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Mary Gordon (born Mary Gilmour, 16 May 1882 – 23 August 1963) was a Scottish actress, long in the United States, who mainly played housekeepers and mothers, most notably the landlady Mrs. Hudson in the Sherlock Holmes series of movies of the 1940s starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. Her body of work included nearly 300 films between 1925 and 1950. With her mother and daughter (both also named Mary), she arrived in Los Angeles in the mid-1920s and began playing variations on the roles she would spend her career on. She became friends with John Ford while making Hangman's House in 1928 and made seven more films with him. In 1939, she took on her best-remembered role as Sherlock Holmes' landlady and played the role in ten films and numerous radio plays. She was a charter member of the Hollywood Canteen, entertaining servicemen throughout the Second World War. On the radio show Those We Love, she played the regular role of Mrs. Emmett.
She entered retirement just as television reshaped the entertainment industry, making only a single appearance in that medium.
She was active in the Daughters of Scotia auxiliary of the Order of Scottish Clans.
She lived out her final years in Pasadena, California with her daughter and grandson. She died at age 81 on 23 August 1963 in Pasadena, California after a long illness.
Known For
Bride of Frankenstein
(1935)
Hans' Wife
Mutiny on the Bounty
(1935)
Peddler (uncredited)
The Invisible Man
(1933)
Screaming Woman (uncredited)
Fort Apache
(1948)
Ma (barmaid)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
(1939)
Woman (uncredited)
Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon
(1942)
Mrs. Hudson
The Woman in Green
(1945)
Mrs. Hudson
The Hound of the Baskervilles
(1939)
Mrs. Hudson
Go West
(1940)
Train Passenger
Gentleman Jim
(1942)
Mrs. Casey (uncredited)
A Damsel in Distress
(1937)
Cook (uncredited)
Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror
(1942)
Mrs. Hudson
Dressed to Kill
(1946)
Mrs. Hudson
The Pride of the Yankees
(1942)
Maid (uncredited)
Sherlock Holmes in Washington
(1943)
Mrs. Hudson
The Invisible Woman
(1940)
Mrs. Bates
Full Filmography
Acting
The Home Maker
(1925)
Mrs. Hennessy
Black Paradise
(1926)
Mrs. Murphy
Naughty Nanette
(1927)
Mrs. Rooney
The Ol' Gray Hoss
(1928)
First taxi passenger
Hangman's House
(1928)
The Woman at Hogan's Hideout
The Matinee Idol
(1928)
Woman in Audience (uncredited)
The Saturday Night Kid
(1929)
Reducing customer (uncredited)
Hell's Heroes
(1929)
Choir Member (uncredited)
Madame X
(1929)
Nursemaid (uncredited)
Is Everybody Happy?
(1929)
Neighbor (uncredited)
Song o' My Heart
(1930)
Irish Woman
Oh, for a Man!
(1930)
Stage Door Admirer with Violets
Roaring Ranch
(1930)
Mrs. O'Riley (uncredited)
Anybody's Woman
(1930)
Maid
His Honor the Mayor
(1930)
His Wife
The Ghosts
(1930)
Chubby's Mama
When the Wind Blows
(1930)
Chubby's Mother (uncredited)
The Black Camel
(1931)
Mrs. MacMasters
24 Hours
(1931)
Nurse
Waterloo Bridge
(1931)
Distraught Woman on Stairway (uncredited)
Possessed
(1931)
Woman at Political Rally (uncredited)
Subway Express
(1931)
Mrs. Delaney
The Brat
(1931)
Angry Wife in Night Court (uncredited)
A House Divided
(1931)
Townswoman (uncredited)
Wild Girl
(1932)
Washerwoman (uncredited)
Beauty Parlor
(1932)
Landlady
The Expert
(1932)
Neighbor
Dancers in the Dark
(1932)
Scrubwoman
Texas Cyclone
(1932)
Kate
70,000 Witnesses
(1932)
Scrubwoman (uncredited)
Pack Up Your Troubles
(1932)
Mrs. MacTavish (uncredited)
Call Her Savage
(1932)
Lady in Tenement (Uncredited)
Radio Patrol
(1932)
Landlady (uncredited)
The Impatient Maiden
(1932)
Irish Neighbor (uncredited)
Blonde Venus
(1932)
Landlady (uncredited)
The Power and the Glory
(1933)
Nurse (uncredited)
Sweepings
(1933)
Mrs. Patrick O'Leary (Uncredited)
Men Must Fight
