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Mary Treen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mary Treen
Treen in 1938
Born
Mary Louise Summers

(1907-03-27)March 27, 1907
DiedJuly 20, 1989(1989-07-20)(aged 82)
OccupationActress
Years active1930–1983
Spouse
Herbert C. Pearson
(m.1944; died 1965)
FamilyMort Mills(cousin)

Mary Treen(bornMary Louise Summers;March 27, 1907[citation needed]– July 20, 1989) was an American film and television actress. A minor actress for much of her career, she managed to secure a plain, unassuming niche for herself in dozens of movies and television shows in aHollywoodcareer spanning four decades, from 1930 to 1981.

Early years

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Treen was the daughter of attorney Don C. Summers and actress Helene Sullivan Summers. In 1908, when she was 11 months old, her mother sued her father for divorce on the grounds that he failed to provide for her.[1]Her father died while she was an infant. She was reared inCaliforniaby her mother and stepfather, a physician. She attendedWestlake School for Girlsand, later, a convent school where she tried out successfully in school plays. She was aRoman Catholic.[2]

Career

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During her career, Treen was seen in over 40 films.[3]Among her film roles were Tilly, the secretary of the Building and Loan, inFrank Capra'sIt's a Wonderful Life(1946) starringJames Stewart,and the role of Pat in the dramaKitty Foyle(1940) starringGinger Rogers.

In the1954–1955 season,Treen appeared in 38 episodes as Emily Dodger on the CBSsituation comedyWilly.[4]

Her longest-running role was as Hilda, the maid and baby nurse in 64 episodes of theNBCandCBSsitcomThe Joey Bishop Showfrom 1962 to 1965.[citation needed]

Treen was aRepublicanwho supported the campaign ofDwight Eisenhowerduring the1952 presidential election.[5]

Death

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Treen died of cancer at her home inNewport Beach, California,on July 20, 1989, at age 82. Her only survivors were cousins,[6]including actorMort Mills.[citation needed]

Partial filmography

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Treen inDanger on Wheels(1940)
Roscoe Karnsand Treen inThe Navy Way(1944)
Will Osborneand Treen inSwing Parade of 1946(1946)
Treen in TV seriesBonanza1961 episode "The Spitfire"

Television

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References

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  1. ^"Mrs. Summers, Now on Stage, Wants Divorce".St. Louis Post-Dispatch.November 21, 1908. p. 2.RetrievedFebruary 2,2016– viaNewspapers.com.
  2. ^Morning News,January 10, 1948,Who Was Who in America(Vol. 2).[full citation needed]
  3. ^"Mary Treen, Actress, 82".The New York Times.July 22, 1989.RetrievedFebruary 3,2016.
  4. ^McNeil, Alex,Total Television: The Comprehensive Guide to Programming From 1948 to the Present, Fourth Edition,New York: Penguin Books, 1996,ISBN0 14 02 4916 8,p. 916.
  5. ^Motion Picture and Television Magazine,November 1952, page 34, Ideal Publishers
  6. ^"Mary Treen, actress, dead at 82".The Ledger.Lakeland, Florida.July 21, 1989. p. 2A.RetrievedFebruary 3,2016.
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