Mary Wickes Movies
"I'm not a comic," insisted Mary Wickes. "I'm an actress who plays comedy." True enough; still Wickes was often heaps funnier than the so-called comics she supported. The daughter of a well-to-do St. Louis banker, Wickes was an excellent student, completing a political science degree at the University of Washington at the age of 18. She intended to become a lawyer, but she was deflected into theatre. During her stock company apprenticeship, Wickes befriended Broadway star Ina Claire, who wrote the young actress a letter of introduction to powerful New York producer Sam Harris. She made her Broadway debut in 1934, spending the next five seasons in a variety of characterizations (never the ingenue). In 1939, she found time to make her film bow in the Red Skelton 2-reeler Seein' Red. After a string of Broadway flops, Wickes scored a hit as long-suffering Nurse Preen (aka "Nurse Bedpan") in the Kaufman-Hart comedy classic The Man Who Came to Dinner. She was brought to Hollywood to repeat her role in the 1941 film version of Dinner.After a brief flurry of movie activity, Wickes went back to the stage, returning to Hollywood in 1948 in a role specifically written for her in The Decision of Christopher Blake. Thereafter, she remained in great demand in films, playing an exhausting variety of nosy neighbors, acerbic housekeepers and imperious maiden aunts. Though her characters were often snide and sarcastic, Wickes was careful to inject what she called "heart" into her portrayals; indeed, it is very hard to find an out-and-out villainess in her manifest. Even when she served as the model for Cruella DeVil in the 1961 animated feature 101 Dalmations, Cruella's voice was dubbed by the far more malevolent-sounding Betty Lou Gerson. Far busier on TV than in films, Wickes was a regular on ten weekly series between 1953 and 1985, earning an Emmy nomination for her work on 1961's The Gertrude Berg Show. She also has the distinction of being the first actress to essay the role of Mary Poppins in a 1949 Studio One presentation. Throughout the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, Wickes did a great deal of guest-artist work in colleges and universities; during this period she herself went back to school, earning a master's degree from UCLA. Maintaining her professional pace into the 1990s, Wickes scored a hit with modern moviegoers as Sister Mary Lazarus in the two Sister Act comedies. Mary Wickes' final performance was a voiceover stint as one of the gargoyles in Disney's animated Hunchback of Notre Dame; she died a few days before finishing this assignment, whereupon Jane Withers dubbed in the leftover dialogue. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
After the critical and commercial success of The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, the Walt Disney Pictures animation studio embarked on their most serious and ambitious animated feature to date with this adaptation of Victor Hugo's classic novel Notre Dame de Paris. Quasimodo (voice of Tom Hulce) is a grotesquely deformed but kind-hearted young man who was abandoned by his parents as an infant and thrown down a well; he was rescued by the priests of Notre Dame, the massive cathedral in the heart of Paris, and he lives there, earning his keep as a bell ringer. Quasimodo has become the ward of Judge Frollo (voice of Tony Jay), an outwardly pious but deeply hateful man who treats Quasimodio with indifference and violently loathes the Gypsies who spend their days in the cathedral's courtyard. Frollo hopes to clear the Gypsies out of Paris with the help of Phoebus (voice of Kevin Kline), leader of the troops under Frollo's command. However, Phoebus does not share Frollo's racist views and harbors no ill will against the Gypsies. When Quasimodo is crowned King of the Fools after leaving Notre Dame during the annual festival of Topsy Turvy Day, the hunchback is ordered beaten by the guards as punishment, but Esmerelda (voice of Demi Moore), a hot-blooded but compassionate gypsy beauty, shows pity on him and helps free him from his chains. The lovely Esmerelda is the first woman to show kindness to the unfortunate Quasimodo, and the hunchback soon falls in love with her. However, the dashing Phoebus is also infatuated with her, and Esmerelda is attracted to Phoebus as well, though she feels a motherly affection for the hunchback. Judge Frollo finds that he also desires Esmerelda, which only inflames his hatred for the Gypsies when she refuses his proposals. Darker and less outwardly comic than most of Disney's features, The Hunchback of Notre Dame does feature comic relief in the form of Victor (voice of Charles Kimbrough) and Hugo (voice of Jason Alexander), a pair of gargoyles who befriend Quasimodo, as well as several songs from Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tom Hulce, Demi Moore, (more)
Louisa May Alcott's classic novel about a family of women in Civil War-era New England is again brought to the screen in this adaptation. The focus is on the March sisters, four young girls raised by their mother (Susan Sarandon) after their father leaves for battle as part of the Union Army. At the center is Jo March (Winona Ryder), an idiosyncratic would-be writer said to be based on Alcott herself, but the film also focuses on the stories of her sisters -- the more conventional Meg (Trini Alvarado), the innocent Beth (Claire Danes), and the precocious Amy (Kirsten Dunst and Samantha Mathis, who represent Amy at different ages.) The film spans years, following the girls' struggles with life's challenges and illustrating how their family connection remains strong in the face of tragedies large and small. Australian director Gillian Armstrong emphasizes the story's feminist elements, particularly in Jo's journey to independence. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
