Eleanor Audley

Eleanor Audley (born Eleanor Zellman; November 19, 1905 – November 25, 1991) was an American character actress. With a distinctive voice and a diverse body of work that included stage, film, radio, television and animation, Audley was best known for her roles as aristocratic, somewhat villainous matrons. She is best remembered on television as Eunice Douglas on the sitcom Green Acres (1965–1969); and for originating the voices of two Disney Villains: Lady Tremaine in Cinderella (1950); and Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty (1959).

Eleanor Audley
Eleanor Audley in The Beverly Hillbillies, 1962
Born
Eleanor Zellman

(1905-11-19)November 19, 1905
Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedNovember 25, 1991(1991-11-25) (aged 86)
North Hollywood, California, U.S.
Resting placeMount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery, Hollywood Hills, California, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Other namesElinor Audley
OccupationActress, voice actress, radio actress
Years active1926–1970
Known forOriginal voice of Lady Tremaine in Disney's Cinderella (1950)
Original voice of Maleficent in Disney's Sleeping Beauty (1959)
TelevisionGreen Acres
Parents
  • William David Zellman (father)
  • Ruth Simmons (mother)
RelativesMuriel Zellman Entin (sister)

Early and personal life

Audley was born Eleanor Zellman in Newark, New Jersey, on November 19, 1905; she and her family moved to West 86th Street, New York City by 1917.[1] Her parents were William David Zellman (October 23, 1878 – December 4, 1952) and Ruth Simmons (January 30, 1886 – November 1976), both Yiddish speaking immigrants. Her father was born in Borky, Russia (now Ukraine), immigrated to the United States in 1895, and became a naturalized citizen on November 16, 1916. Her father worked in the silk industry and died in Miami. Her mother was born in Prussia, immigrated circa 1890, and died in North Hollywood. Audley had a younger sister named Muriel (August 1910 – 1982); Audley was a witness at Muriel’s 1938 wedding to Jack Entin. Audley graduated from Hunter College High School in Manhattan in 1924. Audley began using the last name Audley before 1940.[2]

Audley was Jewish[3] and a Democrat who supported the campaign of Adlai Stevenson during the 1952 presidential election.[4]

Career

Audley made her acting debut at age 20 in the 1926 Broadway production of Howdy, King. Her other stage appearances included On Call (1928);[5] Pigeons and People (1933);[5] Thunder on the Left (1933); Kill That Story (1934); Ladies' Money (1934); Susan and God (1937); and In Bed We Cry (1943). She worked extensively in the 1940s and 1950s in Hollywood radio on such programs as Escape; Suspense; My Favorite Husband (as mother-in-law, Mrs. Cooper); The Story of Dr. Kildare (as receptionist Molly Byrd); and Father Knows Best (as Anderson family neighbor, Mrs. Smith).[6] She played the stepmother in re-imaginings of the Cinderella story included in episodes of the series Hallmark Playhouse, and the weekly western series The Six Shooter, which starred James Stewart.

Audley's film roles began in 1949 with The Story of Molly X starring June Havoc. Other appearances include Three Secrets (1950); Gambling House (1950); Untamed (1955); Cell 2455, Death Row (1955); All That Heaven Allows (1955); The Unguarded Moment (1956); Full of Life (1956); Voice in the Mirror (1958); Home Before Dark (1958); The Pleasure of His Company (1961); The Second Time Around (1961); and Hook, Line and Sinker (1969).

In The FBI Story (1959), Audley (uncredited) portrayed Daisie King, the mother and victim of the convicted suspect Jack Graham, who planted a dynamite time bomb in United Airlines Flight 629, killing King and 43 other passengers.

In the animation film industry, Audley was best known for providing her distinctive voice to Lady Tremaine, Cinderella's evil stepmother, in the 1950 Disney film Cinderella; and Princess Aurora's evil fairy nemesis, Maleficent, in Disney's 1959 version of Sleeping Beauty.[7] For those films, animators Frank Thomas and Marc Davis designed the characters' facial features and expressions to be closely similar to Audley.[8] She was the live-action model for both characters. Audley had initially turned down the role of Maleficent because she was battling tuberculosis at the time.[9]

In 1969, Audley provided the voice of Madame Leota, the spirit of a psychic medium, in the Haunted Mansion attractions in Disneyland and Walt Disney World.[8]

From 1954 to 1970, Audley appeared regularly on television, including episodes of: I Love Lucy; Crossroads; The People's Choice; Richard Diamond, Private Detective; Perry Mason; Dennis the Menace; Hazel; Pete and Gladys; The Real McCoys; The Twilight Zone; Mr. Lucky; The Dick Van Dyke Show (as Parent-Teacher Association head, Mrs. Billings); The Beverly Hillbillies (as Potts School headmistress, Millicent Schuyler-Potts); Mister Ed (as Aunt Martha); and My Three Sons (as mother-in-law, Mrs. Vincent, which was her final role before retiring).

