Mary Jackson (November 22, 1910 – December 10, 2005) was an American

character actress A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to b ...

whose nearly fifty-year career began in 1950 and was spent almost entirely in television. She is best known for the role of the lovelorn Emily Baldwin in '' The Waltons'' and was the original choice to play

Alice Horton Alice Horton is a fictional character on the NBC soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'', portrayed by Frances Reid from the show's debut on November 8, 1965 until December 26, 2007. In her role as matriarch of the Horton family, Alice's storylines focus ...

in the daytime soap opera ''

Days of Our Lives ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that streams on the streaming service Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. The soap, which aired on ...

'', playing the part in the unaired pilot. The role was instead given to

Frances Reid Frances Reid (December 9, 1914 – February 3, 2010) was an American dramatic actress. Reid acted on television for nearly all of the second half of the 20th century. Her career continued into the early 2000s. Although she starred in ma ...

Biography

Jackson was born in the village of

Milford, Michigan Milford is a village in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,175 at the time of the 2010 census. The village is located within Milford Township. The village is known for being the home of the Milford General Motors ...

on November 22, 1910. She graduated from

Western Michigan University Western Michigan University (Western Michigan, Western or WMU) is a Public university, public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was initially established as Western State Normal School in 1903 by Governor Aaron T. Bliss for the tr ...

with a bachelor's degree 1932. She worked for one year as a schoolteacher during the Great Depression before pursuing her interest in theatre. She returned to college, enrolling in Michigan State University's fine arts program and subsequently beginning her performing career in summer stock theatre in Chicago. She embarked on a television career in New York City in the 1950s, during the first

Golden Age of Television The first Golden Age of Television is an era of television in the Television in the United States, United States marked by its large number of live productions. The period is generally recognized as beginning in 1947 with the first episode of th ...

, before beginning work in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

in the 1960s. Jackson appeared on Broadway in such hits as “Kiss and Tell” and “Eastward in Eden,” was standby for Wendy Hiller in “Flowering Cherry” on Broadway, playing the role twice. She toured nationally in “Apple of His Eye” with Edward Arnold, and in “The Heiress” with

Basil Rathbone Philip St. John Basil Rathbone MC (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was a South African-born English actor. He rose to prominence in the United Kingdom as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in more than 70 films, primarily costume ...

. Jackson was a member of the Chicago company of

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thre ...

' “Garden District” and also toured with the play; was featured with Shirley Booth in Chicago in “The Desk Set.” (Jackson would later be a guest star on Booth's TV show, Hazel.) Her many stock engagements included the Ann Arbor Spring Festival, Bucks County Playhouse, Ogunquit Playhouse, Alley Theatre in Houston. For the 1962 and 1963 Summer stock seasons she performed at the Elitch Theatre. Always close to her Michigan roots, Jackson was a charter member of the Milford Historical Society. In 1988, Jackson was instrumental in raising money to rebuild the Oak Grove Cemetery Bridge over the Huron River - a bridge that connects her hometown of Milford to its oldest burial grounds. Jackson was buried there following her death from Parkinson's disease in Los Angeles, two-and-a-half weeks after her 95th birthday. She was survived by her husband of 68 years, Griffin Bancroft Jr., to whom she was married from July 4, 1937."Waltons Star Dies Aged 95"
ContactMusic.com, December 16, 2005.

Select filmography

1950s

* ''

The Philco Television Playhouse ''The Philco Television Playhouse'' is an American television anthology series that was broadcast live on NBC from 1948 to 1955. Produced by Fred Coe, the series was sponsored by Philco. It was one of the most respected dramatic shows of the Golde ...

'' (1952, TV Series) as Aunt Edna * '' Robert Montgomery Presents'' (1955–1956, TV Series) as Mrs. Gross * ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was rena ...

'' (1956, TV Series) as Mrs. Wilson

1960s

* '' General Electric Theater'' (1960, TV Series) as Phyllis Barton * ''

The Barbara Stanwyck Show ''The Barbara Stanwyck Show'' is an American anthology drama television series which ran on NBC from September 1960 to September 1961. Barbara Stanwyck served as hostess, and starred in all but four of the half-hour productions. The four in which ...

'' (1960, TV Series) as Mrs. Krieger * ''

Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...

'' (1961, TV Series) as Judge Mary Lindstrom * '' Hazel'' (1961, TV Series) as Flora Duncan * ''

My Three Sons ''My Three Sons'' is an American television sitcom that aired from September 29, 1960, to April 13, 1972. The series was broadcast on ABC during its first five seasons, before moving to CBS for the remaining seasons. ''My Three Sons'' chroni ...

