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Almira Sessions

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Occupation
  
Actress

Years active
  
1909–1972


Name
  
Almira Sessions

Role
  
Character actress


Born
  
September 16, 1888 (
1888-09-16
)
Washington, D.C., United States

Died
  
August 3, 1974, Los Angeles, California, United States

Movies
  
Sullivan's Travels, Summer Stock, The Woman Who Cam, Obliging Young Lady, She Knew All the Answers

Similar People
  
John F Seitz, Roman Polanski, Delmer Daves, Melvin Van Peebles, Charles Walters

Almira Sessions (September 16, 1888 – August 3, 1974) was an American character actress of stage, screen and television. Born in Washington, D.C., her career took her through all the acting mediums of the 20th century, spanning eight decades, and led her from Washington D.C. to New York City to Hollywood. She worked into her 80s, finally retiring shortly before her death in 1974 in Los Angeles.

Contents

Early life and career

Sessions was born into a very well-known family in Washington D.C. on September 16, 1888. A debutante, she would follow her coming out party with her introduction into the acting profession, appearing in a 1909 performance of the operetta The Sultan of Sulu by George Ade and Nathaniel D. Mann. Her early career was spent performing in cabarets before she moved to New York City, where she began performing on the stage and on Bob Hope's radio show. During the 1930s she would appear in many stage productions, including several Broadway productions.

Film and television

While appearing on the stage in New York during the 1930s, Sessions made her film debut in Edward Sloman's 1932 film Wayward. While this marked her debut in films, it was not the true beginning to her career in film. Wayward was filmed in New York at the Paramount Publix studios. Sessions would not begin to appear regularly in feature films until eight years later, in 1940, with her appearance in Norman Taurog's Little Nellie Kelly, starring Judy Garland. During the 1930s she would occasionally appear in film shorts, such as 1935's Two Boobs in a Balloon, starring Edgar Bergen. Over the course of the remainder of her career, she would make appearances in over 500 films and television shows.

During her film career, which spanned four decades from the 1940s to the 1970s, she would appear in numerous notable films, including: Preston Sturges's Sullivan's Travels (1942), starring Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake; the William Wellman drama, The Ox-Bow Incident, starring Henry Fonda, Dana Andrews, and Anthony Quinn; her performance as Hattie the cook in the 1943 comedy, My Kingdom for a Cook, starring Charles Coburn, garnered her notice for her comedic talent; another Preston Sturges film, the 1944 comedy The Miracle of Morgan's Creek, with Eddie Bracken and Betty Hutton; the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical State Fair (1945); the Cole Porter biopic, Night and Day (1946), starring Cary Grant and Alexis Smith; Monsieur Verdoux, the 1946 comedy-drama written and directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin, in which she had one of her infrequent featured roles; 1946 saw her dramatic performance in the film noir Fear highlighted in reviews; the iconic It's a Wonderful Life (1947), directed by Frank Capra and starring James Stewart; the Christmas classic The Bishop's Wife (1948), which stars Cary Grant, Loretta Young, and David Niven and was directed by Henry Koster; the period comedy Take Me Out to the Ball Game, starring Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly and Esther Williams; and King Vidor's 1949 production of Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead, starring Gary Cooper and Patricia Neal.

The 1950s would see her continue appearing in numerous films, including such notable pictures as the Henry Koster classic comedy Harvey (1950), starring James Stewart; the film version of Damon Runyon's short story The Lemon Drop Kid, starring Bob Hope; 1955's Rebel Without a Cause (1955), starring James Dean and Natalie Wood; Michael Curtiz's 1956 crime drama The Scarlet Hour; and Elvis Presley's third film, Loving You (1957). The 1950s would see Sessions enter the new medium of television. Beginning with The Adventures of Kit Carson, she had guest appearances in dozens of television shows during the decade. Some of the shows she appeared in were: Adventures of Superman, The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, Hopalong Cassidy, Lassie, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, and Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color.

Sessions's career slowed down in the 1960s, but she continued to appear both in films and on television. Her film credits during this decade included the film adaptation of the Tennessee Williams play Summer and Smoke (1961), starring Laurence Harvey, Geraldine Page, and Rita Moreno; the 1963 comedy Under the Yum Yum Tree, with Jack Lemon, Carol Lynley, Dean Jones, and Edie Adams; the 1968 thriller, The Boston Strangler, starring Tony Curtis and Henry Fonda; and Roman Polanski's horror classic, Rosemary's Baby, starring Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, and Ruth Gordon. Her television credits during the 1960s included: The Donna Reed Show, The Munsters, F Troop, The Andy Griffith Show, and The Carol Burnett Show. While her credits in the 1970s were limited as her career wound down, the films and television shows in which she appeared well known. Her lone film credit was in the classic horror film Willard (1971), and her television credits included guest appearances on Marcus Welby, M.D., Night Gallery, and Love, American Style.

