Shirley Mitchell
Shirley Mitchell | |
---|---|
Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery, Los Angeles, California | |
Alma mater | University of Toledo University of Michigan |
Occupation(s) | Radio, film, and television actress |
Height | 5 ft 3 in (160 cm) |
Spouse(s) | Julian Frieden (1946–1974; divorced; 2 children) Jay Livingston (1992–2001; his death) |
Shirley J. Mitchell (November 4, 1919 – November 11, 2013) was an American radio, film, and television actress.
Early life
Mitchell was born in Toledo, Ohio, the daughter of Sam Mitchell & Mary Ann Daniels,[2] Jews who emigrated to America to escape the Russian Civil War. She also had a younger brother, Dr. Marvin Mitchell of Watertown, Massachusetts, with whom she was raised in Toledo, Ohio.
Career
Following a move to Chicago, Mitchell appeared in the network broadcast of The First Nighter Program and played small parts in various soap operas, including The Story of Mary Marlin and The Road of Life. After she moved to Los Angeles, she played opposite Joan Davis and Jack Haley in The Sealtest Village Store. She also starred as Louella in The Life of Riley and joined the cast of Fibber McGee and Molly as Alice Darling in 1943. She also played in Amos & Andy and The Charlotte Greenwood Show.[3]
Her most prominent radio role was that of the charismatic Southern belle Leila Ransom on
In the late 1950s she appeared twice on
In 1962, she played Janet Colton in 13 episodes of the sitcom Pete and Gladys, starring Harry Morgan and Cara Williams, with Peter Leeds cast as her husband George Colton. Between 1963 and 1965, she made five appearances on Perry Mason, including the 1965 episode "The Case of the Carefree Coronary," when she played Marilyn David, the widow of a murder victim. In 1964, she played the role of murder victim Elizabeth Bain, although her character was only heard, not seen, in "The Case of the Woeful Widower."
From 1965 to 1967, she appeared as neighbor Marge Thornton on
In the late 1970s, Mitchell appeared with Don Porter in an episode of Three's Company.
Personal life
She became engaged to Dr. Julian H. Frieden by early October 1946, holding her engagement shower at the home of singer Dinah Shore.[2] They married on November 23, 1946.[7]
By August 1955, they had two children, a girl (Brooke) and a boy (Scott).[8] Mitchell and Frieden divorced in August 1974. In 1992, she married songwriter Jay Livingston, and the two remained married until his death in 2001.
Mitchell died of heart failure on November 11, 2013, aged 94.[4]
Partial filmography
- Jamboree (1944) as Alice Darling
- The Clown (1953) as Mrs. Blotto (uncredited)
- Spring Reunion (1957) as Jane the Receptionist (uncredited)
- Desk Set (1957) as Myra Smithers (uncredited)
- Too Much, Too Soon (1958) as Mrs. Magda Snow (uncredited)
- Because They're Young (1960) as Mrs. Summers (uncredited)
- My Blood Runs Cold (1965) as Mrs. Courtland
- The Roman Holidays (1972) as voice of Laurie Holiday
- Emergency! (1975) S5EP8 as Mrs. Larson
- Summer Camp Nightmare (1987) as Mrs. Knute
- Big Business (1988) as Stockholder
- The War of the Roses (1989) as Mrs. Dewitt
- MAD (2012) as Betty White (1 episode)
References
- ^ "I Love Lucy actress Shirley Mitchell dies". BBC News. 14 November 2013.
- ^ Toledo Blade. October 3, 1946. p. 18. Retrieved 2013-11-13.
- ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
- ^ a b Barnes, Mike (November 13, 2013). "'I Love Lucy' Actress Shirley Mitchell Dies at 94". The Hollywood Reporter.
- The Press-Courier/Press-Courier TV Week. Oxnard, California. January 30, 1966. p. 3. Retrieved 2013-11-13.
- ^ stefaniepowersonline.com The Feather and Father Gang
- ^ "Shirley Mitchell: CBS' 'Leave It to Joan'". The Sherbrooke Telegram. Sherbrooke, Quebec. February 2, 1950. p. 3. Retrieved 2013-11-13.
- Toledo Blade. Retrieved 2013-11-13.
It's a boy for Dr. and Mrs. Julian H. Frieden of Hollywood. Mrs. Frieden is Toledo's Shirley Mitchell, well known television and radio actress. She already is the proud mother of a daughter.
External links
- Shirley Mitchell at IMDb
- "Paid Notice: Deaths: Frieden, Dr. Julian". The New York Times. October 12, 2003. Retrieved 2013-11-13.
- Servo, Richard (October 18, 2001). "Jay Livingston, 86, Who Wrote Hit Songs With Ray Evans for the Movies, Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-11-15.
- Shirley Mitchell at Find a Grave