Olive Blakeney (August 21, 1894 October 21, 1959)Alt URL
/ref> was an American actress.

Early years

Blakeney was born in Kentucky and attended the Cincinnati School of Expression.

Career

Blakeney played as a super in visiting stage shows at $1 per performance. She made her screen debut in England in 1932. In the early 1910s, Blakeney acted with the Pittsfield (Massachusetts) Stock Company. In 1914, she was engaged with the

Lucille La Verne Lucille La Verne (November 7, 1872 – March 4, 1945) was an American actress known for her appearances in early sound films, as well as for her triumphs on the American stage. She is most widely remembered as the voices of the Old Witch in the 19 ...

stock theater company. After working as

William Gaxton William Gaxton (né Arthur Anthony Gaxiola, December 2, 1893 – February 2, 1963) was an American star of vaudeville, film, and theatre. Gaxton was president of The Lambs Club from 1936 to 1939, 1952 to 1953, and 1957 to 1961. He and Victor ...

's partner in vaudeville, she acted on stage in England. While there, she helped to introduce the play ''

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

'' to British audiences. Her Broadway credits include ''The Royal Family'' (1951) and ''The Browning Version / Harlequinade'' (1949). Blakeney portrayed the mother of Henry Aldrich in seven consecutive films about

The Aldrich Family ''The Aldrich Family'', a popular radio teenage situation comedy (July 2, 1939 – April 19, 1953), was also presented in films, television and comic books. In the radio series' opening exchange, awkward teen Henry's mother called, "Hen-''reeeee ...

. On television, Blakeney played the housekeeper in the syndicated medical drama '' Dr. Hudson's Secret Journal'' (1955-1956)Erickson, Hal (1989). ''Syndicated Television: The First Forty Years, 1947-1987''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 64. and guest-starred in "The Mothers," a 1957 episode of the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

situation comedy A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...

'' Mr. Adams and Eve''.

Personal life

Blakeney was married to

Bernard Nedell Bernard Jay Nedell (October 14, 1898 – November 23, 1972) was an American film actor. He appeared in 50 films between 1916 and 1972. He was born in New York, New York and died in Hollywood, California. He was married to actress Olive Blak ...

and was the mother of Betty Lou Lydon and mother-in-law of

Jimmy Lydon James Joseph Lydon (May 30, 1923 – March 9, 2022) was an American actor and television producer whose career in the entertainment industry began as a teenager during the 1930s. Early life Lydon was born in Harrington Park, New Jersey on May 3 ...

, who played her son in all but the first of the

Henry Aldrich Henry Aldrich (15 January 1648 – 14 December 1710) was an English theologian, philosopher, and composer. Life Aldrich was educated at Westminster School under Dr Richard Busby. In 1662, he entered Christ Church, Oxford, and in 1689 was mad ...

films. Blakeney died at the age of 65 due to complications of cancer on October 21, 1959, in Encino, California. She was cremated and interred at

Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale Forest Lawn Memorial Park is a privately owned cemetery in Glendale, California. It is the original and current flagship location of Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks & Mortuaries, a chain of six cemeteries and four additional mortuaries in Southern Cal ...

in California.

Partial filmography

*'' Her Imaginary Lover'' (1933) - Polly *''

Give Her a Ring ''Give Her a Ring'' is a 1934 British musical film directed by Arthur B. Woods and starring Clifford Mollison, Wendy Barrie, and Zelma O'Neal. The film was a remake of the 1932 German film ''Wrong Number, Miss'', and is sometimes known by the t ...

'' (1934) - Mrs. Brune *''

Leave It to Blanche Leave may refer to: * Permission (disambiguation) ** Permitted absence from work *** Leave of absence, a period of time that one is to be away from one's primary job while maintaining the status of employee *** Annual leave, allowance of time aw ...

