Kay Medford
(1920 - 1980)She was the epitome of the "Jewish mother" in films and surprisingly she was not even Jewish. She was an average looking middle-aged woman, with short hair, quizzical eyes and a gravelly, whiny voice. She was adept at playing it sarcastic, prudent and sympathetic. She was born Maggie O'Regin on September 14, 1920 in New York City, New York of Irish stock. Her parents died when she was 15 and after graduation from Morris high school in New York she moved to Hollywood to aim for a film acting career. She developed a nightclub act with which she toured the country. Years later she returned to New York for her stage debut in "Paint Your Wagon" in 1951. She also appeared on Broadway in the original productions of "Bye Bye, Birdie" (1960) and "Funny Girl" (1964). Her film debut came in "The War Against Mrs. Hadley" (1942). Her other film credits include: "Swing Shift Maisie" (1943) with Ann Sothern, as Ann Wilson; "Slightly Dangerous" (1943) uncredited, as Girl Getting Off Bus; "Meet the People" (1944) as Mrs. Smith; "Mrs. Parkington" (1944) as Minnie; "Tap Roots" (1948) as Caller; "The Undercover Man" (1949) as Gladys LaVerne; "Guilty Bystander" (1950) as Angel; "Jamboree" (1957) as Grace Show; "A Face in the Crowd" (1957) with Andy Griffith, as 1st Mrs. Rhodes; "The Rat Race" (1960) as Soda; "Butterfield 8" (1960) with Elizabeth Taylor, as Happy; "Two Tickets to Paris" (1962) as Aggie; "Ensign Pulver" (1964) as Head Nurse; "A Fine Madness" (1966) as Mrs. Fish; "The Busy Body" (1967) with Sid Caesar, as Ma Norton; "Funny Girl" (1968) with Barbra Streisand, as Rose Brice, probably her best known role; "Lola" (1969) as Scott's Mother; "Angel in My Pocket" (1969) as Racine; "Fire Sale" (1977) as Ruth and "Windows" (1980) as Ida Marx, her final film. On TV she was a regular on the series: "Kitty Foyle" (1958) as Sophie Foyle; "To Rome with Love" (1969-70) as Aunt Harriet and "The Dean Martin Show" aka "The Dean Martin Comedy Hour" (1970-73) as a Regular. She also appeared in the TV movies: "But I Don't Want to Get Married!" (1970); "No Place to Run" (1972) and "More Than Friends" (1979). She also guest starred on many series including: "The Philco Television Playhouse"; "Ben Casey"; "Love, American Style"; "The Partridge Family"; "Medical Center"; "Starsky and Hutch" and "Barney Miller." She died of cancer on April 10, 1980 at her home in Manhattan, New York at the age of 59.
From Great Character Actors, Page 6.
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