Olive Blakeney | |
|---|---|
 Blakeney inThat Uncertain Feeling (1941) | |
| Born | (1894-08-21)August 21, 1894 Newport, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | October 21, 1959(1959-10-21) (aged 65) Los Angeles,California, U.S. |
| Years active | 1933–1959 |
| Spouse(s) | Bernard Nedell (m. 19??) |
| Children | 1 |
Olive Blakeney (August 21, 1894 – October 21, 1959)[1] was an American actress.
Blakeney was born inNewport, Kentucky[2][1] and attended the Cincinnati School of Expression.[3]
Blakeney made her screen debut in England in 1932.[citation needed] In the early 1910s, she acted with the Pittsfield (Massachusetts) Stock Company.[4] In 1914, she was engaged with theLucille La Vernestock theater company.[5] After working asWilliam Gaxton's partner in vaudeville, she acted on stage in England. While there, she helped to introduce the playBroadway to British audiences.[2] Her Broadway credits includeThe Royal Family (1951) andThe Browning Version / Harlequinade (1949).[6]
Blakeney portrayed Mrs. Alice Aldrich, the mother of Henry Aldrich, in eight (seven of which were consecutive) films aboutThe Aldrich Family. (She played a related role, Mary Aldrich, in a ninth related film,Henry and Dizzy.)[7]
On television, she played the housekeeper in the syndicated medical dramaDr. Hudson's Secret Journal (1955–1956)[8] and guest-starred in "The Mothers," a 1957 episode of theCBSsituation comedyMr. Adams and Eve, and "Mr. Tutt," also known as "Strange Counsel," a 1958 episode ofColgate Theatre.
Blakeney was married toBernard Nedell[2][1] and was the mother of Betty Lou Lydon and mother-in-law ofJimmy Lydon, who played her son in all but the first of theHenry Aldrich films.[citation needed]
Blakeney died at the age of 65 due to complications of cancer on October 21, 1959, in Encino, California. She was cremated and interred atForest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale in California.[1]