Sessions died on August 3, 1974, in Los Angeles, California. She is interred in Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Filmography

Actress
1972
Love, American Style (TV Series) as
The Operator (segment "Love and the Bathtub")
- Love and the Advice Column/Love and the Bathtub/Love and the Fullback/Love and the Guru/Love and the Physical (1972) - The Operator (segment "Love and the Bathtub")
1971
Willard as
Carrie Smith
1970
Night Gallery (TV Series) as
Old Woman (segment "The House")
- The House/Certain Shadows on the Wall (1970) - Old Woman (segment "The House")
1970
Marcus Welby, M.D. (TV Series) as
Mrs. Truscott
- Epidemic (1970) - Mrs. Truscott
1970
Watermelon Man as
Woman on Bus (uncredited)
1970
Tick, Tick, Tick as
Townswoman (uncredited)
1969
The Over-the-Hill Gang (TV Movie) as
Mrs. Fletcher
1968
The Wild Wild West (TV Series) as
Old Lavinia
- The Night of the Sedgewick Curse (1968) - Old Lavinia (uncredited)
1968
The Boston Strangler as
Emma Hodak
1968
The Carol Burnett Show (TV Series) as
Sketch Performer
- Alice Ghostley and Jim Nabors (1968) - Sketch Performer
1968
Rosemary's Baby as
Mrs. Sabatini (uncredited)
1968
The Andy Griffith Show (TV Series) as
Mrs. Fletcher
- Mayberry R.F.D. (1968) - Mrs. Fletcher
1968
Firecreek as
Townswoman at Wake (uncredited)
1967
CBS Playhouse (TV Series) as
Mary
- Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night (1967) - Mary
1967
Laredo (TV Series) as
First Matron
- The Bitter Yen of General Ti (1967) - First Matron
1966
The Last of the Secret Agents? as
Middle-Aged Lady at Topless a Go-Go (uncredited)
1965
O.K. Crackerby! (TV Series) as
Harriet Bundy
- Crackerby's Unfinished Symphony (1965) - Harriet Bundy
1965
F Troop (TV Series) as
Dobbs' Bride
- Old Ironpants (1965) - Dobbs' Bride (uncredited)
1965
A Rage to Live as
Carnival Fortune Teller (uncredited)
1964
The Munsters (TV Series) as
The Woman
- A Walk on the Mild Side (1964) - The Woman
1963
Under the Yum Yum Tree as
Woman (uncredited)
1963
Dr. Kildare (TV Series) as
Mrs. Bonner
- Tightrope Into Nowhere (1963) - Mrs. Bonner (uncredited)
1962
Suzuki Beane (TV Short)
1962
Paradise Alley as
Mrs. Walker
1961
Lawman (TV Series) as
First Lady
- The Substitute (1961) - First Lady
1961
Summer and Smoke as
Committee Woman (uncredited)
1961
The Barbara Stanwyck Show (TV Series) as
Cassie
- The Golden Acres (1961) - Cassie
1961
The Ann Sothern Show (TV Series) as
Nettie Parsons
- Always April (1961) - Nettie Parsons
1960
Surfside 6 (TV Series) as
Opal
- Local Girl (1960) - Opal (uncredited)
1960
The Donna Reed Show (TV Series) as
Elsie
- The Gossip (1960) - Elsie
1959
Alfred Hitchcock Presents (TV Series) as
Housekeeper / Mrs. Merrell
- Craig's Will (1960) - Housekeeper
- The Dusty Drawer (1959) - Mrs. Merrell
1959
The Dennis O'Keefe Show (TV Series) as
Mrs. Panessa
- It's Only Money (1959) - Mrs. Panessa
1959
The Magical World of Disney (TV Series) as
Angry Newspaper Customer
- Moochie of the Little League: A Diamond Is a Boy's Best Friend (1959) - Angry Newspaper Customer (uncredited)
1958
How to Marry a Millionaire (TV Series) as
Applicant
- The Maid (1958) - Applicant (uncredited)
1958
Andy Hardy Comes Home as
Carvel Citizen at Meeting (uncredited)
1958
The Thin Man (TV Series) as
Mrs. Shubert - Neighbor
- Scene of the Crime (1958) - Mrs. Shubert - Neighbor
1958
The Badlanders as
Old Woman Stagecoach Passenger (uncredited)
1958
Playhouse 90 (TV Series) as
