Menu
Elizabeth Patterson

Elizabeth Patterson

Known For Acting
Birthday Nov 21, 1874
Died Jan 31, 1966 (91)
Birthplace Savannah, Tennessee, USA
Popularity 0.4 (history)
Updated Aug 05, 2025
Entry Date Apr 13, 2024
Links TMDb IMDb
Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Mary Elizabeth Patterson (November 22, 1874 – January 31, 1966) was an American theatre, film, and television character actress who gained popular recognition late in her career playing the elderly neighbor Matilda Trumbull on the television comedy series I Lov ... e Lucy. In 1926, at the age of 51, Patterson was cast in her first movie, a silent film, The Boy Friend. Transitioning successfully into the era of "talkies", she remained a very busy actress in Hollywood throughout the 1930s, averaging more than five films a year during that decade, usually in supporting roles. A few of her screen credits at that time include Tarnished Lady; Husband's Holiday; A Bill of Divorcement; So Big!; The Story of Temple Drake; Hold Your Man; Dinner at Eight; High, Wide, and Handsome; and No Man of Her Own. She also appeared in the role of Susan in two adaptations of John Willard's popular play The Cat and the Canary: The Cat Creeps in 1930 and The Cat and the Canary in 1939. Patterson continued to perform frequently in the 1940s, when she was cast in more than 30 additional films. Among her notable roles is her 1949 portrayal of the heroic character Eunice Habersham in the groundbreaking racial crime drama Intruder in the Dust, a film based on the William Faulkner novel of the same name and set in the Deep South. Although she would appear in a few more feature films in the 1950s, such as Washington Story and Pal Joey, Patterson by then began to focus her work increasingly on roles in the rapidly expanding medium of television. In 1952, at the age of 77, Patterson made her first appearance on the hit CBS-TV sitcom I Love Lucy in the episode "The Marriage License". Her character on I Love Lucy proved to be so popular among viewers, as well as useful to the writers of the series, that she continued in the role for three more years, often serving in episode storylines as a convenient babysitter for "Little Ricky". Prior to, during, and after her work on I Love Lucy, Patterson appeared in many other American television series during the 1950s and early 1960s. Her first credited performance on the "small screen" was in March 1950 in "The Walking Stick", a teleplay on the NBC anthology series The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre. During the 11 years after that initial televised performance to her final role on television in 1961, she portrayed characters in a variety of other series, including Pulitzer Prize Playhouse, Studio One in Hollywood, General Electric Theater, Stage 7, Lux Video Theatre, Crossroads, The Star and the Story, The Adventures of Jim Bowie, Adventures of Superman, New York Confidential, 77 Sunset Strip, Johnny Stacatto, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Playhouse 90, The Barbara Stanwyck Show, and The New Breed. Patterson, who never married, lived at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel during her 35-year film and television career.. On January 31, 1966, she died at age 91 in Los Angeles of complications from pneumonia. Her gravesite is in Savannah Cemetery in her hometown in Tennessee.

