Here is the biography of Mary Wickes:
Mary Isabelle Wickenhauser, born on June 13, 1910, in St. Louis, Missouri, was a talented character comedienne who spent over six decades in the entertainment industry. She was the daughter of a well-to-do banker and grew up with Irish and German heritage. After graduating from Washington University in St. Louis with a degree in political science, she forsook a law career to pursue theater, making her debut in summer stock in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
Encouraged by stage legend Ina Claire, Wickes transported herself to New York, where she quickly earned a walk-on part in the Broadway play "The Farmer Takes a Wife" starring Henry Fonda in 1934. She went on to understudy Margaret Hamilton in "The Wizard of Oz" and earned excellent reviews when she went on in the part. Wickes continued to work on Broadway, garnering roles in various productions, including "Spring Dance," "Stage Door," "Hitch Your Wagon," "Father Malachy's Miracle," and Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre production of "Danton's Death."
Her big break came when she played Miss Preen, the beleaguered nurse to a wheelchair-bound radio star, in the George S. Kaufman/Moss Hart comedy "The Man Who Came to Dinner." The play was a huge success, and Wickes went on tour with it. She also became a Kaufman favorite, and Hollywood took notice, casting her in the film adaptation of the play, "The Man Who Came to Dinner" (1941),alongside Bette Davis and Ann Sheridan.
Wickes continued to work in Hollywood, appearing in films such as "Now, Voyager" (1942),"Who Done It?" (1942),"Private Buckaroo" (1942),"Happy Land" (1943),"My Kingdom for a Cook" (1943),"The Decision of Christopher Blake" (1948),"June Bride" (1948),"On Moonlight Bay" (1951),"By the Light of the Silvery Moon" (1953),"I'll See You in My Dreams" (1951),"White Christmas" (1954),and "The Music Man" (1962).
In television, Wickes played second banana to a queue of comedy legends, including Lucille Ball, Danny Thomas, Red Skelton, Bob Hope, Jack Benny, Jimmy Durante, Peter Lind Hayes, and Gertrude Berg. She received an Emmy nomination for her work on "The Gertrude Berg Show" (1961) and may be best remembered as Miss Cathcart in "Dennis the Menace" (1959).
In later years, Wickes continued to appear on television and in films, including "The Trouble with Angels" (1966) and its sequel, "Where Angels Go Trouble Follows!" (1968),both with Rosalind Russell, and "Sister Act" (1992) and its sequel, "Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit" (1993). She also appeared in "Postcards from the Edge" (1990) and "Little Women" (1994). True to form, Wickes' final role was voicing the gargoyle "Laverne" in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1996),which was released after her death.
Mary Wickes passed away in 1995 at the age of 85, leaving behind a legacy of memorable performances and a career that spanned over six decades.