'' (1961–1962, TV Series) as Irene / Selena Bailey * '' Stoney Burke'' (1962, TV Series) as Mrs. Carrol * '' The Twilight Zone'' (1963, TV Series, Episode: "

Of Late I Think of Cliffordville "Of Late I Think of Cliffordville" is episode 116 of the American television anthology series ''The Twilight Zone''. It originally aired on April 11, 1963, on CBS. In this episode, an elderly business tycoon buys the opportunity to enjoy amassing h ...

") as Miss Pepper (uncredited) * '' The Andy Griffith Show'' (1964–1966, TV Series) as Miss Vogel / Mrs. Parnell Rigsby * '' The Outer Limits'' (1964, TV Series) as Mrs. McCrae * '' The Fugitive'' (1964–1966, TV Series) as Carolyn Fletcher / Nurse Oberhansly / Ellie Parker * ''

Please Don't Eat the Daisies ''Please Don't Eat the Daisies'' (New York: Doubleday, 1957) is a best-selling collection of humorous essays by American humorist and playwright Jean Kerr about suburban living and raising four boys. The essays do not have a plot or through-sto ...

'' (1965, TV Series) as Mrs. MacIntyre * ''

The F.B.I. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

'' (1965–1972, TV Series) as Ruth Mason / Nurse / Mrs. Dreiser / Mrs. Corman / Mrs. Howard / Mrs. Otto Foshay * '' Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night'' (1967) as Mrs. Stone * ''

Insight Insight is the understanding of a specific cause and effect within a particular context. The term insight can have several related meanings: *a piece of information *the act or result of understanding the inner nature of things or of seeing intu ...

'' (1967, TV Series) * '' The Second Hundred Years'' (1967, TV Series) as Mother Superior * ''

The Invaders ''The Invaders'' is an American science-fiction television series created by Larry Cohen that aired on ABC for two seasons, from 1967 to 1968. Roy Thinnes stars as David Vincent, who after stumbling across evidence of an in-progress invasio ...

'' (1967–1968, TV Series) as Hattie Willis / Nurse * '' Targets'' (1968) as Charlotte Thompson * '' Lancer'' (1969, TV Series) as Harpy / Maude Bigelow

1970s

* ''

Airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface ...

'' (1970) as Sister Felice * ''

Mary Tyler Moore Mary Tyler Moore (December 29, 1936 – January 25, 2017) was an American actress, producer, and social advocate. She is best known for her roles on '' The Dick Van Dyke Show'' (1961–1966) and '' The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (1970–1977), whi ...

'' (1971, TV Series) as Mrs. Arnell * '' The Name of the Game'' (1971, TV Series) as Jaimie White * ''

Wild Rovers ''Wild Rovers'' is a 1971 American Western film directed by Blake Edwards and starring William Holden and Ryan O'Neal. Originally intended as a three-hour epic, it was heavily edited by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer without Edwards' knowledge, including ...

'' (1971) as Sada's Mother * ''

Cannon A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during ...

'' (1971, TV Series) as Mrs. Wells * ''

The Failing of Raymond ''The Failing of Raymond'' is a 1971 American made-for-television psychological thriller film starring Jane Wyman (in her television film debut), Dean Stockwell, Dana Andrews, Paul Henreid and Murray Hamilton. It aired as the ''ABC Movie of the ...

'' (1971, TV Movie) as Latin Teacher * ''

Return to Peyton Place ''Return to Peyton Place'' is a 1959 novel by Grace Metalious, a sequel to her best-selling 1956 novel '' Peyton Place''. Plot summary After the phenomenal success of her first novel, Metalious hastily penned a sequel centering on the life and ...

'' (1972, TV Series) as Nell Abernathy (1973-1974) * ''The Trial of the Catonsville Nine'' (1972) as Witness * '' The Waltons'' (1972-1981, TV Series) as Emily Baldwin * ''

Kid Blue ''Kid Blue'' is a 1973 American Comedy Western film directed by James Frawley and starring Dennis Hopper, Warren Oates, Peter Boyle and Ben Johnson. Plot Bickford Waner, who has failed as a train robber, decides to go straight and get an hone ...

'' (1973) as Mrs. Evans * ''

Blume in Love ''Blume in Love'' is a 1973 American romantic comedy drama film written, produced and directed by Paul Mazursky. It stars George Segal in the titular role, alongside Susan Anspach and Kris Kristofferson. Others in the cast include Mazursky, Mar ...

'' (1973) as Louise * ''

Barnaby Jones ''Barnaby Jones'' is an American detective television series starring Buddy Ebsen as a formerly retired investigator and Lee Meriwether as his widowed daughter-in-law, who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles, California. The show was o ...

'' (1973–1977, TV Series) as Mary Jackson / Hilda Forbes / Karen's Landlady * '' Our Time'' (1974) as Miss Moran * ''

The Rookies ''The Rookies'' is an American police procedural series that aired on ABC from 1972 until 1976. It follows the exploits of three rookie police officers working in an unidentified city for the fictitious Southern California Police Department (SC ...