Known For

Headshots

Profile
Profile
Profile
Filmography

The Oregon Trail

The Oregon Trail

1959

as Maria Cooper

Portrait of a Murderer

Portrait of a Murderer

1958

as Mrs. Finch

Pal Joey

Pal Joey

1957

as Mrs. Casey

Las Vegas Shakedown

Las Vegas Shakedown

1955

as Mary Raff

Three Lives

Three Lives

1953

as Mrs. Adams

Washington Story

Washington Story

1952

as Miss Dee

Little Women: Meg's Story

Little Women: Meg's Story

1950

as Aunt March

Little Women: Jo's Story

Little Women: Jo's Story

1950

as Aunt March

Bright Leaf

Bright Leaf

1950

as Tabitha Singleton

Katie Did It

Katie Did It

1950

as Aunt Priscilla Wakely

Intruder in the Dust

Intruder in the Dust

1949

as Miss Eunice Habersham

Song of Surrender

Song of Surrender

1949

as Mrs. Beecham

Little Women

Little Women

1949

as Hannah

Welcome Stranger

Welcome Stranger

1947

as Mrs. Gilley

Out of the Blue

Out of the Blue

1947

as Miss Spring

The Shocking Miss Pilgrim

The Shocking Miss Pilgrim

1947

as Catherine Dennison

Colonel Effingham's Raid

Colonel Effingham's Raid

1946

as Cousin Emma

I've Always Loved You

I've Always Loved You

1946

as Mrs. Sompter

The Secret Heart

The Secret Heart

1946

as Mrs. Stover

Lady on a Train

Lady on a Train

1945

as Aunt Charlotte Waring

Together Again

Together Again

1944

as Jessie

Hail the Conquering Hero

Hail the Conquering Hero

1944

as Martha - Libby's Aunt

Follow the Boys

Follow the Boys

1944

as Annie

The Sky's the Limit

The Sky's the Limit

1943

as Mrs. Fisher

Almost Married

Almost Married

1942

as Aunt Matilda Manning

Her Cardboard Lover

Her Cardboard Lover

1942

as Eva

Lucky Legs

Lucky Legs

1942

as Annabelle Dinwiddie

I Married a Witch

I Married a Witch

1942

as Margaret

Beyond the Blue Horizon

Beyond the Blue Horizon

1942

as Mrs. Daly

The Vanishing Virginian

The Vanishing Virginian

1942

as Grandma

My Sister Eileen

My Sister Eileen

1942

as Grandma Sherwood

Belle Starr

Belle Starr

1941

as Sarah

Tobacco Road

Tobacco Road

1941

as Ada Lester

Kiss the Boys Goodbye

Kiss the Boys Goodbye

1941

as Aunt Lily Lou Bethany

Who Killed Aunt Maggie?

Who Killed Aunt Maggie?

1940

as Maggie Ambler

Remember the Night

Remember the Night

1940

as Aunt Emma "Emmie"

