Kathleen Freeman

• Born — 17 February 1923 • Birthplace — Chicago, Illinois, U.S. • Died — 23 August 2001 • Place of death — New York City, U.S. • Resting Place — Hollywood Forever Cemetery • Occupation — * Actress • voice artist • Years Active — 1925–2001 • Height — 5'6"

Freeman was born on February 17, 1923 in Chicago, to Jessica Dixon, a soprano known as "The Overseas Girl" at the end of World War I, and Frank Freeman, known as "The Minstrel Man". Dixon entertained American troops in England, France, and post-war Germany, while Freeman headed Freeman's Forty Musical Minstrels in 1918. The couple married in 1922. Freeman began her career at age 2, dancing in her parents' vaudeville act, Dixon and Freeman. She reported that eventually she "got caught" at around age 10, and then began attending school. Freeman attended the University of California at Los Angeles, majored in music to be a classical pianist, "got in a play and got a laugh".

After college, Freeman joined the Circle Players on Santa Monica Boulevard. "I became part of a theater group that came from UCLA, the Circle Players, which got to be at one point fairly internationally famous. And then we split off from that and started our own, Player's Ring and Gallery Theater." - Kathleen Freeman Later in life she appeared in national tours of Deathtrap, Annie (as Miss Hannigan) and Woman of the Year with Lauren Bacall. She appeared on Broadway in The Full Monty. For her role as Jeannette Burmeister, the company's pianist, she was nominated for a 2001 Tony Award and won a Theatre World Award, which is usually given to younger performers. She died five days after giving her final performance in the show.

In 1948, Peggy Webber saw Freeman on stage at the Circle Theatre, and hired her for Webber's live local series "Treasures of Literature", her first television job. From 1988 to 2001, Freeman appeared in more than 50 productions of the California Artists Radio Theatre, which records live performances of classic books and plays for KPCC (FM), KPFK NPR Playhouse, and National Public Radio, for Peggy Webber, the executive director. In addition to teaching acting classes in the Los Angeles area, Freeman was a familiar presence on television. In 1958–59, she appeared three times on Buckskin, a children's program set in a hotel in a fictitious Montana town. She appeared from the 1950s until her death in regular or recurring roles on many sitcoms, including six episodes of The Bob Cummings Show (as Bertha Krause), Topper (as Katie the maid), and The Donna Reed Show (as Mrs. Celia Wilgus, the Stones' busybody next door neighbor). In 1964, she appeared in five episodes of The Lucy Show. Later, she was cast in a recurring role on Hogan's Heroes as Frau Gertrude Linkmeyer. In 1973, she had a co-starring role with Dom DeLuise in the sitcom Lotsa Luck (based on the British sitcom On the Buses). She appeared in several episodes of Wagon Train, Funny Face (as Kate Harwell), I Dream of Jeannie (as a grouchy supervisor in a fantasy preview of Major Nelson's future, and later as a hillbilly), the short-lived prehistoric sitcom It's About Time (as Mrs. Boss), and as a nurse in Love, American Style. Freeman played Sgt. Carter's mother in a 1969 episode of Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., as well as appearing as a different character in a 1968 episode of the same series. She also made multiple appearances on The Beverly Hillbillies as various characters. She appeared as the voice of Peg Bundy's mom, an unseen character in several episodes of Married... with Children. She also appeared in episodes of Mama's Family, Growing Pains, Simon & Simon, ALF, L.A. Law, The Golden Girls, Doogie Howser, M.D., Roseanne, Coach, ER, Home Improvement, and many other shows in the 1980s and 1990s. Besides her role in The Full Monty, she remained active in her final years with a regular voice role in As Told by Ginger, a voice bit in the animated feature film Shrek, and a guest appearance on the sitcom Becker. In her final episode of As Told by Ginger, "No Hope for Courtney", Freeman's character Mrs. Gordon retires from her teaching job. The script originally was written to have Gordon return to Lucky Elementary School, but Freeman died during production, so the episode was rewritten to have Gordon die as well and was dedicated in Freeman's memory.