(1933)
Pacifist Audience Member
Broadway Thru a Keyhole
(1933)
Cleaning Woman
Design for Living
(1933)
Theatre Chambermaid (uncredited)
Meet the Baron
(1933)
Washer Woman (uncredited)
The Invisible Man
(1933)
Screaming Woman (uncredited)
Doctor Bull
(1933)
Townswoman at Meeting
My Woman
(1933)
Woman at Ironing Board (Uncredited)
She Done Him Wrong
(1933)
Cleaning Lady (uncredited)
The Kiss Before the Mirror
(1933)
Scrubwoman (uncredited)
The Whirlwind
(1933)
Mrs. Curtis
Nature in the Wrong
(1933)
Mrs. Clancy
Ladies They Talk About
(1933)
Prisoner in Visiting Room
The Little Minister
(1934)
Nanny
Cross Streets
(1934)
Sonny's Mother
Change of Heart
(1934)
Woman in Street
The Defense Rests
(1934)
Scrub Woman
The Man from Hell
(1934)
Mrs. Frank McCarrol
Baby Take a Bow
(1934)
Mrs. O'Brien (Uncredited)
One More River
(1934)
Cook (Uncredited)
Manhattan Melodrama
(1934)
Boat Passenger (uncredited)
Our Daily Bread
(1934)
Community Woman in Cottage (uncredited)
Beloved
(1934)
Mrs. O'Leary
The Woman Condemned
(1934)
Crying Woman at Night Court (uncredited)
Charlie Chan in London
(1934)
Prison Visitor (uncredited)
Bride of Frankenstein
(1935)
Hans' Wife
The Irish in Us
(1935)
Ma O'Hara
Mutiny on the Bounty
(1935)
Peddler (uncredited)
Bonnie Scotland
(1935)
Mrs. Bickerdike
Vanessa: Her Love Story
(1935)
Mrs. Leathwaite
Waterfront Lady
(1935)
Mrs. O'Flaherty
Ginger
(1935)
Mrs. Monahan (uncredited)
$10 Raise
(1935)
Landlady (uncredited)
Little Miss Nobody
(1936)
Mrs. Biddle
Stage Struck
(1936)
Mrs. Cassidy
Mary of Scotland
(1936)
Nurse
The White Angel
(1936)
Nursing Applicant (uncredited)
Great Guy
(1936)
Mrs. Ogilvie
The Plough and the Stars
(1936)
Woman at Barricades
The Lady Consents
(1936)
Apple Lady
The Plot Thickens
(1936)
Woman with Bag
Share the Wealth
(1936)
Ma MacClyde
After the Thin Man
(1936)
Rose (uncredited)
Laughing Irish Eyes
(1936)
Mrs. O'Keefe
Double Wedding
(1937)
Mrs. Keough
Friend Indeed
(1937)
Housekeeper
Lady Behave!
(1937)
Cook
Meet the Boy Friend
(1937)
Mrs. Grimes
You Can't Have Everything
(1937)
YWCA Scrub Woman (uncredited)
You're Only Young Once
(1937)
Mary's Mother (uncredited)
The Great O'Malley
(1937)
Mrs. O'Malley
A Damsel in Distress
(1937)
Cook (uncredited)
Her Husband Lies
(1937)
Mrs. Jenks
Blond Cheat
(1938)
Maggie (uncredited)
Kidnapped
(1938)
Mrs. MacDonald
City Streets
(1938)
Mrs. Devlin
Gateway
(1938)
Scottish Mother
Campus Confessions
(1938)
Mrs. Twill
Mannequin
(1938)
Mrs. O'Rourke (Uncredited)
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
(1939)
Mrs. Hudson
The Hound of the Baskervilles
(1939)
Mrs. Hudson
Tell No Tales
(1939)
Mrs. Bryant (uncredited)
Tail Spin
(1939)
Mrs. Lee
Broadway Serenade
(1939)
Annie (uncredited)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
(1939)
Woman (uncredited)
The Escape
(1939)
Neighbor
Day-time Wife
(1939)
Scrubwoman
The Marshal Of Mesa City
(1939)
Mrs. Dudley
Wings of the Navy
(1939)
Irene's Housekeeper
Code of the Streets
(1939)
Mrs. Flaherty
Captain Fury
(1939)
Mrs. Bailey
Off the Record
(1939)
Mrs. Finnegan (uncredited)
Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President
(1939)
Mrs. O'Leary
She Married a Cop
(1939)
Ma Duffy
Rulers of the Sea
(1939)
Mrs. Ogilvie (Uncredited)
The Jones Family in Hollywood
(1939)
Landlady (uncredited)
The Story That Couldn't Be Printed
(1939)
Woman Reading Newspaper (uncredited)
The Night of Nights
(1939)
1nd Pencil Woman (uncredited)
The Invisible Man Returns
(1940)
Cookie (uncredited)
The Invisible Woman
(1940)
Mrs. Bates
When the Daltons Rode
(1940)
Ma Dalton
Nobody's Children
(1940)
Mary
Kitty Foyle
(1940)
Cleaning Lady (uncredited)
I Take This Oath
(1940)
Mrs. Eileen Hanagan
Brother Orchid
(1940)
Mrs. Sweeney - Flo's Landlady (uncredited)
Go West
(1940)
Train Passenger
No, No, Nanette
(1940)
Gertrude, the Cook
Saps at Sea
(1940)
Mrs. O'Riley
My Son, My Son!
