Thelma Ritter

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Thelma Ritter (February 14, 1905 – February 5, 1969) was an Oscar-nominated American character actress of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.

1 Early life
2 Career
3 Death
4 Selected filmography
5 Awards and nominations
6 External links

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Early life

Ritter was born in Brooklyn, New York. After appearing in high school plays and stock companies, she trained as an actress at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She followed a stage career until taking a hiatus to raise a family, then resumed her career on radio in the early 1940s.

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Career

Ritter's first movie role was in Miracle on 34th Street (1947), in which she made a memorable impression, in a brief part, as a frustrated mother unable to find the toy that Kris Kringle has promised to her son.

Throughout her career, Ritter was nominated for an Academy Award six times but never received one, although she did co-host the ceremony in 1954 with Bob Hope.

The diminuitive, gravelly-voiced Ritter gained great acclaim as a character actress, known for her ability for comic timing and one-liners.

She is perhaps best known today for her roles as James Stewart's nurse in Rear Window and as Bette Davis's devoted maid in All About Eve.

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Death

Shortly after a 1968 performance on The Jerry Lewis Show, Ritter suffered a heart attack which eventually proved fatal. She was 10 days shy of her 67th birthday.

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Selected filmography

Move Over Darling (1963)
How the West Was Won (1962)
Birdman of Alcatraz (1962)
The Misfits (1961)
Pillow Talk (1959)
Daddy Long Legs (1955)
Rear Window (1954)
Titanic (1953)
All About Eve (1950)
Miracle on 34th Street (1947) (uncredited)

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Awards and nominations

Academy Awards

Nominated Oscar Best Actress in a Supporting Role for: Birdman of Alcatraz (1962)
Nominated Oscar Best Actress in a Supporting Role for: Pillow Talk (1959)
Nominated Oscar Best Actress in a Supporting Role for: Pickup on South Street (1953)
Nominated Oscar Best Actress in a Supporting Role for: With a Song in My Heart (1952)
Nominated Oscar Best Actress in a Supporting Role for: The Mating Season (1951)
Nominated Oscar Best Actress in a Supporting Role for: All About Eve (1950)

(Having never actually won the award, she is tied with Deborah Kerr for the most nominations for a female actor for an acting award without winning. The record for all actors is shared between Peter O'Toole and Richard Burton with seven.)

Emmy Awards