Weakened by illness, Freeman was forced to withdraw from the Full Monty cast. Five days later, she died of lung cancer at age 78 at Lenox Hill Hospital. She was cremated and her ashes interred in a niche at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Freeman never married and had no children. The report of her death in the British newspaper The Guardian mentioned her "long-time companion Helen Ramsey"; Playbills report referred to Ramsey as Freeman's "longtime and best friend", and similarly Variety called her Freeman's "best friend". Helen Ramsey and Freeman were University of California at Los Angeles students at the same time.

• Year(s) — Title — Role — Notes • 1950–1954 — Fireside Theatre — Mrs. Chernowitz — 8 episodes • 1952 — Dragnet — Unknown — Episode: "The Big Death" • Big Town — Episode: "Marry My Past" • I Married Joan — Customer in Dress Shop — Episode: "Birthday" • Our Miss Brooks — Miss Atterberry — Episode: "The Embezzled Dress" • Schlitz Playhouse — Ripplehissian Gang — Episode: "The Pussyfootin' Rocks" • 1953 — Cavalcade of America — Unknown — Episode: "The Indomitable Blacksmith" • I Married Joan — Betty — 2 episodes • The Loretta Young Show — Freida Foss — Episode: "Girl on a Flagpole" • 1953–1954 — Topper — Katie — 19 episodes • 1954 — Mr. & Mrs. North — Mary Farrell — Episode: "The Girl in Cell 13" • 1954–1955 — Mayor of the Town — Marilyn "Marilly" the Housekeeper — 39 episodes • 1954–1956 — The Loretta Young Show — Jessie — 3 episodes • 1955 — Lux Video Theatre — Connie — Episode: "Not All Your Tears" • The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show — Helga — Episode: "Harry Morton's Cocktail Party" • 1955–1956 — Matinee Theatre — Village Shopkeeper — 3 episodes • 1955–1958 — The Bob Cummings Show — Bertha Krause — 6 episodes • 1956 — Father Knows Best — Fussy Woman — Uncredited Episode: "The Bus to Nowhere" • It's Always Jan — Mrs. Johnson — 2 episodes • Warner Bros. Presents — Unknown — Episode: "Strange World" • The Loretta Young Show — Cousin Phemie — Episode: "His Inheritance" • 1958 — December Bride — Marie — Episode: "The Fred MacMurray Show" • Tombstone Territory — Hannah Woolsey — Episode: "The Outcasts" • Lassie — Mrs. Graff — Episode: "The Raffle" • 1959 — Wagon Train — Sairy Hogg — Episode: "The Kitty Angel Story" • Lux Playhouse — Emma — Episode: "The Miss and Missiles" • 1959–1962 — General Electric Theatre — Girdle Woman — 2 episodes • 1959–1963 — 77 Sunset Strip — Hannah Wells / Mrs. Ryan / WAF Secretary / Mrs. Holmes — 4 episodes • 1959–1964 — The Donna Reed Show — Mrs. Celia Wilgus — 4 episodes • 1960 — Hawaiian Eye — Opal Jensen — Episode: "Then There Were Three" • Bourbon Street Beat — Elsie — Episode: "Wagon Show" • The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis — Mrs. Metzger — Episode: "Rock-A-Bye Dobie" • The Case of the Dangerous Robin — Unknown — Episode: "The Nightmare" • 1960–1961 — Bachelor Father — Hilda — 2 episodes • 1961 — Guestward Ho! — Mrs. Laughing Water — Episode: "The Hootons Versus Hawkeye" • 1962 — Margie — Mrs. Botts — Episode: "Flaming Youth" • The Detectives — Betty — Episode: "Pandora's Box" • Rawhide — Mrs. Beamish — Episode: "The Greedy Town" • Wagon Train — Mrs. Benson — Episode: "The Caroline Casteel Story" • Laramie — Edna Holtzhoff — Episode: "Justice in a Hurry" • The Dick Powell Theatre — Unknown — Episode: "Pericles on 31st Street" • 87th Precinct — Miss Wilson — Episode: "Girl in the Case" • 1962–1971 — The Beverly Hillbillies — Mabel Johnson / Agnes / Flo Shaffer — 6 episodes • 1963 — Arrest and Trial — Mrs. Hinch — Episode: "The Quality of Justice" • The Alfred Hitchcock Hour — Mrs. McCleod — Episode: "You'll Be the Death of Me" • 1964–1965 — The Dick Van Dyke Show — Mrs. Campbell / Hotel Maid — 2 episodes • 1965 — The Alfred Hitchcock Hour — Angela Morrow — Episode: "The World's Oldest Motive" • 1966–1971 — Hogan's Heroes — Gertrude Linkmeyer — 4 episodes • 1967 — Dragnet — Mrs. Sunshine Pound — Episode: "The Gun" • 1967–1970 — Bonanza — Miss Hibbs / Ma Brinker — 2 episodes • 1968–1969 — Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. — Alice Whipple / Mom — 2 episodes • 1969 — The Bill Cosby Show — Eloise Parker — Episode: "A Word from Our Sponsor" • 1973 — The Mod Squad — Martha — Episode: "Cry Uncle" • 1973–1974 — Lotsa Luck — Iris Belmont — 22 episodes • 1975 — The Daughters of Joshua Cabe Return — Essie — Television film • Kolchak: The Night Stalker — Bella Sarkof — Episode: "The Youth Killer" • 1976 — Father O Father — Housekeeper — Television film • 1977 — Kojak — Ma Wonderly — Episode: "Case Without a File" • ABC Weekend Special — Mrs. Stetson — Episode: "Soup and Me" • 1978 — Police Woman — Landlady — Episode: "Sons" • 1980 — CHiPs — Outraged Lady — Episode: "To Your Health" • 1983 — Sutter's Bay — Unknown — Television film • 1985 — AfterMASH — Mrs. Poulos — Episode: "Saturday's Heroes" • Snorks — Additional Voices — Voice Episode: "Snorkitis Is Nothing to Sneeze At/The Whole Toot and Nothing But..." • Simon & Simon — Felix's Customer — Episode: "Facets" • 1986 — My Sister Sam — Mrs. Pink — Episode: "Patti's Party" • 1987 — Hunter — Ann Ridley — Episode: "Requiem for Sergeant McCall" • Mama's Family — Big Joan McCall — Episode: "Mama with the Golden Arm" • She's the Sheriff — Bessie — Episode: "Hildy Gets Shot" • 1988 — Bring Me the Head of Dobie Gillis — Marie — Television film • The Facts of Life — Noreen Grisbee — 2 episodes • The Canterbury Ghost — Mrs. Umney — Voice, television film • Glitz — Mrs. Magyk — Television film • Simon & Simon — Stella Brunansky — Episode: "The Merry Adventures of Robert Hood" • Murphy Brown — Mrs. Caldwell — Episode: "Respect" • ALF — Betty Susla — Episode: "Alone Again, Naturally" • 1988–1990 — Growing Pains — Madge / Marge / Estelle / Sophie — 5 episodes • The Hogan Family — Mother Poole — 2 episodes • 1989 — L.A. Law — Joan Ackerman — Episode: "Izzy Ackerman or Is He Not" • TV 101 — Landlady — Episode: "First Love: Part 3" • The Magical World of Disney — Mrs. Crackshell — Voice, episode: "Super DuckTales" • Generations — Mrs. Brezinski — 7 episodes • Mr. Belvedere — Woman — Episode: "Fear of Flying" • Christine Cromwell — Kathryn — Episode: "Things That Go Bump in the Night" • 1989–1990 — Head of the Class — Nurse — 2 episodes • DuckTales — Mrs. Crackshell / Nurse Hatchet — Voice, 10 episodes • 1990 — Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers — Ma — Voice, episode: "Short Order Crooks" • A Family for Joe — Mrs. Lee — Episode: "Law and Order" • Sydney — Louisa — Episode: "36-24-36" • The Golden Girls — Mother Superior — Episode: "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Sophia?" • 1991 — The Munsters