Murdered Woman
- Portrait of a Murderer (1958) - Murdered Woman
1958
The Female Animal as
Mabel (uncredited)
1957
Studio 57 (TV Series)
- Secret Darkness (1957)
1957
Bachelor Father (TV Series) as
Cleaning Woman
- Bentley and the P.T.A. (1957) - Cleaning Woman
1957
Loving You as
Bit Part (uncredited)
1955
Death Valley Days (TV Series) as
Nellie Cashman / Ellen Kimball
- The Rosebush of Tombstone (1957) - Nellie Cashman
- Miracle of the Sea Gulls (1955) - Ellen Kimball
1957
The Bob Cummings Show (TV Series) as
Mrs. Rockmorton
- Bob Picks a College (1957) - Mrs. Rockmorton
1955
December Bride (TV Series) as
Elsie
- The Homecoming Show (1957) - Elsie
- The Beauty Pageant (1956)
- Matt's Movie Career (1956)
- The Shoplifter (1955) - Elsie
- The Grandfather Clock (1955)
1957
Cheyenne (TV Series) as
Mrs. Thatcher
- The Iron Trail (1957) - Mrs. Thatcher
1956
Calling Homicide as
Mrs. Ida Dunsetter
1956
Telephone Time (TV Series)
- The Joyful Lunatic (1956)
1956
The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin (TV Series) as
Missus Scragg
- Scotchman's Gold (1956) - Missus Scragg
1956
The Scarlet Hour as
Landlady (uncredited)
1956
Sergeant Preston of the Yukon (TV Series) as
Mrs. Guffy
- Crime at Wounded Moose (1956) - Mrs. Guffy
1955
Rebel Without a Cause as
Old Lady Teacher (uncredited)
1955
Lassie (TV Series) as
Louise
- The Monster (1955) - Louise
1955
Tales of the Texas Rangers (TV Series) as
Sara Norris
- Uranium Pete (1955) - Sara Norris
1955
It's Always Fair Weather as
Longwood House Manager (uncredited)
1955
Annie Oakley (TV Series) as
Spinster
- Trouble Shooter (1955) - Spinster
1955
The Mickey Rooney Show (TV Series)
- The Guardian (1955)
1955
The Prodigal as
Woman Buying Grain (uncredited)
1955
The Loretta Young Show (TV Series) as
Second Lady
- Dickie (1955) - Second Lady
1951
Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok (TV Series) as
Woman at Auction / Mrs. Bramlege / Miss Laura Tyler
- To the Highest Bidder (1955) - Woman at Auction
- Grandpa and Genie (1953) - Mrs. Bramlege
- The Lady School Teacher (1951) - Miss Laura Tyler (as Elmira Sessions)
1954
Hell's Outpost as
Mrs. O'Sullivan's Companion (uncredited)
1952
The Red Skelton Hour (TV Series) as
Old Woman / Woman Watching Dancers-Star / Charity Woman
- Dial 'B' for Brush with guest performers Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney, Jr. & Vampira (1954) - Old Woman
- Freddie Becomes a Star-Gazer (1953) - Woman Watching Dancers-Star
- The Christmas Show (1952) - Charity Woman
1954
Public Defender (TV Series) as
Spinster
- The Forger (1954) - Spinster (as Elmira Sessions)
1954
The Life of Riley (TV Series) as
Secretary
- Junior's Double Date (1954) - Secretary (as Elmira Sessions)
1954
The St. Cloud Storm (TV Movie)
1953
Hopalong Cassidy (TV Series) as
Miss Kerner
- Don't Believe in Ghosts (1953) - Miss Kerner
1952
The Cisco Kid (TV Series) as
Sarah Hotchkiss / Michaela / Aunt Christine
- The Raccoon Story (1953) - Sarah Hotchkiss
- Bell of Santa Margarita (1952) - Michaela
- Thunderhead (1952) - Aunt Christine
1953
Forever Female as
Tommy's Mother (uncredited)
1953
Paris Model as
Mrs. Boggs
1953
The Ray Milland Show (TV Series)
- The Faculty Dance (1953)
1953
The Moonlighter as
Angelica Usqubaugh (uncredited)
1953
The Affairs of Dobie Gillis as
Aunt Naomi
1953
My Little Margie (TV Series) as
Landlady
- Margie's Helping Hand (1953) - Landlady
1953
Ride, Vaquero! as