(1940)
Mrs. Mulvaney
The Last Alarm
(1940)
Mrs. Hadley
Young People
(1940)
Old Woman
Women Without Names
(1940)
Juror
Tear Gas Squad
(1940)
Mrs. Sullivan
Public Deb No. 1
(1940)
Landlady
Queen of the Mob
(1940)
Tenement Landlady
It Started with Eve
(1941)
Mrs. O'Toole (uncredited)
Pot o' Gold
(1941)
Mom McCorkle
Double Cross
(1941)
Mrs. Murray
Riot Squad
(1941)
Mrs. McGonigle
Borrowed Hero
(1941)
Mrs. Riley
Appointment for Love
(1941)
Martha
Unfinished Business
(1941)
Miss Brady
Flight from Destiny
(1941)
Martha
Sealed Lips
(1942)
Mrs. Ann Morton (Fred's mother)
Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon
(1942)
Mrs. Hudson
Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror
(1942)
Mrs. Hudson
Fly-By-Night
(1942)
Ma Prescott
Meet the Stewarts
(1942)
Mrs. Stewart
It Happened in Flatbush
(1942)
Mrs. Collins
Blue, White, and Perfect
(1942)
Mrs. Flaherty - Mike's Landlady (uncredited)
Bombay Clipper
(1942)
Abigail 'Mag' MacPherson
Gentleman Jim
(1942)
Mrs. Casey (uncredited)
The Mummy's Tomb
(1942)
Jane Banning
Powder Town
(1942)
Mrs. Douglas
Half Way to Shanghai
(1942)
Mrs. McIntyre
Dr. Broadway
(1942)
Broadway Carrie
The Strange Case of Doctor Rx
(1942)
Mrs. Scott
The Pride of the Yankees
(1942)
Maid (uncredited)
The Spider Woman
(1943)
Mrs. Hudson
Whispering Footsteps
(1943)
Ma Murphy
Sarong Girl
(1943)
Mattie
Sherlock Holmes Faces Death
(1943)
Mrs. Hudson
Sherlock Holmes in Washington
(1943)
Mrs. Hudson
Keep 'Em Slugging
(1943)
Mrs. Banning
Two Tickets to London
(1943)
Mrs. Tinkle
Smart Guy
(1943)
Maggie
Here Comes Kelly
(1943)
Mrs. Kelly
The Pearl of Death
(1944)
Mrs. Hudson
Secret Command
(1944)
Mrs. McKenzie (uncredited)
The Last Ride
(1944)
Mrs. Mary Kelly
The Hour Before the Dawn
(1944)
Annie
Million Dollar Kid
(1944)
Mrs. McGinnis
The Racket Man
(1944)
Mom Benson
Secrets of Scotland Yard
(1944)
Libby, the Housekeeper
Hollywood Canteen
(1944)
Hostess (uncredited)
Follow the Leader
(1944)
The Body Snatcher
(1945)
Mary McBride (uncredited)
The Woman in Green
(1945)
Mrs. Hudson
Divorce
(1945)
Ellen
Captain Eddie
(1945)
Mrs. Westrom
Strange Confession
(1945)
Mrs. O'Connor
See My Lawyer
(1945)
Mrs. Fillmore
Kitty
(1945)
Nanny
Law of the Badlands
(1945)
Dressed to Kill
(1946)
Mrs. Hudson
Little Giant
(1946)
Ma Miller
Shadows Over Chinatown
(1946)
Mrs. Conover
Sentimental Journey
(1946)
Agnes, the Cook (uncredited)
The Hoodlum Saint
(1946)
Trina
In Fast Company
(1946)
Mrs. Cassidy
Sister Kenny
(1946)
Mrs. Gordon (uncredited)
The Dark Horse
(1946)
Mrs. Mahoney
The Invisible Wall
(1947)
Mrs. Bledsoe
Exposed
(1947)
Housekeeper
Roses Are Red
(1947)
Cleaning Lady
The Judge Steps Out
(1947)
Annie (Scrub Woman) (uncredited)
The Long Night
(1947)
Old Woman in Crowd (uncredited)
Highway 13
(1948)
Aunt Myrt Lacy
Fort Apache
(1948)
Ma (barmaid)
The Strange Mrs. Crane
(1948)
Nora
Kidnapped
(1948)
Scottish Woman (uncredited)
Angels' Alley
(1948)
Mrs. Mamie Mahoney
Big Town Scandal
(1948)
Mary - Cleaning Woman (uncredited)
Deputy Marshal
(1949)
Mrs. Lance
Haunted Trails
(1949)
Aunt Libby
Clues to Adventure
(1949)
Woman Reading Newspaper (archive footage) (uncredited)
The File on Thelma Jordon
(1949)
Charwoman (Uncredited)
Mr. Soft Touch
(1949)
Slatternly Woman Tenant (Uncredited)
Shamrock Hill
(1949)
Grandma Rogan
Tucson
(1949)
Housemother (uncredited)
West of Wyoming
(1950)
Nora Jones
Crew