'' (1974, TV Series) as Mrs. Callender / Woman * '' Fun with Dick and Jane'' (1977) as Jane's Mother * '' Audrey Rose'' (1977) as Mother Veronica * '' The Bionic Woman'' (1977, TV Series) as Martha * '' Coming Home'' (1978) as Fleta Wilson * ''Letters from Frank'' (1979, TV Movie) as Edna Miller * ''

The Rockford Files ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner that aired on the NBC network from September 13, 1974 to January 10, 1980, and remains in syndication. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investigat ...

'' (1979, TV Series) as Postal Supervisor

1980s

* '' A Small Killing'' (1981, TV Movie) as Rose * '' Hart to Hart'' (1981, TV Series) as Phony Grandma * ''A Wedding on Walton's Mountain'' (1982, TV Movie) as Emily Baldwin * '' Quincy The Flight of the Nightingale'' (1982, TV Series) as Mrs. Shanley * ''Between Two Brothers'' (1982, TV Movie) as Eddy Frazer * ''

Some Kind of Hero ''Some Kind of Hero'' is a 1982 American comedy-drama film starring Richard Pryor as a returning Vietnam War veteran having trouble adjusting to civilian life. Soon he is involved in an organized crime heist. It co-stars Margot Kidder and was d ...

'' (1982) as Frances * ''A Day for Thanks on Walton's Mountain'' (1982, TV Movie) as Emily Baldwin * '' Family Ties'' (1982, TV Series) as Edna * '' Magnum, P.I.'' (1983, TV Series) as Grandmother MacKenzie * '' Hardcastle and McCormick'' (1983, TV Series) as Sarah Wicks * '' The Snow Queen'' (1985, TV Series) as Grandmother * '' Space'' (1985, TV Mini-Series) as Frankie * ''

Scarecrow and Mrs. King ''Scarecrow and Mrs. King'' is an American television series that aired from October 3, 1983, to September 10, 1987, on CBS. The show starred Kate Jackson and Bruce Boxleitner, as divorced housewife Amanda King and top-level "Agency" operative ...

'' (1985–1986, TV Series) as Lois Mendelson * ''

The Jeffersons ''The Jeffersons'' is an American sitcom television series that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, to July 2, 1985, lasting 11 seasons and a total of 253 episodes. ''The Jeffersons'' is one of the longest-running sitcoms in history, ...

'' (1985, TV Series) as Mrs. Donahue * ''My Town'' (1986, TV Series) as Mrs. McDaniel * ''

Highway to Heaven ''Highway to Heaven'' is an American fantasy drama television series that ran on NBC from September 19, 1984, to August 4, 1989. The series starred Michael Landon as Jonathan Smith, an angel sent to Earth in order to help people in need. Vi ...

'' (1986, TV Series) as Rose * '' Hill Street Blues'' (1987, TV Series) * ''

Hunter Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler, ...

'' (1987, TV Series) as Clara * ''

Big Top Pee-wee ''Big Top Pee-wee'' is a 1988 American comedy film directed by Randal Kleiser. A stand-alone sequel to '' Pee-wee's Big Adventure'' (1985), the film stars Paul Reubens as Pee-wee Herman with Susan Tyrrell, Kris Kristofferson, Penelope Ann Miller, ...

'' (1988) as Mrs. Dill * ''

L.A. Law ''L.A. Law'' is an American legal drama television series that ran for eight seasons on NBC, from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994. Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, it centers on the partners, associates and staff of a Los ...

'' (1989, TV Series) as Mrs. Weedon

1990s

* '' Parenthood'' (1990–1991, TV Series) as Great Grandma Greenwell * ''Skinned Alive'' (1990) as Crawldaddy * '' The Exorcist III'' (1990) as Mrs. Clelia * ''Criminal Behavior'' (1992, TV Movie) as Mrs. Cline * '' Leap of Faith'' (1992) as Emma Schlarp * ''A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion'' (1993, TV Movie) as Emily Baldwin * '' Christy'' (1994, TV Series) as Aunt Polly Teague * ''A Walton Wedding'' (1995, TV Movie) as Emily Baldwin * '' Ozone'' (1995) as Cleaning Lady * ''

A Family Thing ''A Family Thing'' is a 1996 American drama film starring Robert Duvall, James Earl Jones and Irma P. Hall. It was rewritten by Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson, the original script, "Latent Blood" was written by L Guy Burton, and directed b ...

'' (1996) as Carrie * ''A Walton Easter'' (1997) as Emily Baldwin (final film role)

References

External links

* *
Mary Jackson at Elitch Theatre
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Mary 1910 births 2005 deaths American film actresses American television actresses American stage actresses Western Michigan University alumni Michigan State University alumni Deaths from Parkinson's disease Neurological disease deaths in California People from Milford, Michigan Actresses from Michigan 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American women