Editing Marjorie Main

{{Short description|American actress (1890–1975)}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Marjorie Main
| image              = Marjorie Main.jpg
| image_size         =
| caption            = Main in 1940
| birth_name         = Mary Tomlinson
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1890|2|24|mf=y}}
| birth_place        = [[Acton, Indiana]], U.S.
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|1975|4|10|1890|2|24|mf=y}}
| death_place        = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], U.S.
| resting_place      = [[Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)|Forest Lawn Memorial Park]], [[Hollywood Hills, California]]
| occupation         = Actress
| years_active       = 1916–1959
| spouse             = {{marriage|[[Stanley LeFevre Krebs]]|1921|1935|end=died}}
}}

'''Mary Tomlinson''' (February 24, 1890 – April 10, 1975), professionally known as '''Marjorie Main''', was an American [[character actress]] and singer of the [[Classical Hollywood]] period, best known as a [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] contract player in the 1940s and 1950s, and for her role as Ma Kettle in 10 [[Ma and Pa Kettle]] movies.<ref>{{cite news|title=Obituary |newspaper=[[Variety Obituaries|Variety]] |date=April 16, 1975 |page=95 }}</ref> Main started her career in vaudeville and theatre, and appeared in film classics, such as ''[[Dead End (1937 film)|Dead End]]'' (1937), ''[[The Women (1939 film)|The Women]]'' (1939), ''[[Dark Command]]'' (1940), ''[[The Shepherd of the Hills (1941 film)|The Shepherd of the Hills]]'' (1941), ''[[Meet Me in St. Louis]]'' (1944), and ''[[Friendly Persuasion (1956 film)|Friendly Persuasion]]'' (1956).

==Early life==
Mary Tomlinson was born on February 24, 1890, near [[Acton, Indiana|Acton]], in rural [[Marion County, Indiana]]. She was the second daughter of Reverend Samuel J. Tomlinson, a [[Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)|Disciples of Christ]] minister, and Jennie L. (McGaughey) Tomlinson. Mary's maternal grandfather, Doctor Samuel McGaughey, was the Acton physician who delivered her.<ref name=Banta111>{{cite book | author=Ray Banta | title =Indiana's Laughmakers: The Story of over 400 Hoosiers, Actors, Cartoonists, Writers, and Others | publisher =PennUltimate Press | year =1990 | location =Indianapolis, Indiana | page=111 | isbn =0929808002}}</ref><ref>According to author Ray Banta, birth records on file at [[Franklin, Indiana]], indicate that Mary Tomlinson was born in Clark Township, [[Johnson County, Indiana]], on February 28, 1890. See Banta, p. 111. Other sources report that she was born at a home her grandfather owned in Acton. Main also stated in a letter to a fan that she was born in Acton. See: {{cite book|author=Nelson Price |title=Indiana Legends: Famous Hoosiers from Johnny Appleseed to David Letterman|publisher=Emmis Books |year=1997 |edition=3rd|page=130 |isbn=1-57860-006-5}} See also: {{cite journal| author=Sylva C. Henricks| title =Marjorie Main: 'Good for a Lot of Laughs' | journal =Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History | volume =12 | issue =1 | pages =34 | publisher =Indiana Historical Society | location =Indianapolis | date =Winter 2000| url =http://cdm16797.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16797coll39/id/5763| access-date =July 9, 2018}}</ref>

At the age of three, Tomlinson moved with her family to [[Indianapolis]], Indiana, where her father was pastor of Hillside Christian Church. Four years later, they moved to [[Goshen, Indiana|Goshen]] and then [[Elkhart, Indiana]]. In the early 1900s, the Tomlinson family settled on a farm near [[Fairland, Indiana]].<ref name=Henricks34>{{cite journal| author= Henricks, Sylva C. | title =Marjorie Main: 'Good for a Lot of Laughs' | journal =Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History | volume =12 | issue =1 | pages =33–40 | publisher =Indiana Historical Society | location =Indianapolis | date =Winter 2000| url =http://cdm16797.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16797coll39/id/5763
| access-date =July 9, 2018}} p. 34.</ref>

