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Jessie Ralph
American actress (1864–1944) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Jessie Ralph Patton (née Chambers; November 5, 1864[citation needed] – May 30, 1944), was an American stage and screen actress, best known for her matronly roles in many classic films.
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Early life
Jessie Ralph Chambers was the 13th child born to sailing captain James Chambers and his wife.[1] Born in Gloucester, Massachusetts in 1864, she made her acting debut in stock theater in 1880, at age 16.[2]
Career
Ralph made her Broadway debut in The Kreutzer Sonata (1906) and her final appearance on Broadway was in The Good Earth (1932).[3]
In 1915, Ralph debuted in two-reel films in New York, not arriving in Hollywood until 1933.[2] She was nearly 70 then, so her parts were limited to matronly roles, but her ability to steal scenes captured the attention of moviegoers of the time.[citation needed]
Ralph's best-known roles include Nurse Pegotty in David Copperfield (1935), Nanine, Greta Garbo's maid in Camille (1936), as Myrna Loy's Aunt Katherine (in a state of permanent high dudgeon) in After the Thin Man (1936) and as Mrs. Hermosillo Brunch, battle-axe mother-in-law to W.C. Fields in The Bank Dick (1940). From 1933 to 1941, Ralph appeared in 55 films, 11 of them released during 1935.
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Personal life
Ralph married actor William Patton on August 21, 1901 in Manhattan, New York.[4] They remained married until his death.[5] They had no children.[1]
Death
Ralph retired from Hollywood in 1941 after having her leg amputated.[2] She died in Gloucester, Massachusetts, on May 30, 1944, aged 79[1] and was interred in Mount Pleasant Cemetery. [citation needed]
Filmography
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References
External links
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