Mary Wickes: I Know I've Seen That Face Before

Notes

316 n o t e s Where an interview was conducted in person, the city appears in the notation; otherwise , the interview was conducted by telephone. Where an interview date is different from a prior notation attributed to the same source, more than one interview was conducted with that person. Repositories that appear frequently in these notes: AMPAS—Margaret Herrick Library at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Beverly Hills, California LOC—Manuscript Division, U.S. Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. MWP—Mary Wickes Papers, University Archives, Department of Special Collections, Washington University Libraries, St. Louis SLA—the Stockbridge (Massachusetts) Library Association WBA—Warner Bros. Archives, School of Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California , Los Angeles CHaPter one: Pardon me lady, but did you droP a fisH? 3 most popular film of 1954—White฀Christmas grossed $12 million, more than any other release that year, based on figures reported in Variety, per Gene Brown, Movie฀Time:฀ A฀Chronology฀of฀Hollywood฀and฀the฀Movie฀Industry฀from฀its฀Beginnings฀to฀the฀Present, Wiley, 1995, p. 221 3 “knocked over two pews”—telephone interview with Rosemary Clooney, March 8, 2000 3 “really bothered her”—interview with Bill Givens, Los Angeles, April 9, 1999 4 “I don’t think anybody”—interview with Dolly Reed Wageman, Studio City, Calif., Dec. 3, 1998 4 live talk show—this episode of The฀Gloria฀Swanson฀Hour was broadcast on Oct. 21, 1948 4 one of her first— on of Lucille Ball’s first TV appearances was on the variety show Inside฀U.S.A.฀with฀Chevrolet, on which Mary was a regular, on Nov. 24, 1949 n o t e s 317 4 Montgomery Clift—in August 1934, Mary co-starred with Clift at the Berkshire Playhouse in Stockbridge, Mass., in Fly฀Away฀Home, Clift’s first professional acting assignment 4 Grace Kelly—in July 1949, Mary co-starred with Kelly at the Bucks County (Penn.) Playhouse in The฀Torch-Bearers, Kelly’s first professional acting assignment 4 Frank Sinatra—Mary appeared with Sinatra in Higher฀and฀Higher in 1943 4 as a cook—Frank’s mother first appears in Gould’s St.฀Louis฀Directory, a precursor to today’s city telephone books, in 1883, listed as widow of August and “cook, Memorial Home.” Neither the home’s successor property nor the Western Historical Manuscript Collection at University of Missouri at St. Louis, which has many of the home’s records , has more information. 5 one of nine children—William L. Thomas, “Thomas A. Hetherington,” History฀of฀St.฀ Louis County, Missouri, Vol. II, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1911, pp. 341–42 5 a clerk at Glaser Brothers—per Gould’s St.฀Louis฀Directory, 1898 edition 5 destroyed by fire—Albert Nelson Marquis, “Glaser, Adolph,” The฀Book฀of฀St.฀Louisans:฀ A฀Biographical฀Dictionary฀of฀Leading฀Living฀Men฀of฀the฀City฀of฀St.฀Louis฀and฀Vicinity, Second Edition, A. N. Marquis & Co., 1942, p. 229 5 Simmons Hardware Company—per Gould’s St.฀Louis฀Directory, 1899 edition 5 Hargadine-McKittrick Dry Goods—per Gould’s St.฀Louis฀Directory, 1900–1903 editions 5 American Central Trust Company—per Gould’s St.฀Louis฀Directory, 1904 edition 5 tall, thin and slightly bent over—this description is drawn from photos of Frank and from recollections of ten people who had clear memories of him at the time this book was researched 5 “withdrew from conversations”—interview with Sally Higginbotham, St. Louis, Sept. 19, 1998 5 “not a very warm person”—interview with Jim Alexander, St. Louis, June 12, 1999 5 “seemed so much older”—telephone interview with Ruth Alexander Stubbs, June 18, 1999 5 at a dance—their first meeting is documented in Isabella’s small “Bride’s Booklet,” MWP 6 mayor of East St. Louis—from notes about Isabella in MWP 6 dyed her hair red—interview with Amy Jane Harrison Ax, St. Louis, Sept. 25, 1998 6 treacly inspirational truisms—Mary saved many of Isabella’s clippings, MWP 6 “best and happiest”—this message was in a Christmas 1934 telegram to Mary at the American Women’s Association Clubhouse in New York, but numerous other examples appear in MWP 6 “your manners!”—friends say Mary used this expression, picked up from Isabella, her entire life 6 joined Mercantile Trust—Gould’s St.฀Louis฀Directories indicate Frank was employed by the bank beginning in 1905, first as bookkeeper, then as teller, then assistant auditor and assistant comptroller—until 1930, when he begins appearing merely as “clerk.” This change may...