'' (1934) - Blanche Wetherby *''Butter and Egg Man'' (1934) *'' Mr. What's-His-Name?'' (1935) - Ann Henfield *''

Hello, Sweetheart ''Hello, Sweetheart'' is a 1935 British comedy film directed by Monty Banks and starring Claude Hulbert, Gregory Ratoff and Jane Carr. The film was made by the British subsidiary of Warner Brothers at the company's Teddington Studios.Wood p.86 I ...

'' (1935) - Daisy Montrose *''

Come Out of the Pantry ''Come Out of the Pantry'' is a 1935 British musical film directed by Jack Raymond and starring Jack Buchanan, Fay Wray, James Carew and Fred Emney. It is based on a 1916 novel of the same name by Alice Duer Miller, and features musical numbers ...

'' (1935) - Mrs. Beach-Howard *''

Excuse My Glove ''Excuse My Glove'' is a 1936 British comedy sports film directed by Redd Davis and starring Len Harvey, Archie Pitt and Betty Ann Davies. It was produced by Alexander Film Productions. It was shot at Elstree Studios with sets designed by the ...

'' (1936) - Aunt Fanny Stafford *'' Two's Company'' (1936) - Mrs. Madison *''

Three Maxims ''Three Maxims'' is a 1936 British drama film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Anna Neagle, Tullio Carminati and Leslie Banks. It was released in the United States under the alternative title '' The Show Goes On''. Separate French and Ger ...

'' (1936) - Mrs. Winston *''

Don't Get Me Wrong "Don't Get Me Wrong" is a song released by British-American alternative rock group The Pretenders. It was the first single taken from the group's 1986 album, ''Get Close''. It can also be found on the band's '' The Singles'' album, released in 1 ...

'' (1937) - Frankie *''

Gangway Broadly speaking, a gangway is a passageway through which to enter or leave. Gangway may refer specifically refer to: Passageways * Gangway (nautical), a passage between the quarterdeck and the forecastle of a ship, and by extension, a passage th ...

'' (1937) - Nedda Beaumont *'' Third Finger, Left Hand'' (1940) - Louise (uncredited) *'' That Uncertain Feeling'' (1941) - Margie *''

Billy the Kid Billy the Kid (born Henry McCarty; September 17 or November 23, 1859July 14, 1881), also known by the pseudonym William H. Bonney, was an outlaw and gunfighter of the American Old West, who killed eight men before he was shot and killed at t ...

'' (1941) - Mrs. Patterson *''

Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day ''Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day'' is a 1941 American drama film directed by Harold S. Bucquet, starring Lew Ayres, Lionel Barrymore, and Laraine Day. It is the eighth of a total of nine Dr. Kildare pictures made by the MGM studios. When MGM decided t ...

'' (1941) - Mrs. Worth (uncredited) *''

Two-Faced Woman ''Two-Faced Woman'' is a 1941 American romantic comedy film directed by George Cukor and starring Greta Garbo in her final film role, Melvyn Douglas, Constance Bennett, and Roland Young. The movie was distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Garbo pla ...

'' (1941) - Phyllis (uncredited) *''

Glamour Boy "Glamour Boy" is a song written by Burton Cummings and performed by The Guess Who, and was featured on their 1973 album, '' #10''. The song was produced by Jack Richardson. It was inspired by David Bowie and reached #14 in Canada in 1973. Th ...

'' (1941) - Miss Treat *''

Henry and Dizzy ''Henry and Dizzy'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Hugh Bennett and written by Val Burton. The film stars Jimmy Lydon, Mary Anderson, Charles Smith, John Litel, Olive Blakeney and Maude Eburne. The film was released on June 5, 1942, ...

'' (1942) - Mrs. Aldrich *'' Are Husbands Necessary?'' (1942) - Miss Bumstead *''

The Postman Didn't Ring ''The Postman Didn't Ring'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Harold D. Schuster and written by Mortimer Braus. The film stars Richard Travis, Brenda Joyce, Spencer Charters, Stanley Andrews, William Bakewell and Emma Dunn. The film w ...

