Verna Martha Wentworth (June 2, 1889 – March 8, 1974) was an American actress. Her vocal variety led to her being called the "Actress of 100 Voices".

Biography

Wentworth was born on June 2, 1889 in New York City. After graduating from public school, she attended the National School of Expression. She was one of Minnie Maddern Fiske's proteges and appeared in several stage productions, beginning when she was 17 years old. Wentworth's long radio career began in the early 1920s. She played The Wintergreen Witch on '' The Cinnamon Bear'' (1937) radio program, Annie Wood and Mrs. Littlefield on ''

Crime Classics ''Crime Classics'' is a United States radio docudrama which aired as a sustaining series over CBS Radio from June 15, 1953, to June 30, 1954. Production Produced and directed by radio actor and director Elliott Lewis, the program was a histor ...

'' (1953), and Ma Danields on ''The Gallant Heart'' (1944). She portrayed Joe Penner's mother on ''The Park Avenue Penners''. She also had semi-regular roles on ''

Broadway Is My Beat ''Broadway Is My Beat'', a radio crime drama, ran on CBS from February 27, 1949 to August 1, 1954. With Anthony Ross portraying Times Square Detective Danny Clover, the show originated from New York during its first three months on the air. F ...

'', '' On Stage'', ''

The Witch's Tale ''The Witch's Tale'' is a horror-fantasy radio series which aired from May 21, 1931, to June 13, 1938, on WOR, the Mutual Radio Network, and in syndication. The program was created, written, and directed by Alonzo Deen Cole (February 22, 1897, S ...

'', '' The Baby Snooks Show'', and ''

The Abbott and Costello Show ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in En ...

''. She voiced Mama Katzenjammer in the Katzenjammer Kids adaptation of '' The Captain and the Kids''. In the 1940s, Wentworth became a film actress in several Red Ryder

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US * Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that i ...

films. She is in ''Lassie'' as neighbor Bertha, first aired on March 22, 1959's season 5 episode 29. She voiced roles in two

Walt Disney Productions The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October 1 ...

: Nanny, Queenie the Cow and Lucy the Goose in ''

One Hundred and One Dalmatians ''One Hundred and One Dalmatians'' (also simply known as ''101 Dalmatians'') is a 1961 American animated adventure comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and based on the 1956 novel '' The Hundred and One Dalmatians'' by Dodie Smith. Th ...

'' (1961) and

Madame Mim ''The Sword in the Stone'' is a 1963 American animated musical fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney and released by Buena Vista Distribution. The 18th Disney animated feature film, it is based on the novel of the same name by T. H. White, ...

in '' The Sword in the Stone'' (1963), her final credited film appearance. Wentworth died on March 8, 1974, aged 84.

Selected filmography

*''Poor Little Me'' (1935, short) - Singer (voice, uncredited) *'' Who Killed Cock Robin?'' (1935, short) - Jenny Wren (voice, uncredited) *'' Broken Toys'' (1935, short) -

ZaSu Pitts Zasu Pitts (; January 3, 1894 – June 7, 1963) was an American actress who starred in many silent dramas, including Erich von Stroheim's epic 1924 silent film ''Greed'', and comedies, transitioning successfully to mostly comedy films with t ...

Mae West Mae West (born Mary Jane West; August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American stage and film actress, playwright, screenwriter, singer, and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned over seven decades. She was known for her breezy ...

(voice, uncredited) *''

Bottles A bottle is a narrow-necked container made of an impermeable material (such as glass, plastic or aluminium) in various shapes and sizes that stores and transports liquids. Its mouth, at the bottling line, can be sealed with an internal stop ...

'' (1936, short) - Witch Hazel (voice, uncredited) *'' The Blow Out'' (1936, ''

Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series '' Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation. ...

'' short) - The Mad Bomber (voice, uncredited) *'' Prison Shadows'' (1936) - Mrs. Murphy (uncredited) *'' I Love to Singa'' (1936, ''

Merrie Melodies ''Merrie Melodies'' is an American animation, animated series of comedy short films produced by Warner Bros. starting in 1931, during the golden age of American animation, and ending in 1969. Then some new cartoons were produced from the late 197 ...

'' short) - Mother Owl (voice, uncredited) *''The Old House'' (1936, short) - Radio Witch (voice, uncredited) *'' Toby Tortoise Returns'' (1936, short) - Jenny Wren (voice, uncredited) *''

At Your Service Madame AT or at may refer to: Geography Austria * Austria (ISO 2-letter country code) * .at, Internet country code top-level domain United States * Atchison County, Kansas (county code) * The Appalachian Trail (A.T.), a 2,180+ mile long mountaino ...

