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