'' (1942) - Secretary (uncredited) *''

Henry Aldrich, Editor ''Henry Aldrich, Editor'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Hugh Bennett and written by Muriel Roy Bolton and Val Burton. The film stars Jimmy Lydon, Charles Smith, John Litel, Olive Blakeney, Rita Quigley and Vaughan Glaser. The film ...

'' (1942) - Mrs. Alice Aldrich *''

Random Harvest ''Random Harvest'' is a novel written by James Hilton, first published in 1941. Like previous Hilton works, including '' Lost Horizon'' and '' Goodbye, Mr. Chips'', the novel was immensely popular, placing second on ''Publishers Weekly'' li ...

'' (1942) - Miss Barnes (uncredited) *''

Aerial Gunner ''Aerial Gunner'' is a 1943 American black-and-white World War II propaganda film produced by William C. Thomas and William H. Pine, who also directed. The film stars Chester Morris, Richard Arlen, and Jimmy Lydon. This was the first feature film ...

'' (1943) - Mrs. Sanford Lunt *''

Henry Aldrich Gets Glamour ''Henry Aldrich Gets Glamour'' is a 1943 American comedy film directed by Hugh Bennett and written by Edwin Blum and Aleen Leslie. The film stars Jimmy Lydon, Charles Smith (actor), Charles Smith, John Litel, Olive Blakeney, Diana Lynn and France ...

'' (1943) - Mrs. Alice Aldrich *''

Henry Aldrich Swings It ''Henry Aldrich Swings It'' is a 1943 American comedy film directed by Hugh Bennett and written by Muriel Roy Bolton and Val Burton. The film stars Jimmy Lydon, Charles Smith, John Litel, Olive Blakeney, Vaughan Glaser and Marian Hall. The film ...

'' (1943) - Mrs. Alice Aldrich *''

Henry Aldrich Haunts a House ''Henry Aldrich Haunts a House'' is a 1943 American comedy film directed by Hugh Bennett and written by Muriel Roy Bolton and Val Burton. The film stars Jimmy Lydon, Charles Smith, John Litel, Olive Blakeney, Joan Mortimer and Vaughan Glaser. Th ...

'' (1943) - Mrs. Alice Aldrich *''

Henry Aldrich, Boy Scout ''Henry Aldrich, Boy Scout'' is a 1944 American comedy film directed by Hugh Bennett and written by Muriel Roy Bolton and Agnes Christine Johnston. Ninth in a series of 11 films made between 1939 and 1944 about the Aldrich family and their ...

'' (1944) - Mrs. Alice Aldrich *''

The Navy Way ''The Navy Way'' is a 1944 American war film directed by William Berke concentrating on US Navy recruit training with many sequences filmed at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center. The film had its premiere at the Genesee Theatre in nearby Wauke ...

'' (1944) - Mrs. Will Jamison (uncredited) *''

Henry Aldrich Plays Cupid ''Henry Aldrich Plays Cupid'' is a 1944 American comedy film directed by Hugh Bennett and written by Muriel Roy Bolton and Val Burton. The film stars Jimmy Lydon, Charles Smith, John Litel, Olive Blakeney, Diana Lynn and Vaughan Glaser. The film ...

'' (1944) - Mrs. Alice Aldrich *''

Henry Aldrich's Little Secret ''Henry Aldrich's Little Secret'' is a 1944 American comedy film directed by Hugh Bennett and written by Val Burton and Aleen Leslie. The film stars Jimmy Lydon, Charles Smith, John Litel, Olive Blakeney, Tina Thayer and Ann Doran. The film was ...

'' (1944) - Mrs. Alice Aldrich *''

Allergic to Love ''Allergic to Love'' is a 1944 American comedy musical romance film directed by Edward C. Lilley and starring Martha O'Driscoll, Noah Beery Jr. and David Bruce. The film's plot centers on a bride (O'Driscoll) who appears to be allergic to her h ...

