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Marjorie Main

Marjorie Main

Actor · Died April 10, 1975, aged 85 · Acton, Indiana, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Marjorie Main (born Mary Tomlinson, February 24, 1890 – April 10, 1975) was an American actress, best known as a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player and for her role as Ma Kettle in a series of ten Ma and Pa Kettle movies. Main worked in vaudeville on the Orpheum circuit and in Chautauqua presentations, and debuted on Broadway in 1916. Her first film was A House Divided in 1931. Main began playing upper class dowagers, but ultimately was typecast in abrasive, domineering, salty roles, for which her distinctive voice was well suited. She repeated her stage role in Dead End in the 1937 film version, and was subsequently cast repeatedly as the mother of gangsters. She again transferred a strong stage performance, as a dude-ranch operator in The Women, to film in 1939. At this time, she guest-starred on radio programs such as Columbia Presents Corwin and The Goldbergs. Main was signed to a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract in 1940 and stayed with the studio until the mid-1950s. She made six films with Wallace Beery in the 1940s, including Barnacle Bill (1941), Jackass Mail (1942), and Bad Bascomb (1946). She played Sonora Cassidy, the chief cook, in The Harvey Girls (1946). The director George Sidney remarked in the commentary for the film that Miss Main was a "great lady" as well as a great actress who donated most of her paychecks over the years to the support of a school. Perhaps her most famous role is that of Ma Kettle, which she first played in The Egg and I in 1947 opposite Percy Kilbride as Pa Kettle. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for the part and portrayed the character in nine more Ma and Pa Kettle films. By the early 1950s, she had appeared in several MGM musicals, including, Meet Me in St. Louis and The Belle of New York. She played Mrs. Wrenley in the studio's all-star film It's a Big Country (1951). In 1954, Marjorie Main played her last roles for the studio: Mrs. Hittaway in The Long, Long Trailer and Jane Dunstock in Rose Marie. In 1956, Main's performance as the widow Hudspeth in the hit film Friendly Persuasion was well-received, earning her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress. In 1958, Main appeared twice as rugged frontierswoman Cassie Tanner in the episodes "The Cassie Tanner Story" and "The Sacramento Story" on NBC's television series Wagon Train. In the first segment, she joins the wagon train, casts her romantic interest on Ward Bond as Major Adams, and helps the train locate needed horses despite a Paiute threat.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 22, 1890
Died
April 10, 1975 (aged 85)
From
Acton, Indiana, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
46 on MovieCove · 91 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 39% in 30 days

What are Marjorie Main's films like?

Across their 36 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Comedy23 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 70th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 72nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Adventure3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 71st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 45th percentile
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
44%
Morality
19%
Self
16%
Power
13%
Society
7%
Survival
1%
Romantic love14 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds11 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass7 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception8 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth6 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 36 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 26 · Serious 4 · Dark 6

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 20 · Stylized 15 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 17 · Charged 19 · Intense 0

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 17 · Shifting 17 · Whiplash 2

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 8 · Some laughs 12 · Funny 16

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 18 · Even-paced 16 · Relentless 2

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 27 · Engaged 9 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 33 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

13 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 5 of 13 analyzed roles.

Ally
5 of 13
Hero
3 of 13
Threshold guardian
3 of 13
Shadow
1 of 13
Trickster
1 of 13
Show the 13 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
17
Warm
13
Tense
12
Romantic
15
Melancholic
11
Other
22

How their films linger

Feel-good24 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun17 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCozy3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy23
  • Bittersweet11
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Marjorie Main's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 16 of their 46 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Marjorie Main's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

91 credits, 46 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Summer Stock: Get Happy! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Esme (archive footage) (uncredited)

  • The World of Abbott and Costello (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Widow Hawkins in The Wistful Widow Of Wagon Gap

  • Wagon Train(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Cassie Tanner

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • The Kettles on Old MacDonald's Farm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Ma Kettle

  • Friendly Persuasion(1956)

    as The Widow Hudspeth

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The Kettles in the Ozarks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Ma Kettle

  • Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Ma' Kettle

  • Ricochet Romance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Pansy Jones

  • December Bride (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Ma and Pa Kettle at Home(1954)

    as Ma Kettle

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Rose Marie(1954)

    as Lady Jane Dunstock

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • The Long, Long Trailer(1954)

    as Mrs. Hittaway

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Fast Company (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Ma Parkson

  • Ma and Pa Kettle on Vacation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Ma Kettle

  • Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair(1952)

    as Ma Kettle

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Belle of New York(1952)

    as Mrs Phineas Hill

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • It's a Big Country: An American Anthology(1951)

    as Mrs. Wrenley

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The Law and the Lady(1951)

    as Julia Wortin

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Ma and Pa Kettle Back on the Farm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Ma Kettle

  • Mr. Imperium(1951)

    as Mrs. Cabot

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone(1950)

    as Harriet O'Malley

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Summer Stock(1950)

    as Esmé

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town(1950)

    as Ma Kettle

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Big Jack (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Flapjack Kate