Woman in Bank (uncredited)
1953
Sweethearts on Parade as
Townswoman (uncredited)
1953
I Married Joan (TV Series) as
Mrs. Hodgkiss
- Broken Toe (1953) - Mrs. Hodgkiss
1953
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (TV Series) as
Mrs. Pennyfeather
- The Play's the Thing (1953) - Mrs. Pennyfeather
1953
Code Two as
Nurse (uncredited)
1953
The Blue Gardenia as
Cleaning Woman (uncredited)
1953
The Sun Shines Bright as
Society Matron at the Ball (uncredited)
1952
Adventures of Superman (TV Series) as
Receptionist (Miss Bachrach) / Miss Bachrach
- The Human Bomb (1953) - Receptionist (Miss Bachrach) (uncredited)
- Night of Terror (1952) - Miss Bachrach
1952
Cavalcade of America (TV Series)
- Poor Richard (1952)
1952
Wagons West as
Ada, Old Maid
1952
Jack and the Beanstalk as
Mrs. Mergatroyd (uncredited)
1952
The Gene Autry Show (TV Series) as
Mag, the Witch
- The Trail of the Witch (1952) - Mag, the Witch
1952
Oklahoma Annie as
Mrs. Fudge
1951
Hollywood Honeymoon (Short)
1951
Journey Into Light as
Voice of Woman in Saloon (voice, uncredited)
1951
Here Comes the Groom as
Wife on Airplane (uncredited)
1951
A Millionaire for Christy as
Myrtle (uncredited)
1951
The Adventures of Kit Carson (TV Series) as
Mrs. Forbes
- California Outlaws (1951) - Mrs. Forbes
1951
The Lemon Drop Kid as
Mrs. Santoro (uncredited)
1951
Oh! Susanna as
Officer's Wife at Dance (uncredited)
1951
Valentino as
Fan Mail Sorter (uncredited)
1950
Love Thy Neighbor (Short) as
Mrs. Wingate
1950
Harvey as
Mrs. Halsey (uncredited)
1950
The Blazing Sun as
Mrs. Purty (uncredited)
1950
Hollywood Theatre Time (TV Series)
- O'Brannigan's of Boston (1950)
1950
Dick Tracy (TV Series) as
Gravel Gertie
- The Ghost of Gravel Gertie - Gravel Gertie
- B.O. Plenty's Folly
1950
Summer Stock as
Constance Fliggerton (uncredited)
1950
The Lone Ranger (TV Series) as
Letty / Maria
- The Wrong Man (1950) - Letty
- Sheep Thieves (1950) - Maria (uncredited)
1950
The Old Frontier as
Mrs. Smedley
1950
Fancy Pants as
Belle (uncredited)
1950
Joe Palooka in Humphrey Takes a Chance as
Mrs. Hardwig
1950
Please Believe Me as
Receptionist (uncredited)
1950
Kill the Umpire as
Wife of Man on Telephone / Baseball Fan in Stands (uncredited)
1950
Black Hand as
Tourist (uncredited)
1950
Tarnished as
Mrs. Fennelly (uncredited)
1950
Montana as
Widowed Townswoman (uncredited)
1949
Undertow as
Miss Prentiss (uncredited)
1949
Roseanna McCoy as
Cousin Zinny
1949
The Fountainhead as
Dominique's Housekeeper at Quarry (uncredited)
1949
Night Unto Night as
Hotel Maid
1949
Take Me Out to the Ball Game as
Baseball Fan (uncredited)
1949
Dynamite as
Jennie (uncredited)
1948
Ladies of the Chorus as
Old Lady at Engagement Party (uncredited)
1948
Family Honeymoon as
Maid (uncredited)
1948
Apartment for Peggy as
Mrs. Landon (uncredited)
1948
Good Sam as
Landlady (uncredited)
1948
Julia Misbehaves as
Woman in Street (uncredited)
1948
Arthur Takes Over as
Mrs. Barnafogle
1948
The Bride Goes Wild as
Miss Williams (uncredited)
1948
On Our Merry Way as
Mrs. Cotton (deleted sequence) (uncredited)
1947
The Bishop's Wife as
First Lady in Michel's
1947
Cass Timberlane as
Tilda Hatter (uncredited)
1947
Merton of the Movies as
Mammoth Studio's Nurse (uncredited)
1947
I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now as
Miss Claybourne (uncredited)
1947
Love and Learn as
The Bride (uncredited)
1947
For the Love of Rusty as
Sarah Johnson (uncredited)
