Mary Gordon (actress)
Mary Gordon was a Scottish actress who mainly played housekeepers and mothers, most notably the landlady Mrs. Hudson in the Sherlock Holmes series of movies of the 1940s starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. Her body of work included nearly 300 films between 1925 and 1950.
Early life
Gordon was born on 16 May 1882 in Glasgow, Scotland, the fifth of seven children of Mary and Robert Gilmour, a wire weaver. She worked as a dressmaker before finding work on the stage. She became a concert singer when she was 17 years old, but she left that career behind when she married. After her husband died during World War I she opened a boarding house to support her mother, her baby daughter, and herself. Joining a company bound for an American tour, she came to the U.S. in her twenties, apparently making a few appearances on Broadway in small roles, but primarily touring in stock companies. Gordon came to the United States with her mother and daughter soon after World War I ended. After working three months as a waitress in the Robertson-Cole Studios, she became the cook there. She had bit parts in films and coached Katharine Hepburn on using a Scottish dialect for the film The Little Minister.
Career
With her mother and daughter, she arrived in Los Angeles in the mid-1920s and began playing variations on the roles she would spend her career on. She became friends with John Ford while making Hangman's House in 1928 and made seven more films with him. In 1939, she took on her best-remembered role as Sherlock Holmes' landlady, Mrs. Hudson, and played the role in ten films and numerous radio plays. She was a charter member of the Hollywood Canteen, entertaining servicemen throughout the Second World War. On the radio show Those We Love, she played the regular role of Mrs. Emmett.
She entered retirement just as television reshaped the entertainment industry, making only a single appearance in that medium.
She was active in the Daughters of Scotia auxiliary of the Order of Scottish Clans.
She lived out her final years in Pasadena, California with her daughter and grandson. She died at age 81 on 23 August 1963 in Pasadena after a long illness.
Selected filmography
The Dome Doctor - Woman with Long Hair The Home Maker - Mrs. HennessyTessie - Aunt MaggieOne of the Bravest - Tenement Boy's MotherThe People vs. Nancy Preston - Mrs. TifftLights of Old Broadway - Minor Role Black Paradise - Mrs. MurphyThe Dixie Flyer - Mrs. ClancyNaughty Nanette - Mrs. RooneyThe Claw - Bit Annie Laurie - First Midwife Clancy's Kosher Wedding - Molly ClancyLittle Mickey Grogan - Kind Landlady The Matinee Idol - Woman in Audience Hangman's House - The Woman at Hogan's Hideout Our Dancing Daughters - Scrubwoman The Ol' Gray Hoss - First taxi passengerThe Old Code - Mary MacGregrThe Black Watch - Sandy's Wife Madame X - Nursemaid Is Everybody Happy? - Neighbor The Saturday Night Kid - Reducing customer The Sky Hawk - Mary, the Maid Dynamite - Neighbor at Store Sunny Side Up - Grocery Shopper Hell's Heroes - Choir Member Seven Days' Leave - Bit The Duke of Dublin His Honor the Mayor When the Wind Blows - Chubby's Mother Las Fantasmas - Chubby's MamaRoaring Ranch - Mrs. O'Riley Let Us Be Gay - Mrs. McIntyre Our Blushing Brides - Mrs. Mannix - Tenement Woman Manslaughter - Cook Song o' My Heart - Irish Woman Anybody's Woman - Dance with Me Oh, For a Man! - Stage Door Admirer with Violets Unfaithful - Bit Subway Express - Mrs. DelaneyAlways Goodbye - Mrs. MacPherson, Moviegoer The Black Camel - Mrs. MacMastersThe Brat - Angry Wife in Night Court Waterloo Bridge - Distraught Woman on Stairway 24 Hours - Nurse Possessed - Woman at Political Rally Frankenstein - Mourner Models and Wives A House Divided - Townswoman Ladies of the Big House - Inmate Delicious - Dancer A Fool's Advice - Woman at Rally Texas Cyclone - KatieThe Impatient Maiden - Irish Neighbor The Expert - Neighbor The Big Timer - 2nd Job Seeker Dancers in the Dark - Cleaning Lady Devil's Lottery - Inquest Onlooker Scandal