Cause of death Stroke Role Character actress Occupation Actress Spouse Lee Millar (m. 1923–1941) | Years active 1917–1966 Children Lee Millar Name Verna Felton | |
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Full Name Verna Arline Felton Died December 14, 1966, North Hollywood, California, United States Parents Clara Lawrence Felton, Horace W. Felton Movies Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Lady and the Tramp, Alice in Wonderland, The Jungle Book Similar People Eleanor Audley, Barbara Luddy, Ilene Woods, Clyde Geronimi, Sterling Holloway | ||
Verna felton leaps
Verna Felton (July 20, 1890 – December 14, 1966) was an American actress who was best known for providing many voices in numerous Disney animated films, as well as voicing Fred Flintstone's mother-in-law Pearl Slaghoople in Hanna-Barbera's The Flintstones (1962 - 1963).
Contents
- Verna felton leaps
- A tribute to verna felton
- Early years
- Radio and television
- Personal life and death
- Discography
- References
She also had roles in live-action films, however, she was most active in radio programs. She was known for her husky voice and no-nonsense attitude. Two of her most famous roles were as Mrs. Day, the protective, domineering, and authoritative mother, who was always looking after her son Dennis Day and trying to boss around Jack Benny on The Jack Benny Program (1939 - 1962) and as Hilda Crocker on the CBS sitcom December Bride (1952 - 1959).
A tribute to verna felton
Early years
Felton was born in Salinas, California on July 20, 1890. Her father, a doctor, died when she was seven years old. When going over his accounts after his death, Felton's mother discovered that though her husband had a large medical practice in San Jose, there were no records of his patients' payments for treatment and no cash in the office. Shortly before her father's death, Felton had performed in a local benefit for victims of the Galveston Flood. Her singing and dancing attracted the attention of a manager of a road show company that was playing in San Jose at the time. The manager spoke to Felton's mother, offering to give Felton a job with his company. Since the family was experiencing difficult financial times with the loss of Felton's father, her mother contacted the road show manager. Felton quickly joined the cast of the show, growing up in the theater.
Radio and television
Felton worked extensively in the 1930s and '50s in Hollywood radio, notably playing The Mom in The Cinnamon Bear, Junior the Mean Widdle Kid's grandmother on Red Skelton's radio series, Hattie Hirsch on Point Sublime, and Dennis Day's mother on The Jack Benny Program. In addition, she performed on radio as a regular on The Abbott and Costello Show and The Great Gildersleeve.
Felton appeared in a recurring role as the mother of Ruth Farley, a young woman played by Gloria Winters in the 1953–55 ABC sitcom with a variety show theme, Where's Raymond?, renamed The Ray Bolger Show. The series starred Ray Bolger as Raymond Wallace, a song-and-dance man who was repeatedly barely on time for his performances.
Though some sitcom aficionados might assume that her guest appearances on I Love Lucy led to a regular supporting role as Hilda Crocker on the CBS sitcom December Bride, Felton had played that same character on the radio version two years prior to the television production. December Bride also starred Spring Byington, Dean Miller, Frances Rafferty, and Harry Morgan. Felton continued her Hilda Crocker role on the December Bride spin-off, Pete and Gladys, with Harry Morgan and Cara Williams. For her performance on December Bride, Felton was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 1958 and in 1959.
Felton was the original voice of Wilma Flintstone's mother, Pearl Slaghoople, voicing the character as a semi-regular on Hanna-Barbera's The Flintstones from 1962–63. In 1963, in the series finale of CBS's Dennis the Menace sitcom, Felton played John Wilson's aunt in the episode entitled "Aunt Emma Visits the Wilsons". In the story line, Mr. Wilson (Gale Gordon) tries to convince Aunt Emma to leave her estate to him and his wife, Eloise (Sara Seegar). Wilson becomes suspicious when Emma begins spending time with Dennis Mitchell (Jay North).
Personal life and death
Felton was married to radio actor Lee Millar (1888–41), who also did animation voices (notably for Disney's Pluto). Their son, Lee Carson Millar, Jr. (1924–80), appeared as an actor on a variety of television series between 1952 and 1967.
Felton died at the age of 76 from a stroke in North Hollywood, California on the evening of December 14, 1966, the day before Walt Disney died. She is interred at Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.