1947
Monsieur Verdoux as
Lena Couvais
1947
West of Dodge City as
Mrs. Throckbottom (uncredited)
1946
It's a Wonderful Life as
Potter's Secretary (uncredited)
1946
Cross My Heart as
Old Hag (uncredited)
1946
The Missing Lady as
Miss Effie
1946
Night and Day as
Woman in Hospital Hall (uncredited)
1946
Do You Love Me as
Miss Wayburn (uncredited)
1946
Fear as
Mrs. Williams
1946
The Diary of a Chambermaid as
Marianne
1945
Woman Who Came Back as
Bessie
1945
She Wouldn't Say Yes as
Miss Downer (uncredited)
1945
State Fair as
Farmer's Wife (uncredited)
1945
The Southerner as
Store Customer (uncredited)
1945
The All-Star Bond Rally (Short) as
Woman Next to Fibber in Audience
1945
Two O'Clock Courage as
Mrs. Daniels (uncredited)
1944
Can't Help Singing as
Lemuel's Wife (uncredited)
1944
San Diego I Love You as
Mrs. Mainwaring (uncredited)
1944
The Doughgirls as
Hatchet-Faced Woman (uncredited)
1944
Dixie Jamboree as
Ellabella Jackson
1944
I Love a Soldier as
Mrs. Munn (uncredited)
1944
Maisie Goes to Reno as
Lady with Reno Bus Ticket (uncredited)
1944
Bathing Beauty as
Ms. Phillips (uncredited)
1944
Henry Aldrich's Little Secret as
Aunt Maude
1943
Madame Curie as
Madame Michaud (uncredited)
1943
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek as
Justice's Wife (uncredited)
1943
The Heat's On as
Hannah Bainbridge
1943
My Kingdom for a Cook as
Hattie
1943
Seeing Nellie Home (Short)
1943
Young Ideas as
Club Woman (uncredited)
1943
The Ox-Bow Incident as
Miss Swanson (uncredited)
1943
Presenting Lily Mars as
Boardinghouse Manager (uncredited)
1943
Slightly Dangerous as
Peggy's Landlady (uncredited)
1943
Assignment in Brittany as
Madame Perro (uncredited)
1943
Happy Go Lucky as
Spinster (uncredited)
1942
My Sister Eileen as
Prospective Tenant (uncredited)
1942
Blondie for Victory as
Mrs. Larkin, Blondie's Second in Command at Dam (uncredited)
1942
I Married an Angel as
Mrs. Scallion (uncredited)
1942
Lone Star Ranger as
Mrs. Strong
1942
Obliging Young Lady as
Maid
1941
Sullivan's Travels as
Ursula
1941
Three Girls About Town as
Tessie Conarchy
1941
Sun Valley Serenade as
Nurse
1941
Ringside Maisie as
Mrs. Muldowny (uncredited)
1941
Blossoms in the Dust as
Mrs. Brown, With the Vase (uncredited)
1941
Blondie in Society as
Furious Woman With Broom (uncredited)
1941
She Knew All the Answers as
Elaine Wingate
1940
Chad Hanna as
Mrs. Mott (scenes deleted)
1940
Jennie as
Mrs. Willoughby
1940
Little Nellie Kelly as
Miss Corrigan - Nellie's Nurse (uncredited)
1940
The Ramparts We Watch as
Victory Party Reveller (uncredited)
1937
Flowers from the Sky (Short)
1937
The Big Courtship (Short) as
Auntie (uncredited)
1936
Shake, Mr. Shakespeare (Short) as
Cleaning Woman (uncredited)
1935
Radio Rascals (Short)
1935
Two Boobs in a Balloon (Short) as
Speaker (uncredited)
1933
Paul Revere, Jr. (Short) as
Townswoman (uncredited)
1932
Wayward as
Aunt Mary Lou Reed (uncredited)
1932
The Symphony Murder Mystery (Short) as
Concert-Goer (uncredited)
Soundtrack
1947
I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now (performer: "In the Sweet Bye and Bye" - uncredited)
Self
1968
Carnival Nights (TV Special) as
Old Lady on Midway
1955
The Bob Hope Show (TV Series) as
Self
- Betty Hutton, Jeanne Crain, Lassie (1955) - Self
Archive Footage
1965
Moment of Fear (TV Series)
- The Secret Darkness (1965)

References

Almira Sessions Wikipedia


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