Doro Merande (born Dora Matthews, March 31, 1892 – November 1, 1975) was an American actress who appeared in film, theater, and television.

Early years

Born in Columbus, Kansas, as Dora Matthews, she was the daughter of a minister. At age 18, while living with her family in Kansas City, Missouri, she worked as a music teacher. She later headed to New York City to become an actress.

Stage actress

Merande found her first part in a small summer company in Massachusetts. She coveted Broadway parts during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

. Her career began with the Jules Levanthal Company. She appeared on Broadway using her birth name in ''That Ferguson Family'' (1928) and ''Montmartreas'' (1922). Her first Broadway appearance as Doro Merande was as "Sophie Tuttle" in ''Loose Moments'' in 1935. Soon she was cast in ''One Good Year'', ''Red Harvest'', and ''Angel Island''. Her first major stage role was playing the gossip in '' Our Town'' by Thornton Wilder repeating her performance in the 1940 film. Merande later appeared with Leo G. Carroll in ''Lo and Behold'', ''The Rat Race'' with

Betty Field Betty Field (February 8, 1916 – September 13, 1973) was an American film and stage actress. Early years Field was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to George and Katharine (née Lynch) Field. She began acting before she reached age 15, and went ...

, and in ''The Silver Whistle'', with Jose Ferrer. She performed with

Clifton Webb Webb Parmelee Hollenbeck (November 19, 1889 – October 13, 1966), known professionally as Clifton Webb, was an American actor, singer, and dancer. He worked extensively and was known for his stage appearances in the plays of Noël Coward, i ...

(in ''Mr. Belvedere Rings The Bell''), Walter Huston (in ''Apple of His Eye''), and Franchot Tone (in ''Hope for Your Best''). Her final Broadway appearance was in the 1969 revival of '' The Front Page,'' in which she portrayed the cleaning woman, as she later also did in the 1970 television and the

1974 film The year 1974 in film involved some significant events. Highest-grossing films (U.S.) The top ten 1974 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows: Events *February 7 – ''Blazing Saddles'' is released in the United ...

version. The 1974 film version was her final appearance; she was directed by

Billy Wilder Billy Wilder (; ; born Samuel Wilder; June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an Austrian-American filmmaker. His career in Hollywood spanned five decades, and he is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Classic Holly ...

, with whom she had previously worked in the films ''

The Seven Year Itch ''The Seven Year Itch'' is a 1955 American romantic comedy film directed by Billy Wilder, from a screenplay he co-wrote with George Axelrod from the 1952 three-act play. The film stars Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell, who reprised his stage rol ...

'' (1955) and ''

Kiss Me, Stupid ''Kiss Me, Stupid'' is a 1964 American sex comedy film produced and directed by Billy Wilder and starring Dean Martin, Kim Novak, and Ray Walston. The screenplay by Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond is based on the play ''L'ora della fantasia'' (' ...

'' (1964).

Filmography

Merande appeared onscreen in bit parts starting in the early 1930s and had her first substantial role in 1940, reprising her role as the gossip in the film adaptation of '' Our Town''.

Films

* '' Interference'' (1928) - Deborah's Maid (uncredited) * '' Personal Maid'' (1931) - Mrs. Wurtz's Maid (uncredited) * '' Wayward'' (1932) - Maid (uncredited) * '' State Fair'' (1933) - Mrs. Metcalfe's Acquaintance at Food Contest (uncredited) * ''

Bondage Bondage may refer to: Restraints *Physical restraints **Bondage (BDSM) Bondage in the BDSM subculture, is the practice of consensually tying, binding, or restraining a partner for erotic, aesthetic, or somatosensory stimulation. A partn ...

'' (1933) - Boarding House Matron (uncredited) * ''

Zoo in Budapest ''Zoo in Budapest'' is a 1933 American Pre-Code romance/melodrama film directed by Rowland V. Lee and starring Loretta Young, Gene Raymond, O.P. Heggie, and Paul Fix. Gene Raymond, playing Zani, a young, mischievous man who has grown up only aro ...

'' (1933) - Miss Fennock - Orphanage Assistant (uncredited) * ''

Moonlight and Pretzels ''Moonlight and Pretzels'' is a 1933 American Pre-Code musical film, directed by Karl Freund, about a man who puts on a Broadway show. The film was released by Universal Studios and featured Mary Brian and William Frawley, now best-known as "Fre ...

