Kathleen Freeman

**Kathleen Freeman** (February 17, 1923 – August 23, 2001) was an American film, television, voice actress, and stage actress. In a career that spanned more than 50 years, she portrayed acerbic maids, secretaries, teachers, busybodies, nurses, and battle-axe neighbors and relatives, almost invariably to comic effect.[2]

Freeman made her film debut in *Wild Harvest* (1947).[6] Freeman's most notable early role was an uncredited part in the 1952 musical *Singin' in the Rain* as Jean Hagen's diction coach Phoebe Dinsmore.[7]

Beginning with the 1954 film *3 Ring Circus*, Freeman became a favorite foil of Jerry Lewis, playing opposite him in 11 films.[8] These included most of Lewis's better known comedies, including *The Disorderly Orderly* as Nurse Higgins, *The Errand Boy* as the studio boss's wife, and especially *The Nutty Professor* as Millie Lemon. Over 30 years later, she made a brief appearance in *Nutty Professor II: The Klumps*.[9]

Other film roles included appearances in *The Missouri Traveler* (1958), the horror film *The Fly* (1958), the Westernspoofs *Support Your Local Sheriff!* (1969) and *Support Your Local Gunfighter* (1971), and appearances in a spate of comedies in the 1980s and 1990s. Freeman played Sister Mary Stigmata (referred to as The Penguin) in John Landis' *The Blues Brothers* and *Blues Brothers 2000*, had cameos in Joe Dante's *Innerspace* and *Gremlins 2: The New Batch*(as tipsy cooking host Microwave Marge), and a gangster mother in *Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult*.[9]

In addition to teaching acting classes in Los Angeles, Freeman was a familiar presence on television. In 1958–59, she appeared three times on *Buckskin*, a children's program set in a hotel in a fictitious Montana town. She appeared from the 1950s until her death in regular or recurring roles on many sitcoms, including six episodes of *The Bob Cummings Show* (as Bertha Krause), *Topper* (as Katie the maid), and *The Donna Reed Show* (as Mrs. Celia Wilgus, the Stones' busybody next door neighbor). In 1964 she appeared in 5 episodes of The Lucy Show.[9] Later, she was cast on *Hogan's Heroes* as Frau Gertrude Linkmeyer, General Burkhalter's sister, who longed to wed Colonel Klink. In 1973, she had a co-starring role with Dom DeLuise in the sitcom *Lotsa Luck* (based on the British sitcom *On the Buses*). She appeared in several episodes of *Wagon Train*, *Funny Face* (as Mrs. Kate Harwell), *I Dream of Jeannie* (as a grouchy supervisor in a fantasy preview of Major Nelson's future, and later as a hillbilly), the short-lived prehistoric sitcom *It's About Time* (as Mrs. Boss), and as the voice of Peg Bundy's mom, an unseen character on *Married... with Children*.[9] She played a female arm wrestler on *Mama's Family*. She also starred with Phil Silversin *The Beverly Hillbillies* in episodes 25 and 26 of season 8 and episodes 2 and 3 in season 9.

She remained active in her last two years with a regular voice role on *As Told by Ginger*, a voice bit in the animated feature film *Shrek*, a guest appearance on the sitcom *Becker* and scoring a Tony Award nomination and a Theatre World Award for her role as Jeannette Burmeister in the musical version of *The Full Monty*.[10] In her final episode of *As Told by Ginger*, Season 2's "No Hope for Courtney", Freeman's character retires from her teaching job although Carl and Hoodsey try convincing her to return to work. The script originally was written to have Mrs. Gordon return to Lucky Elementary School but Freeman died before the episode was finished. The script was then re-written, and Mrs. Gordon died as well. The episode was dedicated in Freeman's memory. The dedication came at the end of the episode after the announcement that Elaine Gordon had died and Carl was crying. The screen faded to black and "In Memory of Kathleen Freeman" was shown.[*citation needed*]