After attending public schools in Fairland and [[Shelbyville, Indiana|Shelbyville]], Tomlinson spent a year (1905–06) at [[Franklin College (Indiana)|Franklin College]] in Franklin, Indiana, where she was a charter member of what became the present-day [[Delta Delta Delta]] sorority, before transferring to the Hamilton School of Dramatic Expression in [[Lexington, Kentucky]]. She completed a three-year course of study in 1909 at the age of 19. After graduation, Tomlinson took a job as a dramatics instructor at Bourbon College in [[Paris, Kentucky]], but stayed only a year. Tomlinson later claimed that she was fired from the position after asking for a salary increase.<ref name=Smith167>{{cite book | author=David L. Smith | title =Hoosiers in Hollywood | publisher =Indiana Historical Society | year =2006 | location =Indianapolis | pages =167 | isbn =9780871951946}}</ref><ref name=Price>{{cite book|last=Price|first=Nelson |title=Indiana Legends: Famous Hoosiers from Johnny Appleseed to David Letterman|publisher=Emmis Books |year=1997 |edition=3rd|isbn=1-57860-006-5}}, p. 130.</ref>

After Tomlinson left Kentucky, she spent the next several years studying dramatic arts in [[Chicago]] and New York City, despite her father's disapproval of her career choice. Tomlinson adopted the stage name of Marjorie Main during her early acting career to avoid embarrassing her family.<ref>{{cite book|last=Price|first=Nelson |title=Indiana Legends: Famous Hoosiers from Johnny Appleseed to David Letterman|publisher=Emmis Books |year=1997 |edition=3rd|isbn=1-57860-006-5}}, pp. 167–68.</ref><ref name=INPerspective>{{cite journal| title =Marjorie Main: From Farm Girl to Film Star | journal =INPerspective | volume =24 | issue =1 | pages= 8–9| publisher =Indiana Historical Society | location =Indianapolis | date = January 2018}}</ref>

==Marriage==
Main married widower [[Stanley LeFevre Krebs]], a psychologist and lecturer, on November 2, 1921.<ref name=Banta111/> They met while she was performing on the [[Chautauqua]] circuit. Main accompanied Krebs on the lecture circuit, handling the details of their life on the road. They had no children together, and made their home in New York City.<ref name=Smith168>Smith, p. 168.</ref> Main performed with touring companies and in New York theaters on a part-time basis throughout her marriage. She also began her [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]] film career in 1931. Main considered this period "the happiest years of her life."<ref name=Henricks34/> She returned to a full-time acting career after Krebs died of cancer on September 26, 1935.<ref name=Smith168/>

The Krebses' marriage was a nontraditional one. By her accounts, the marriage was happy, but not particularly close. Main claimed to be "brokenhearted" following her husband's death,<ref name=Henricks35/> but also explained that his death was "like losing a good friend. Like part of the family."<ref name=Smith168/> Main's biographer, [[Michelle Vogel]], quotes a later interview in which the actress related: "Dr. Krebs wasn't a very practical man. I didn't figure on having to run the show, I kinda tired of it after a few years. We pretty much went our own ways, but we was [''sic''] still in the eyes of the law, man and wife."<ref name=vogel>{{cite book|author=Michelle Vogel|title=Marjorie Main: The Life and Films of Hollywood's "Ma Kettle" |year=2006 |publisher=McFarland| location=Jefferson, North Carolina|isbn=978-0786464432|pages=109–110}}</ref>

Vogel also revealed that Main had a long-term relationship with actress [[Spring Byington]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Vogel|first=Michelle|title=Marjorie Main: The Life and Films of Hollywood's "Ma Kettle"|year=2006|publisher=McFarland|location=Jefferson NC|isbn=0786464437|page=110|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pxvg38W9upwC&q=Spring+Byington+marjorie+main&pg=PA110}}</ref>

==Career==
===Early years===
Main began her professional career as a performer touring in [[Chautauqua]] presentations with a [[William Shakespeare|Shakespearean]] repertory company. After performing for five months in a stock company in Fargo, North Dakota, she began working in [[vaudeville]].<ref name=INPerspective/><ref name=Smith168/>