'' (1936, ''Merrie Melodies'' short) - Mrs. Hamhock (voice, uncredited) *'' Don't Look Now'' (1936, ''Merrie Melodies'' short) - Lady Woodpecker (voice, uncredited) *'' The CooCoo Nut Grove'' (1936, ''Merrie Melodies'' short) - Mae West (voice, uncredited) *''Little Cheeser'' (1936, short) - Mother (voice, uncredited) *''

Pigs Is Pigs "Pigs Is Pigs" is a story by American writer Ellis Parker Butler. First published as a short story in '' American Illustrated Magazine'' in September 1905, "Pigs Is Pigs" went on to dozens of printings as a book and in anthologies over the nex ...

'' (1937, ''Merrie Melodies'' short) - Mrs. Hamhock (voice, uncredited) *''The Masque Raid'' (1937, short) - Witch (voice, uncredited) *''Cleaning House'' (1938, short) - Mama (voice, uncredited) *''Blue Monday'' (1938, short) - Mama (voice, uncredited) *''The Captain's Pup'' (1938, short) - Mama (voice, uncredited) *''A Day at the Beach'' (1938, short) - Mama (voice, uncredited) *''Old Smokey'' (1938, short) - Mama (voice, uncredited) *''The Kangaroo Kid'' (1938, short) - Mother Kangaroo (voice, uncredited) *''Petunia Natural Park'' (1939, short) - Mama (voice, uncredited) *''The Bookworm'' (1939, short) - Witch (voice, uncredited) *'' Peace on Earth'' (1939, short) - Mother Squirrel (voice, uncredited) *'' A Rainy Day'' (1940, short) - Mama Bear (voice, uncredited) *''

Waterloo Bridge Waterloo Bridge () is a road and foot traffic bridge crossing the River Thames in London, between Blackfriars Bridge and Hungerford Bridge and Golden Jubilee Bridges. Its name commemorates the victory of the British, Dutch and Prussians at t ...

'' (1940) - Tart on Bridge at the End (uncredited) *''

Wildcat Bus ''Wildcat Bus'' is a 1940 American action film directed by Frank Woodruff and written by Lou Lusty. The film stars Fay Wray, Charles Lang, Paul Guilfoyle, Don Costello and Paul McGrath. The film was released on August 23, 1940, by RKO Pictures. ...

'' (1940) - Mrs. Waters (uncredited) *''Papa Gets the Bird'' (1940, short) - Mama Bear (voice, uncredited) *'' Who Killed Aunt Maggie?'' (1940) - Housekeeper (uncredited) *'' Bowery Blitzkrieg'' (1941) - Mrs. Brady *'' Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'' (1941) - Landlady (uncredited) *''The Field Mouse'' (1941, short) - Ma Mouse (voice, uncredited) *'' Fraidy Cat'' (1942, ''

Tom and Jerry ''Tom and Jerry'' is an American animated media franchise and series of comedy short films created in 1940 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Best known for its 161 theatrical short films by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the series centers on the ...

'' short) - woman in "witching hour" radio program (voice, uncredited) *'' The Hungry Wolf'' (1942, short) - Mother Rabbit (voice, uncredited) *'' The Adventures of Martin Eden'' (1942) - Proprietress (uncredited) *''

Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book ''Jungle Book'' is a 1942 independent Technicolor action-adventure film by the Korda brothers, loosely adapted from Rudyard Kipling's ''The Jungle Book'' (1894). The story centers on Mowgli, a feral young man who is kidnapped by villagers who a ...

'' (1942) - White Hood (voice, uncredited) *'' Clancy Street Boys'' (1943) - Mrs. Molly McGinnis *'' Strange Affair'' (1944) - Proprietress (uncredited) *'' A Tree Grows in Brooklyn'' (1945) - Sheila's Mother (uncredited) *''

Fallen Angel In the Abrahamic religions, fallen angels are angels who were expelled from heaven. The literal term "fallen angel" never appears in any Abrahamic religious texts, but is used to describe angels cast out of heaven"Mehdi Azaiez, Gabriel Said ...

'' (1945) - Hotel Maid (uncredited) *''

Adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extr ...

