Mary Wickes was a versatile and talented actress who appeared in more than 50 movies and dozens of plays and television shows. She was known for her witty and sarcastic roles as professional women, such as nurses, secretaries, nuns, and housekeepers. She worked with some of the biggest stars of Hollywood, such as Bette Davis, Doris Day, Bing Crosby, and Lucille Ball. She also lent her voice to animated characters, such as Laverne in The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Aunt March in Little Women. She was a scene-stealer who always delivered memorable performances. But how did she die? What was the cause of her death? And what legacy did she leave behind? In this article, we will explore the life and death of Mary Wickes, and pay tribute to her remarkable career.
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Early Life and Career
Mary Wickes was born Mary Isabella Wickenhauser on June 13, 1910, in St. Louis, Missouri. She was the daughter of Frank Wickenhauser, a banker, and Mary Isabella Shannon, a homemaker. She had German, Scottish, and Irish ancestry, and was raised Protestant. She was an excellent student who skipped two grades and graduated from high school at 16. She then attended Washington University in St. Louis, where she majored in English literature and political science. She also joined the debate team and the Phi Mu sorority.
She had planned to pursue a career in law, but a favorite professor encouraged her to try drama instead. She followed his advice and shifted her direction. She made her Broadway debut in 1934 in The Farmer Takes a Wife, with Henry Fonda. She then appeared in several other plays, such as Spring Dance, Open Door, Hitch Your Wagon, and Danton’s Death.
She also joined the Mercury Theatre, a company founded by Orson Welles. She appeared in his radio drama The Mercury Theatre on the Air, and his film Too Much Johnson. She also became friends with Welles, who later said that she was “one of the greatest comedians the world ever saw”.
Breakthrough Role and Film Career
Mary Wickes’s breakthrough role came in 1939, when she played Miss Preen, a harried nurse who had to deal with a cranky invalid played by Monty Woolley, in The Man Who Came to Dinner. The play was a huge hit on Broadway, and Wickes reprised her role in the 1942 film adaptation. The film also starred Bette Davis, with whom Wickes would work again in several other movies, such as Now, Voyager (1942), June Bride (1948), and The Decorator (1965).
Wickes continued to play supporting roles in films throughout the 1940s and 1950s, often as wisecracking characters who made sarcastic remarks at the expense of the leading characters. Some of her notable films from this period include Who Done It? (1942), with Abbott and Costello; On Moonlight Bay (1951) and By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953), with Doris Day; White Christmas (1954), with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye; The Trouble with Angels (1966) and Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows (1968), with Rosalind Russell; Postcards from the Edge (1990), with Meryl Streep; and Sister Act (1992) and Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993), with Whoopi Goldberg.
Television Career and Voice Work
Mary Wickes also had a prolific career on television, appearing in more than 60 shows from the 1950s to the 1990s. She worked with some of the most popular comedians of the time, such as Lucille Ball, Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Carol Burnett, Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, and Betty White. Some of her memorable TV roles include Mrs. Gurney on Dennis the Menace; Mrs. Gertrude Morgan on Temple Houston; Thelma on Julia; Maxfield on Doc; Marie Murkin on MAS*H; Mrs. Peddigrew on The Love Boat; Agatha Chumley on Murder, She Wrote; Aunt Iola Boylan on Columbo; Sister Clarissa on Father Dowling Mysteries; and Grandma Holt on Life Goes On.
Wickes also lent her distinctive voice to several animated characters in movies and TV shows. She voiced Laverne, one of the gargoyles who befriended Quasimodo in Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996). She also voiced Aunt March in Little Women (1994), an animated adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s novel. This was her last film role before she died.
Cause of Death and Legacy
Mary Wickes died on October 22, 1995, at the age of 85, in Los Angeles, California. The cause of her death was complications from surgery. She had undergone an operation to remove a large ovarian cyst, but developed pneumonia and kidney failure afterwards. She never recovered from the surgery, and passed away peacefully in her sleep.
She was buried at Shiloh Valley Cemetery in Shiloh, Illinois, near her hometown of St. Louis. She left behind a legacy of laughter and entertainment for generations of fans. She also left behind a generous donation of $2 million to Washington University, which established the Mary Wickes Endowed Professorship in the Performing Arts and the Mary Wickes Center for Film and Media Studies.
Mary Wickes was a remarkable actress who brought joy and humor to millions of people with her witty and sarcastic roles. She was a versatile and talented performer who worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood. She was a scene-stealer who always delivered memorable performances. She was a beloved actress who will always be remembered for her contribution to the film and television industry.