===Stage actress===
In the mid 1910s, Main appeared in several plays, which included touring in ''Cheating Cheaters '' with [[John Barrymore]] in 1916. She also debuted in the [[Broadway theatre]] in ''Yes or No'' in 1918. In addition, Main returned to vaudeville to perform at the [[Palace Theatre (New York City)|Palace Theater]] in a skit called ''The Family Ford'' with comedian [[W. C. Fields]]. Not all of the early plays in which she appeared were a success. ''A House Divided'' closed in 1923 after just one performance, but Main continued to find work on the Broadway stage. In 1927, she played [[Mae West]]'s mother in ''The Wicked Age'', and in 1928, played opposite [[Barbara Stanwyck]] in the long-running stage hit ''Burlesque''. Main also appeared in several other Broadway productions: ''Salvation'' in 1928, ''[[Scarlet Sister Mary]]'' in 1930, ''Ebb Tide'' in 1931, ''Music in the Air'' in 1932, and ''Jackson White''.<ref name=Henricks34/><ref name=Smith168/>

One of Main's highest-profile stage performances was in 1935's ''Dead End'' as Mrs. Martin, the mother of gangster Baby Face Martin. She played the role in 460 performances before leaving the show in 1936 to play Lucy, a hotel-keeper/dude-ranch operator, in ''The Women''. Main recreated these two roles in film versions of the plays in 1937 and 1939, respectively.<ref name=Henricks35>Henricks, p. 35.</ref><ref name=Smith169-70>Smith, pp. 169–70.</ref>

===Film career===
One of Main's first feature-film appearances was as an extra in ''[[A House Divided (1931 film)|A House Divided]]'' (1931).<ref name=INPerspective/><ref name=Price/><ref>{{cite book|author=Barry Monush |title=Screen World Presents the Encyclopedia of Hollywood Film Actors: From the Silent Era to 1965|publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation |year=2003 |pages=458 |isbn=1-55783-551-9}}</ref> She also appeared in ''[[Take a Chance (1933 film)|Take A Chance]]'' (1933) and ''[[Crime Without Passion]]'' (1934), and recreated her stage role as a servant in the film version of ''[[Music in the Air (film)|Music in the Air]]'' (also 1934), but most of her performance was cut from the film. Main also made a few more films in Hollywood in the 1930s before returning to the stage in New York City.<ref name=Smith168/><ref name=Henricks35/>

[[Samuel Goldwyn]] signed Main to reprise her stage role as the mother of a gangster for the film version of ''[[Dead End (1937 film)|Dead End]]'' (1937). [[Humphrey Bogart]] was cast as her son. She transferred another strong stage performance to film as the dude-ranch operator in ''[[The Women (1939 film)|The Women]]'' (1939).<ref name=Henricks35/><ref name=Smith170>Smith, p. 170.</ref>

Main portrayed a diverse set of characters in subsequent films for different studios. These included roles where she was cast as a mother, prison matron, a landlady, aunt, secretary, and a rental agent, among others.<ref name=Henricks35/>

[[File:Romance of the Limberlost (1938) 1.jpg|thumb|left|[[George Cleveland]], [[Jean Parker]], [[Sarah Padden]], and Marjorie Main in ''[[Romance of the Limberlost]]'' (1938) ]]

Main was signed to a seven-year Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) contract in 1940, after starring with [[Wallace Beery]] in ''[[Wyoming (1940 film)|Wyoming]]'' (1940).<ref name=INPerspective/> She also co-starred in ''[[Dark Command]]'' (1940) with [[Walter Pidgeon]], and appeared in six major films in 1941.<ref name=Smith170/><ref name=Henricks36>Henricks, p. 36.</ref>

During [[World War II]], Main used her stage and film notoriety to help promote the sale of [[war bond]]s for the U.S. War Department. In December 1942, she returned for a visit to central Indiana, where she helped in the sale of more than $500,000 in war bonds.<ref name=Smith170/>

[[File:Marjorie Main in Meet Me in St Louis trailer.jpg|thumb|left|Marjorie Main in the trailer for ''[[Meet Me in St. Louis]]'' (1944)]]
In the mid-1940s, in an attempt to repeat the great success Wallace Beery had in teaming with [[Marie Dressler]] in the early 1930s, MGM cast Main opposite Beery in six more films, including ''[[Barnacle Bill (1941 film)|Barnacle Bill]]'' (1941), ''[[Jackass Mail]]'' (1942), and ''[[Bad Bascomb (1946 film)|Bad Bascomb]]'' (1946). She also played Sonora Cassidy, the chief cook, in ''[[The Harvey Girls]]'' (1946).<ref name=Henricks38>Henricks, p. 38.</ref>