'' (1933) - Hymn-singing Lady (uncredited) * '' Navy Wife'' (1935) - Nurse Sharpe (uncredited) * '' Bad Boy'' (1935) - Mrs. Jackson (uncredited) * '' The Star Maker'' (1939) - Gerry Society Woman * '' Our Town'' (1940) - Mrs. Soames * '' The Snake Pit'' (1948) - Inmate, First Lady of the Land (uncredited) * '' Cover Up'' (1949) - Hilda * ''

Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell ''Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell'' is a 1951 American comedy film, the third and final one starring Clifton Webb as Lynn Belvedere. It follows on from '' Sitting Pretty'' (1948) and ''Mr. Belvedere Goes to College'' (1949). Plot Mr. Belvedere i ...

'' (1951) - Mrs. Hammer * ''

The Whistle at Eaton Falls ''The Whistle at Eaton Falls'' (also known by the alternative title ''Richer Than the Earth'') is a 1951 American social drama film directed by Robert Siodmak and starring Lloyd Bridges and Dorothy Gish. Plot A newly promoted plant supervisor f ...

'' (1951) - Miss Pringle * ''

'' (1955) - Waitress at Vegetarian Restaurant (uncredited) * '' The Man with the Golden Arm'' (1955) - Vi * ''

The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker ''The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker'' is a 1959 DeLuxe Color film starring Clifton Webb and Dorothy McGuire directed by Henry Levin in CinemaScope. The film is based on the 1953 Broadway play of the same, which ran for 221 performances: Burgess Mer ...

'' (1959) - Miss Haskins (uncredited) * '' The Gazebo'' (1959) - Matilda * '' The Cardinal'' (1963) - Woman Picket * ''

'' (1964) - Mrs. Pettibone * ''

The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming ''The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming'' is a 1966 American comedy film directed and produced by Norman Jewison for the United Artists. It is based on the 1961 Nathaniel Benchley novel ''The Off-Islanders'', and was adapted for th ...

'' (1966) - Muriel Everett * '' Hurry Sundown'' (1967) - Ada Hemmings * '' Skidoo'' (1968) - The Mayor * '' Change of Habit'' (1969) - Rose * '' Making It'' (1971) - Librarian * '' The Front Page'' (1974) - Jennie (final film role)

Television

* ''

Valiant Lady ''Valiant Lady'' is an American soap opera which ran daily on CBS radio and television from October 12, 1953, to August 16, 1957, at 12:00 PM (EST). The show's title was taken from a 1930s radio soap opera about a young woman struggling through ...

'' (1953) - Ivy Harper (1956-1957) * '' Kraft Television Theater'' (1953–1954) * '' The United States Steel Hour'' (1957) - Felice * ''

Steve Canyon ''Steve Canyon'' is an American adventure comic strip by writer-artist Milton Caniff. Launched shortly after Caniff retired from his previous strip, '' Terry and the Pirates'', ''Steve Canyon'' ran from January 13, 1947, until June 4, 1988. It e ...

'' (1958) - Mrs. Turtin * '' Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' (Episode: "Mrs. Herman and Mrs. Fenimore", with Mary Astor, 1958) - Mrs. Herman * '' The Phil Silvers Show'' (1959) - Assistant USO Hostess / Mrs. Whitcomb * '' Playhouse 90'' (1959) - Miss Hammer / Mrs. Adolph * '' Bringing Up Buddy'' (CBS sitcom, 1960–1961) - "Aunt Iris Flower" * ''

Thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

'' (1961) - Melba Pennaroyd * '' The Defenders'' (1962) - Augusta Mills * '' Sam Benedict'' (1963) - Elizabeth Campbell * '' The Twilight Zone'' (1963, Episode: " The Bard") - Sadie * '' That Was the Week That Was (TW3)'' (NBC satirical revue, 1964; she appeared in numerous episodes, notably with Margaret Hamilton as quirky New Hampshire voters during the year's presidential election campaign.) * '' The Jackie Gleason Show'' (1966–1970) - Emma Beauregard

Death

Merande was scheduled to play the mother-in-law of

Jackie Gleason John Herbert Gleason (February 26, 1916June 24, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, writer, composer, and conductor known affectionately as "The Great One." Developing a style and characters from growing up in Brooklyn, New York, he was know ...

's character Ralph Kramden in '' The Honeymooners'' 25th anniversary television special. On November 1, 1976, she died of a

stroke A stroke is a disease, medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemorr ...

at the age of 83 at Jackson Memorial Hospital in

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

. Templeton Fox took over the role.Lindheim, Burton. "Doro Merande, Comedian of Stage and Films, Dead"; November 3, 1975, ''New York Times'', p. 38

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Merande, Doro 1892 births 1975 deaths Actresses from Kansas Actresses from Michigan American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses People from Columbus, Kansas Vaudeville performers 20th-century American actresses