Audley had the role of Mrs. Tinsley on Pistols 'n' Petticoats.[10] She also played a recurring character on the CBS sitcom Green Acres from 1965–69, portraying Oliver Douglas's disapproving mother, Eunice Douglas, despite being only five months older than actor Eddie Albert who played her son.[11] When the cast were reunited for a 1990 TV movie, Return to Green Acres, Audley could not appear due to failing health.

Death

Audley died from respiratory failure on November 25, 1991.[5] She is interred at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.[12]

Selected work

Film

Television
  • Studio 57 (1954) as Miss Anna Hunt
  • The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse (1955)
  • Front Row Center (1955) as Carlotta Vance
  • Damon Runyon Theater (1955) as Cynthia
  • Celebrity Playhouse (1955)
  • Our Miss Brooks (1956) as Mrs. Maya Pryor
  • The 20th Century-Fox Hour (1956) as Governor's Wife/Mrs. Lucy Hammond/Mrs. Julie Morgan
  • Climax! (1956)
  • Screen Directors Playhouse (1956) as Judith Brenner
  • The People's Choice (1956) as Moderator/Mrs. Kimbeley "Kim" Price
  • The Adventures of Jim Bowie (1956) as Miss Peabody
  • Father Knows Best (1956) as Saleslady/Woman giving spare change (uncredited)/ Bookstacker in Library
  • Crusader (1956) as Mrs. Erika Watson
  • The Gray Ghost (1957) as Mrs. Joan Maddox
  • How to Marry a Millionaire (1957) as Gertrude Van Dyne
  • Cavalcade of America (1957) as Mrs. Stacey Littlefield
  • Lux Video Theatre (1956) as Mrs. Sandy Lane, as Aunt Ada (1957)
  • The Ford Television Theatre (1955) as Tina (1955), as Constance Perks (1957)
  • I Love Lucy (1957) as Eleanor Spaulding'Flower Judge
  • Crossroads (1957) as Mrs. Sophie Sand
  • The Lineup (1957) as Maryanne Carstaires
  • The Old Testament Scriptures (1958) as Naomi
  • The Millionaire (1955) as Cynthia Simple (1955), as Glori Van Enter/Columnist (1958)
  • Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre (1958) as Mrs. Emily Trumbull
  • The Loretta Young Show (1954) as Miss Bennett, (1958) as Edith Landow
  • The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1956) as The Lady Customer, (1957) as Mrs. Felicity Crowley/Mrs. Winthrop, (1958) as The Saleslady
  • Frontier Doctor (1958) as Hattie Black
  • The Real McCoys (1959) as Dr. Laurence Kirkwood
  • The Ann Sothern Show (1959) as Mrs. Jenny Thompson
  • Mike Hammer (1959) as Mrs. Wendy Milford
  • Hennesey (1959)
  • Richard Diamond, Private Detective (1959) as Mrs. Deneken
  • General Electric Theatre (1954) as Woman in Restaurant, (1955–1956), (1959) as Alice Martin
  • Johnny Midnight (1960) as Mrs. Mia Rice
  • Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color (1960) as Mrs. Annie Videau
  • The Twilight Zone (1960) as Mrs. Whitney (uncredited)
  • The Gale Storm Show: Oh Susanna (1956) as Passenger, (1957) as Mrs. Michelle Gardiner, (1960) – Bess Pomeroy
  • The Untouchables (1960) as Mrs. Micheline Cross
  • The Man From Blackhawk (1960) as Comtesse De Vilon
  • Dennis the Menace (1960) as Mrs. Andrea Pompton
  • Peter Gunn (1960) as Laura Scott
  • Mr. Lucky (1960) as Mrs. Alice Dubois
  • Make Room for Daddy (1960) as Mrs. Anette Willoughby
  • Shirley Temple's Storybook (1960) as Miss Felicity Collingwood
  • Perry Mason (1958) as Lois Gilbert, (1960) as Headmistress Lorimer
  • The Tab Hunter Show (1961) as Columnist
  • The Best of the Post (1962) as Mrs. Jackie Hill (as Elinor Audley)
  • Ichabod and Me (1962)
  • The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (1961–1962) as Irma Lumpkin
  • Pete and Gladys (1961) as Mrs. Linda Brenner, (1962) as Mrs. Elisa Clibber
  • The Detectives (1962) as Liz Roberts
  • The Joey Bishop Show (1961) as Mrs. Arianne Willoughby, (1962) – Fashion Announcer – Mrs. Penny Fitch as Clubwoman
  • Have Gun - Will Travel (1960) as Cynthia Palmer, (1961) as School Teacher, (1963) as Mrs. Hannah Randolph Quincy
  • The Dick Powell Theatre (1963) as Lady
  • The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961) as Party Goer, (1962–1963) as Mrs. Peggy Billings
  • The New Phil Silvers Show (1963) as Mrs. Allison Osborne
  • Wagon Train (1958) as Mrs. Winston, (1961) as Mother Albright, (1963) as Minerva Ames
  • McHale's Navy (1964) as Mrs. Millicent Hardsey
  • Hazel (1962). – Mrs. Totter
  • The Beverly Hillbillies (1962-1963-1964) as Mrs. Millicent Schuyler-Potts
  • Many Happy Returns (1964) as Mrs. Pernandina Atwood
  • Bob Hope Presents The Chrysler Theatre (1964) as Mrs. Johnson/Lil Schaeffer/Buttercup Fuchsia
  • Mister Ed (1961–1965) as Aunt Martha
  • The Cara Williams Show (1965) as Mrs. lorence FAshford
  • The Farmer's Daughter (1964) as Simone, (1965) as Mildred
  • The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (1965) as Mrs. Laura Farnham
  • The Jack Benny Program (1965) as Mrs. Jeanna Lewis
  • Kentucky Jones (1965) as Mrs. Winnona Edgerton
  • Peyton Place (1965) as Miss Martha (uncredited)
  • O.K. Crackerby! (1965) as Mrs. Ameila Willoughby
  • Hazel (1961) as Customer, (1962) as Mrs. Totter, (1963) as Mrs. Loretta Green, (1965) as Mrs. Katie Hardy
  • The Lucy Show (1965) as The Columnist
  • The Big Valley (1965) as Mother Callahan
  • My Brother the Angel (1965) as Mrs. Evelyne Ettinger
  • Honey West (1966) as Mrs. Juniper Carlton Murdock
  • Summer Fun (1966) as Mother-in-law
  • The Bob Hope Show (1956-1957-1966)
  • The Phyllis Diller Show (1966) as Mrs. Elsa Fenwick
  • Pistols 'n' Petticoats (1966–1967) as Mrs. Jenny Teasley
  • Green Acres (1965–1969) as Mother Eunice Douglas
  • My Three Sons (1969–1970) as Mrs. Beatrice Vincent
  • The Wonderful World of Disney (1977) as Lady Tremaine (voice, archived)/Maleficent (voice, archived)
  • Disney's Wonderful World (1979) as Matron (archived)
  • The Wonderful World of Disney (1983) as Lady Tremaine (voice, archived)/Maleficent (voice, archived)
  • The Wonderful World of Disney (1998) as Maleficent (voice, archived)