- Starring:
- Winona Ryder, Gabriel Byrne, (more)
- 1993
- PG
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In the sequel to the hit comedy Sister Act, Whoopie Goldberg reprises her role of Deloris Van Cartier, a Las Vegas entertainer who hid out with in a convent of nuns to avoid a nasty bunch of gangsters. In Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, Deloris is persuaded to return to the convent by the Mother Superior (Maggie Smith), because her help is needed in teaching their choral students at St. Francis High in San Francisco. However, St. Francis is in a crisis, since the administrator running the school (James Coburn) is threatening to shut the place down. If the gospel choir wins first place in a singing contest in Los Angeles, St. Francis will be saved from the priest's plans. Though the plot is rather thin and derivative, Sister Act 2 is lighthearted fun, thanks to good musical numbers and winning performances from the cast. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
- Starring:
- Whoopi Goldberg, Kathy Najimy, (more)
A sleeper hit that received a lukewarm reception from critics but was a success with audiences, Sister Act (1992) was star Whoopi Golberg's first bona fide smash after her Oscar victory for Ghost (1990). Goldberg stars as Deloris Van Cartier, a Reno lounge singer who accidentally witnesses a brutal murder carried out by her gangster boyfriend Vince (Harvey Keitel). Under the protection of a detective (Bill Nunn) who's trying to bring down Vince's criminal operation, Deloris is placed in protective custody at a San Francisco convent. Masquerading as a nun renamed Sister Mary Clarence, Deloris shakes up the established order of the sisters' lives, particularly enlivening their choral efforts. Although running constantly afoul of the Mother Superior (Maggie Smith), the new, jazzed-up musical act becomes a huge hit in the community, even drawing the attention of the Pope, but also alerting Vince to Deloris' whereabouts. Although credited to the pseudonymous Joseph Howard, Sister Act was actually written by Paul Rudnick and Carrie Fisher. The film was followed by a sequel, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993). ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Whoopi Goldberg, Maggie Smith, (more)
- 1991
This made-for-TV family film (produced for the Wonderworks series) is based on the famous story by Oscar Wilde. While the Otis Family is enjoying a vacation in an Old English estate, a number of strange and unexplained occurrences lead several members of the family to suspect that the old house is haunted. As it turns out, the spirit of the long dead Simon de Canterville walks the halls of the mansion, but when the Otises encounter him face to face, they discover that he's as scared of them as they are of him. While Mom and Dad try to keep the ghost at bay, their daughter Virginia befriends the spirit and tries to help him break the family curse that will not allow his spirit to rest. The cast includes Richard Kiley, Shelly Fabares, and Mary Wickes. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Richard Kiley
Mike Nichols lends some comic structure to Carrie Fisher's best-selling confessional novel concerning a woman's struggles with drug addiction and mother-daughter rivalry (subjects Fisher admits to understanding all too well). Meryl Streep, in her most full-blown comic performance up to that point, plays Suzanne Vale, a popular movie actress well on her way to a Hollywood crack-up. Suzanne suffers from blackouts and memory lapses, and awakens in the beds of men she doesn't remember; she is a barely-functioning wreck on the set of her latest movie. When a coke dealer who delivers stops by her dressing room between takes, she swiftly finds herself being rushed to the hospital, suffering the effects of a narcotics bender. While in detox, Suzanne attempts to piece her life and career back together, but her confidence is shattered when her mother arrives at the rehab clinic -- Doris Mann, a famed film icon from the 1950s and 1960s (Shirley MacLaine). Doris is soon soaking up the adulation and applause of Suzanne's fellow recovering drug addicts. Upon Suzanne's release, she must compete with her mother for attention and fame as she tries to walk a thin line as a recovering drug abuser. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Starring:
- Meryl Streep, Shirley MacLaine, (more)
- 1989
A murder case ignites the curiosity of Fr. Dowling and a nun who set out to solve the mystery against the wishes of his bishop and the FBI. ~ Rovi
- 1987
This TV pilot film was based on the "Father Dowling" character created (in the tradition of G.K. Chesterton's Father Brown) by Ralph McInery. Tom Bosley plays the good Father, who whiles away his off-hours by reading mystery novels. When a young millionaire entrepreneur turns up dead, the official verdict is suicide, but Father Dowling suspects murder. Dowling's allies include street-smart nun Tracy Nelson and dour housekeeper Mary Wickes; his antagonists include politician Leslie Nielsen and mob functionary Sada Thompson (Sada Thompson? The mob?) Fatal Confession: A Father Dowling Mystery was adapted from a McInery original by veteran mystery writer Donald Westlake; the pilot sold, and the resultant Father Dowling Mysteries series ran for two seasons. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1986
