Eleanor Audley ( Zellman; November 19, 1905 – November 25, 1991) was an American actress with a distinctive voice and a diverse body of work. She played Oliver Douglas's mom, Eunice Douglas, on the CBS sitcom '' Green Acres'' (1965–1969), and provided two

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

animated classics with the voices of the two iconic villainesses: Lady Tremaine, Cinderella's evil stepmother in ''

Cinderella "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...

'' (1950), and Maleficent, the wicked fairy in ''

Sleeping Beauty "Sleeping Beauty" (, or ''The Beauty Sleeping in the Wood''; , or ''Little Briar Rose''), also titled in English as ''The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods'', is a fairy tale about a princess curse, cursed by an evil fairy to suspended animation in fi ...

'' (1959). She had roles in live-action films, but was most active in radio programs such as '' My Favorite Husband'' as Liz Cooper's mother-in-law, Mrs. Cooper, and ''

Father Knows Best ''Father Knows Best'' is an American sitcom starring Robert Young (actor), Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray (actor), Billy Gray and Lauren Chapin. The series, which began on radio in 1949, aired as a television show for six ...

'' as the Anderson family's neighbor, Mrs. Smith. Audley's television appearances include those in ''

I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes spanning six seasons. The series starred Lucille Ball and her husband Desi Arnaz, along with Vivian ...

'', '' The Dick Van Dyke Show'', '' Mister Ed'', '' Hazel'', '' The Beverly Hillbillies'', '' Pistols 'n' Petticoats'', and ''

My Three Sons ''My Three Sons'' is an American television sitcom that aired from September 29, 1960, to April 13, 1972. The series was filmed in black-and-white and broadcast on ABC during its first five seasons, before moving to CBS for the remaining seve ...

''.

Early and personal life

Eleanor Zellman was born in

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, the county seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, and a principal city of the New York metropolitan area. ...

on November 19, 1905. Her family had moved to West 86th Street in

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

, New York City, by 1917. Zellman began using the stage-name "Eleanor Audley" sometime before 1940. A Democrat, she supported

Adlai Stevenson Adlai Stevenson may refer to: * Adlai Stevenson I Adlai Ewing Stevenson (October 23, 1835 – June 14, 1914) was an American politician and diplomat who served as the 23rd vice president of the United States from 1893 to 1897 under President Gr ...

's campaign during the 1952 presidential election.

Career

Stage and radio

Audley made her Broadway debut at age 21 in the 1926 production of ''Howdy, King''. Her other stage appearances included ''On Call'' (1928–1929); ''Pigeons and People''; ''Thunder on the Left'' (both 1933); ''Kill That Story''; ''Ladies' Money'' (both 1934); ''Susan and God'' (1937–1938; 1943); and ''In Bed We Cry'' (1944). Audley worked extensively in the 1940s and 1950s in radio, notably playing Liz Cooper's aristocratic mother-in-law, Mrs. Cooper, who typically looks down on her, on '' My Favorite Husband'' (the role was initially played by Bea Benaderet), and the Anderson family's neighbor, Mrs. Smith, on ''

''. In addition, Audley performed on radio as a frequent performer on ''Romance'', '' Escape'', ''

Suspense Suspense is a state of anxiety or excitement caused by mysteriousness, uncertainty, doubt, or undecidedness. In a narrative work, suspense is the audience's excited anticipation about the plot or conflict (which may be heightened by a viol ...

'', '' Lux Radio Theatre'', '' The Story of Dr. Kildare'', '' The Railroad Hour'', and ''

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar ''Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar'' is a radio drama that aired on CBS Radio from February 18, 1949 to September 30, 1962. The first several seasons imagined protagonist Johnny Dollar as a private investigator drama, with Charles Russell, Edmond O ...

''. She played the stepmother in one-shot adaptations of the "Cinderella" story on the anthology series '' Hallmark Playhouse'', and the weekly

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

series '' The Six Shooter'', that starred

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military aviator. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morali ...

