The actress Mary Gordon was born on May 16th 1882.Not a name you’re familiar with, but Mary pr

The actress Mary Gordon was born on May 16th 1882.Not a name you’re familiar with, but Mary probably appeared in more Hollywood films than any other Scot- ever! Born as Mary Gilmour in Glasgow,  the daughter of a Bridgeton wire weaver, and she worked as a dressmaker before discovering a talent for performing. Mary made over 300 movies alongside Tinseltown’s greats and was Scotland’s first film star.  Her most celebrated role was as Sherlock Holmes’s long-suffering housekeeper, Mrs Hudson, in the Basil Rathbone series of thrillers based on the famous detective’s adventures.  But she also starred alongside some of Hollywood’s greatest stars, including Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, Mae West, James Stewart and Laurel and Hardy.Her films included Bonnie Scotland and Mr Smith Goes To Washington. My go to place for info in posts like this, the IMDb film site notes that she was “often typecast as an Irish mother despite being a native of Scotland. This used to drive Irish film-goers crazy, who could easily detect the Scottish accent.”According to IMDb, she joined a theatre company bound for an American tour, and arrived in the US in her twenties. She had a few small roles on Broadway and became friends with the director John Ford while making Hangman’s House. She went on to make seven more films with him.With her mother, also Mary, and daughter, Molly, she lived in Los Angeles. In 1939, she took on her most famous role as Mrs Hudson, playing the role in ten films and numerous radio plays. She was a charter member of the Hollywood Canteen, entertaining servicemen throughout the Second World War. on her 1946 visit - during which she was regularly mobbed by fans - Mary made a point of getting re-acquainted with friends and returning to her old haunts in the east end. She recalled singing in the choir at one parish church. “Ah’m no’ really a star,” she told  the local press at the time.   “Ah’m just one o’ the small fry, just a character actress in Hollywood. America has been very kind to me, but I’ve had my heartbreaks since I was last here.” she added. Mary married a commercial traveller, William Gordon, in 1908. They were estranged in 1914 and separated in 1917 but it is unclear if they ever legally divorced. She kept his surname and never remarried. Mary spent the final years of her life in Pasadena, California with her daughter and grandson. She died after a long illness on August 23rd, 1963. The second pic shows Mary in Glasgow with Harry Lauder and  Irving Berlin. -- source link

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