Mary Elizabeth Patterson was a renowned southern-bred character actress, born on November 22, 1874, in Savannah, Tennessee. Despite her parents' objections, she began her acting career, which spanned over a century. Patterson's early life was marked by her education at Martin College, where she studied music, elocution, and English, as well as post-graduate work at Columbia Institute in Columbia, Tennessee.
Patterson's professional journey began with her membership in Chicago's Ben Greet Players, where she performed Shakespeare in the early 20th century. She then embarked on a decade-long stock tour before making her Broadway debut in the short-lived play "Everyman" in 1913.
Throughout her career, Patterson appeared in numerous Broadway productions, including "The Family Exit" (1917),"The Piper" (1920),"Magnolia" (1923),"The Book of Charm" (1925),"Spellbound" (1927),"Rope" (1928),"The Marriage Bed" (1929),"Her Master's Voice" (1933),"Yankee Point" (1942),"But Not Goodbye" (1944),and "His and Hers" (1954).
Patterson's transition to the screen came later in life, at the age of 51. She began with silent films, such as "The Boy Friend" (1926) and "The Return of Peter Grimm" (1926). She is best known for her portrayal of careworn ladies, including grannies, aunts, spinsters, gossips, teachers, frontier women, and other sweet-and-sour types.
Patterson added to the atmosphere of popular talking films, such as "The Cat Creeps" (1930),"Penrod and Sam" (1931),"A Bill of Divorcement" (1932),"Dinner at Eight" (1933),"Doctor Bull" (1933),"So Red the Rose" (1935),"High, Wide and Handsome" (1937),"Bulldog Drummond's Peril" (1938),"Anne of Windy Poplars" (1940),"The Cat and the Canary" (1939),"Remember the Night" (1939),"Tobacco Road" (1941),"Her Cardboard Lover" (1942),"I Married a Witch" (1942),"Hail the Conquering Hero" (1944),"Out of the Blue" (1947),"The Shocking Miss Pilgrim" (1947),"Little Women" (1949),"Intruder in the Dust" (1949),"Pal Joey" (1957),and "Tall Story" (1960).
In television, Patterson appeared on various anthology shows, including "Armstrong Circle Theatre," "Chevron Theatre," "Four Star Playhouse," "General Electric Theatre," and "Pulitzer Prize Playhouse." She also starred in regular shows like "The Adventures of Superman," "The Adventures of Jim Bowie," "77 Sunset Strip," and "Playhouse 90." Patterson became a familiar household face as Mrs. Trumbull, the elderly neighbor and part-time babysitter, on the popular TV series "I Love Lucy" (1951).
Mary Elizabeth Patterson lived at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel for her entire TV and film career and passed away on January 31, 1966, after contracting pneumonia at the age of 91. She was buried in a hometown cemetery.