'' (1944) - Mrs. Bradley *''

The Port of 40 Thieves ''The Port of 40 Thieves'' is a 1944 American crime film directed by John English, written by Dane Lussier, and starring Stephanie Bachelor, Tom Keene, Lynne Roberts, Olive Blakeney, Russell Hicks and George Meeker. The film was released on A ...

'' (1944) - Aunt Caroline Hubbard *''

Experiment Perilous ''Experiment Perilous'' is a 1944 melodrama set at the turn of the 20th century. The film is based on a 1943 novel of the same name by Margaret Carpenter, and directed by Jacques Tourneur. Albert S. D'Agostino, Jack Okey, Darrell Silvera, and Cl ...

'' (1944) - Cissie *''

Nob Hill Nob Hill is a neighborhood of San Francisco, California, United States that is known for its numerous luxury hotels and historic mansions. Nob Hill has historically served as a center of San Francisco's upper class. Nob Hill is among the highes ...

'' (1945) - Carruthers' Housekeeper (uncredited) *''

Dakota Dakota may refer to: * Dakota people, a sub-tribe of the Sioux ** Dakota language, their language Dakota may also refer to: Places United States * Dakota, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Dakota, Illinois, a town * Dakota, Minnesota, ...

'' (1945) - Mrs. Stowe *''

Leave Her to Heaven ''Leave Her to Heaven'' is a 1945 American psychological thriller film noir melodrama directed by John M. Stahl and starring Gene Tierney, Cornel Wilde, Jeanne Crain, and Vincent Price. It follows a socialite who marries a prominent novelist, wh ...

'' (1945) - Mrs. Louise Robie (uncredited) *'' Sentimental Journey'' (1946) - Mrs. Deane (uncredited) *'' The Strange Woman'' (1946) - Mrs. Hollis *'' Time Out of Mind'' (1947) - Mrs. Fernald *''

Sealed Verdict ''Sealed Verdict'' is a 1948 American adventure drama war film directed by Lewis Allen and starring Ray Milland and Florence Marly. Plot Maj. Robert Lawson ( Ray Milland), a lawyer working in Germany as part of the American Army's tribunal f ...

'' (1948) - Camilla Cameron *''

Roogie's Bump ''Roogie's Bump'' is a 1954 American comedy film directed by Harold Young and written by Jack Hanley and Dan Totheroh. The film stars Robert Marriott, Ruth Warrick, Olive Blakeney, Robert F. Simon, William Harrigan and David Winters. The film ...

'' (1954) - Mrs. Andrews *''

Three Brave Men ''Three Brave Men'' is a 1956 drama film directed by Philip Dunne and starring Ray Milland and Ernest Borgnine. The film was based on real-life events arising in Greenbelt, Maryland,Knepper, Cathy D. ''Greenbelt, Maryland: A Living Legacy of the ...

'' (1956) - Miss Victoria Scott *''

The Green-Eyed Blonde ''The Green-Eyed Blonde'' is a 1957 American drama film directed by Bernard Girard Bernard Girard (February 22, 1918 – December 30, 1997) was an American screenwriter, film producer, producer and film director. Life and career A native of V ...

'' (1957) - Miss Vandingham *''

I Want to Live! ''I Want to Live!'' is a 1958 American biographical film noir directed by Robert Wise and starring Susan Hayward, Simon Oakland, Virginia Vincent and Theodore Bikel. It follows the life of Barbara Graham, a prostitute and habitual criminal w ...

'' (1958) - Corona Warden (uncredited) *''

Auntie Mame ''Auntie Mame: An Irreverent Escapade'' is a 1955 novel by American author Patrick Dennis chronicling the madcap adventures of a boy, Patrick, growing up as the ward of his Aunt Mame Dennis, the sister of his dead father. The book is often desc ...

'' (1958) - Dowager (uncredited)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Blakeney, Olive 1959 deaths 1894 births American film actresses Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) 20th-century American actresses People from Newport, Kentucky Actresses from Kentucky American stage actresses American expatriate actresses in the United Kingdom