackdown Hetty Lake Season 2 Episode 2: "Outlaw's Wife" 1958–1962 The Real McCoys Amanda Comstock 5 episodes 1959 Buckskin Mrs. Newcombe Season 1 Episode 35: "The Manager" 1959-1961 The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis Blossom Kenney 10 episodes 1960 Adventures in Paradise Agnes Higgins Season 2 Episode 12: "Incident in Suva" 1960 The Twilight Zone Old Woman Season 1 Episode 31: "The Chaser" 1960 The Tom Ewell Show Flora Roberts Season 1 Episode 9: "Site Unseen" 1961 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Elderly Woman Season 7 Episode 3: "Maria" 1961 Hong Kong Matron 1 episode 1962 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Mrs. Phelan the Maid (uncredited) Season 7 Episode 36: "First Class Honeymoon" 1962 The Twilight Zone Mrs. Summers Season 3 Episode 21: "Kick the Can" 1962 Thriller Mercedes Season 2 Episode 29: "The Lethal Ladies" 1963 The Twilight Zone Mrs. Chamberlain Season 4 Episode 10: "No Time Like the Past" 1963 The Joey Bishop Show Mrs. Fenton Season 2 Episode 21: "Ellie, the Talent Scout" 1964 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Plump Lady Season 2 Episode 24: "The Gentleman Caller" 1964 The Beverly Hillbillies Mrs. Langwell Season 2 Episode 29: "The Dress Shop" 1965 Petticoat Junction Miss Hogan Season 3 Episode 9: "Hooterville Hurricane"1966That GirlCredited as Woman (Rose from Yonkers)Season 1 Episode 12 "Soap Gets In Your Eyes" 1966 Hey, Landlord Mrs. Fritzell Season 1 Episode 15: "How're You Gonna Keep 'em Down, After They've Seen the Rug" 1967 Ironside Hotel Clerk Season 1 Episode 7: "Tagged for Murder" 1968 The Virginian Soapie Season 7 Episode 11: "The Mustangers" 1969 The Mothers-in-Law Lucille Season 2 Episode 26: "The Not-So-Grand Opera" 1969 Room 222 The Supervisor Season 1 Episode 11: "Alice in Blunderland" 1970 The Mod Squad Mrs. MacCready Season 2 Episode 15: "Sweet Child of Terror" 1971 The Mod Squad Landlady Season 4 Episode 13: "Death of a Nobody" 1971 Nanny and the Professor Aunt Agatha Season 2 Episode 19: "The Balloon Ladies" 1971 Adam-12 Mrs. Sarah Pierce Season 3 Episode 21: "Log 164: The Poachers" 1972 O'Hara, U.S. Treasury Agnes Howett Season 1 Episode 15: "Operation: Lady Luck" 1973 The Rookies Mrs. Gleason Season 2 Episode 13: "Another Beginning for Ben Fuller" 1974 Rhoda Mrs. Fosner Season 1 Episode 10: "The Honeymoon" 1974 Happy Days Mrs. Harrison Season 2 Episode 11: "Guess Who's Coming to Christmas" 1975 Happy Days Lady Season 2 Episode 20: "Fish and the Fins" 1975 Barney Miller Mrs. Richline Season 1 Episode 6: "The Stakeout" 1976 Sherlock Holmes in New York Mrs. Martha Hudson Television film 1977 CHiPs Mrs. Downey Season 1 Episode 6: "Baby Food" 1977 CHiPs Mrs. Downey Season 1 Episode 7: "Taking Its Toll" 1978 CHiPs Margaret Downey Season 1 Episode 16: "Vintage '54" 1979 Better Late Then Never Marjorie Crane Television film 1980 Barney Miller Miss Stratton Season 7 Episode 1: "Homicide: Part 1" (final appearance)