Thelma Ritter
Thelma Ritter (February 14, 1902 – February 5, 1969) was an American actress, best known for her comedic roles as working-class characters and her strong New York accent. She was the recipient of a Tony Award and six nominations for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, more than any other actress in the category. Early and family life. Ritter was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1902, the first child of Charles and Lucy Ritter, both natives of the United States. Her father at that time was a bookkeeper, and he became a shore company's office manager . At age 11, Ritter portrayed Puck in a semi-professional dramatic society's production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream". As a teenager, she appeared in high-school plays and stock companies. She later received formal training at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (ADA). That training came after her initial effort to attend the academy was rebuffed. After graduating from Manual Training High School, she achieved her goal of studying at ADA. Although she subsequently struggled to establish a stage career, Ritter decided to take a hiatus from acting to raise her two children—Monica and Joe—by her  husband Joseph Moran (whom she married in 1927). Moran was also an actor, but changed professions in the mid-1930s, opting to become an agent and then an advertising executive. Career. Ritter's first professional experience came with stock theater companies in New York and New England. Her Broadway credits include "UTBU" (1965), "New Girl in Town" (1956), "In Times Square" (1931), and "The Shelf" (1926). Ritter's first movie role was in "Miracle on 34th Street" (1947). She made a memorable impression in a brief uncredited part, as a frustrated mother unable to find the toy that Kris Kringle has  promised her son. Her third role, in writer-director Joseph L. Mankiewicz's "A Letter to Three Wives" (1949), left a mark, although Ritter was again uncredited. Mankiewicz kept Ritter in mind, and cast her as Birdie in "All About Eve" (1950), which earned her an Oscar nomination. A second nomination followed for her work in Mitchell Leisen's' ensemble screwball comedy "The Mating Season" (1951) starring Gene Tierney and John Lund. She enjoyed steady film work for the next dozen years. She appeared in many of the episodic drama TV series of the 1950s, such as "Alfred Hitchcock Presents , General Electric Theater", and "The United States Steel Hour". Other film roles were as James Stewart's nurse in "Rear Window" (1954) and as Doris Day's maid in "Pillow Talk" (1959). Although best known for comedy roles, she played the occasional dramatic role, most notably in "With a Song in My Heart" (1952), "Pickup on South Street" (1953), "Titanic" (1953), "The Misfits" (1961), and "Birdman of Alcatraz" (1962), for which she received her final Oscar nomination. Her last work was an appearance on "The Jerry Lewis Show" on January 23, 1968. Death. Ritter died of a heart attack in  New York City on February 5, 1969. Awards and nominations. During her career, Ritter was nominated for an Oscar six times, giving her the distinction of being one of the three actresses (tied with Deborah Kerr and Amy Adams) with the second most nominations for the award in an acting category without a win, surpassed only by Glenn Close with eight. The current record for all actors is Close and Peter O'Toole with eight nominations without a win, followed by Richard Burton with seven nominations. Both Kerr and O'Toole received honorary awards from the Academy, however. In 1955, Thelma Ritter  co-hosted the Oscar ceremony, notably trading wisecracks with Bob Hope. Academy Awards Primetime Emmy Awards Tony Award In 1958, Ritter won a Tony Award in a rare tie (with her co-star, Gwen Verdon) for their work in "New Girl". Golden Globe Awards