Jessie Ralph


Jessie Ralph Patton, was an American stage and screen actress, best known for her matronly roles in many classic films.

Early life

Ralph was born in Gloucester, Massachusetts, in 1864, the 13th child of sailing captain James Chambers and his wife. She made her acting debut in stock theater in 1880, at age 16.

Career

Ralph made her Broadway debut in The Kreutzer Sonata and her final appearance on Broadway was in The Good Earth.
In 1915, Ralph debuted in two-reel films in New York, not arriving in Hollywood until 1933. She was nearly 70 then, so her parts were limited to matronly roles, but her ability to steal scenes captured the attention of moviegoers of the time.
Ralph's best-known roles include Nurse Pegotty in David Copperfield, Nanine, Greta Garbo's maid in Camille, as Myrna Loy's Aunt Katherine in After the Thin Man and as Mrs. Hermosillo Brunch, battle-axe mother-in-law to W.C. Fields in The Bank Dick. From 1933 to 1941, Ralph appeared in 55 films, 11 of them released during 1935.

Personal life

Ralph married actor William Patton on August 21, 1901 in Manhattan, New York. They remained married until his death. They had no children.

Death

Ralph retired from Hollywood in 1941 after having her leg amputated. She died in Gloucester, Massachusetts, on May 30, 1944, aged 79 and was interred in Mount Pleasant Cemetery.

Filmography