Mary Lou Price, also known as Lu Leonard, was a talented singer and actress who made a name for herself in offbeat comedy. Born on June 5, 1926, in Long Beach, California, Lu was an infant when she began touring with her vaudevillian parents. After her mother's death in 1939, Lu's father settled into Hollywood, finding small roles in westerns.
As a young singer and entertainer, Lu stuck with show business, eventually changing her stage name to Lu Leonard. She made her Broadway debut in "The Threepenny Opera" and went on to appear in several musicals, including "The Happiest Girl in the World," "The Gay Life," "Bravo Giovanni," and "Drat! The Cat."
Lu's on-camera performances began in the 1950s with appearances on "My Little Margie," "The Life of Riley," "The Red Skelton Hour," and "December Bride." She also played the wife of Larry in the comedy short "Husbands Beware" and had a bit part in the film "The Kettles in the Ozarks."
In the 1970s, Lu continued to work in TV, appearing in "Route 66," "Car 54, Where Are You?," "The Patty Duke Show," "The San Pedro Beach Bums," "Police Woman," and "Mork & Mindy." She returned to Broadway in 1976, playing a standby in "Something's Afoot."
Lu eventually settled back in Southern California, where she continued to work in TV and film. She had recurring roles in "Jake and the Fatman" and "Laverne & Shirley," and appeared in films such as "Annie," "Starman," "Micki + Maude," and "You Can't Hurry Love."
Lu's strongest fan base came from her offbeat L.A. stage performances, including her hatchet-faced prison matron in the 1983 revival of "Women Behind Bars." She became a steady fixture in local theater revues, musicals, and comedy shows.
In the 1990s, Lu continued to work in film and TV, appearing in "Circuitry Man," "A Climate for Killing," "Kuffs," "Made in America," and "Blank Check." She also had recurring roles in "Growing Pains," "Amen," "Uncle Buck," "Daddy Dearest," and "The Nanny."
Unfortunately, health problems, including diabetes, eventually forced Lu to retire in the mid-1990s. She moved to the Motion Picture Country Home in Woodland Hills, California, where she spent her remaining years. Lu passed away on May 14, 2004, at the age of 77, and a bench in the Roddy McDowall garden was dedicated in her memory.