Today — Grandma — Episode: "A House Divided" • Sons and Daughters — Debbie — Episode: "Deep Throat" • Out of This World — Miss Ogilvy — Episode: "Educating Kyle" • Tales from the Crypt — Mrs. Parker — Episode: "Loved to Death" • Beverly Hills, 90210 — Pawn Shop Clerk — Episode: "Anaconda" • Matlock — Lucy Lewis — Episodes "The Witness Killings" • MacGyver — Rose Magruta — Episode: "Off the Wall" • 1992 — Major Dad — Edna — Episode: "Close Encounters" • Martin — Saleslady — Episode: "The Gift Rapper" • Doogie Howser, M.D. — Mrs. Mickling — Episode: "The Patient in Spite of Himself" • 1993 — Chairman's Choice — Unknown — Television film • Nurses — Sister Mary Alma — Episode: "Smokin' in the Boys' Room" • 1993–1994 — Phenom — Maureen De La Rosa — 2 episodes • 1994 — Herman's Head — Mrs. Debusher — Episode: "Bedtime for Hermo" • Party of Five — Mona — Episode: "Kiss Me Kate" • 1995 — The Mommies — Rona — Episode: "Enter Ken" • Renegade — Felipe's Mother — Episode: "Most Wanted" • Bless This Mess — Jimmy's Mother — Voice, episode: "The Postman Always Moves Twice" • Married... with Children — Peg's Mom — Voice, 5 episodes • 1996 — Dave's World — Waitress — Episode: "Loves Me Like a Rock" • Melrose Place — Madge — Episode: "The Circle of Strife" • The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest — Mrs. Evans — Voice, episode: "Return of the Anasazi" • Common Law — Danish Lady — Episode: "In the Matter of: Luis in Love" • Roseanne — Seaweed Attendant / Edna — 2 episodes • ER — Rhonda's Patient — Episode: "No Brain, No Gain" • 1996–1997 — Duckman — Nurse — Voice, 2 episodes • 1997 — Coach — Magda — Episode: "The Stench of Death" • 1998 — Cow and Chicken — Greta — Voice, episode: "Sumo Cow" • Night Man — Fern — Episode: "Bad to the Bone" • Home Improvement — Gwen — Episode: "The Son Also Mooches" • Love Boat: The Next Wave — Maw-Maw Cranston — Episode: "How Long Has This Been Going On?" • Clueless — Pearl — Episode: "Cashless" • 1999 — Caroline in the City — Grandma Duffy — 2 episodes • Arli$$ — Helen Krupp — Episode: "The Changing of the Guard" • Providence — Miss Van Gundy — Episode: "The Third Thing" • Grown Ups — Mona — Episode: "Online Romance" • 1999–2000 — Rugrats — Margaret, Woman — Voice, 2 episodes • Detention — Eugenia P. Kisskillya — Voice, 13 episodes • 2000 — Becker — Edith / Evelyn — Episode: "The Hypocratic Oath" • Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show — Community Center Cook — Episode: "Honey, I'm the Wrong Arm of the Law" • Batman Beyond — Ma Mayhem — Voice, episode: "The Eggbaby" • 2000–2002 — As Told by Ginger — Mrs. Gordon — Voice, 13 episodes

• Year — Title — Voice • 1997 — The Curse of Monkey Island — Madame Xima

• Illustration — Cary Grant and Freeman (in uncredited role) as a laundromat gossip in Houseboat (1958) For a short time in the early 1950s, Freeman was a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player, appearing mostly in small and uncredited bit parts. Her most notable early role was an uncredited part in the 1952 MGM musical Singin' in the Rain as Jean Hagen's diction coach Phoebe Dinsmore. Beginning with the 1954 film 3 Ring Circus, Freeman became a favorite foil of Jerry Lewis, playing opposite him in 11 films. These included most of Lewis's better-known comedies, including The Disorderly Orderly as Nurse Higgins, The Errand