[[File:MarjorieMain.jpg|thumb|right|''[[Ma and Pa Kettle On Vacation]]'' (1953)]]
Main's best-known role was Ma Kettle in the [[Ma and Pa Kettle]] film series.<ref name=INPerspective/> She had renewed her contract with MGM for another seven years, which continued until the mid-1950s, when the studio lent her to [[Universal Pictures]] to play Ma Kettle for the first time in ''[[The Egg and I (film)|The Egg and I]]'' (1947), starring [[Claudette Colbert]] and [[Fred MacMurray]]. Main played opposite [[Percy Kilbride]] as Pa Kettle and was nominated for an [[Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role]] for her performance in the film.<ref name=Henricks36/>

The two Kettle characters proved to be so popular among film audiences that Universal decided to do a series. Main portrayed the Ma Kettle character in nine Ma and Pa Kettle films between 1949 and 1957. Kilbride was her co-star in most of the films, but left after ''[[Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki]]'' (1955), the seventh in the series.<ref name=Henricks36-37>Henricks, pp. 36–37.</ref> Main filmed ''[[The Kettles in the Ozarks]]'' (1956) without Kilbride. [[Parker Fennelly]] played the Pa Kettle role opposite Main in the final film of the series, ''[[The Kettles on Old MacDonald's Farm]]'' (1957)<ref name=Henricks38>Henricks, p. 38.</ref> Each film grossed Universal about $3 million, which helped save the studio from a financial collapse. In addition to acting in the films, Main wrote some of the dialogue for her character and created her costumes and make-up.<ref name=Smith170/>

During this time, Main shuttled back and forth between Universal Studios and MGM. She appeared in several MGM musicals during the 1940s and early 1950s, including, ''[[Meet Me in St. Louis]]'' (1944) and ''[[The Belle of New York (1952 film)|The Belle of New York]]'' (1952). She played Mrs. Wrenley in the studio's all-star film ''[[It's a Big Country]]'' (1951). Main played her last roles for MGM as Mrs.&nbsp;Hittaway in ''[[The Long, Long Trailer]]'' (1954) and as Jane Dunstock in ''[[Rose Marie (1954 film)|Rose Marie]]'' (1954). Main portrayed the widow Hudspeth in the hit film ''[[Friendly Persuasion (1956 film)|Friendly Persuasion]]'' (1956). Main's final film appearance was in her best-known role as Ma Kettle in ''The Kettles on Old MacDonald's Farm'' (1957)<ref name=Price/>

===Radio and television appearances===
On December 15, 1941, she was part of the cast of [[Norman Corwin]]'s radio program ''[[We Hold These Truths]]''.<ref>{{citation|title=On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EwtRbXNca0oC&dq=%22Marjorie+Main%22+%22166+Columbia+Presents+Corwin%22&pg=PA166|author=John Dunning|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=0-19507678-8|year=1998|pages=166}}</ref> She also performed in ''[[The Goldbergs (broadcast series)|The Goldbergs]]''.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}}

In 1958, Main appeared as a rugged frontierswoman Cassie Tanner in the episodes "The Cassie Tanner Story" and S1 E39 "The Sacramento Story" of the television series ''[[Wagon Train]]''.

==Later years==
After her retirement from acting, Main lived a quiet, secluded life in Los Angeles. She became interested in [[Spiritualism (movement)|spiritualism]] and the [[Moral Re-Armament]] movement.<ref name=Henricks38/>

==Death and legacy==
Main died of [[lung cancer]] on April 10, 1975, at the age of 85 at St. Vincent's Hospital in Los Angeles, where she had been admitted on April 3.<ref>{{cite journal|author=United Press International|title=Marjorie Main Dead at 85|journal=Playground Daily News |location=Fort Walton Beach, Florida|date=April 11, 1975|volume=30|issue=55
|page=3A |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2519&dat=19750411&id=4HpiAAAAIBAJ&pg=4258,2322168 |access-date=July 18, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Marjorie Main Dies at 85 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2519&dat=19750411&id=4HpiAAAAIBAJ&pg=4258,2322168|newspaper=[[Observer Reporter]]|date=April 11, 1975}}</ref> Main is buried in [[Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)|Forest Lawn Memorial Park]] in Hollywood Hills, California, beside her husband, Doctor Stanley Krebs.<ref>{{cite book|author=Axel Nissen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IbpwDl1nt0MC&dq=%22She+was+the+star%22&pg=110 |title=Actresses of a Certain Character: Forty Familiar Hollywood Faces from the Thirties to the Fifties|publisher=McFarland |year=2006 |pages=110–116|isbn=0-7864-2746-9}}</ref><ref>Her name is listed on her headstone as Mrs. Mary Tomlinson Krebs, with her stage name of Marjorie Main underneath. {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IbpwDl1nt0MC&dq=%22Krebs+Marjorie+Main%22+%22her+simple+gravestone%22&pg=PA117|title=Actresses of a Certain Character|isbn=9780786427468|last1=Nissen|first1=Axel|year=2007|publisher=McFarland }}</ref>

