Wikipedia

Mary Treen

Mary Treen (born Mary Louise Summers; March 27, 1907[citation needed] – July 20, 1989) was an American film and television actress. A minor actress for much of her career, she managed to secure a plain, unassuming niche for herself in dozens of movies and television shows in a Hollywood career spanning five decades, from 1930 to 1981.

Mary Treen
Treen in 1938
Born
Mary Louise Summers

(1907-03-27)March 27, 1907
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
DiedJuly 20, 1989(1989-07-20) (aged 82)
Newport Beach, California, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1930–1983
Spouse
Herbert C. Pearson
​
​
(m. 1944; died 1965)​
FamilyMort Mills (cousin)

Early life

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Treen was born Mary Louise Summers in St. Louis, and she grew up in California.[1] She was the daughter of attorney Don C. Summers and actress Helene Sullivan Summers. In 1908, when she was 11 months old, her mother sued her father for divorce on the grounds that he failed to provide for her.[2] Her father died while she was an infant. She was reared in California by her mother and stepfather, a physician. She attended Westlake School for Girls and, later, a convent school where she tried out successfully in school plays.

Career

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Treen first worked in show business as a dancer, part of the Fanchon and Marco revues.[1] During her career, she was seen in over 40 films[3] (another source says more than 100[1]). Among her film roles were Tilly, the secretary of the Building and Loan, in Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life (1946) starring James Stewart, and the role of Pat in the drama Kitty Foyle (1940) starring Ginger Rogers.

In the 1954–1955 season, Treen appeared in 38 episodes as Emily Dodger on the CBS situation comedy Willy.[4]

Her longest-running role was as Hilda, the maid and baby nurse in 64 episodes of the NBC and CBS sitcom The Joey Bishop Show from 1962 to 1965.[citation needed]

Personal life and death

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Treen was married and divorced.[1] She died of cancer at her home in Newport Beach, California, on July 20, 1989, at age 82. Her only survivors were cousins,[5] including actor Mort Mills.[citation needed]

Partial filmography

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Film

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Treen in Danger on Wheels (1940)
Roscoe Karns and Treen in The Navy Way (1944)
Will Osborne and Treen in Swing Parade of 1946 (1946)
Treen in TV series Bonanza 1961 episode "The Spitfire"

Television

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References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 "Veteran Actress Mary Treen; Career Included 100 Films". Los Angeles Times. July 21, 1989. p. Part I, page 30. Retrieved May 7, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ↑ "Mrs. Summers, Now on Stage, Wants Divorce". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. November 21, 1908. p. 2. Retrieved February 2, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "Mary Treen, Actress, 82". The New York Times. July 22, 1989. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  4. ↑ McNeil, Alex, Total Television: The Comprehensive Guide to Programming From 1948 to the Present, Fourth Edition, New York: Penguin Books, 1996, ISBN 0 14 02 4916 8, p. 916.
  5. ↑ "Mary Treen, actress, dead at 82". The Ledger. Lakeland, Florida. July 21, 1989. p. 2A. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
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