Thelma Ritter

Nominated for 6 Oscars. Another 1 win & 9 nominations. See more awards »

Known For

All About Eve Birdie Coonan

(1950)

Rear Window Stella

(1954)

Pickup on South Street Moe Williams

(1953)

The Mating Season Ellen McNulty

(1951)

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Filmography

Jump to: Actress | Soundtrack | Self | Archive footage

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Actress (44 credits)

1968 What's So Bad About Feeling Good?
Mrs. Schwartz

1967 The Incident
Bertha Beckerman

1965 Boeing, Boeing
Bertha

1963 Move Over, Darling
Grace Arden

1963 A New Kind of Love
Lena O'Connor

1963 For Love or Money
Chloe Brasher

1962 How the West Was Won
Agatha Clegg

1962 Wagon Train (TV Series)
Madame Delphine Sagittarius

- The Madame Sagittarius Story (1962) ... Madame Delphine Sagittarius

1962 Birdman of Alcatraz
Elizabeth Stroud

1961 The Second Time Around
Aggie Gates

1961 Frontier Circus (TV Series)
Bertha Marie Beecher

- Journey from Hannibal (1961) ... Bertha Marie Beecher

1961 The Misfits
Isabelle Steers

1960 Startime (TV Series)
Mrs. Gillis

- The Man (1960) ... Mrs. Gillis

1960 General Electric Theater (TV Series)
Doris Green

- Sarah's Laughter (1960) ... Doris Green

1959 Pillow Talk
Alma

1959 A Hole in the Head
Sophie Manetta

1957 Telephone Time (TV Series)
Mary Devlin

- Plot to Save a Boy (1957) ... Mary Devlin

1957 The United States Steel Hour (TV Series)
Ma Garfield

- The Human Pattern (1957) ... Ma Garfield

1956 The Christophers (TV Series)

- Washington Speaks for Himself (1956)

1956 The Proud and Profane
Kate Connors

1956 Alfred Hitchcock Presents (TV Series)
Lottie Slocum

- The Baby Sitter (1956) ... Lottie Slocum

1955 The 20th Century-Fox Hour (TV Series)
Abby

- Christopher Bean (1955) ... Abby

1955 Lucy Gallant
Molly Basserman

1955 Repertory Theatre (TV Series)
Muriel

- The Ghost Writer (1955) ... Muriel

1955 Goodyear Playhouse (TV Series)
Mother

- The Catered Affair (1955) ... Mother

1955 Daddy Long Legs
Alicia Pritchard

1955 The Best of Broadway (TV Series)
Mrs. Fisher

- The Show-Off (1955) ... Mrs. Fisher

1954 Lux Video Theatre (TV Series)
Lux Vieo Theatre Guest

- Christmas in July (1954) ... Lux Vieo Theatre Guest

1954 Rear Window
Stella

1953 The Farmer Takes a Wife
Lucy Cashdollar

1953 Pickup on South Street
Moe Williams

1953 Titanic
Maude Young

1952 With a Song in My Heart
Clancy

1951 The Model and the Marriage Broker
Mae Swasey

1951 As Young as You Feel
Della Hodges

1951 The Mating Season
Ellen McNulty

1950 All About Eve
Birdie Coonan

1950 I'll Get By
Miss Murphy

1950 Perfect Strangers
Lena Fassler

1949 Father Was a Fullback
Geraldine

1949 City Across the River
Mrs. Katie Cusack

1949 A Letter to Three Wives
Sadie Dugan (uncredited)

1948 Call Northside 777
Captain's Secretary (uncredited)

1947 Miracle on 34th Street
Peter's Mother (uncredited)

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Soundtrack (3 credits)

1964 The Entertainers (TV Series) (performer - 1 episode)

- Episode dated 11 December 1964 (1964) ... (performer: "Flings")

1953 The Farmer Takes a Wife (performer: "We're Doing It for the Natives of Jamaica" (1953), "I Could Cook" (1953) - uncredited)

1951 As Young as You Feel (performer: "Born to Be Kissed" - uncredited)

Show

Self (15 credits)

1968 The Jerry Lewis Show (TV Series)
Herself

- Episode #1.16 (1968) ... Herself

1966 Girl Talk (TV Series)
Herself

- Episode dated 25 November 1966 (1966) ... Herself

1965 ABC's Nightlife (TV Series)
Herself

- Episode #1.7 (1965) ... Herself

- Episode #1.5 (1965) ... Herself

1964 The Entertainers (TV Series)
Herself

- Episode dated 11 December 1964 (1964) ... Herself

1963-1964 The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (TV Series)
Herself - Guest