Main, who is best known for playing "raucous, rough, and cantankerous women" on-screen, was characterized as "soft-spoken, shy," and "dignified" when she was off-screen.<ref name=Smith167/> Main became a popular character actress of the 1940s and 1950s. She appeared in diverse roles on the stage and in more than 80 films, including some that became classics, such as ''Dead End'' (1937), ''Dark Command'' (1940), ''The Shepherd of the Hills'' (1941), ''Meet Me in St. Louis'' (1944), and ''Friendly Persuasion'' (1956), but is best known for her Ma Kettle role in the Ma and Pa Kettle film series. The "cornball humor" of the Kettle films endured in television shows, such as ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' and ''Green Acres'', of the 1960s.<ref name=Henricks38/>

==Theatre performances==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Play
! Character
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1916
| ''Cheating Cheaters''<ref name=Smith168/>
| 
| A touring show
|-
| 1918
| ''Yes or No'' <ref name=Smith168/>
| 
| 
|-
| 1923
| ''A House Divided'' <ref name=Smith168/>
| 
| Closed after one show
|-
| 1927
| ''The Wicked Age''<ref name=Henricks35/>
| 
| 
|-
|1928
|''Salvation''<ref name=Smith168/>
|
|
|-
| 1928 
| ''Burlesque''<ref name=Smith168/>
|
|
|-
|1930
|''[[Scarlet Sister Mary]]''<ref name=Smith168/> 
|
|
|-

|1931
|''Ebb Tide''<ref name=Smith168/>
|
|
|-
|1932
|''[[Music in the Air]]''<ref name=Smith168/>
|
|
|-
|1935
|''Jackson White''<ref name=Smith168/>
|
|
|-
|1935
|''[[Dead End (1937 film)|Dead End]]''<ref name=Henricks35/>
|
|
|-
|1936
|''[[The Women (play)|The Women]]''<ref name=Smith169-70/>
|
|
|}