Earthbound

Earthbound

1940

as Becky Tilden

Adventure in Diamonds

Adventure in Diamonds

1940

as Nellie

Michael Shayne: Private Detective

Michael Shayne: Private Detective

1940

as Aunt Olivia

Anne of Windy Poplars

Anne of Windy Poplars

1940

as Rebecca

Our Leading Citizen

Our Leading Citizen

1939

as Aunt Tillie

Bad Little Angel

Bad Little Angel

1939

as Mrs. Perkins

Bulldog Drummond's Bride

Bulldog Drummond's Bride

1939

as Aunt Blanche

Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police

Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police

1939

as Aunt Blanche

The Cat and the Canary

The Cat and the Canary

1939

as Aunt Susan

The Story of Alexander Graham Bell

The Story of Alexander Graham Bell

1939

as Mrs. MacGregor

Sons of the Legion

Sons of the Legion

1938

as Grandmother Lee

Sing, You Sinners

Sing, You Sinners

1938

as Mrs. Daisy Beebe aka Mother Beebe

Bluebeard's Eighth Wife

Bluebeard's Eighth Wife

1938

as Aunt Hedwige

Scandal Street

Scandal Street

1938

as Ada Smith

Bulldog Drummond's Peril

Bulldog Drummond's Peril

1938

as Aunt Blanche

High, Wide and Handsome

High, Wide and Handsome

1937

as Grandma Cortlandt

Hold 'Em Navy

Hold 'Em Navy

1937

as Grandma Holland

Night of Mystery

Night of Mystery

1937

as Mrs. Tobias Greene

Night Club Scandal

Night Club Scandal

1937

as Mrs. Elvira Ward

Timothy's Quest

Timothy's Quest

1936

as Vilda Cummins

Old Hutch

Old Hutch

1936

as Sarah Hutchins

The Return of Sophie Lang

The Return of Sophie Lang

1936

as Araminta Sedley

Her Master's Voice

Her Master's Voice

1936

as Mrs. Ellie Martin

Go West Young Man

Go West Young Man

1936

as Aunt Kate Barnaby

Small Town Girl

Small Town Girl

1936

as Ma Brannan

Chasing Yesterday

Chasing Yesterday

1935

as Mlle. Prefere

Men Without Names

Men Without Names

1935

as Aunt Ella

So Red the Rose

So Red the Rose

1935

as Mary Cherry

Hide-Out

Hide-Out

1934

as 'Ma' Miller

Infernal Machine

Infernal Machine

1933

as Elinor's Aunt

Golden Harvest

Golden Harvest

1933

as Lydia

Secret of the Blue Room

Secret of the Blue Room

1933

as Mary, Cook

Hold Your Man

Hold Your Man

1933

as Miss Tuttle

The Story of Temple Drake

The Story of Temple Drake

1933

as Aunt Jennie

Doctor Bull

Doctor Bull

1933

as Aunt Patricia Banning

Dinner at Eight

Dinner at Eight

1933

as Miss Copeland

The Expert

The Expert

1932

as Miss Crackenwald

Breach of Promise

Breach of Promise

1932

as Cora Pugmire

No Man of Her Own

No Man of Her Own

1932

as Mrs. Randall

Miss Pinkerton

Miss Pinkerton

1932

as Juliet Mitchell

Boo

Boo

1932

as Susan (edited from "The Cat Creeps")

Man Wanted

Man Wanted

1932

as Miss Harper

Love Me Tonight

Love Me Tonight

1932

as First Aunt

Guilty as Hell

Guilty as Hell

1932

as Elvira Ward

A Bill of Divorcement

A Bill of Divorcement

1932

as Aunt Hester Fairfield

They Call It Sin

They Call It Sin

1932

as Mrs. Cullen

New Morals for Old

New Morals for Old

1932

as Aunty Doe

So Big!

So Big!

1932

as Mrs. Tebbit (uncredited)

Heaven on Earth

Heaven on Earth

1931

as Vergie

Tarnished Lady

Tarnished Lady

1931

as Mrs. Courtney

Daddy Long Legs

Daddy Long Legs

1931

as Mrs. Lippett

Husband's Holiday

Husband's Holiday

1931

as Mrs. Caroline Reid

The Smiling Lieutenant

The Smiling Lieutenant

1931

as Baroness Von Schwedel (uncredited)

Penrod and Sam

Penrod and Sam

1931

as Schoolteacher (uncredited)

Harmony at Home

Harmony at Home

1930

as Emma Haller

The Cat Creeps

The Cat Creeps

1930

as Susan

The Lone Star Ranger

The Lone Star Ranger

1930

as Sarah Martin

Words and Music

Words and Music

1929

as Dean Crockett

South Sea Rose

South Sea Rose

1929

as Sarah

The Dancing Town

The Dancing Town

1928

as Ma Pepperall

The Return of Peter Grimm

The Return of Peter Grimm

1926

as Mrs. Bartholomey

The Boy Friend

The Boy Friend

1926

as Mrs. Harper

No data available

No data available

No data available

Organization Category Movie
Television Credits

I Love Lucy

as Mrs. Trumbull

Episodes: 10

First Aired: Oct 15, 1951

I Love Lucy

as Mrs. Willoughby

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 15, 1951

General Electric Theater

as Madame Elaine

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Feb 01, 1953

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

as Miss Bessie

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 02, 1955

Lux Video Theatre

as Dr. Gilley

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 02, 1950

Climax!

as Aunt Polly

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 07, 1954

Cavalcade of America

as Mrs. Couche

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 01, 1952

The Barbara Stanwyck Show

as Mrs. Melvane

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 19, 1960

Lux Video Theatre

as Mrs. Sargent

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 02, 1950

Four Star Playhouse

as Ma / Mother Baker

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 25, 1952

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

as Grandmother

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 02, 1955

Climax!

as Jane Connor

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 07, 1954

Climax!

as Nellie Eldredge

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 07, 1954

Climax!

as Mrs. Garr

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 07, 1954

Adventures of Superman

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Sep 19, 1952

77 Sunset Strip

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 10, 1958

Johnny Staccato

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 10, 1959

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 06, 1958

The Adventures of Jim Bowie

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 07, 1956

Playwrights '56

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 04, 1955

New York Confidential

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 01, 1959

Popularity Metrics

Popularity History


Year Month Avg Max Min
2024 6 7 15 3
2024 7 13 22 5
2024 8 9 33 3
2024 9 6 13 2
2024 10 3 6 1
2024 11 3 4 1
2024 12 5 9 2
2025 1 8 14 4
2025 2 3 7 1
2025 3 3 5 2
2025 5 2 2 1
2025 6 1 1 1
2025 7 0 0 0
2025 8 1 9 0
2025 9 0 0 0
2025 10 0 0 0

Trending Rank


Year Month Avg Rank Max Rank
No trending metrics available.

Return to Top