# Marie Wilson (American actress)

Marie Wilson (born Katherine Elizabeth Wilson; August 19, 1916 – November 23, 1972) was an American radio, film, and television actress. She may be best remembered as the title character in My Friend Irma.

## Early life

Wilson was born in Anaheim, California, on August 19, 1916. Her nickname at Anaheim High School was "Maybelle". Wilson graduated from high school in 1933.

## Career
### Radio

Although Wilson was afraid of the microphone used in radio, she played scatterbrained Irma Peterson in the radio comedy My Friend Irma from April 11, 1947, to August 23, 1954.

### Film

Wilson began her career in Hollywood in the 1934 film Down to Their Last Yacht as a ship passenger, and then appeared in Babes in Toyland as Mary Quite Contrary. Wilson appeared in Ladies Crave Excitement (1935), The Girl Friend (1935), Stars Over Broadway (1935), Miss Pacific Fleet (1935), The Big Noise (1936), Melody for Two (1937), Boy Meets Girl (1938), Sweepstakes Winner (1939), Virginia (1941), She's in the Army (1942), You Can't Ration Love (1944), Young Widow (1946), and Never Wave at a WAC (1952). Her career got a boost when she performed at Harold Lloyd's Beverly Hills Little Theatre for Professionals, which led to her being cast in Boy Meets Girl in 1938.
In 1936, she played Miss Murgatroyd in Satan Met a Lady, a loose adaptation of the 1929 novel The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett. She was in The Great Garrick as Nicolle in 1937. Wilson was in Fools for Scandal as Myrtle in 1938. She was in Waterfront in 1939 as Ruby Waters.
In 1949, she played Irma Peterson in the film My Friend Irma, reprising her role from the radio series. In 1950, she again played Irma in My Friend Irma Goes West. In 1952, she played Jane Sweet in A Girl in Every Port, based on the short story They Sell Sailors Elephants by Frederick Hazlitt Brennan. In 1957, she played Marie Antoinette in The Story of Mankind, loosely based on the nonfiction book The Story of Mankind (1921) by Hendrik Willem van Loon. Wilson's last film was 1962's Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation, based on the novel by Edward Streeter.
Wilson also had roles in short films, including Bum Voyage (1934), Slide, Nellie, Slide (1936), Vitaphone Pictorial Revue (Series 2 No. 6) (1938), and Vitaphone Pictorial Revue (Series 2 No. 12).

### Television

Wilson first appeared on television in the series My Friend Irma from 1952 to 1954. She was in two episodes of Burke's Law. Wilson's voice was featured in the short-lived animated television series Where's Huddles?. Her last role was in 1972 as Margaret Cooperman in Love, American Style. Wilson was a guest on The Ed Sullivan Show on four occasions.

### Stage

In June and July 1950, Wilson portrayed Lady Teazle in a production of The School for Scandal at the Circle Theater in Hollywood. She appeared with her husband, Allan Nixon, who played Charles Surface. During February 1958 she starred as Cherie opposite Robert Gist as Bo in a production of Bus Stop at the Sombrero Playhouse in Phoenix, Arizona.

### Walk of Fame

Wilson's talents have been recognized with three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: for radio at 6301 Hollywood Boulevard, for television at 6765 Hollywood Boulevard, and for movies at 6601 Hollywood Boulevard.

### Sculpture

Wilson's left leg was the model for a 35-ft (sometimes referred to as 34-ft), two-ton sculpture outside the Theme Hosiery (later Sanderson Hoisery) plant on Olympic and Barrington in West Los Angeles. The DuPont Co. commissioned the plaster leg, which was painted as if to be wearing nylons, to promote its new nylons product. Wilson was hoisted thigh-level at the sculpture's unveiling August 6, 1949.