Film and animation

Audley's onscreen appearance was an uncredited role as a parole board member in the 1949 noir film '' The Story of Molly X'' starring June Havoc. Other film appearances followed, including: '' Pretty Baby'' (1950); '' Gambling House'' (1951); '' Cell 2455, Death Row'' (1955); '' The Unguarded Moment''; '' Full of Life'' (both 1956); '' Spoilers of the Forest'' (1957); '' Home Before Dark'' (1958); a cameo as the mother and slain victim of suspect Jack Graham in '' The FBI Story'' (1959); '' The Second Time Around'' (1961); and '' Hook, Line and Sinker'' (1969). Audley was uncredited dubbing the lines of actors playing small parts in films such as '' I Was a Male War Bride'' (1949) and '' Broken Arrow'' (1950). In the animated film industry, Audley provided her distinctive voice to Lady Tremaine, Cinderella's cruel stepmother, in the 1950 Disney film ''

''; and Princess Aurora's wicked fairy nemesis, Maleficent, in Disney's 1959 version of ''

''. For those films, animators Frank Thomas and Marc Davis designed the characters' facial features and expressions to be closely similar to Audley's. In addition to providing their voices, she served as the performance model for both characters for live-action referencing to help the animators. Audley had initially turned down the role of Maleficent because she was battling

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

at the time. Audley provided the voice for Madame Leota—the spirit of a psychic medium—in the Haunted Mansion attractions in

Disneyland Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It was the first theme park opened by the Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney, ...

and

Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort is an destination resort, entertainment resort complex located about southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is operated by Disney Experiences, a division of the Wa ...

Television

Audley's first television appearance was in the pilot episode of '' The Mickey Rooney Show'' as Bessie Frost, a terrible actress who stars in a series called ''The Trials and Tribulations of Auntie Julia'' on the fictional IBC network where Mickey Mulligan works as a page. From 1954 to 1970, she appeared regularly on television, including episodes of: '' The People's Choice''; ''

''; '' Crossroads''; '' Perry Mason'' (in two appearances as differeint characters); '' The Real McCoys''; ''

Richard Diamond, Private Detective ''Richard Diamond, Private Detective'' is an American detective drama, created by Blake Edwards, which aired on radio from 1949 to 1953, and on television from 1957 to 1960. Radio Dick Powell starred in the ''Richard Diamond, Private Detective' ...

''; ''

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 ...

''; '' Dennis the Menace''; '' Mr. Lucky''; '' The Tab Hunter Show''; '' Pete and Gladys''; and '' Hazel'' (in four appearances as different characters). Audley had recurring roles on '' The Dick Van Dyke Show'' as the P.T.A head Mrs. Billings, on '' The Beverly Hillbillies'' as the school headmistress Mrs. Potts, on '' Mister Ed'' as Wilbur Post's aunt Martha, on '' Pistols 'n' Petticoats'' as Mrs. Teaseley, on ''

'' as Mrs. Vincent, and on '' Green Acres'' as Oliver Douglas's disapproving mother, Eunice Douglas, despite being only five months older than actor Eddie Albert who played the role of her son.

Death

Audley died from

respiratory failure Respiratory failure results from inadequate gas exchange by the respiratory system, meaning that the arterial oxygen, carbon dioxide, or both cannot be kept at normal levels. A drop in the oxygen carried in the blood is known as hypoxemia; a r ...

in 1991, six days after her 86th birthday. She is interred at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

Filmography

Film

Television

* '' Studio 57'' (1954) as Miss Anna Hunt * ''

The Loretta Young Show ''The Loretta Young Show'' (originally known as ''Letter to Loretta'') is an American anthology drama television series broadcast on Sunday nights from September 2, 1953, to June 4, 1961, on NBC for a total of 165 episodes. The series was hoste ...

'' (1954) as Miss Bennett, (1958) as Edith Landow * '' General Electric Theatre'' (1954) as Woman in Restaurant, (1955–1956), (1959) as Alice Martin * '' The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse'' (1955) * '' Front Row Center'' (1955) as Carlotta Vance * '' Damon Runyon Theater'' (1955) as Cynthia * '' Celebrity Playhouse'' (1955) * '' The Ford Television Theatre'' (1955) as Tina, (1955), (1957) as Constance Perks * '' The Millionaire'' (1955) as Cynthia Semple, (1958) as Gloria Van Enger/Columnist * ''

Our Miss Brooks ''Our Miss Brooks'' is an American sitcom starring Eve Arden as a sardonic high-school English teacher. It began as a Old Time Radio, radio show broadcast on CBS from 1948 to 1957. When the show was adapted to television (1952–56), it became ...

