Marjorie Lord

Marjorie Lord (née Wollenberg; July 26, 1918 – November 28, 2015) was an American television and film actress. She played Kathy "Clancy" O'Hara Williams, opposite Danny Thomas's character on The Danny Thomas Show (Make Room for Daddy).

Early years Lord was born in San Francisco, California, the daughter of Lillian Rosalie (née Edgar) and George Charles Wollenberg. During her early childhood, she was a ballet dancer. Her father was a cosmetics executive. Her paternal grandparents were German, as were two of her maternal great-grandparents. Her family moved to New York City when she was 15.

Career

Stage In 1935, at the age of 16, Lord made her Broadway debut in The Old Maid with Judith Anderson. Her other Broadway appearances came in Signature (1945), Little Brown Jug (1946), and The Girl in the Freudian Slip (1967).

Although most of Lord's success came in television, she said in 1963: "I am primarily a stage actress. That's what I was trained to do and that's my first love."

In the 1970s, Lord was active in dinner theater productions, spending 34 weeks in such presentations in 1973 alone.

Film One film reference book summarized Lord's movie career by saying, "For two decades, she played leading roles in mostly routine films ..."

Lord was signed by RKO Radio Pictures in 1935. While appearing in Springtime for Henry with Edward Everett Horton, director Henry Koster approached her and signed her to a contract with Universal Studios. She appeared in six feature films and a film serial The Adventures of Smilin' Jack for Universal. Her film work includes a number of wartime pictures, including the 1943 mystery Sherlock Holmes in Washington, starring Basil Rathbone in the title role. She also appeared in the Western films Masked Raiders, Mexican Manhunt, and Down Laredo Way. In 1966, she played Mrs. Martha Meade, the wife of Bob Hope's character, in the screwball comedy Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number!.

Television Lord appeared in a 1950 episode of The Lone Ranger titled "Bullets for Ballots", also featuring Craig Stevens, and a 1955 episode entitled "The Law Lady". She appeared on the 1951 episode "The Return of Trigger Dawson" of Bill Williams's syndicated western television series The Adventures of Kit Carson and the 1954 production of "Shadow of Truth" on Ford Theatre.

In 1956, while she was appearing in Anniversary Waltz, Lord caught the attention of Danny Thomas, who asked her to replace Jean Hagen as his television wife on Make Room for Daddy. Hagen had played Thomas' wife since the series' inception, but she was written out of the script in 1956 at the end of her contract. Lord accepted the role and joined the cast of the show, now called The Danny Thomas Show. She played the role until the show was cancelled in 1964. In 1970, Lord and Thomas, along with several other original supporting actors, returned to television with Make Room for Granddaddy. The show lasted just one season.

Later years Lord remained active beyond her 90th birthday. On May 8, 2008, she participated in a "Salute to Television Moms" panel discussion organized by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Recognition Lord has a star in the television section of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, at 6317 Hollywood Boulevard. The star was dedicated on February 8, 1960.

Personal life Lord was married three times. She wed actor John Archer on December 30, 1941, and they had two children, including actress Anne Archer. They were married from 1941 until their divorce in 1955. Her second husband was producer Randolph Hale, to whom she was married from 1958 until his death in 1974. Her third husband was Harry Volk, the former CEO of Union Bank and a Los Angeles philanthropist, to whom she was married from 1976 until his death in 2000. Her memoir is entitled A Dance and a Hug. Lord is grandmother of Tommy Davis, son of her daughter Anne.

Death Lord died on November 28, 2015, aged 97, at her home in Beverly Hills, California of natural causes. Upon her death, she was cremated and her ashes given to her son, Gregg Archer.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes Ref 1937 High Flyers Arlene Arlington Musical comedy film directed by Edward F. Cline On Again-Off Again Florence Cole Musical comedy film directed by Edward F. Cline Forty Naughty Girls June Preston American comedy directed by Edward F. Cline Hideaway Joan Peterson Comedy film directed by Richard Rosson Border Café Janet Barry Western film directed by Lew Landers 1939 The Middleton Family at the New York World's Fair Babs Directed by Robert R. Snody 1942 Escape from Hong Kong Valerie Hale and Fraulein K American comedy film directed by William Nigh Moonlight in Havana Patsy Clark American romantic comedy film directed by Anthony Mann 1943 Johnny Come Lately Jane Drama film directed by William K. Howard Sherlock Holmes in Washington Nancy Partridge Shantytown Virginia Allen Crime film directed by Joseph Santley Hi, Buddy Mary Parker The Adventures of Smilin' Jack Janet Thompson Serial based on comic strip directed by Lewis D. Collins and Ray Taylor 1947 New Orleans Grace Volcella Musical romance film directed by Arthur Lubin 1948 The Strange Mrs. Crane Gina Crane, alias of Jennie Hadley Crime film-noir film directed by Sam Newfield The Argyle Secrets Marta Mystery romance directed by Cy Endfield 1949 Masked Raiders Gale Trevett aka Diablo Kid Western directed by Lesley Selander Air Hostess Jennifer White Action drama directed by Lew Landers 1950 Chain Gang Rita McKelvey American drama film directed by Lew Landers and written by Howard J. Green. The Lost Volcano Ruth Gordon Adventure film directed by Ford Beebe Riding High Mary Winslow Musical film directed by Frank Capra 1951 Stop That Cab Mary Thomas Comedy, crime film directed by Eugenio de Liguoro Venture of Faith Drama directed by Frank R. Strayer 1953 Mexican Manhunt Sheila Barton American crime film directed by Rex Bailey Down Laredo Way Valerie American western film directed by William Witney 1954 Port of Hell Kay Walker Drama directed by Harold D. Schuster 1966 Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number! Mrs. Martha Meade American comedy film directed by George Marshall

