Thelma Ritter (1902–1969)

STARmeter
SEE RANK
Up 8,197 this week
Thelma Ritter Picture
Trailer
2:54 | Trailer
Thelma Ritter appeared in high school plays and was trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. In the 1940s she worked in radio. Her movie career was started with a bit part in the 1946 Miracle on 34th Street (1947). In the movie she played a weary Xmas shopper. Her performance in the short scene was noticed by Darryl F. Zanuck who insisted... See full bio »

Died:

(age 66) in New York, USA

Quick Links

Explore More
Show Less

Star Siblings: Famous Brothers and Sisters

Keep it in the family with a look at some of our favorite Hollywood siblings.

See the entire gallery

The Most Anticipated Movies and Shows to Watch in May

Take a look at the top movies and shows coming to theaters and streaming in May.

Watch the video

Related News

See all related articles »

On Prime Video

See more on Prime Video »

Watch on TV

All About Eve
Tue, May 31 5:40 AM PDT on FXM (093)
All About Eve
Wed, Jun 01 3:00 AM PDT on FXM (093)
Create a list »

User Lists

Related lists from IMDb users

The best character actors - Movies and TV
a list of 23 people
created 22 Feb 2017
 
My favorite supporting actors and actresses
a list of 44 people
created 15 Jul 2016
 
Best Supporting Actress Performance Not Oscar-Nominated.
a list of 23 people
created 21 Jul 2020
 
Favorite Actors
a list of 39 people
created 02 Mar 2019
 
Best 49 Actors and Actresses of the Last 20 Years (1968 Edition)
a list of 49 people
created 08 Jul 2018
 
See all related lists »

Do you have a demo reel?

Add it to your IMDb page

How Much Have You Seen?

How much of Thelma Ritter's work have you seen?

User Polls

See more polls »
Nominated for 6 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 10 nominations. See more awards »

Photos

92 photos | 9 videos »

Known For

Rear Window
Rear Window Stella
(1954)
All About Eve
All About Eve Birdie
(1950)
The Mating Season
The Mating Season Ellen McNulty
(1951)
Pickup on South Street
Pickup on South Street Moe Williams
(1953)
Show Show all  | 
 |  Edit

Filmography

Hide Hide Show Show Actress (43 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 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 The Philco Television Playhouse (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 Video Theatre Guest
- Christmas in July (1954) ... Lux Video 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 As Young as You Feel
Della Hodges
 1951 The Mating Season
Ellen McNulty
 1950 All About Eve
Birdie
 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)
Show Show Soundtrack (4 credits)
Show Show Self (17 credits)
Show Show Archive footage (14 credits)

Related Videos

See all 9 videos »
Edit

Personal Details

Other Works:

Stage: Appeared in Neil Simon's play, "Barefoot in the Park," at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, NJ, with Tab Hunter in the cast. Harvey Medlinsky was director. See more »

Publicity Listings:

3 Articles | See more »

Height:

5' 1" (1.55 m)

Spouse:

Joseph Moran  (her death)  (2 children)

Children:

Monica Moran

Parents:

Ritter, Charles Vaname | Hale, Lucy B.
Edit

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 1937 they bought a home at 65 Greenway Terrace in Forest Hills, New York. See more »

Star Sign:

Aquarius
Getting Started | Contributor Zone »

Contribute to This Page



Clear your history

Recently Viewed