'' (1956) as Mrs. Maya Pryor * '' The 20th Century-Fox Hour'' (1956) as Governor's Wife/Mrs. Lucy Hammond/Mrs. Julie Morgan * ''Climax!'' (1956) * ''

Screen Directors Playhouse ''Screen Directors Playhouse'' (sometimes written as ''Screen Directors' Playhouse'') is an American radio and television anthology series which brought leading Hollywood actors to the NBC microphones beginning in 1949. The radio program broadca ...

'' (1956) as Judith Brenner * '' The People's Choice'' (1956) as Moderator/Mrs. Kimbeley "Kim" Price * ''

The Adventures of Jim Bowie ''The Adventures of Jim Bowie'' is an American Westerns on television, Western television series that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from 1956 in television, 1956 to 1958 in television, 1958. Its setting was the 1830s-era Louisiana T ...

'' (1956) as Miss Peabody * ''

'' (1956) as Saleslady/Woman giving spare change (uncredited)/Bookstacker in Library * ''Crusader'' (1956) as Mrs. Erika Watson * ''

Lux Video Theatre ''Lux Video Theatre'' is an American television anthology series that was produced from 1950 until 1957. The series presented both comedy and drama in original teleplays, as well as abridged adaptations of films and plays. Overview The ''Lux Vi ...

'' (1956) as Mrs. Sandy Lane, (1957) as Aunt Ada * ''

The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show ''The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show'', sometimes called ''The Burns and Allen Show'', is a half-hour television sitcom broadcast from 1950 to 1958 on CBS. It starred George Burns and Gracie Allen, one of the most enduring acts in entertainm ...

'' (1956) as The Lady Customer, (1957) as Mrs. Felicity Crowley/Mrs. Winthrop, (1958) as The Saleslady * '' The Gale Storm Show: Oh! Susanna'' (1956) as Passenger, (1957) as Mrs. Michelle Gardiner, (1960) as Bess Pomeroy * '' The Bob Hope Specials'' (1956–1957; 1966) * '' Cavalcade of America'' (1957) as Mrs. Stacey Littlefield * ''

'' (1957) as Eleanor Spaulding/Flower Judge * '' Crossroads'' (1957) as Mrs. Sophie Sand * '' The Lineup'' (1957) as Maryanne Carstaires * '' The Gray Ghost'' (1957) as Mrs. Joan Maddox * ''

How to Marry a Millionaire ''How to Marry a Millionaire'' is a 1953 American romantic comedy film directed by Jean Negulesco and written and produced by Nunnally Johnson. The screenplay was based on the plays ''The Greeks Had a Word for It'' (1930) by Zoe Akins and '' ...

'' (1957) as Gertrude Van Dyne * '' Frontier Doctor'' (1958) as Hattie Black * ''The Old Testament Scriptures'' (1958) as Naomi * '' Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre'' (1958) as Mrs. Emily Trumbull * '' Perry Mason'' (1958) as Lois Gilbert, (1960) as Headmistress Lorimer * '' Wagon Train'' (1958) as Mrs. Winston, (1961) as Mother Albright, (1963) as Minerva Ames * '' The Real McCoys'' (1959) as Dr. Laurence Kirkwood * '' The Ann Sothern Show'' (1959) as Mrs. Jenny Thompson * '' Mike Hammer'' (1959) as Mrs. Wendy Milford * '' Hennesey'' (1959) * ''

'' (1959) as Mrs. Deneken * ''

'' (1960) as Mrs. Whitney (uncredited) * '' Walt Disney Presents'' (1960) as Mrs. Annie Videau * '' Johnny Midnight'' (1960) as Mrs. Mia Rice * '' The Untouchables'' (1960) as Mrs. Micheline Cross * '' The Man From Blackhawk'' (1960) as Comtesse De Vilon * '' Dennis the Menace'' (1960) as Mrs. Andrea Pompton * ''

Peter Gunn ''Peter Gunn'' is an American detective fiction, private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens (actor), Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend, lounge singer Edie Hart. The series was broadcast by NBC from Sept ...