## Personal life

Wilson was married to actor Allan Nixon from 1942 to 1950. Her 1951 marriage to actor Robert Fallon lasted until her death from cancer at age 56. Wilson was interred in the Columbarium of Remembrance at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood Hills.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1934 | Down to Their Last Yacht | Ship Passenger | Romantic comedy and musical film directed by Paul Sloane Uncredited |
| 1934 | Babes in Toyland | Mary Quite Contrary | Musical film directed by Charley Rogers and Gus Meins Based on Victor Herbert's popular 1903 operetta Babes in Toyland. |
| 1935 | Ladies Crave Excitement | Girl | Action and comedy film directed by Nick Grinde Uncredited |
| 1935 | The Girl Friend | Girl | Musical film directed by Edward Buzzell |
| 1935 | Stars Over Broadway | Molly | Musical film directed by William Keighley |
| 1935 | Miss Pacific Fleet | Virginia 'Vergie' Matthews | Comedy film directed by Ray Enright |
| 1935 | Broadway Hostess | Dorothy | Romantic comedy musical film directed by Frank McDonald |
| 1936 | Colleen | Mabel | Romantic and musical film directed by Alfred E. Green |
| 1936 | The Big Noise | Daisy | Comedy and crime film directed by Frank McDonald |
| 1936 | Satan Met a Lady | Miss Murgatroyd | Detective film directed by William Dieterle A loose adaptation of the 1929 novel The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett Directed by Roy Del Ruth |
| 1936 | China Clipper | Sunny Avery | Drama film directed by Ray Enright |
| 1936 | King of Hockey | Elsie | Drama film directed by Noel M. Smith |
| 1937 | Melody for Two | Camille Casey | Musical film directed by Louis King |
| 1937 | Public Wedding | Tessie | Comedy film directed by Nick Grinde |
| 1937 | Over the Goal | Co-ed | Comedy film directed by Noel M. Smith Uncredited |
| 1937 | The Great Garrick | Nicolle | Historical and comedy film directed by James Whale Based on the play Ladies and Gentlemen by Ernest Vajda |
| 1938 | The Invisible Menace | Sally | Mystery film directed by John Farrow |
| 1938 | Fools for Scandal | Myrtle | Screwball comedy produced and directed by Mervyn LeRoy Based on the unproduced 1936 play Return Engagement by Nancy Hamilton, James Shute, and Rosemary Casey |
| 1938 | Boy Meets Girl | Susie | Screwball comedy directed by Lloyd Bacon. |
| 1938 | Broadway Musketeers | Miss Connie Todd | Drama film directed by John Farrow |
| 1939 | Sweepstakes Winner | Jennie Jones | Comedy film directed by William C. McGann |
| 1939 | Waterfront | Ruby Waters | Action and crime film directed by Terry O. Morse Adapted from the play Blind Spot by Kenyon Nicholson |
| 1939 | Should Husbands Work? | Myrtle | Comedy film directed by Gus Meins |
| 1939 | The Cowboy Quarterback | Maizie Williams | Comedy film directed by Noel M. Smith |
| 1941 | Virginia | Connie Potter | Drama film directed by Edward H. Griffith |
| 1941 | Rookies on Parade | Kitty Mulloy | Musical-comedy film directed by Joseph Santley |
| 1941 | Flying Blind | Veronica Gimble | Action-comedy film directed by Frank McDonald |
| 1941 | Harvard, Here I Come! | Zella Phipps | Comedy film directed by Lew Landers |
| 1942 | Broadway | Grace | Crime-drama musical film directed by William A. Seiter |
| 1942 | She's in the Army | Susan Slatterty | Comedy-drama film directed by Jean Yarbrough |
| 1944 | You Can't Ration Love | Bubbles Keenan | Comedy film directed by Lester Fuller |
| 1944 | Shine on Harvest Moon | Margie | Musical-biographical film of the vaudeville team of Nora Bayes and Jack Norworth directed by David Butler |
| 1944 | Music for Millions | Marie | Musical-comedy film directed by Henry Koster |
| 1946 | Young Widow | 'Mac' McCallister | Drama film directed by Edwin L. Marin |
| 1946 | No Leave, No Love | Rosalind | Musical film directed by Charles Martin |
| 1947 | The Private Affairs of Bel Ami | Rachel Michot | Drama film directed by Albert Lewin |
| 1947 | The Fabulous Joe | Gorgeous Gilmore | Comedy film directed by Harve Foster |
| 1947 | Linda, Be Good | Margie LaVitte | Comedy film directed by Frank McDonald |
| 1949 | My Friend Irma | Irma Peterson | Comedy film directed by George Marshall Most notable as the film debut of the comedy team Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis Based upon the radio series My Friend Irma |
| 1950 | My Friend Irma Goes West | Irma Peterson | Crime-comedy musical film directed by Hal Walker Based on the radio show My Friend Irma |
| 1952 | Never Wave at a WAC | Clara Schneiderman / Danger O'Dowd | Comedy film directed by Norman Z. McLeod |
| 1952 | A Girl in Every Port | Jane Sweet | Comedy film directed by Chester Erskine Based on the short story They Sell Sailors Elephants by Frederick Hazlitt Brennan |
| 1953 | I Was a Burlesque Queen | Margie LaVitte | Drama film written and directed by Sidney W. Pink Archive footage of 1947's Linda, Be Good |
| 1953 | Marry Me Again | Doris | Comedy film written and directed by Frank Tashlin |
| 1957 | The Story of Mankind | Marie Antoinette | Directed and co-produced by Irwin Allen Very loosely based on the nonfiction book The Story of Mankind (1921) by Hendrik Willem van Loon |
| 1962 | Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation | Mrs. Turner | Comedy film directed by Henry Koster Based on the novel Mr. Hobbs' Vacation by Edward Streeter |