  • Ma and Pa Kettle(1949)

    as Phoebe 'Ma' Kettle

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin'(1948)

    as Maribel Mathews

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap(1947)

    as Widow Hawkins

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Egg and I(1947)

    as Phoebe 'Ma' Kettle

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Show-Off (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Mrs. Fisher

  • Undercurrent(1946)

    as Lucy

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Bad Bascomb (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Abbey Hanks

  • The Harvey Girls(1946)

    as Sonora Cassidy

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Murder, He Says(1945)

    as Mamie Fleagle Smithers Johnson

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Gentle Annie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Annie Goss

  • Meet Me in St. Louis(1944)

    as Katie

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Rationing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Iris Tuttle

  • Johnny Come Lately (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as 'Gashouse' Mary

  • Heaven Can Wait(1943)

    as Mrs. Strabel

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Tennessee Johnson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Mrs. Maude Fisher

  • Tish(1942)

    as Miss Letitia 'Tish' Carberry

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Jackass Mail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Clementine 'Tina' Tucker

  • The Affairs of Martha(1942)

    as Mrs. McKissick

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • We Were Dancing(1942)

    as Judge Hawkes

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • The Bugle Sounds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Susie 'Suz'

  • Honky Tonk(1941)

    as Mrs. Varner

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Shepherd of the Hills(1941)

    as Granny Becky

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • A Woman's Face(1941)

    as Emma Kristiansdotter

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Barnacle Bill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Marge Cavendish

  • The Trial of Mary Dugan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Mrs. Collins

  • The Wild Man of Borneo(1941)

    as Irma, the Cook

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Wyoming (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Mehitabel

  • The Captain is a Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Sarah May Willett

  • Susan and God(1940)

    as Mary Maloney

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Turnabout (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Nora, the Cook

  • Dark Command(1940)

    as Mrs. Cantrell / Mrs. Adams

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Women Without Names (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Mrs. Lowery

  • I Take This Woman(1940)

    as Gertie

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Two Thoroughbreds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Hildegarde 'Hildy' Carey

  • Another Thin Man(1939)

    as Mrs. Dolley

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • The Women(1939)

    as Lucy

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Angels Wash Their Faces(1939)

    as Mrs. Arkelian

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • They Shall Have Music(1939)

    as Mrs. Miller

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Lucky Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Mrs. Briggs

  • There Goes My Heart(1938)

    as Fireless Cooker Customer (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Girls' School(1938)

    as Miss Armstrong

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Too Hot to Handle(1938)

    as Miss Wayne

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Under the Big Top (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Sara Post

  • Little Tough Guy(1938)

    as Mrs. Boylan

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Prison Farm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Matron Brand

  • Romance of the Limberlost (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Nora

  • Three Comrades(1938)

    as Old woman by phone (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Test Pilot(1938)

    as Landlady

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • King of the Newsboys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Mrs. Stephens (uncredited)

  • Penitentiary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Miss Katie Mathews

  • Boy of the Streets(1937)

    as Mrs. Mary Brennan

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • City Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Mrs. Ward (uncredited)

  • The Shadow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Hannah Gillespie

  • The Wrong Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Martha Foster

  • The Man Who Cried Wolf (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Amelia Bradley

  • Dead End(1937)

    as Mrs. Martin

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Stella Dallas(1937)

    as Mrs. Martin

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Love in a Bungalow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Miss Emma Bisbee

  • Music in the Air(1934)

    as Anna (Uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Crime Without Passion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Backstage Wardrobe Woman (uncredited)

  • Art Trouble (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Woman Who Sits on Painting

  • Close Relations (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Woman in Depot (uncredited)

  • New Deal Rhythm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Arizona Representative

  • Hot Saturday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Gossip in Window (uncredited)

  • Broken Lullaby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Frau Schmidt - Townswoman (uncredited)

  • A House Divided (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Townswoman at Wedding (uncredited)

  • Harry Fox and His Six American Beauties (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Statler Hotel Beauty

Career shape

Star power in the 96th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 91 titles from 1929 to 2006.

Biggest box office

Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

$506K worldwide

Highest rated

The Women (1939)

Midcredits 94th

Most popular right now

Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

Film career

Top draw in 3 MovieCove titles.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting91 of 91: 91 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score69th

By decade

1920s1 · acting1930s33 · acting1940s34 · acting1950s21 · acting1960s1 · acting2000s1 · acting

Billing

usually 7th · top billed in 0% of 20 roles
3242

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Marjorie Main's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 70th percentile, the median of all 45; across their 36 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 68th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 36

Approval · how many liked their films

71stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 36

Reach · how many have seen their films

51stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 36

Midcredits score across 46 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up17
  • 50th to 74th17
  • 25th to 49th10
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

29 of their 46 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Crowd Pleaser29
  • Broadly Agreed6
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · actor

Music in the Air (1934)

73rd percentile spread · 13% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Women (1939)

Midcredits 94th · 83% liked

Reviewers score the acting 73/100 in their films, across 36 reviewed titles; fans 80, detractors 50. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Marjorie Main's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 9 · minimalMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Marjorie Main work with?

People who share at least 2 of Marjorie Main's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Percy Kilbride shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers