Elizabeth Kerr

Elizabeth Kerr (1912-2000) was an American actress and theatre producer and director.

Early years

Kerr was born in Kansas City, Missouri, the daughter of John and Anna Kerr. She attended Northwestern University and the University of Kansas.[1] As a girl, she dreamed of being an actress, but family responsibilities prevented her from doing so until she was a grandmother.[2] After she married, she wrote reviews of books and plays for the newspaper that she and her husband owned. She also read book reviews at meetings of women's clubs, which she said helped to prepare her for acting.[3]

Career

Kerr's acting career began at the Pasadena Playhouse. She was selected for a role there after her first audition, and in two years she became a professional.[4]

Kerr's Broadway debut came in Angel in the Pawnshop (1951).[2] Her other Broadway credits included The Conquering Hero (1961), Redhead (1959), and The Righteous Are Bold (1955).[5] She also made national tours of a similar number of plays, besides performing in regional theatrical productions.[4]

On television, Kerr played Mother Elliott in The Betty White Show,[6] and Cora Hudson in Mork & Mindy.[6]:715

Kerr also produced plays. She founded the Glendale Civic Theater in 1947[1] and launched the Resident Theater in North Hollywood in 1952.[7] She also directed at the Resident Theater.[8]

References
  1. "'Mork and Mindy' Star to Visit". Bonner Springs-Edwardsville Chieftain. Kansas, Bonner Springs. August 9, 1979. p. 2. Retrieved 21 April 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "Grandma Reaches Broadway Via Dishes and Poetry Route". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. New York, Brooklyn. March 18, 1951. p. 31. Retrieved 21 April 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Even Mork espects Elizabeth Kerr". The Newark Advocate. Ohio, Newark. Copley News Service. August 4, 1979. p. 13. Retrieved 21 April 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. Harper, Hilliard (August 17, 1983). "Elizabeth Kerr: The Stage Was Her School". The Los Angeles Times. California, Los Angeles. p. Part II 7. Retrieved 21 April 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Elizabeth Kerr". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on 21 April 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  6. Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 94. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
  7. "Plays Will Be Showcased in Valley Theater". The Los Angeles Times. California, Los Angeles. November 9, 1952. p. Part IV - 10. Retrieved 21 April 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. von Blon, Katherine (October 27, 1953). "Whimsical Comedy Entertaining Fare". California, Los Angeles. California, Los Angeles. p. Part III - 9. Retrieved 21 April 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
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