By Raquel Stecher
Character actress Mary Wickes had a passion for performance. In his biography Mary Wickes: I Know I’ve Seen That Face Before, author Steve Taravella writes: “Singularly devoted to her craft, Mary was happiest when at work.”
Born in 1910, Mary Wickes fell in love with acting as a teenager living in St. Louis, Missouri. Wickes had great comedic timing, an imposing presence, and always stood out even when relegated to small or bit parts. She was tall, had a severe underbite, and lacked the looks necessary to be a leading lady. However, she made do with what she had; instead of being a romantic leading lady, she became a scene-stealing supporting player.
Wickes developed her craft over the years and found success in the theater, her greatest love. She also adapted to the changing industry and found continued success in radio, film, and television. From those early teenage years up until she died in 1995, Wickes was always looking for her next acting project. While the theater was her greatest love, she was willing to try any medium. Wickes developed a repertoire of performances as nuns, spinsters, maids, nurses, landladies, and a variety of uppity or high-strung characters. She performed these parts with great professionalism and attention to detail. Wickes was as prim and proper in real life as were the many characters she played. Not only did her roles define her, but she also defined them in return.
You might not recognize her name, but you’ll recognize her face. The first time I ever saw Mary Wickes was in two separate episodes of my favorite children’s television show, Punky Brewster. She also made an impact on me with her performances Sister Mary Lazarus in the Sister Act films and as Aunt March in Little Women (1994).
Wickes appeared in almost 50 films and over 90 television programs throughout her career. While she never became as famous as her best friend and fellow comedic actress Lucille Ball, she did make her mark in the industry. Wickes was the first actress to play Mary Poppins (yes, THAT Mary Poppins!) and she was the live model inspiration behind Cruella de Vil in 101 Dalmatians (1961).
Always hungry for work, Wickes advocated for herself. According to Steve Taravella, she would constantly write letters to producers, audition for parts, switch agents if she felt they weren’t doing their job representing her, and was constantly fighting for better billing. Wickes overcame many struggles, including limitations due to her appearance, typecasting, and a particularly tough bout with breast cancer. But she continued to find those roles where she could play those cantankerous yet lovable characters that defined her career.
Want to watch the late great Mary Wickes in action? Here are some of her films available to rent on DVD Netflix.
Raquel Stecher has been writing about classic films for the past decade on her blog Out of the Past. She attends the TCM Classic Film Festival as well as other events where old movie fanatics get together to geek out. Raquel has been a devoted DVD Netflix member since 2002! Follow her on her blog Out of the Past or find her on Twitter @RaquelStecher and @ClassicFilmRead, Facebook, and Instagram.