for Sale - Hotel Resident The Trial of Vivienne Ware - Court Matron Radio Patrol - Landlady Beauty Parlor - Landlady Almost Married - Cook70,000 Witnesses - Scrubwoman Blonde Venus - Landlady Pack Up Your Troubles - Mrs. MacTavish Wild Girl - Washerwoman Call Her Savage - Lady in Tenement Laughter in Hell - Townswoman She Done Him Wrong - Cleaning Lady Her Splendid Folly - Mrs. ClanceyLadies They Talk About - Prisoner in Visiting Room Men Must Fight - Pacifist Audience Member Nature in the Wrong - Mrs. Clancy Sweepings - Mrs. Patrick O'Leary The Whirlwind - Mrs. CurtisThe Kiss Before the Mirror - Scrubwoman Pilgrimage - Mrs. MacGregor The Power and the Glory - Nurse Doctor Bull - Townswoman at Meeting Brief Moment - Cook Footlight Parade - Wardrobe Woman on Bus My Woman - Woman at Ironing Board Meet the Baron - Washer Woman Broadway Through a Keyhole - Cleaning Woman The Invisible Man - Screaming Woman Design for Living - Theatre Chambermaid The World Changes - Lady at Party Beloved - Mrs. O'LearyThe Woman Condemned - Crying Woman at Night Court Voice in the Night - Woman on Phone in Montage Manhattan Melodrama - Boat Passenger Change of Heart - Woman in Street Murder at the Vanities - Assistant Wardrobe Woman The Loudspeaker - Landlady The Most Precious Thing in Life - Washerwoman A Man's Game - Landlady The World Moves On - English Soldier's Mother Baby Take a Bow - Mrs. O'Brien Cross Streets - Sonny's MotherWhom the Gods Destroy - Newfoundlander The Defense Rests - Scrub Woman I Give My Love - Marie Our Daily Bread - Community Woman in Cottage One More River - Cook The Man from Hell - Mrs. Frank McCarrol Charlie Chan in London - Prison Visitor Flirtation - Woman on a Window The Little Minister - NannyI'm a Father - NeighborVanessa: Her Love Story - Mrs. LeathwaiteBride of Frankenstein - Hans' WifeVagabond Lady - Myrtle - Cleaning Lady $10 Raise - Landlady Ginger - Mrs. Monohan The Irish in Us - Ma O'HaraBonnie Scotland - Mrs. BickerdikeWaterfront Lady - Mrs. O'FlahertyMetropolitan - Mrs. Tolentino Mutiny on the Bounty - Peddler The Lady Consents - Apple Lady Little Lord Fauntleroy - Farmer's Wife on Way to Church Laughing Irish Eyes - Mrs. O'KeefeShare the Wealth - Ma MacClydeForgotten Faces - Mrs. O'LearyLittle Miss Nobody - Mrs. Biddle The White Angel - Nursing Applicant Mary of Scotland - NurseYellowstone - Mrs. McDougall Stage Struck - Mrs. CassidyThe Plot Thickens - Woman with Bag After the Thin Man - Rose The Plough and the Stars - Woman at BarricadesGreat Guy - Mrs. OgilvieThe Great O'Malley - Mrs. O'MalleyNancy Steele Is Missing! - Mrs. Watson - Landlady Her Husband Lies - Mrs. Jenks Racketeers in Exile - Irish Woman Way Out West - Cook That I May Live - Mrs. Healy Pick A Star - Mrs. Watts - Undertaker's Wife The Man in Blue - Woman Married Before Breakfast - Mrs. Nevins One Man Justice - BridgetMeet the Boyfriend - Mrs. GrimesThe Toast of New York - Mrs. Callahan - Charwoman You Can't Have Everything - Y.W.C.A. Scrub Woman Souls at Sea - Cook Double Wedding - Mrs. KeoughA Damsel in Distress - Cook You're Only Young Once - Mary's Mother Mannequin - Mrs. O'Rourke Lady Behave! - CookFriend Indeed - HousekeeperKidnapped - Mrs. MacDonaldBlond Cheat - Maggie - the Charwoman City Streets - Mrs. DevlinGateway - Scottish Mother Campus Confessions - Mrs. Twill Vacation from Love - Maggie, the Cook Angels with Dirty Faces - Mrs. Patrick McGee Thanks for Everything - Maggie, Irish Woman Off the Record - Mrs. Finnegan Wings of the Navy - Irene's Housekeeper Tail Spin - Mrs. LeeThe Hound of the Baskervilles - Mrs. HudsonBroadway Serenade - Annie Code of the Streets - Mrs. Flaherty Tell No Tales - Mrs. Bryant Racketeers of the Range - Mary - Benson's Housekeeper Captain Fury - Mrs. BaileyThe Jones Family in Hollywood - Landlady She Married a Cop - Ma DuffyThe Story That Couldn't Be Printed - Woman Reading Newspaper The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Mrs. HudsonParents on Trial - MarthaThe Escape - Neighbor Mr. Smith Goes to Washington - Woman The Marshal