Boy as the studio boss's wife, and The Nutty Professor as Millie Lemon. Over 30 years later, she made a brief appearance in Nutty Professor II: The Klumps. Her other film roles included appearances in The Missouri Traveler (1958), The Fly (1958), the Western spoofs Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969) and Support Your Local Gunfighter (1971), and appearances in a spate of comedies in the 1980s and 1990s. Freeman played Sister Mary Stigmata (referred to as the Penguin) in John Landis' The Blues Brothers (1980) and Blues Brothers 2000 (1998). She also played a foul-mouthed apartment building manager in Dragnet (1987), a teacher in Hocus Pocus (1993), and a gangster mother in Naked Gun: The Final Insult (1994). She also had cameos in Joe Dante's Innerspace (1987) and Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990) (as tipsy cooking host Microwave Marge). Her final film role was in Shrek (2001), where she played an old woman, Donkey's original owner, who tried selling him for money. In the 1973 film The Sting, Freeman appeared in a family photo for Kid Twist’s character (played by Harold Gould) in the Western Union office scene.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1948 — The Naked City — Stout Girl on Elevated Train — Uncredited • Casbah — American Woman • The Saxon Charm — Nurse • Behind Locked Doors • 1949 — Mr. Belvedere Goes to College — Gwendolyn • Annie Was a Wonder — Annie Swenson — Short film • The Story of Molly X — Seamstress Con — Uncredited • 1950 — No Man of Her Own — Clara Larrimore • The Secret Fury — Jury Member • House by the River — Effie Ferguson, Party Guest • The Reformer and the Redhead — Lily Rayton Parker • Once a Thief — Phoebe • Lonely Heart Bandits — Bertha Martin • A Life of Her Own — Switchboard Operator, Betsy Ross Hotel — Uncredited • The Second Face — Shirley • 1951 — The Company She Keeps — Jessie, Parolee with Child • Cry Danger — Second Cigarette Clerk • Cause for Alarm! — Woman • A Place in the Sun — Factory Worker, Prosecution Witness • Appointment with Danger — Nun • Strictly Dishonorable — Silent Movie Organist • Yes Sir, Mr. Bones — Chick Watts • Behave Yourself! — Pet Shop Proprietor's Wife • Come Fill the Cup — Lil, Newspaper Switchboard Operator • Let's Make It Legal — Reporter • The Wild Blue Yonder — Nurse Baxter • 1952 — The Greatest Show on Earth — Spectator • Love Is Better Than Ever — Mrs. Kahrney • Singin' in the Rain — Phoebe Dinsmore — Uncredited • Talk About a Stranger — Rosa, Grocery Clerk • Kid Monk Baroni — Maria Baroni • Skirts Ahoy! — Sarcastic Seamstress — Uncredited • Wait 'til the Sun Shines, Nellie — The Burdges' Maid • O. Henry's Full House — Mrs. Dorset — Uncredited Segment: "The Ransom of Red Chief" • Monkey Business — Mrs. Brannigan, Neighbor — Uncredited • The Prisoner of Zenda — Gertrud Holf • The Bad and the Beautiful — Miss March • 1953 — The Magnetic Monster — Nelly • She's Back on Broadway — Annie — Uncredited • Confidentially Connie — Mother of Twins • The Glass Wall — Zelda, Fat Woman • A Perilous Journey — Leah • Dream Wife — Chambermaid — Uncredited • The Affairs of Dobie Gillis — 'Happy Stella' Kowalski • Half a Hero — Welcomer • The Glass Web — Mrs. O'Halloran — Uncredited • 1954 — Battle of Rogue River — Sis Pringle • The Far Country — Grits • Athena — Miss Seely • 3 Ring Circus — Custard-Pie Gag Victim — Uncredited • 1955 — The Seven Year Itch — Woman at Vegetarian Restaurant • Artists and Models — Mrs. Muldoon • 1957 — The Midnight Story — Rosa Cuneo • Pawnee — Mrs. Carter • Kiss Them for Me — Nurse Wilinski — Uncredited • 1958 — The Missouri Traveller — Serena Poole • Too Much, Too Soon — Miss Magruder — Uncredited • The Fly — Emma • Houseboat — Laundromat Gossip — Uncredited • The Buccaneer — Tina • 1960 — North to Alaska — Lena Nordquist • 1961 — Madison Avenue — Miss Thelma Haley • The Ladies Man — Katie • The Errand Boy — Mrs. Helen Paramutual / Mrs. T.P. • 1962 — Wild Harvest — Goldie • 1963 — The Nutty Professor — Millie Lemmon • Who's Minding the Store? — Mrs. Glucksman • 1964 — Mail Order Bride — Sister Sue • The Patsy — Katie — Uncredited • The Disorderly Orderly — Nurse Maggie Higgins • 1965 — The Rounders — Agatha Moore • That Funny Feeling — Woman at Phone Booth • Marriage on the Rocks — Miss Blight • 1966 — Three on a Couch — Murphy • 1967 — The Big Mouth — Little Old Lady — Uncredited • Point Blank — First Citizen • 1968 — The Helicopter Spies — Mom • 1969 — Support Your Local Sheriff! — Mrs. Danvers • Hook, Line & Sinker — Mrs. Hardtack, Baby Sitter • Death of a Gunfighter — Mary Elizabeth • The Good Guys and the Bad Guys — Mrs. Stone, Mother • Love American Style — Nurse • 1970 — The Ballad of Cable Hogue — Mrs. Jensen • Myra Breckinridge — Bobby Dean Loner • Which Way to the Front? — Bland's Mother • 1971 — Support Your Local Gunfighter! — Mrs. Perkins • Head On — Nadine • 1972 — Stand Up and Be Counted — Sarah • Where Does It Hurt? — Mrs. Mazzini • The Unholy Rollers — Karen's Mother • 1973 — Your Three Minutes Are Up — Mrs. Wilk • 1974 — So Evil, My Sister — Hilda • 1975 — The Strongest Man in the World — Officer Hurley • 1978 — The Norseman — Old Indian Woman • 1980 — The Blues Brothers — Sister Mary Stigmata, a.k.a. The Penguin • 1981 — Heartbeeps — Helicopter Pilot • 1986 — The Best of Times — Rosie • Inside Out — Mother — Voice • The Malibu Bikini Shop — Loraine Bender • 1987 — In the Mood — Beulah Marver • Dragnet — Enid Borden • Innerspace — Dream Lady • Teen Wolf Too — Admissions Lady • 1988 — The Wrong Guys — Grunskis' Mom • 1989 — Chances Are — Mrs. Handy • Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland — Dance Teacher — Voice • The Princess and the Dwarf — Unknown • Hollywood Chaos • 1990 — Gremlins 2: The New Batch — Microwave Marge • The Willies — Miss Titmarsh • 1991 — Joey Takes a Cab — Lola • Dutch — Gritzi • 1992 — FernGully: The Last Rainforest — Elder #1 — Voice • 1993 — Reckless Kelly — Mrs. Delance • Hocus Pocus — Miss Olin • 1994 — Naked Gun: The Final Insult — Muriel • 1996 — Two Guys Talkin' About Girls — Rhonda's Grandma • Candysack — Elderly Marilyn Monroe Impersonator — Voice, direct-to-video • Carpool — Franklin's Mom — Voice • 1997 — Hercules — Heavyset Woman • 1998 — Blues Brothers 2000 — Mother Mary Stigmata • Richie Rich's Christmas Wish — Miss Peabody — Direct-to-video • I'll Be Home for Christmas — Tom Tom Girl Gloria • 1999 — Baby Geniuses — Lenny's Noisy Neighbor — Uncredited • Seven Girlfriends — Ms. Hargrove • 2000 — Ready to Rumble — Jane King • Nutty Professor II: The Klumps — Denise's Nosy Neighbor — Uncredited • 2001 — Joe Dirt — Joe Dirt's Foster Mother • Shrek — Old Woman — Voice; final film role