'' (1945) - Woman (uncredited) *'' The Stranger'' (1946) - Sara *''

Santa Fe Uprising ''Santa Fe Uprising'' is a 1946 American Western film in the Red Ryder film series directed by R. G. Springsteen, written by Earle Snell, and starring Allan Lane, Robert Blake, Martha Wentworth, Barton MacLane, Jack La Rue and Tom London. It wa ...

'' (1946) - The Duchess *'' Stagecoach to Denver'' (1946) - The Duchess (Red's Aunt) *'' Vigilantes of Boomtown'' (1947) - Duchess Wentworth *'' Oregon Trail Scouts'' (1947) - The Duchess *''

Rustlers of Devil's Canyon ''Rustlers of Devil's Canyon'' is a 1947 American Western film in the Red Ryder film series directed by R. G. Springsteen and written by Earle Snell. The film stars Allan Lane, Robert Blake, Martha Wentworth, Peggy Stewart, Arthur Space and Em ...

'' (1947) - The Duchess *''

Marshal of Cripple Creek ''Marshal of Cripple Creek'' is a 1947 American Western film in the Red Ryder film series directed by R. G. Springsteen and written by Earle Snell. The film stars Allan Lane, Robert Blake, Martha Wentworth, Trevor Bardette, Tom London and ...

'' (1947) - The Duchess *'' His Bitter Half'' (1950, ''Merrie Melodies'' short) - Daffy Duck's wife (voice, uncredited) *'' Love Nest'' (1951) - Mrs. Thompson (uncredited) *'' She Couldn't Say No'' (1952) - Mrs. Holbert (uncredited) *'' Young Man with Ideas'' (1952) - Mrs. Hammerty *''Willie the Kid'' (1952, short) - Myrtle Smith (voice, uncredited) *'' You for Me'' (1952) - Lucille's Mother (uncredited) *'' O. Henry's Full House'' (1952) - Mrs. O'Brien (segment "The Last Leaf") (uncredited) *'' My Man and I'' (1952) - Nancy's Landlady (uncredited) *'' The Clown'' (1953) - Neighbor (uncredited) *'' One Girl's Confession'' (1953) - Old Lady *'' The Human Jungle'' (1954) - Marcy, Janitress (uncredited) *'' Jupiter's Darling'' (1955) - Widow Titus *'' Blackboard Jungle'' (1955) - Mrs. Lucy Brophy (uncredited) *'' Artists and Models'' (1955) - Fat Lady (uncredited) *'' Good Morning, Miss Dove'' (1955) - Annie Holloway (uncredited) *''

The Man with the Golden Arm ''The Man with the Golden Arm'' is a 1955 American drama film with elements of film noir directed by Otto Preminger, based on the novel of the same name by Nelson Algren. Starring Frank Sinatra, Eleanor Parker, Kim Novak, Arnold Stang and ...

'' (1955) - Vangie (uncredited) *'' The Killer Is Loose'' (1956) - Apartment House Manager's Wife (uncredited) *''

Rock Around the Clock "Rock Around the Clock" is a rock and roll song in the Twelve-bar blues, 12-bar blues format written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers (the latter being under the pseudonym "Jimmy De Knight") in 1952. The best-known and most successful ren ...

'' (1956) - Miss Anna Dunlap - Chaperone (uncredited) *'' The Desperados Are in Town'' (1956) - Mrs. Joan Tawson (uncredited) *''

Monkey on My Back ''Pump'' is the tenth studio album by American rock band Aerosmith. It was released on September 12, 1989, by Geffen Records. The album peaked at No. 5 on the US charts, and was certified septuple platinum by the RIAA in 1995. The album contain ...

'' (1957) - Landlady (uncredited) *'' The Daughter of Dr. Jekyll'' (1957) - Mrs. Felicity Merchant *'' Go, Johnny, Go!'' (1959) - Mrs. Kimberley McGillicuddy *'' The Beatniks'' (1960) - Nadine *''

'' (1961) - Nanny / Queenie / Lucy (voice) *'' The Sword in the Stone'' (1963) - Old Lady Squirrel / Madam Mim / Scullery Maid (voice) *'' Mary Poppins'' (1964) - Cockney Cow (voice) (final film role)

References

* Wollstein, Hans J., '' AllMovie''.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wentworth, Martha 1889 births 1974 deaths 20th-century American actresses Actresses from New York City American film actresses American radio actresses American television actresses Warner Bros. Cartoons voice actors