of Mesa City - Mrs. DudleyRulers of the Sea - Mrs. Ogilvie Day-Time Wife - Scrubwoman The Night of Nights - Mrs. O'Leary Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President - 1st Pencil Woman My Son Is Guilty - Mrs. Montabelli The Invisible Man Returns - Cookie, the Cook Women Without Names - Juror My Son, My Son! - Mrs. MulvaneySaps at Sea - Mrs. O'Riley Tear Gas Squad - Mrs. SullivanI Take This Oath - Mrs. Eileen HanaganBrother Orchid - Mrs. Sweeney - Flo's Landlady The Last Alarm - Mrs. HadleyThe Man Who Talked Too Much - Mrs. Dunn Queen of the Mob - Tenement LandladyWhen the Daltons Rode - Ma DaltonYoung People - Old Woman Public Deb No. 1 - Landlady Nobody's Children - MaryGo West - Train Passenger No, No, Nanette - Gertrude, the CookKitty Foyle - First Charwoman The Invisible Woman - Mrs. BatesFlight from Destiny - MarthaPot o' Gold - Ma McCorkleDouble Cross - Mrs. MurrayUnfinished Business - Miss Brady Unexpected Uncle - Mrs. Mason It Started with Eve - Mrs. O'Toole - Cleaning Lady How Green Was My Valley - Gossiper Appointment for Love - MarthaBorrowed Hero - Mrs. RileyRiot Squad - Mrs. McGonigleSealed Lips - Mrs. Ann Morton Blue, White and Perfect - Mrs. Flaherty - Mike's Landlady Bombay Clipper - Abigail 'Mag' MacPhersonFly-by-Night - Ma PrescottThe Strange Case of Doctor Rx - Mrs. Scott Dr. Broadway - Broadway CarrieMeet the Stewarts - Mrs. StewartIt Happened in Flatbush - Mrs. CollinsPowder Town - Mrs. DouglasThe Pride of the Yankees - Maid Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror - Mrs. Hudson Halfway to Shanghai - Mrs. McIntyreThe Mummy's Tomb - Jane BanningGentleman Jim - Mrs. Casey The Boss of Big Town - Mrs. LaneSherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon - Mrs. HudsonForever and a Day - Woman in Air Raid Shelter Sherlock Holmes in Washington - Mrs. Hudson Keep 'Em Slugging - Mrs. BanningSarong Girl - MattieTwo Tickets to London - Mrs. TinkleSherlock Holmes Faces Death - Mrs. Hudson Here Comes Kelly - Mrs. KellySweet Rosie O'Grady - Charwoman You're a Lucky Fellow, Mr. Smith - Woman The Spider Woman - Mrs. HudsonSmart Guy - MaggieWhispering Footsteps - Ma MurphyThe Racket Man - Ma Duffy Ladies Courageous - Old Lady Million Dollar Kid - Mrs. McGinnisHat Check Honey - JennieThe Hour Before the Dawn - Annie Follow the Leader - Mrs. McGinnis Secrets of Scotland Yard - Libby the Housekeeper Secret Command - Mrs. McKenzie The Pearl of Death - Mrs. HudsonEver Since Venus - Mrs. Murphy National Barn Dance - Mrs. Owen The Last Ride - Mrs. Mary KellyIrish Eyes Are Smiling - Irish Woman Hollywood Canteen - Hostess Music for Millions - Hotel Proprietress Eadie Was a Lady - Old Lady The Body Snatcher - Mrs. Mary McBride It's a Pleasure - Tenement Woman See My Lawyer - Mrs. FillmoreThe Woman in Green - Mrs. HudsonCaptain Eddie - Mrs. WestromPride of the Marines - Lady at Bus Stop Divorce - EllenStrange Confession - Mrs. O'ConnorKitty - NannyLittle Giant - Ma MillerSentimental Journey - Agnes The Hoodlum Saint - TrinaDressed to Kill - Mrs. HudsonIn Fast Company - Mrs. CassidyShadows Over Chinatown - Mrs. ConoverThe Dark Horse - Mrs. Mahoney Sing While You Dance - Mom HendersonSister Kenny - Mrs. Gordon Singin' in the Corn - Mrs. O'RourkeStallion Road - Mrs. Ford, Purcell's Housekeeper The Long Night - Old Lady in Crowd The Secret Life of Walter Mitty - Mother Machree Exposed - Miss KeetsThe Invisible Wall - Mrs. BledsoeRoses Are Red - Scrubwoman The Judge Steps Out - Annie, the Scrub Woman Angels' Alley - Mrs. Mamie MahoneyFort Apache - Ma Big Town Scandal - Mary - Cleaning Woman The Vicious Circle - Mrs. Hogan The Strange Mrs. Crane - NoraHills of Home - Mrs. Burnbrae Kidnapped - Scottish Woman The Dark Past - Passenger on Bus Highway 13 - Aunt Myrt LacyShamrock Hill - Grandma RoganTucson - Housemother Mighty Joe Young - Old Woman Mr. Soft Touch - Slatternly Woman Tenant Haunted Trails - Aunt LibbyDeputy Marshall - Mrs. LanceChallenge to Lassie - Tenement Neighbor The File on Thelma Jordon - Charwoman West of Wyoming - Nora Jones