Marion (MacDougall) Lorne (1883 - 1968)

Born 12 Aug 1883 in West Pittston, Luzerne, Pennsylvania, United States

Ancestors

Wife of Walter Lawrence Hackett — married 1911 in Jersey City, Hudson, New Jersey, United States

Died 9 May 1968 at age 84 in Manhattan, New York County, New York, United States

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Marion (MacDougall) Lorne is Notable.

Biography

Marion Lorne was "an American actress of stage, film, and television. After a career in theatre in New York and London, Lorne made her first film in 1951, and for the remainder of her life played small roles in films and television. Her recurring role as Aunt Clara in the comedy series Bewitched, between 1964 and her death in 1968, brought her widespread recognition, and she was posthumously awarded an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series." Her co-star, Elizabeth Montgomery, accepted the award in Marion's honor.^[1]

Marion was born Marion Lorne MacDougall on 12 August 1883 in West Pittston, Pennsylvania, the daughter of William Lorne MacDougall, M.D. and jane Louise Oliver. Her parents were Scottish and English immigrants. Marion had a younger brother, Lorne Taylor MacDougall. Marion studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City.^[2]

Marion was married to the playwright Walter Hackett in September 1911 in Jersey City, New Jersey.^[3] "Walter Hackett to Marry. Walter Hackett, who wrote "Our World," "The White Sister," and other plays, took out a marriage license yesterday at the office of the County Board of Health, Jersey City, to wed Miss Marion MacDougall. The Carleton Hotel, Manhattan, was given as the residence of both."^[4]

Walter and Marion "visited England for their honeymoon in 1914, and ended up staying there for 25 years. Marion Lorne, an actress, often played a role in Hackett's plays (including 'Freedom of the Seas' during its run at the Haymarket and 'The Invisible Foe' at the Savoy)."^[5]

"Hackett was a prolific playwright, penning 50 plays during his career. He earned the nickname Walter "Long Run" Hackett due to the popularity of his plays in the West End with over 20 running for more than 100 performances. In 1930 he became the manager of the Duke of York theatre. The same year he helped build and opened the Whitehall Theatre as its licensee. The theatre opened with Hackett's play 'The Way to Treat a Woman' which transferred from the Duke of York after already having completed 100 performances there." ^[6]

"He and his wife moved to New York in 1940 where died in January 1944, aged 67."^[7]

After her husband's death, Marion returned to acting first appearing on Broadway; she later appeared in film. "She made her feature film debut in her late 60s in Strangers on a Train (1951), directed by Alfred Hitchcock. From 1952-55, she was seen as perpetually confused junior high school English teacher Mrs. Gurney on Mister Peepers. She appeared in the NBC sitcom Sally from 1957 to 1958. Her last role, as Aunt Clara in Bewitched, brought Lorne her widest fame as a lovable witch who is losing her powers due to old age (and whose spells usually end in disaster). Aunt Clara usually visited by coming down the chimney; her hobby was collecting doorknobs, and she often brought her collection with her on visits. Lorne had an extensive collection of doorknobs in real life, some of which she used as props in the series."^[8]

Marion died of a heart attack 9 May 1968 in her Manhattan apartment at the age of 84, prior to the start of production of the fifth season of Bewitched. Her remains were buried at Ferncliff Cemetery in Greenburgh, New York.^[9]

New York Times Obituary:^[10]

Marion Lorne, 82, A Comic Actress

Member of Moore Show and "Mr. Peepers' on TV Dies

Marion Lorne, an actress who won television prominence for her comedy roles on "Mr Peppers" and the "Garry Moore Show," died of a heart attack in her home here yesterday. She was 82 years old and lived at 130 East 39th Street.

Miss Lorne, who made her stage debut here in 1905, gained her first television popularity in 1952 after she was cast as Mrs. Gurney, the fluttering, bewildered English teacher on "Mr. Peepers" over the National Broadcasting Company network. During the run of the show, which last until 1955, she told an interviewer:

"I am a nervous type as you might have realized. And working in 'Mr. Peepers' doesn't make me any less nervous. It takes me a long time to learn a part, and here every week I have to learn a new one and sometimes they're still rewriting it up to the last minute."

In 1958 Miss Lorne joined Mr. Moore's show on the Columbia Broadcasting System and remained in the cast for several years Under her own name, she played fluttery roles in comedy sketches.

"Off stage she was somewhat like she was on stage, although I do not mean she wasn't intelligent," Mr. Moore said yesterday. "But she was charming and childlike. You wanted to baby her. I've just come back to New York from a trip in Pennsylvania, Indiana and Nebraska and everywhere I went people asked me about Marion Loren."

Recently Miss Lorne had been playing Aunt Clara in the American Broadcasting Company's "Bewitched" series. Her last episodes for the comedy show were filmed in Hollywood about six weeks ago.

In a recent interview, Miss Loren said:

"People come up to me now and call me Aunt Clara. And a lot of them still call me Mrs. Gurney. I must say I really enjoyed it during those years with Garry when at least they called me by my name. Oh dear, I suppose it really is a compliment, though."

In 1948 Miss Lorne succeeded Josephine Hull in "Harvey" on Broadway. Two years later she appeared in a Broadway revue, "Dance Me a Song." In motion pictures she appeared in "The Girl Rush," a musical starring Rosalind Russell' Alfred Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train" and "The Graduate," in which she had a cameo role.

Miss Lorne, whose full name was Marion Lorne MacDougall, was born in Pennsylvania. Her father, William Lorne MacDougall, was a physician in Philadelphia.

She lived in London for many years, appearing on the stage and also managing theaters in association with her husband, the late Walter Hackett, an actor, a playwright and a producer. They returned here in 1942. Her husband died soon afterward, and she retired from the stage. She resumed her career a few years later in the road company of "harvey."

Miss Lorne leaves no immediate survivors.

A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. Monday at Frank E. Campbell's Madison Avenue at 81st Street.

There's a wonderful tribute to Marion online on YouTube entitled "The Life of Marion Lorne Aunt Clara on Bewitched Amazing Story and Facts," by Cool Classics, which can be found here. The video is well done, and covers all aspects of Marion's career, featuring wonderful photos and clips from Marion's movies and television shows.^[11]

Sources

1. ↑ Marion Lorne on Wikipedia.
2. ↑ Marion Lorne on Wikipedia.
3. ↑ Marion MacDougall in the New Jersey, U.S., Marriage Index, 1901-2016
4. ↑ New-York daily tribune Sunday, Sep 17, 1911 New York, NY Vol: 71 Page: 8.
5. ↑ Walter Hackett Biography on Great Theatre.
6. ↑ Walter Hackett Biography on Great Theatre.
7. ↑ Walter Hackett Biography on Great Theatre.
8. ↑ Marion Lorne on Wikipedia.
9. ↑ Find a Grave Memorial for Marion Lorne.
10. ↑ Obituary. The New York Times, Friday, May 10, 1968, page 47.
11. ↑ The Life of Marion Lorne Aunt Clara on Bewitched Amazing Story and Facts by Cool Classics on YouTube.