==Filmography==
===Film===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1929
| ''Harry Fox and His Six American Beauties''
| Statler Hotel Beauty
| Short, Uncredited
|-
| 1931
| ''[[A House Divided (1931 film)|A House Divided]]''<ref name=INPerspective/>
| Woman at wedding
| Uncredited
|-
| 1932
| ''[[Broken Lullaby]]''
| Frau Schmidt
| Uncredited
|-
| 1932
| ''[[Hot Saturday]]''
| Gossip in Window
| Uncredited
|-
| 1933
| ''New Deal Rhythm''
| Delegate from Arizona
| Short, Uncredited
|-
| 1933
| ''Close Relations''
| Woman in Depot
| Short, Uncredited
|-
| 1934
| ''Art Trouble''
| Woman Who Sits on Painting
| Short, Uncredited
|-
| 1934
| ''[[Crime Without Passion]]''<ref name=Smith168/>
| Backstage Wardrobe Woman
| Uncredited
|-
| 1934
| ''[[Music in the Air (film)|Music in the Air]]''<ref name=Henricks35/>
| Anna
|
|-
| 1935
| ''[[Naughty Marietta (film)|Naughty Marietta]]''
| Casquette Girl
| Uncredited
|-
| 1937
| ''[[Love in a Bungalow]]''
| Miss Emma Bisbee
|
|-
| 1937
| ''[[Stella Dallas (1937 film)|Stella Dallas]]''
| Mrs. Martin
|
|-
| 1937
| ''[[Dead End (1937 film)|Dead End]]''<ref name=Henricks35/>
| Mrs. Martin
|
|-
| 1937
| ''[[The Man Who Cried Wolf (1937 film)|The Man Who Cried Wolf]]''
| Amelia Bradley
|
|-
| 1937
| ''[[The Wrong Road]]''
| Martha Foster
|
|-
| 1937
| ''[[Boy of the Streets]]''
| Mrs. Mary Brennan
|
|-
| 1937
| ''[[The Shadow (1937 film)|The Shadow]]''
| Hannah Gillespie
| 
|-
| 1938
| ''[[City Girl (1938 film)|City Girl]]''
| Mrs. Ward
| Uncredited
|-
| 1938
| ''[[Penitentiary (1938 film)|Penitentiary]]''
| Katie Matthews
| Uncredited
|-
| 1938
| ''[[King of the Newsboys]]''
| Mrs. Stephens
| Uncredited
|-
| 1938
| ''[[Test Pilot (film)|Test Pilot]]''
| Landlady
|
|-
| 1938
| ''[[Three Comrades (1938 film)|Three Comrades]]''
| Old Woman by Phone
| Uncredited
|-
| 1938
| ''[[Romance of the Limberlost]]''
| Nora
|
|-
| 1938
| ''[[Prison Farm (film)|Prison Farm]]''
| Matron Brand
|
|-
| 1938
| ''[[Little Tough Guy]]''
| Mrs. Boylan
|
|-
| 1938
| ''[[Under the Big Top]]''
| Sara Post
|
|-
| 1938
| ''[[Too Hot to Handle (1938 film)|Too Hot to Handle]]''
| Miss Kitty Wayne
| Alternative title: ''Let 'Em All Talk''
|-
| 1938
| ''[[Girls' School (1938 film)|Girls' School]]''
| Miss Honore Armstrong
|
|-
| 1938
| ''[[There Goes My Heart (film)|There Goes My Heart]]''
| Fireless Cooker Customer
| Uncredited
|-
| 1939
| ''[[Lucky Night]]''
| Mrs. Briggs
|
|-
| 1939
| ''[[They Shall Have Music]]''
| Mrs. Miller
|
|-
| 1939
| ''[[The Angels Wash Their Faces]]''
| Mrs. Arkelian
|
|-
| 1939
| ''[[The Women (1939 film)|The Women]]''<ref name=Smith170/>
| Lucy, Dude Ranch Owner
|
|-
| 1939
| ''[[Another Thin Man]]''
| Mrs. Dolley, Landlady Chestevere Apartments
|
|-
| 1939
| ''[[Two Thoroughbreds]]''
| Hildegarde 'Hildy' Carey
|
|-
| 1940
| ''[[I Take This Woman (1940 film)|I Take This Woman]]''
| Gertie
|
|-
| 1940
| ''[[Women Without Names (1940 film)|Women Without Names]]''
| Matron Lowery
|
|-
| 1940
| ''[[Dark Command]]''<ref name=Henricks38/>
| Mrs. Cantrell, aka Mrs. Adams
|
|-
| 1940
| ''[[Turnabout (film)|Turnabout]]''
| Nora, the cook
|
|-
| 1940
| ''[[Susan and God]]''
| Mary Maloney
| Alternative title: ''The Gay Mrs. Trexel''
|-
| 1940
| ''[[The Captain Is a Lady]]''
| Sarah May Willett
|
|-
| 1940
| ''[[Wyoming (1940 film)|Wyoming]]''<ref name=INPerspective/>
| Mehitabel
|
|-
| 1941
| ''[[The Wild Man of Borneo (film)|The Wild Man of Borneo]]''
| Irma
|
|-
| 1941
| ''[[The Trial of Mary Dugan (1941 film)|The Trial of Mary Dugan]]''
| Mrs. Collins
|
|-
| 1941
| ''[[Barnacle Bill (1941 film)|Barnacle Bill]]''
| Marge Cavendish
|
|-
| 1941
| ''[[A Woman's Face]]''
| Emma Kristiansdotter
|
|-
| 1941
| ''[[The Shepherd of the Hills (1941 film)|The Shepherd of the Hills]]''<ref name=Henricks38/>
