Born Mary Tomlinson in Acton, IN. Salty, crusty character player of numerous Hollywood films; notorious as a devastating scene stealer. A minister's daughter, she joined a local stock company as a youngster, changing her name to save her family embarrassment. She later appeared in vaudeville and on the legitimate stage, making her Broadway debut in 1916. She began playing in films in 1932 and after repeating her stage role in the movie version of DEAD END (1937), in which she played Humphrey Bogart's mother, she was typecast for a while in dramatic slum mother parts. But it was as a comedienne that she rose to popularity at MGM in the 1940s as the frequent screen partner of Wallace Beery. After her success in the role of a raucous rural lady in THE EGG AND I (1947) she co-starred with Percy Kilbride in nine spin-off films, the "Ma and Pa Kettle" series. She retired from the screen in 1957. Visit the Internet Movie Database to view her extensive film and television credits.  Nominated for Supporting Actress 1947: THE EGG AND I 1 nomination