Irene Tedrow

Denver-born supporting actress 'Irene Tedrow' (qv) is another in a long line of "I know the face...but not the name" character actors whose six-decade career was known more for its durability than for the greatness of roles she played. Born in 1907, she was a lady primarily of the stage, beginning her acting career as a teen. She trained in drama at Carnegie Tech in Pittsburgh, PA, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1929. A slim, handsome woman in her early days, her features grew more severe with age, which ultimately typed her as puritanical meddlers and no-nonsense matrons practically from her entrance into film in 1937. She seldom, if ever, found a meaty part, appearing way, way down the list of credits, if at all. A founding member of the Old Globe Theatre, she was featured in such classical productions as "Richard III," "Hamlet" and "Henry IV, Part I." She became a primary player on radio during the war years, notably for the maternal role of Mrs. Janet Archer in the popular serial _Meet Corliss Archer (1950)_ (qv), which she transferred to TV for one season. Her radio role lasted for nine years (43-52). Irene appeared in hundreds of episodic guest appearances for nearly 35 years in everything _Dragnet (1951)_ (qv), _The Andy Griffith Show (1960)_ (qv), and _The Twilight Zone (1959)_ (qv) to the more recent _The Facts of Life (1979)_ (qv), _St. Elsewhere (1982)_ (qv) and _L.A. Law (1986)_ (qv). Never a regular series player, she is probably best remembered as the kindly Mrs. Elkins who appeared occasionally on the _Dennis the Menace (1959)_ (qv) sitcom. Over the years, Irene never abandoned the stage, gracing a number of shows in her senior years including "Our Town" on Broadway, plus "Foxfire," "The Hot L. Baltimore" and "Pygmalion." Continuing to work as an octogenarian, she died of a stroke at age 87 in the Los Angeles area.::Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net