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Jessie Ralph Patton (née Chambers; November 5, 1864[citation needed] – May 30, 1944), was an American stage and screen actress, best known for her matronly roles in many classic films.
Jessie Ralph | |
|---|---|
 Trailer for The Last of Mrs. Cheyney (1937) | |
| Born | Jessie Ralph Chambers November 5, 1864 |
| Died | May 30, 1944 (aged 79) Gloucester, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1880–1941 |
| Spouse(s) | William Patton (?–?; his death) |
Early life edit
Jessie Ralph Chambers was the 13th child born to sailing captain James Chambers and his wife.[1] Born in Gloucester, Massachusetts in 1864, she made her acting debut in stock theater in 1880, at age 16.[2]
Career edit
Her Broadway debut came in The Kreutzer Sonata (1906), and her final appearance on Broadway came in The Good Earth (1932).[3]
Ralph debuted in two-reel films in New York in 1915 and went to Hollywood in 1933.[2] in a movie career that spanned 25 years, she became a permanent Hollywood actress in 1933. She was nearly 70 then, so her parts were limited to matronly roles, but her expertise at stealing scenes captured the imagination of cinema-goers of the time.[citation needed]
Her best-known roles are as Greta Garbo's maid in Camille, as W.C. Fields' battle-axe of a mother-in-law in The Bank Dick, as Myrna Loy's Aunt Katherine (in a state of permanent high dudgeon) in After the Thin Man, and as Peggotty in David Copperfield. She starred in 55 movies, 52 from 1933 to 1941.
Personal life edit
She was married to actor William Patton until his death.[4] They had no children.[1]
Death edit
Ralph retired from Hollywood in 1941 after her leg was amputated.[2] She died in Gloucester, Massachusetts, on May 30, 1944, aged 79.[1] Her gravesite is there, in Mount Pleasant Cemetery. [citation needed]
Filmography edit
References edit
- ^ a b c "Jessie Ralph, 79, of Stage, Screen". The New York Times. May 31, 1944. p. 19. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
- ^ a b c Gordon, Dr Roger L. (2018). Supporting Actors in Motion Pictures. Dorrance Publishing. pp. 32–33. ISBN 9781480944992. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
- ^ "Jessie Ralph". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on September 14, 2019. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
- ^ "Jessie Ralph". Billboard. June 10, 1944. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
External links edit
- Jessie Ralph at IMDb
- Jessie Ralph at the Internet Broadway Database
- Jessie Ralph portrait at NY Public Library Billy Rose Collection