- Episode dated 5 March 1964 (1964) ... Herself - Guest

- Episode dated 26 March 1963 (1963) ... Herself - Guest

1964 The Jack Paar Program (TV Series)
Herself - Guest

- Episode #2.16 (1964) ... Herself - Guest

1961 PM East (TV Series)
Herself

- Episode dated 6 December 1961 (1961) ... Herself

1958-1960 Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall (TV Series)
Herself - Guest / Herself

- Jane Powell, Thelma Ritter, Andy Williams (1960) ... Herself - Guest

- Tommy Sands, Vivian Blaine, Don Wilson, Thelma Ritter (1958) ... Herself

1959 The Arthur Murray Party (TV Series)
Herself

- Episode #10.38 (1959) ... Herself

1958 The Jack Paar Tonight Show (TV Series)
Herself

- Episode #2.23 (1958) ... Herself

- Episode #2.8 (1958) ... Herself

1958 The 12th Annual Tony Awards (TV Special)
Herself - Winner

1958 The Dinah Shore Chevy Show (TV Series)
Herself

- Guest Host: Tom Ewell; Guest Stars: Shirley Maclaine, John Raitt, Thelma Ritter, Anna Maria Alberghetti (1958) ... Herself

1955 The Colgate Comedy Hour (TV Series)
Herself - Comic Actress

- Episode #6.2 (1955) ... Herself - Comic Actress

1955 The 27th Annual Academy Awards (TV Special)
Herself - Hostess

1954 The 26th Annual Academy Awards (TV Special)
Herself - Nominee

Show

Archive footage (14 credits)

2017 Arthur Miller: Writer (TV Movie documentary)
Herself

2017 78/52: Hitchcock's Shower Scene (Documentary)
Stella

2011 Stars of the Silver Screen (TV Series)
Stella / Isabelle Steers

- James Stewart (2011) ... Stella (uncredited)

- Clark Gable (2011) ... Isabelle Steers (uncredited)

2006 American Masters (TV Series documentary)
Isabelle

- Marilyn Monroe: Still Life (2006) ... Isabelle

2002 Great Performances (TV Series)
Herself

- Making 'The Misfits' (2002) ... Herself

2002 The Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller (TV Movie documentary)
Moe Williams

2000 'Rear Window' Ethics: Remembering and Restoring a Hitchcock Classic (Video documentary)
Herself

1999 All About My Mother
Birdie (uncredited)

1997-1998 Biography (TV Series documentary)
Maude Young (clip from Titanic (1953))

- Susan Hayward: The Brooklyn Bombshell (1998)

- Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down the Line (1997) ... Maude Young (clip from Titanic (1953)) (uncredited)

1995 American Cinema (TV Series documentary)
Moe Williams clip from Pickup on South Street (1953))

- Film Noir (1995) ... Moe Williams clip from Pickup on South Street (1953)) (uncredited)

1989 Hollywood Remembers Marilyn Monroe (Video documentary short)

1988 John Huston: The Man, the Movies, the Maverick (Documentary)
Herself (uncredited)

1982 Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter (TV Movie documentary)
Actress - 'Move Over, Darling' (uncredited)

1964 Valentine's Day (TV Series)
Grace Arden

- All Through the Night (1964) ... Grace Arden (uncredited)

Personal Details

Other Works:

(2/9/53) Radio: Appeared (as "Clancy") in a "Lux Radio Theater" broadcast of "With a Song In My Heart". See more »

Publicity Listings:

3 Articles | See more »

Height:

5' 1" (1.55 m)

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Did You Know?

Personal Quote:

[on being nominated for Best Supporting Actress four times in a row] Now I know what it feels like to be the bridesmaid and never the bride.

Trivia:

In Italy, throughout her career, she was dubbed by different actresses: Rina Morelli (e.g. Pickup on South Street (1953)), Tina Lattanzi (e.g. Daddy Long Legs (1955)), Wanda Tettoni (e.g. Pillow Talk (1959)), Lia Orlandini (e.g. How the West Was Won (1962)) and Franca Dominici (e.g. Rear Window (1954)). The talented Maria Saccenti lent her voice to Ritter only once: in All About Eve (1950). See more »