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 Columbia, 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 went 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 was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

. 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 ''Our Town'' is a three-act play written by American playwright Thornton Wilder in 1938. Described by Edward Albee as "the greatest American play ever written", it presents the fictional American town of Grover's Corners between 1901 and 1913 ...

'' by

Thornton Wilder Thornton Niven Wilder (April 17, 1897 – December 7, 1975) was an American playwright and novelist. He won three Pulitzer Prizes, for the novel ''The Bridge of San Luis Rey'' and for the plays ''Our Town'' and ''The Skin of Our Teeth'', and a U. ...

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 Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. Given name Mishnaic and Talmudic periods * Jose ben Abin * Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Galilean * Jose ben Halafta ...

. 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, in ...

(in ''Mr. Belvedere Rings The Bell''),

Walter Huston Walter Thomas Huston ( ; April 6, 1883 or 1884 – April 7, 1950) was a Canadian actor and singer. Huston won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in '' The Treasure of the Sierra Madre'', directed by his son John Huston. He ...

(in ''Apple of His Eye''), and

Franchot Tone Stanislaus Pascal Franchot Tone (February 27, 1905 – September 18, 1968) was an American actor, producer, and director of stage, film and television. He was a leading man in the 1930s and early 1940s, and at the height of his career was known ...

(in ''Hope for Your Best''). Her final Broadway appearance was in the 1969 revival of ''

The Front Page ''The Front Page'' is a Broadway theatre, Broadway comedy about newspaper reporters on the police beat. Written by former Chicago reporters Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, it was first produced in 1928 and has been adapted for the cinema severa ...

,'' in which she portrayed the cleaning woman, as she later also did in the 1970 television and the 1974 film 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 American filmmaker and screenwriter. His career in Hollywood (film industry), Hollywood spanned five decades, and he is regarded as one of the most brilliant and ver ...

, 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, who co-wrote the screenplay with George Axelrod. Based on Axelrod's 1952 The Seven Year Itch (play), play of the same name, the film stars Marilyn Monroe ...

'' (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 ''

''.

Films

* ''

Interference Interference is the act of interfering, invading, or poaching. Interference may also refer to: Communications * Interference (communication), anything which alters, modifies, or disrupts a message * Adjacent-channel interference, caused by extra ...

'' (1928) - Deborah's Maid (uncredited) * '' Personal Maid'' (1931) - Mrs. Wurtz's Maid (uncredited) * '' Wayward'' (1932) - Maid (uncredited) * ''

State Fair A state fair is an annual competitive and recreational gathering of a U.S. state's population, usually held in late summer or early fall. It is a larger version of a county fair, often including only exhibits or competitors that have won in t ...

'' (1933) - Mrs. Metcalfe's Acquaintance at Food Contest (uncredited) * '' Bondage'' (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 on ...

'' (1933) - Miss Fennock, Orphanage Assistant (uncredited) * '' Moonlight and Pretzels'' (1933) - Hymn-singing Lady (uncredited) * '' Navy Wife'' (1935) - Nurse Sharpe (uncredited) * '' Bad Boy'' (1935) - Mrs. Jackson (uncredited) * '' The Star Maker'' (1939) - Gerry Society Woman * ''

'' (1940) - Mrs. Soames * ''

The Snake Pit ''The Snake Pit'' is a 1948 American psychological drama film directed by Anatole Litvak and starring Olivia de Havilland, Mark Stevens, Leo Genn, Celeste Holm, Beulah Bondi, and Lee Patrick. Based on Mary Jane Ward's 1946 semi-autobiog ...

'' (1948) - Inmate, First Lady of the Land (uncredited) * ''

Cover Up A cover-up is an attempt, whether successful or not, to conceal evidence of wrongdoing, error, incompetence, or other embarrassing information. Research has distinguished personal cover-ups (covering up one's own misdeeds) from relational co ...

'' (1949) - Hilda * '' Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell'' (1951) - Mrs. Hammer * '' The Whistle at Eaton Falls'' (1951) - Miss Pringle * ''

'' (1955) - Waitress at Vegetarian Restaurant (uncredited) * ''

The Man with the Golden Arm ''The Man with the Golden Arm'' is a 1955 American independent drama film noir directed by Otto Preminger, based on the novel of the same name by Nelson Algren. Starring Frank Sinatra, Eleanor Parker, Kim Novak, Arnold Stang and Darren Mc ...

'' (1955) - Vi * ''

The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker ''The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker'' is a 1959 American DeLuxe Color comedy 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 title, which ran for 221 pe ...

'' (1959) - Miss Haskins (uncredited) * '' The Gazebo'' (1959) - Matilda * ''

The Cardinal ''The Cardinal'' is a 1963 American drama film produced independently, directed by Otto Preminger and distributed by Columbia Pictures. The screenplay was written by Robert Dozier, based on the novel by the same by Henry Morton Robinson. The ...