'' (1960) as Laura Scott * '' Mr. Lucky'' (1960) as Mrs. Alice Dubois * '' Make Room for Daddy'' (1960) as Mrs. Anette Willoughby * '' Shirley Temple's Storybook'' (1960) as Miss Felicity Collingwood * '' New Comedy Showcase'' (1960) * '' Have Gun - Will Travel'' (1960) as Cynthia Palmer, (1961) as School Teacher, (1963) as Mrs. Hannah Randolph Quincy * '' The Tab Hunter Show'' (1961) as Columnist * '' The Tom Ewell Show'' (1961) as Madame Defarge * '' The Joey Bishop Show'' (1961) as Mrs. Adrianne Willoughby, (1962) as Fashion Announcer/Mrs. Penny Fitch as Clubwoman * '' Pete and Gladys'' (1961) as Mrs. Linda Brenner, (1962) as Mrs. Elisa Clibber * '' The Dick Van Dyke Show'' (1961) as Party Goer, (1962–1963) as Mrs. Peggy Billings * '' Mister Ed'' (1961; 1965) as Aunt Martha * '' Hazel'' (1961) as Customer, (1962) as Mrs. Totter, (1963) as Mrs. Loretta Green, (1965) as Mrs. Katie Hardy * '' The Best of the Post'' (1962) as Mrs. Jackie Hill (as Elinor Audley) * '' Ichabod and Me'' (1962) * '' The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis'' (1962) as Irma Lumpkin * '' The Detectives'' (1962) as Liz Roberts * '' The Beverly Hillbillies'' (1962–1964) as Mrs. Millicent Schuyler-Potts * ''The Dick Powell Theatre'' (1963) as Lady * '' The New Phil Silvers Show'' (1963) as Mrs. Allison Osborne * ''

McHale's Navy ''McHale's Navy'' is an American sitcom starring Ernest Borgnine that aired 138 half-hour episodes over four seasons, from October 11, 1962, to April 12, 1966, on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television network. The series was filmed i ...

'' (1964) as Mrs. Millicent Hardsey * '' Many Happy Returns'' (1964) as Mrs. Pernandina Atwood * '' Bob Hope Presents The Chrysler Theatre'' (1964) as Mrs. Johnson/Lil Schaeffer/Buttercup Fuchisa * '' The Farmer's Daughter'' (1964) as Simone, (1965) as Mildred * '' The Cara Williams Show'' (1965) as Mrs. Lorence Ashford * '' The Man From U.N.C.L.E.'' (1965) as Mrs. Laura Farnham * '' The Jack Benny Program'' (1965) as Mrs. Jeanna Lewis * ''

Kentucky Jones ''Kentucky Jones'' is an American comedy-drama television series starring Dennis Weaver which centers around a widowed Southern California veterinarian and rancher raising an adopted Chinese boy. Original episodes aired from September 19, 1964, u ...

'' (1965) as Mrs. Winnona Edgerton * '' Peyton Place'' (1965) as Miss Martha (uncredited) * ''O.K. Crackerby!'' (1965) as Mrs. Ameila Willoughby * ''

The Lucy Show ''The Lucy Show'' is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from 1962 to 1968. It was Lucille Ball's follow-up to ''I Love Lucy''. A significant change in cast and premise for the fourth season (1965–1966) divides the program into two distinct ...

'' (1965) as The Columnist * '' The Big Valley'' (1965) as Mother Callahan * ''My Brother the Angel'' (1965) as Mrs. Evelyne Ettinger * '' Green Acres'' (1965–1969) as Mother Eunice Douglas * '' Honey West'' (1966) as Mrs. Juniper Carlton Murdock * '' Summer Fun'' (1966) as Mother-in-law * '' The Phyllis Diller Show'' (1966) as Mrs. Elsa Fenwick * '' Pistols 'n' Petticoats'' (1966–1967) as Mrs. Jenny Teasley * ''

'' (1969–1970) as Mrs. Beatrice Vincent * '' The Wonderful World of Disney'' (1977) as Lady Tremaine (voice, archived)/Maleficent (voice, archived) * '' Disney's Wonderful World'' (1979) as Matron (archived) * ''

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney ( ; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the Golden age of American animation, American animation industry, he introduced several develop ...

