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Jessie Ralph

Jessie Ralph

Acting

Born November 4, 1864 — Died May 30, 1944 Gloucester, Massachusetts, USA

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.

TV Shows(1)

Movies(54)

They Met in Bombay

They Met in Bombay

Duchess of Beltravers

1941

The Lady from Cheyenne

The Lady from Cheyenne

Mrs. McGuinness

1941

The Bank Dick

The Bank Dick

Mrs. Hermisillo Brunch

1940

I Want a Divorce

I Want a Divorce

Grandma Brokaw

1940

The Girl from Avenue A

The Girl from Avenue A

Mrs. Van Dyne

1940

I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby

I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby

Mama McGann

1940

Star Dust

Star Dust

Aunt Martha Parker

1940

The Blue Bird

The Blue Bird

Fairy Berylune

1940

Drums Along the Mohawk

Drums Along the Mohawk

Mrs. Weaver

1939

Mickey the Kid

Mickey the Kid

Veronica Hudson

1939

The Kid From Texas

The Kid From Texas

Aunt Minetta

1939

Cafe Society

Cafe Society

Mrs. De Witt

1939

St. Louis Blues

St. Louis Blues

Aunt Tibbie

1939

Four Girls in White

Four Girls in White

Miss Tobias

1939

Port of Seven Seas

Port of Seven Seas

Honorine

1938

Hold That Kiss

Hold That Kiss

Aunt Lucy

1938

Love Is a Headache

Love Is a Headache

Sheriff Janet Winfield

1938

Double Wedding

Double Wedding

Mrs. Kensington-Bly

1937

The Romance of Celluloid

The Romance of Celluloid

Self

1937

The Good Earth

The Good Earth

Cuckoo

1937

The Last of Mrs. Cheyney

The Last of Mrs. Cheyney

The Duchess of Ebley

1937

Camille

Camille

Nanine

1936

After the Thin Man

After the Thin Man

Katherine Forrest

1936

Walking on Air

Walking on Air

Evelyn Bennett

1936

Bunker Bean

Bunker Bean

Grandmother

1936

San Francisco

San Francisco

Mrs. Maisie Burley

1936

The Unguarded Hour

The Unguarded Hour

Lady Agatha Hathaway

1936

Yellow Dust

Yellow Dust

Mrs. Brian

1936

Little Lord Fauntleroy

Little Lord Fauntleroy

Applewoman

1936

The Garden Murder Case

The Garden Murder Case

Mrs. Hammle

1936

Captain Blood

Captain Blood

Mrs. Barlow

1935

I Found Stella Parish

I Found Stella Parish

Nana

1935

Metropolitan

Metropolitan

Charwoman

1935

I Live My Life

I Live My Life

Mrs. O.H.B. Gage, Kay's Grandmother

1935

Jalna

Jalna

Gran Whiteoaks

1935

Paris in Spring

Paris in Spring

Countess de Charelle

1935

Mark of the Vampire

Mark of the Vampire

Midwife

1935

Les Misérables

Les Misérables

Madame Magloire

1935

Vanessa: Her Love Story

Vanessa: Her Love Story

Lady Mullion

1935

Enchanted April

Enchanted April

Mrs. Phoebe Fisher

1935

David Copperfield

David Copperfield

Clara Peggotty

1935

Evelyn Prentice

Evelyn Prentice

Mrs. Blake

1934

We Live Again

We Live Again

Matrona Pavlovna

1934

The Affairs of Cellini

The Affairs of Cellini

Beatrice

1934

One Night of Love

One Night of Love

Angelina

1934

Murder at the Vanities

Murder at the Vanities

Mrs. Helene Smith

1934

Coming Out Party

Coming Out Party

Nora

1934

Nana

Nana

Zoe

1934

Cocktail Hour

Cocktail Hour

Princess

1933

Ann Carver's Profession

Ann Carver's Profession

Terry

1933

Elmer, the Great

Elmer, the Great

Sarah Crosby (uncredited)

1933

Child of Manhattan

Child of Manhattan

Aunt Minnie

1933

Such a Little Queen

Such a Little Queen

Mary

1921

The Madonna of the Slums

The Madonna of the Slums

1919