JR
Jessie Ralph
Actor
Born November 4, 1864Died May 30, 1944 (79 years)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jessie Ralph (born Jessie Ralph Chambers, November 5, 1864 – May 30, 1944) was an American stage and screen actress, best known for her matronly roles in many classic motion pictures.
She was born in Gloucester, Massachusetts, in 1864. She made her acting debut in 1880, at the age of sixteen. She made it to Broadway, where George M. Cohan cast her in many of his musicals, but she also excelled at dramatic roles. Although she made her Hollywood debut in 1916, in a motion picture career that would eventually span 25 years, she only became a permanent Hollywood actress in 1933. She was nearly 70 at this time, so her roles were limited to matronly roles, but her expertise at stealing scenes captured the imagination of cinema-goers of the time. Her best-known roles are as Greta Garbo's maid in Camille, as W.C. Fields' battle-axe of a mother-in-law in The Bank Dick, as Myrna Loy's supercilious aunt Katherine in After the Thin Man, and as Nurse Peggotty in David Copperfield. She starred in 55 movies altogether, 52 between 1933 and 1941.
Jessie Ralph retired from Hollywood in 1941, after her leg was amputated. She died four years later in her home town of Gloucester at the age of 79. She was buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Gloucester, Massachusetts.
Jessie Ralph (born Jessie Ralph Chambers, November 5, 1864 – May 30, 1944) was an American stage and screen actress, best known for her matronly roles in many classic motion pictures.
She was born in Gloucester, Massachusetts, in 1864. She made her acting debut in 1880, at the age of sixteen. She made it to Broadway, where George M. Cohan cast her in many of his musicals, but she also excelled at dramatic roles. Although she made her Hollywood debut in 1916, in a motion picture career that would eventually span 25 years, she only became a permanent Hollywood actress in 1933. She was nearly 70 at this time, so her roles were limited to matronly roles, but her expertise at stealing scenes captured the imagination of cinema-goers of the time. Her best-known roles are as Greta Garbo's maid in Camille, as W.C. Fields' battle-axe of a mother-in-law in The Bank Dick, as Myrna Loy's supercilious aunt Katherine in After the Thin Man, and as Nurse Peggotty in David Copperfield. She starred in 55 movies altogether, 52 between 1933 and 1941.
Jessie Ralph retired from Hollywood in 1941, after her leg was amputated. She died four years later in her home town of Gloucester at the age of 79. She was buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Gloucester, Massachusetts.
Known For
Filmography
| 2005 | The Great Man: W.C. Fields · as Nurse Peggotty (clip From David Copperfield (1935)) |
| 1982 | Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter · as Actress - 'the Bank Dick' |
| 1941 | They Met in Bombay · as Duchess Of Beltravers |
| 1941 | The Lady from Cheyenne · as Mrs. Mcguinness |
| 1940 | The Bank Dick · as Mrs. Hermisillo Brunch |
| 1940 | I Want a Divorce · as Grandma Brokaw |
| 1940 | Star Dust · as Aunt Martha Parker |
| 1940 | The Blue Bird · as Fairy Berylune |
| 1939 | Drums Along the Mohawk · as Mrs. Weaver |
| 1939 | The Kid from Texas · as Aunt Minetta |
| 1939 | Cafe Society · as Mrs. De Witt |
| 1939 | St. Louis Blues · as Aunt Tibbie |
| 1939 | Four Girls in White · as Miss Tobias |
| 1938 | Port of Seven Seas · as Honorine |
| 1938 | Hold That Kiss · as Aunt Lucy |
| 1938 | Love Is a Headache · as Sheriff Janet Winfield |
| 1937 | Double Wedding · as Mrs. Kensington-Bly |
| 1937 | The Good Earth · as Cuckoo |
| 1937 | The Last of Mrs. Cheyney · as The Duchess Of Ebley |
| 1936 | Camille · as Nanine |
| 1936 | After the Thin Man · as Aunt Katherine Forrest |
| 1936 | Walking on Air · as Evelyn Bennett |
| 1936 | San Francisco · as Mrs. Maisie Burley |
| 1936 | Bunker Bean · as Grandmother |
| 1936 | The Unguarded Hour · as Lady Agatha Hathaway |
| 1936 | Yellow Dust · as Mrs. Brian |
| 1936 | Little Lord Fauntleroy · as Applewoman |
| 1936 | The Garden Murder Case · as Mrs. Hammle |
| 1935 | Captain Blood · as Mrs. Barlow |
| 1935 | I Found Stella Parish · as Nana |
| 1935 | Metropolitan · as Charwoman |
| 1935 | I Live My Life · as Mrs. O.h.b. Gage, Kay's Grandmother |
| 1935 | Jalna · as Gran Whiteoaks |
| 1935 | David Copperfield · as Clara Peggotty |
| 1935 | Paris in Spring · as Countess De Charelle |
| 1935 | Mark of the Vampire · as Midwife |
| 1935 | Les Misérables · as Madame Magloire |
| 1935 | Vanessa, Her Love Story · as Lady Mullion |
| 1935 | Enchanted April · as Mrs. Phoebe Fisher |
| 1934 | Evelyn Prentice · as Mrs. Blake |
| 1934 | We Live Again · as Matrona Pavlovna |
| 1934 | One Night of Love · as Angelina |
| 1934 | The Affairs of Cellini · as Beatrice |
| 1934 | Murder at the Vanities · as Mrs. Helene Smith |
| 1934 | Coming Out Party · as Nora |
| 1934 | Nana · as Zoe |
| 1933 | Ann Carver's Profession · as Terry |
| 1933 | Cocktail Hour · as Princess |
| 1933 | Elmer, the Great · as Sarah Crosby (uncredited) |
| 1933 | Child of Manhattan · as Aunt Minnie |
| 1921 | Such a Little Queen · as Mary |