Radio

Theme parks
  • Haunted Mansion as Madame Leota (voice)
  • HalloWishes as Madame Leota (voice)

Discography
  • Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1949, RCA/Camden) as Evil Queen
  • Walt Disney's Cinderella (1954, RCA/Camden) as Lady Tremaine
  • Disney Songs and Story: Sleeping Beauty (2012, Walt Disney Records) as Maleficent

Stage
  • Howdy, King as guest in hotel, December 1926 to January 1927
  • On Call as Mary Randall, November 1928 to January 1929
  • Pigeons and People as Elinore Payne, January 1933 to November 1933
  • Thunder on the Left as Ruth Brook, October 1933 to November 1933
  • Kill That Story as Millicent, August 1934 to December 1934
  • Ladies' Money as Claire Touhey, November 1934 to December 1934
  • Susan and God as Charlotte Marley, October 1937 to Jun 1938, December 1943
  • In Bed We Cry as Claire Dangerfield, November 1943 to December 23, 1944
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References
  1. 1930 U.S. Census
  2. 1940 U.S. Census
  3. Morning News, January 10, 1948, Who Was Who in America (Vol. 2)
  4. Motion Picture and Television Magazine, November 1952, page 33, Ideal Publishers
  5. "Eleanor Audley; Actress, Voice of Disney Characters". Los Angeles Times. November 27, 1991. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  6. Terrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 115. ISBN 978-0-7864-4513-4.
  7. Hischak, Thomas S. (2011). Disney Voice Actors: A Biographical Dictionary. McFarland. ISBN 978-0786462711.
  8. Zuckerman, Esther (May 30, 2014). "Meet Eleanor Audley, the Original 'Maleficent'". The Atlantic. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  9. Audio-Commentary. Sleeping Beauty: Platinum Edition: Walt Disney Home Entertainment. 2008.
  10. Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 837. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
  11. Lang, Nico (August 15, 2013). "29 Little-Known Facts About Disney Movies That Will Blow Your Mind". Thought Catalog. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  12. Wilson, Scott (2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. McFarland. p. 32. ISBN 9781476625997. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
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