'' (1983) as Lady Tremaine (voice, archived)/Maleficent (voice, archived) * '' The Wonderful World of Disney'' (1998) as Maleficent (voice, archived)

Radio

* ''The Bishop and the Gargoyle'' (NBC special, July 14, 1940) * ''Adventure Ahead'' (NBC Red, 1944) * ''Romance'' (CBS series, 1944–1954, not often credited), episodes include "Pride and Prejudice" and "The Long Way Home" * ''Words at War'' (NBC Red, 1945) * ''

The Eternal Light ''The Eternal Light'' was an American radio and television program on the NBC Radio Network, produced in conjunction with the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, Jewish Theological Seminary, that was broadcast between 1944 and 1989. Featuring ...

'' (NBC, 1945–1946) * ''Encore Theatre'' (CBS, 1946) * ''The Big Story'' (NBC, 1947) * '' Escape'' (CBS, 1947–1948), episodes include "Back for Christmas" and "The Man Who Could Work Miracles" * '' The Adventures of Ellery Queen'' (ABC, 1947–1948) * ''

'' (CBS, 1940s, not often credited), episodes include repeats of "Sorry, Wrong Number" and "The Man Who Wanted to Be Edward G. Robinson" (both 1948) * '' The Whistler'' (CBS, 1948–1950) *'' Lux Radio Theatre'' (CBS, 1948–1954) * ''Sealtest Variety Theatre'' (NBC, 1949) * ''My Home Town'' (NBC, 1949) * '' This Is Your FBI'' (ABC, 1949) * ''

'' (NBC, 1949) * ''NBC University Theatre'' (NBC, 1949) * ''Pursuit'' (CBS, 1949) * ''The Hotpoint Holiday Hour'' (CBS, 1949), "The Man Who Came to Dinner" * '' The Story of Dr. Kildare'' (syndicated, 1949–1950) as Molly Byrd * '' My Favorite Husband'' (CBS, 1949–1951) as Mrs. Leticia Cooper * '' The Railroad Hour'' (NBC, 1949–1954) * ''

'' (NBC, 1949–1954) as Mrs. Elizabeth Smith * '' The Life of Riley'' (NBC, 1950) * '' The Halls of Ivy'' (NBC, 1950) * ''The Adventures of Christopher London'' (NBC, 1950) * '' The Saint'' (NBC, 1950) * ''

'' (NBC, 1950–1951) * ''Family Theatre'' (Mutual, 1950–1951) * '' Night Beat'' (NBC, 1950–1952) * ''Hollywood Star Playhouse'' (CBS, 1951) * '' Hallmark Playhouse'' (CBS, 1951), includes "The Story Of Cinderella" * '' The Six Shooter'' (NBC, 1953–1954) as Mrs. Abbey Ames * '' Fibber McGee and Molly'' (NBC, 1954–1955) * ''

'' (CBS, 1955–1960) * '' The CBS Radio Workshop'' (CBS, 1956–1957)

Theme parks

* Haunted Mansion as Madame Leota (voice) * HalloWishes as Madame Leota (voice)

Discography

* ''Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' (1949, RCA/Camden) as Evil Queen * ''Walt Disney's Cinderella: Little Nipper Series'' (1949, RCA/Camden) as Lady Tremaine * ''Walt Disney's Cinderella'' (1954, RCA/Camden) as Lady Tremaine * ''The Story and Song from The Haunted Mansion'' (1969, Disneyland Records) as Madame Leota * ''Disney Songs and Story: Sleeping Beauty'' (2012, Walt Disney Records) as Maleficent

Stage

* ''Howdy, King'' as guest in hotel, December 1926 to January 1927 * ''On Call'' as Mary Randall, November 1928 to January 1929 * ''Pigeons and People'' as Elinore Payne, January 1933 to November 1933 * ''Thunder on the Left'' as Ruth Brook, October 1933 to November 1933 * ''Kill That Story'' as Millicent, August 1934 to December 1934 * ''Ladies' Money'' as Claire Touhey, November 1934 to December 1934 * ''Susan and God'' as Charlotte Marley, October 1937 to June 1938, December 1943 * ''In Bed We Cry'' as Claire Dangerfield, November 1944 to December 23, 1944

References

External links

* * *
RadioGOLDINdex listing
{{DEFAULTSORT:Audley, Eleanor 1905 births 1991 deaths 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Manhattan American film actresses American radio actresses American stage actresses American television actresses American voice actresses Burials at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery Disney people Jewish American actresses 20th-century American Jews