### Film shorts/documentaries

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1934 | Bum Voyage | Ship's Passenger at Party | Directed by Nick Grinde |
| 1935 | My Girl Sally | Leading actress | Directed by Alfred J. Goulding |
| 1936 | Slide, Nellie, Slide | Nellie, the Softball Player | Directed by Ralph Staub |
| 1938 | Swingtime in the Movies | Herself | Directed by written by Crane Wilbur |
| 1938 | For Auld Lang Syne #3 | Herself | Documentary |
| 1938 | Vitaphone Pictorial Revue (Series 2 No. 6) | Herself | Directed by Willard Du Brul, Clem McCarthy, and I. Miller |
| 1938 | Vitaphone Pictorial Revue (Series 2 No. 12) | Herself | Directed by Lloyd French |
| 1950 | Screen Snapshots: The Great Showman | Herself | Directed by Ralph Staub |
| 1954 | Screen Snapshots: Hollywood Stars on Parade | Herself | Written and directed by Ralph Staub |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1952–1954 | My Friend Irma | Irma Peterson | Contract role |
| 1962 | The Comedy Spot | Ernestine | Episode: "The Soft Touch" |
| 1962 | Ernestine | Ernestine McDougal | Made-for-TV-movie directed by Sidney Salkow |
| 1963 | Empire | Guest | Episode: "Hidden Asset" (S 1:Ep 26) |
| 1964 | Burke's Law | Chuchi Smith | Episode: "Who Killed Marty Kelso?" (S 1:Ep 22) |
| 1964 | My Son, the Witch Doctor | Leading actress | Made-for-TV-movie |
| 1965 | Burke's Law | Ramona Specks | Episode: "Who Killed Wimbledon Hastings?"( S2:Ep 20) |
| 1968 | Mr. Blackwell Presents | Herself | Directed by William Edwards and William Stierwalt |
| 1969 | Jack Cassidy's St. Patrick's Day TV Special | Singer | Directed by William Rainbolt |
| 1970 | Where's Huddles? | Penny McCoy | Contract role |
| 1972 | Love, American Style | Margaret Cooperman | Episode: "Love and the Girlish Groom / Love and the New You / Love and the Oldlyweds / Love and the Wishing Star" (S 4:Ep 4) |