'' (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 United Artists. The satirical story depicts the chaos following the grounding of the Soviet submarine ''СпруT'' ...

'' (1966) - Muriel Everett * '' Hurry Sundown'' (1967) - Ada Hemmings * '' Skidoo'' (1968) - The Mayor * ''

Change of Habit ''Change of Habit'' is a 1969 American crime drama musical film directed by William A. Graham, and starring Elvis Presley and Mary Tyler Moore. Written by James Lee, S.S. Schweitzer, and Eric Bercovici, based on a story by John Joseph and Rich ...

'' (1969) - Rose * '' Making It'' (1971) - Librarian * ''

'' (1974) - Jennie (final film role)

Television

* '' Valiant Lady'' (1953) - Ivy Harper (1956-1957) * ''

Kraft Television Theater ''Kraft Television Theatre'' is an American anthology drama television series running from 1947 to 1958. It began May 7, 1947, on NBC, airing at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday evenings until December of that year. It first promoted MacLaren's Impe ...

'' (1953–1954) * ''

The United States Steel Hour ''The United States Steel Hour'' is an anthology series which brought hour-long dramas to television from 1953 to 1963. The television series and the radio program that preceded it were both sponsored by the United States Steel Corporation (U.S. ...

'' (1957) - Felice * ''

Steve Canyon ''Steve Canyon'' is an American Action-adventure comics, action-adventure comic strip by cartoonist Milton Caniff. Launched shortly after Caniff retired from his previous strip, ''Terry and the Pirates (comic strip), Terry and the Pirates'', ''S ...

'' (1958) - Mrs. Turtin * ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 ...

'' (Episode: "Mrs. Herman and Mrs. Fenimore", with Mary Astor, 1958) - Mrs. Herman * ''

The Phil Silvers Show ''The Phil Silvers Show'', originally titled ''You'll Never Get Rich'', is a sitcom which ran on the CBS Television Network from 1955 to 1959. A pilot titled "Audition Show" was made in 1955, but it was never broadcast. 143 other episodes wer ...

'' (1959) - Assistant USO Hostess / Mrs. Whitcomb * ''

Playhouse 90 ''Playhouse 90'' is an American television anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 134 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology drama series of t ...

'' (1959) - Miss Hammer / Mrs. Adolph * '' New Comedy Showcase'' (1960, Episode "The Trouble with Richard") - Aunt Julia * ''

Bringing Up Buddy ''Bringing Up Buddy'' is an American sitcom that aired on CBS during the 1960-61 United States network television schedule#Tuesday, 1960–61 television season. It depicts a young bachelor who lives with the two maiden aunts who raised him. Sy ...

'' (CBS sitcom, 1960–1961) - Aunt Iris Flower * '' Thriller'' (1961) - Melba Pennaroyd * '' The Defenders'' (1962) - Augusta Mills * ''

Sam Benedict ''Sam Benedict'' is an American legal drama that aired on NBC from September 1962 to March 1963. The series was created and executive produced by E. Jack Neuman, and produced by William Froug. The series starred Edmond O'Brien in the title role ...

'' (1963) - Elizabeth Campbell * ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology series, anthology television series created by Rod Serling in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described ...

'' (1963, Episode: "

The Bard A bard is a minstrel in medieval Scottish, Irish, and Welsh societies; and later re-used by romantic writers. For its wider definition including similar roles in other societies, see List of oral repositories. Bard, BARD, Bård or similar terms m ...

") - Sadie * ''

That Was the Week That Was ''That Was the Week That Was'', informally ''TWTWTW'' or ''TW3'', is a satirical television comedy programme that aired on BBC Television in 1962 and 1963. It was devised, produced, and directed by Ned Sherrin and Jack (aka John) Duncan, and pr ...

(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 ''The Jackie Gleason Show'' is a series of American network television shows that starred Jackie Gleason, which ran from 1952 to 1970, in various forms. ''Cavalcade of Stars'' Gleason's first variety series, which aired on the DuMont Televisio ...

'' (1966–1970) - Emma Beauregard

Death

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

Jackie Gleason Herbert John Gleason (born Herbert Walton Gleason Jr.; February 26, 1916June 24, 1987), known as Jackie Gleason, was an American comedian, actor, writer, and composer also known as "The Great One". He developed a style and characters from growin ...

's character Ralph Kramden in ''

The Honeymooners ''The Honeymooners'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired from 1955 to 1956, created by and starring Jackie Gleason, and based on a recurring comedy sketch of the same name that had been part of Gleason's variety show. It f ...

'' 25th anniversary television special. On November 1, 1975, she died of a

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

at the age of 83 at Jackson Memorial Hospital in

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

Templeton Fox Templeton Fox (born Esther Fox; July 24, 1913 – January 9, 1993) was an American actress best known for her work in old-time radio. Early years Born in Pasadena, California, Fox is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence B. Fox. She went to sc ...

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 American vaudeville performers 20th-century American actresses