| Granny Becky
|
|-
| 1941
| ''[[Honky Tonk (1941 film)|Honky Tonk]]''
| Mrs. Varner
|
|-
| 1942
| ''[[The Bugle Sounds]]''
| Susie "Suz"
|
|-
| 1942
| ''[[We Were Dancing (film)|We Were Dancing]]''
| Judge Sidney Hawkes
|
|-
| 1942
| ''[[The Affairs of Martha]]''
| Mrs. McKessic
|
|-
| 1942
| ''[[Jackass Mail]]''
| Clementine 'Tina' Tucker
|
|-
| 1942
| ''[[Tish (film)|Tish]]''
| Letitia "Tish" Carberry
|
|-
| 1942
| ''[[Tennessee Johnson]]''
| Mrs. Maude Fisher
| Alternative title: ''The Man on America's Conscience''
|-
| 1943
| ''[[Heaven Can Wait (1943 film)|Heaven Can Wait]]''
| Mrs. Strable
|
|-
| 1943
| ''[[Johnny Come Lately]]''
| "Gashouse" Mary
|
|-
| 1944
| ''[[Rationing (film)|Rationing]]''
| Iris Tuttle
|
|-
| 1944
| ''[[Meet Me in St. Louis]]''<ref name=Henricks38/>
| Katie
|
|-
| 1944
| ''[[Gentle Annie (film)|Gentle Annie]]''
| Annie Goss
|
|-
| 1945
| ''[[Murder, He Says]]''
| Mamie Fleagle Smithers Johnson
|
|-
| 1946
| ''[[The Harvey Girls]]''<ref name=Henricks39>Henricks, p. 39.</ref>
| Sonora Cassidy
|
|-
| 1946
| ''[[Bad Bascomb (film)|Bad Bascomb]]''
| Abbey Hanks
|
|-
| 1946
| ''[[Undercurrent (1946 film)|Undercurrent]]''
| Lucy
|
|-
| 1946
| ''[[The Show-Off (1946 film)|The Show-Off]]''
| Mrs. Fisher
|
|-
| 1947
| ''[[The Egg and I (film)|The Egg and I]]''<ref name=Henricks36/>
| Phoebe 'Ma' Kettle
| Nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress]]<ref name=Price/>
|-
| 1947
| ''[[The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap]]''
| Widow Hawkins
| Alternative title: ''The Wistful Widow'' (An Abbott & Costello film){{Citation needed|date=November 2022}}
|-
| 1948
| ''[[Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin']]'''
| Maribel Mathews
|
|-
| 1949
| ''[[Ma and Pa Kettle (film)|Ma and Pa Kettle]]''
| Ma Kettle
|
|-
| 1949
| ''[[Big Jack (film)|Big Jack]]''
| Flapjack Kate
|
|-
| 1950
| ''[[Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town]]''
| Ma Kettle
|
|-
| 1950
| ''[[Summer Stock]]''
| Esme
| Alternative title: ''If You Feel Like Singing''
|-
| 1950
| ''[[Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone]]''
| Harriet "Hattie" O'Malley
| Alternative title: ''The Loco Motion''
|-
| 1951
| ''[[Mr. Imperium]]''
| Mrs. Cabot
| Alternative title: ''You Belong to My Heart''
|-
| 1951
| ''[[Ma and Pa Kettle Back on the Farm]]''
| Ma Kettle
|
|-
| 1951
| ''[[The Law and the Lady (1951 film)|The Law and the Lady]]''
| Julia Wortin
|
|-
| 1951
| ''[[It's a Big Country]]''
| Mrs. Wrenley
|
|-
| 1951
| ''A Letter from a Soldier''
| Mrs. Wrenley
| Short
|-
| 1952
| ''[[The Belle of New York (1952 film)|The Belle of New York]]''
| Mrs. Phineas Hill
|
|-
| 1952
| ''[[Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair]]''
| rowspan="2"|Ma Kettle
|
|-
| 1953
| ''[[Ma and Pa Kettle on Vacation]]''
|
|-
| 1953
| ''[[Fast Company (1953 film)|Fast Company]]''
| Ma Parkson
|
|-
| 1954
| ''[[The Long, Long Trailer]]''
| Mrs. Hittaway
|
|-
| 1954
| ''[[Rose Marie (1954 film)|Rose Marie]]''
| Lady Jane Dunstock
|
|-
| 1954
| ''[[Ma and Pa Kettle at Home]]''
| Ma Kettle
|
|-
| 1954
| ''[[Ricochet Romance (film)|Ricochet Romance]]''
| Pansy Jones
| Alternative title: ''The Matchmakers''
|-
| 1955
| ''[[Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki]]''<ref name=Henricks36-37/>
| rowspan="2"|Ma Kettle
|
|-
| 1956
| ''[[The Kettles in the Ozarks]]''<ref name=Henricks38/>
|
|-
| 1956
| ''[[Friendly Persuasion (1956 film)|Friendly Persuasion]]''<ref name=Henricks38/>
| The Widow Hudspeth
| Nominated for the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture|Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress]]
|-
| 1957
| ''[[The Kettles on Old MacDonald's Farm]]''<ref name=Henricks38/>
| Ma Kettle
| final film role
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1956
