M

Mary Treen

Died
July 20, 1989
Age
82 years
Cause
cancer

Remembering Mary Treen: related finds and keepsakes

About Mary Treen

Mary Treen, 82, American film and television actress (The Joey Bishop Show), cancer.

Explore other notable deaths in 1989 or deaths in July 1989.

The Deaths Archive presents

How well do you know Mary Treen?

Explore their life. Test your knowledge. Beat the challenge.

10 questions · One legacy · How much do you really know?

Challenge your friends

Play together in real-time.

Advertisement

Full Biography

|

Mary Treen (born Mary Louise Summers; March 27, 1907[citation needed] – July 20, 1989) was an American film and television actress. A minor actress for much of her career, she managed to secure a plain, unassuming niche for herself in dozens of movies and television shows in a Hollywood career spanning five decades, from 1930 to 1981.

Early life

Treen was born Mary Louise Summers in St. Louis, and she grew up in California. She was the daughter of attorney Don C. Summers and actress Helene Sullivan Summers. In 1908, when she was 11 months old, her mother sued her father for divorce on the grounds that he failed to provide for her. Her father died while she was an infant. She was reared in California by her mother and stepfather, a physician. She attended Westlake School for Girls and, later, a convent school where she tried out successfully in school plays.

Career

Treen first worked in show business as a dancer, part of the Fanchon and Marco revues. During her career, she was seen in over 40 films (another source says more than 100). Among her film roles were Tilly, the secretary of the Building and Loan, in Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life (1946) starring James Stewart, and the role of Pat in the drama Kitty Foyle (1940) starring Ginger Rogers.

In the 1954–1955 season, Treen appeared in 38 episodes as Emily Dodger on the CBS situation comedy Willy.

Her longest-running role was as Hilda, the maid and baby nurse in 64 episodes of the NBC and CBS sitcom The Joey Bishop Show from 1962 to 1965.[citation needed]

Personal life and death

Treen was married and divorced. She died of cancer at her home in Newport Beach, California, on July 20, 1989, at age 82. Her only survivors were cousins, including actor Mort Mills. A Republican, she voted for Dwight D. Eisenhower in the 1952 presidential election and she was of the Catholic faith.

Partial filmography

Film

Television

Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

Interactive

Test Your Knowledge – Trivia Challenge

How well do you know this person's life and legacy?

No account needed to play. Sign in to keep your score on the leaderboard.

Books & Media

Find books, audiobooks and films about Mary Treen on Amazon.

Available at Amazon

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

Sources

People who died on July 20

Spotted an error?

Help us keep the archive accurate. Report a correction with a source.

Report an error for Mary Treen →

Advertisement

We use cookies for analytics (Google Analytics 4 and PostHog) and advertising (Google AdSense) to understand site usage and improve your experience. By clicking "Accept All", you consent to the use of these cookies. See our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy for details.