In this holiday drama, a widowed architect tries to mix business with pleasure when he takes his daughter on a business trip to a strange town in Colorado. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Denver, Jane Kaczmarek, (more)
- 1985
A group of high-school science students are assigned to "parent" an egg for a full week. The students are subsequent thrown into a tizzy when the egg hatches prematurely. Although the assignment goes awry, the results are quite salutary vis-à-vis the blossoming relationship between students Sara (Justine Bateman) and David (James McNichol). The irreplaceable Mary Wickes is also starred in this ABC Afterschool Special. ~ Rovi
- Starring:
- Justine Bateman, Mary Wickes, (more)
- 1985
The opening episode of Murder She Wrote's second season marks the first occasion in which matronly mystery writer and amateur sleuth Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) assumes a different identity in the cause of justice. Summoned to a Caribbean resort by a desperate letter from her old friend Antoinette Farnsworth (Reggie Savage), Jessica arrives to find that Antoinette has been murdered. To ferret out the guilty party, who has already been pinpointed as a jewel thief, our heroine poses as a very wealthy--and very reclusive--widow. Len Cariou, who previously costarred with Angela Lansbury in the hit Broadway musical "Sweeney Todd", makes his first appearance as redoubtable British secret agent Michael Haggerty. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1981
Mary Ellen (Judy Norton-Taylor) comes to the rescue of a 14-year-old mountain girl named Sissie (Debbie Lytton) , whose father has sold her into marriage. Angry over Mary Ellen's interference, Sissy's prospective husband Job (Gary Grubbs) kidnaps Elizabeth (Kami Cotler) in retaliation. On a lighter note, we finally get to meet the Baldwin sisters' fabled Cousin Octavia (Mary Wickes), who turns out to be a walking disaster area--and a kleptomaniac in the bargain! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1980
- PG
Touched by Love was not only filmed in Canada, but had a leading character named Canada (it had to; the film is based on the reminisces of a real-life person). Deborah Raffin portrays Lena Canada, a therapist in charge of handicapped Diane Lane. A wheelchair-bound cerebral palsy victim, Lane also shows signs of autism. Determined to bring Lane back into the world, Ms. Canada suggests that the girl start a pen-pal relationship with her favorite celebrity--Elvis Presley. Based on the real Lena Canada's book "To Elvis With Love," the low-key but emotionally supercharged Touched By Love costars Michael Learned as Lena's superior, Dr. Bell; also in the cast are sixteen genuine "special" children from a school in Calgary, Alberta. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Deborah Raffin, Diane Lane, (more)
- 1979
In this made-for-TV drama, a spunky waitress (Deborah Raffin) is left to support herself, her two small children, and her unborn baby when her no-good husband runs off. Determined not to spend her life in a dead-end job, the woman quits waitressing and sets out to become a truck driver. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi
- 1973
Season One of Sid and Marty Krofft's whimsically wacky Saturday-morning series Sigmund and the Sea Monsters begins as young Johnny and Scott Stuart (Johnny Whitaker, Scott Kolden) befriend a green, pint-sized, tentacled sea monster named Sigmund Ooze (Billy Barty), who has been disowned by his monstrous family at Dead Man's Point because he is unable to scare anyone. Hiding Sigmund in their secret clubhouse, the boys go to great lengths to prevent their guardian Aunt Zelda (Mary Wickes) and Zelda's sometime boyfriend, Sheriff Chuck Bevans (Joe Higgins) from finding out about their peculiar house guest. In a handful of episodes, the boys are plagued by snoopy next door neighbor Mrs. Eddels (played by Margaret Hamilton of "Wicked Witch of the West" fame), who like Gladys Kravitz of Bewitched is forever spotting Sigmund but is unable to convince anyone of the fact. Making his first appearance in the episode "Is There a Doctor in the House?" is Dr. Cyclops, the one-eyed, seaweed-covered, absent minded "monster medico" who tended to the needs of the Sea Monster community; this role is played by Walker Edmiston, a frequent contributor to the Krofft Brothers' TV projects. And in "Monster Rock Festival", the recurring role of local DJ Buzzy Berman is introduced in the form of former child actor Sidney Miller. Both Edmiston and Miller also provide the voices for the various costumed characters, among them Sigmund's bullying brothers Blurp and Slurp, portrayed this season by costumed actors Bill Germaine and Fred Spencer. Additionally, a pair of interesting guest performers show up during the series' first 17-episode season. Pamelyn Ferdin, a busy juvenile actress of the period, is seen in "Puppy Love", while Jack Wild, formerly the star of the Kroffts' inaugural Saturday-morning series H.R. Pufnstuf, plays "himself" in "The Wild Weekend." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Johnny Whitaker, Scott Kolden, (more)
- 1972