| ''[[December Bride]]''
| Herself
| Episode: "The Marjorie Main Show"
|-
| 1958
| ''[[Wagon Train]]''
| Cassie Tanner
| 2 episodes, (final appearance)
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |last= Alistair |first= Rupert |title= The Name Below the Title : 65 Classic Movie Character Actors from Hollywood's Golden Age |chapter= Marjorie Main |pages= 161–164 |date= 2018 |edition= First |type= softcover |publisher= Independently published |location= Great Britain |isbn = 978-1-7200-3837-5}}
* {{cite book | author=Banta, Ray | title =Indiana's Laughmakers: The Story of over 400 Hoosiers, Actors, Cartoonists, Writers, and Others | publisher =PennUltimate Press | year =1990 | location =Indianapolis, Indiana | page=111 | isbn =0929808002}}
* {{cite book |last=Dunning |first=John |title=On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EwtRbXNca0oC&dq=%166+Columbia+Presents+Corwin%22+%22Marjorie+Main%22&pg=PA166 |publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=0-19507678-8|year=1998|pages=166}}
* {{cite journal| title =Marjorie Main: From Farm Girl to Film Star | journal =INPerspective | volume =24 | issue =1 | pages= 8–9| publisher =Indiana Historical Society | location =Indianapolis | date = January 2018}}
* {{cite news|title=Marjorie Main Dies at 85|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2519&dat=19750411&id=4HpiAAAAIBAJ&pg=4258,2322168|newspaper=[[Observer Reporter]]|date=April 11, 1975}}
* {{cite book|last=Monush|first=Barry |title=Screen World Presents the Encyclopedia of Hollywood Film Actors: From the Silent Era to 1965|publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation|year=2003|pages=458|isbn=1-55783-551-9}}
* {{cite book |last=Nissen|first=Axel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IbpwDl1nt0MC&q=Actresses+of+a+Certain+Character+Marjorie+Main|title=Actresses of a Certain Character: Forty Familiar Hollywood Faces From the Thirties To the Fifties|publisher=McFarland|year=2006|pages=110–116|isbn=0-7864-2746-9}}
* {{cite book | author=Smith, David L. | title =Hoosiers in Hollywood | publisher =Indiana Historical Society | year =2006 | location =Indianapolis | pages =166–73 | isbn =9780871951946}}
* {{cite journal|author=United Press International |title=Marjorie Main Dead at 85 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2519&dat=19750411&id=4HpiAAAAIBAJ&pg=4258,2322168|journal=Playground Daily News|volume=30|issue=55|page=3A|date=April 11, 1975|location=Fort Walton Beach, Florida }}
* {{cite book|last=Vogel|first=Michelle|title=Marjorie Main: The Life and Films of Hollywood's "Ma Kettle" |year=2006 |publisher=McFarland |location=Jefferson, North Carolina|isbn=978-0786464432 |pages=109–10}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=Marjorie Main |sopt=t}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{IMDb name|0537685}}
* {{Tcmdb name}}
* [http://www.virtual-history.com/movie/person/12087/marjorie-main Literature on Marjorie Main]

{{Ma and Pa Kettle}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Main, Marjorie}}
[[Category:1890 births]]
[[Category:1975 deaths]]
[[Category:Franklin College (Indiana) alumni]]
[[Category:Actresses from Indiana]]
[[Category:American film actresses]]
[[Category:American LGBTQ actresses]]
[[Category:American radio actresses]]
[[Category:American stage actresses]]
[[Category:American television actresses]]
[[Category:Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)]]
[[Category:Deaths from lung cancer in California]]
[[Category:People from Marion County, Indiana]]
[[Category:American vaudeville performers]]
[[Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players]]
[[Category:Ma and Pa Kettle]]
[[Category:20th-century American actresses]]
[[Category:People from Franklin, Indiana]]