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C o n t e n t s Preface IX Acknowledgments XIII 1. Pardon Me Lady, But Did You Drop a Fish? 3 2. From Stockbridge to the Mercury Theatre 26 3. On Stage and On Air 49 4. Anatomy Is Destiny 71 5. Miss Bedpan 83 6. Los Angeles, Mother in Tow 97 7. Lucille Ball’s Best Friend 108 8. Cookies and Milk with Mother 134 9. She Kept It to Herself 146 10. Mary’s Secret Cousin 159 11. “Not an Ounce” of Romance 169 12. Nurses, Nuns, and Housekeepers 193 13. When Acting Is Everything . . . 221 14. Becoming the Characters She Played 243 15. Success Returns 256 16. Physical Deterioration 278 17. Fade Out 285 The Roles of Mary Wickes 300 Notes 316 Index 358 This page intentionally left blank ...

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