Television Year Title Role Notes Ref 1949 Your Show Time Episode: "The Real Thing" (S 1:Ep 8) 1950 The Lone Ranger Kitty McQueen Episode: "Bullets for Ballots" (S 1:Ep 35) 1951 Hollywood Opening Night Episode: "Hand on My Shoulder" (S 1:Ep 9) 1952Fireside Theatre Sue Brown Episode: "Brown of Calaveras" (S 4:Ep 33) Gwen Episode: "Mirage" (S 4:Ep 41) China Smith Ruth Cotton Episode: "Devil-In-The-Godown" (S 1:Ep 6) Fireside Theatre Catherine Episode: "Visit from a Stranger" (S 5:Ep 5) Ford Theatre: All Star Theatre Episode: "Edge of the Law" (S 1:Ep 6) 1953 Fireside Theatre Episode: "The Return" (S 5: 19) Schlitz Playhouse of Stars Episodew: "The Devil's Other Name" (S 2:Ep 25) Ford Theatre: All Star Theatre Episode: "The Jewel" (S 1:Ep 35) Hallmark Hall of Fame Sarah McCoy Episode: "McCoy of Abilene" (S 3:Ep 4) Ramar of the Jungle Lylia Webley Episode: "Call to Danger" (S 2:Ep 6) 1954 Episode: "Blind Peril" (S 2:Ep 12) Four Star Playhouse Bessie Episode: "Operation In Money" (S 2:Ep 25) General Electric Theater Millie Episode: "That Other Sunlight" (S 2:Ep 17) Schlitz Playhouse of Stars Episode: "Her Kind of Honor" (S 3:Ep 29) Hopalong Cassidy Adele Keller Episode: "Tricky Fingers" (S 2:Ep 26) Fireside Theatre Episode: "Trial Period" (S 6:Ep 35) Cavalcade of America Mrs. Field Episode: "The Great Gamble" (S 3:Ep 2) The Lone Wolf Lori Race Episode: "The Malibu Story (a.k.a. Malibu-Laguna)" (S 1:Ep 9) Ford Theatre: All Star Theatre Liz Episode: "Shadow of Truth" (S 3:Ep 3) Climax! Episode: "Epitaph For a Spy" (S 1:Ep 8) 1955 Cavalcade of America Lee Powell Coleman Episode: "Take Off Zero" (S 3:Ep 14) Episode: "Decision For Justice" (S 3:Ep 15) The Lone Ranger Clare Lee Episode: "The Law Lady" (S 4:Ep 25) Henry Fonda Presents the Star and the Story Joan Episode: "Newspaper Man" (S 1:Ep 19) Loretta Young Show Miss Cook Episode: "A Shadow Between" (S 3:Ep 16) 1956 TV Reader's Digest Episode: "Lost, Strayed, and Lonely" (S 2:Ep 21) Wire Service Phyllis Holley Episode: "Hideout" (S 1:Ep 3) 1957 Zane Grey Theater Amy Marr Wagon Train Mary Palmer Episode: "The Willy Moran Story (Pilot)" (S 1:Ep 1) 1957–64 The Danny Thomas Show Kathy 'Clancey' O'Hara Williams Main cast 1958 The Ed Sullivan Show Kathy Williams Episode: "September 21, 1958: CBS's Stars of the 1958–59 TV season" (S 11:Ep 2) Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse Kathy Williams 1961 The Joey Bishop Show Kathy Williams 1967 The Danny Thomas Hour Kathy Williams Episode: "Make More Room for Daddy" (S 1:Ep 9) 1969 Love, American Style Episode: "Love and the Single Couple" (S 1:Ep 13) 1970–71 Make Room for Granddaddy Kathy Williams 1975 The Missing Are Deadly Mrs. Robertson Television movie directed by Don McDougall 1978 Fantasy Island Beth Shane Episode: "Family Reunion / Voodoo" (S 1:Ep 4) The Pirate Mrs. Mason 1980 The Love Boat Martha Rogers Episode: "April's Love/Happy Ending/We Three" (S 3:Ep 17) 1987 Sweet Surrender Joyce Holden 1988 Side by Side Mrs. Hammerstein Television movie directed by Jack Bender

Stage Year Title Role Theatre Notes Ref 1935 The Old Maid Tina Broadway Replacement performer 1945 Signature Nora Davisson Original performer 1946 Little Brown Jug Carol Barlow 1967 The Girl in the Freudian Slip Paula Maugham