Recuperating from a broken arm suffered in an accident, Fred (Redd Foxx) is unable to do any housework. To alleviate the problem, Fred's son Lamont (Redd Foxx) agrees to hire a maid -- at bargain prices. The inimitable Mary Wickes guest-stars as abrasive housekeeper Mary, who, need we add, turns out to be no bargain at all. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Redd Foxx, Demond Wilson, (more)
In this heartwarming family-oriented adventure from Disney, an adorable orphan named Napoleon (Johnny Whitaker) is sent to live on his grandfather's Oregon farm. There he is befriended by a college student (Michael Douglas) who has come to the spread to work as a goat herder during the summer. One day a traveling circus comes to town and before it leaves, the lion trainer gives the grandfather an aging lion named Major to care for. This makes Napoleon happy until his grandpa suddenly dies. Not wanting to be sent to an orphanage, the boy convinces the goat herder to help him bury the old man. The goat boy then returns to the wilderness while the youngster and his lion try to get by. Eventually the authorities get wind of the death and come to investigate. The boy panics, and he and the lion set off into the wilds to find the goat herder. A young girl named Samantha (Jody Foster making her feature film debut) joins them and they have many exciting adventures. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
In this light-weight Disney family fare, Dean Jones plays Johnny Baxter, who -- along with his wife Sue (Nancy Olsen) and his two kids, Chris (Kathleen Cody) and Richard (Johnny Whitaker) -- decides to leave the New York City rat-race for the clean air and easy living of the Colorado ski country. Baxter has inherited a decaying Gothic mansion and, with the love of his family and a little bit of money, he converts the old house into a popular ski lodge. While preparing his lodge for the tourists and ski bums, Baxter has to deal with a few plumbing problems, a scheming banker (Keenan Wynn), and a grizzled old miner (Harry Morgan). In typical Disney fashion, the plot culminates in a wild, slapstick snowmobile race. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dean Jones, Nancy Olson, (more)
- 1968
- G
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Having scored big in 1966 with The Trouble With Angels, Columbia Pictures went back for a second bite of the apple with Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows. But it's two years later, and the world of Catholic education depicted in the first movie is confronting a raft of changes on all sides, from within and without. And Mother Simplicia (Rosalind Russell) not only has a new generation of students headed for graduation, but a young, progressive nun, Sister George (Stella Stevens), with whom to lock horns. And if top hell-raisers Marvel Ann (Barbara Hunter) and Rosabelle (Susan Saint James) can't cause her enough headaches to keep her busy, then Sister George will come up with something to get under her skin. The girls' adventures take them cross-country to a Catholic-themed peace rally, on the way to which they encounter mechanical problems with their bus, leading to an overnight stay at a Catholic boys' school and an encounter with some surly bikers; an interlude at a ranch owned by a millionaire (Robert Taylor), and a gradual loosening of the attitudes by the tradition-bound Mother Simplicia. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rosalind Russell, Stella Stevens, (more)
- 1967
Accidentally tearing up an important letter, Lucy (Lucille Ball) wonders exactly who is planning to pay her a visit. Much to her chagrin, the "mystery guest" turns out to be her zany Aunt Agatha (Mary Wickes), an overbearing physical-fitness freak. Driven to the brink of madness by Aunt Agatha's strict exercise regimen and horrible health food, Lucy must cook up a scheme to rid herself of her martinet relative. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mary Wickes, Mary Jane Croft, (more)
- 1967
In this spooky comedy, a couple and their adolescent son move into a quiet New England summer cottage. Soon their arrival, a series of strange and increasingly destructive occurrences begin to happen. Not believing in poltergeists, the puzzled parents immediately suspect their son. The real perpetrators are a trio of angry ghosts who want the cabin all to themselves. When the mortal family refuses to move, the ghostly trio (two women and a man) sink two boats belonging to the couples' wealthy uncle. Once again the poor boy is blamed and this nearly drives him insane for he can see the ghosts. More trouble follows when one of the lady spirits falls in love with the handsome uncle. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sid Caesar, Vera Miles, (more)
- 1967
After another of her many fights with boss Mooney (Gale Gordon), Lucy (Lucille Ball) quits her job and signs up with the "Unique Employment Agency" (ironically the same firm that would employ Lucille Ball and Gale Gordon on the later sitcom Here's Lucy). For her first assignment, Lucy is sent to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Winslow to babysit for the couple's three children. Imagine our heroine's surprise when those "children" turn out to be a trio of trained simians--or, more specifically, the famous Marquis Chimps. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mary Wickes, Jonathan Hole, (more)
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