Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily Entertainment GuideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsCannes Film FestivalStar WarsAsian Pacific American Heritage MonthSummer Watch GuideSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Biography
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Big Mama Thornton(1926-1984)

  • Actress
  • Soundtrack
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Big Mama Thornton was born on 11 December 1926 in Montgomery, Alabama, USA. She was an actress, known for Vanishing Point (1971), A Few Good Men (1992) and The Dreamers (2003). She died on 25 July 1984 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
BornDecember 11, 1926
DiedJuly 25, 1984(57)
BornDecember 11, 1926
DiedJuly 25, 1984(57)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Add photos, demo reels

Photos1

View Poster

Known for

Vanishing Point (1971)
Vanishing Point
7.2
  • Soundtrack("Sing Out for Jesus")
  • 1971
Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, and Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men (1992)
A Few Good Men
7.7
  • Soundtrack("Hound Dog")
  • 1992
Louis Garrel, Michael Pitt, and Eva Green in The Dreamers (2003)
The Dreamers
7.1
  • Soundtrack("Ball and Chain")
  • 2003
Kristin Scott Thomas, Anne-Marie Duff, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson in Nowhere Boy (2009)
Nowhere Boy
7.1
  • Soundtrack("Hound Dog")
  • 2009

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actress

  • Big Mama Thornton: Hound Dog (Live)
    6.0
    Music Video
    • Big Mama Thornton
    • 1953

Soundtrack

  • Kurt Russell, Wyatt Russell, Ren Watabe, Anders Holm, Anna Sawai, Kiersey Clemons, and Mari Yamamoto in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (2023)
    Monarch: Legacy of Monsters
    7.0
    TV Series
    • performer: "Hound Dog"
    • 2023
  • Asa Butterfield, Ncuti Gatwa, and Emma Mackey in Sex Education (2019)
    Sex Education
    8.2
    TV Series
    • performer: "Hound Dog"
    • 2021
  • Aidan Gillen and Michael Malarkey in Project Blue Book (2019)
    Project Blue Book
    7.6
    TV Series
    • performer: "Hound Dog"
    • 2020
  • Yôsuke Kubozuka, Kelly Macdonald, Aoi Okuyama, and Takehiro Hira in Giri/Haji (2019)
    Giri/Haji
    7.8
    TV Mini Series
    • performer: "Hound Dog" (uncredited)
    • 2019
  • Adam Conover in Adam Ruins Everything (2015)
    Adam Ruins Everything
    8.1
    TV Series
    • performer: "Hound Dog"
    • 2019
  • Animal Kingdom (2016)
    Animal Kingdom
    8.2
    TV Series
    • writer: "Ball and Chain"
    • 2019
  • Armie Hammer in Wounds (2019)
    Wounds
    4.1
    • writer: "Ball and Chain"
    • 2019
  • Eryn Wilson, Tim W. Kelly, David Van Horn, Fraser Brown, Shara Connolly, Phil Brown, Emmett Skilton, Chelsie Preston Crayford, Ben Van Lier, Phil Peleton, Ian Bell, Matt Whelan, Andrew Blair, Adam Jonas Segaller, Alexandra Corin Johnston, Akira Matsumoto, Jade Albany Pietrantonio, and Holly Shervey in American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story (2017)
    American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story
    7.5
    TV Mini Series
    • performer: "Just Like A Dog, Barking Up The Wrong Tree", "Rock A Bye Baby"
    • writer: "Rock A Bye Baby"
    • performer: "Let Your Tears Fall Baby", "My Man Called Me" (uncredited) ...
    • 2017
  • Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern, Meryl Streep, Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley, and Zoë Kravitz in Big Little Lies (2017)
    Big Little Lies
    8.4
    TV Series
    • writer: "Ball and Chain"
    • 2017
  • Atop the Fourth Wall (2008)
    Atop the Fourth Wall
    7.1
    TV Series
    • performer: "Hound Dog"
    • 2012
  • Elvis XXX: A Porn Parody
    5.5
    Video
    • performer: "Howl Dog" (uncredited)
    • 2011
  • Kristin Scott Thomas, Anne-Marie Duff, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson in Nowhere Boy (2009)
    Nowhere Boy
    7.1
    • performer: "Hound Dog"
    • 2009
  • The Sweet Lady with the Nasty Voice (2008)
    The Sweet Lady with the Nasty Voice
    8.1
    • performer: "Hound Dog"
    • 2008
  • Banda sonora (2007)
    Banda sonora
    7.3
    TV Series
    • writer: "Ball and Chain"
    • 2007
  • Cold Case (2003)
    Cold Case
    7.6
    TV Series
    • performer: "Hound Dog"
    • 2007

Personal details

Edit
  • Born
    • December 11, 1926
    • Montgomery, Alabama, USA
  • Died
    • July 25, 1984
    • Los Angeles, California, USA
  • Other works
    CD: "The Way It Is" (USP)
  • Publicity listings
    • 2 Print Biographies
    • 2 Portrayals

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton was an American rhythm and blues singer and songwriter. She was the first to record Leiber and Stoller's "Hound Dog" in 1952, which became her biggest hit.
  • Nickname
    • Big Mama Thornton

FAQ7

Powered by Alexa
  • When did Big Mama Thornton die?
  • How old was Big Mama Thornton when she died?
  • Where did Big Mama Thornton die?

Related news

Contribute to this page

Suggest an edit or add missing content
  • Learn more about contributing
Edit page

More to explore

Recently viewed

Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
Get the IMDb app
Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
Follow IMDb on social
Get the IMDb app
For Android and iOS
Get the IMDb app
  • Help
  • Site Index
  • IMDbPro
  • Box Office Mojo
  • License IMDb Data
  • Press Room
  • Advertising
  • Jobs
  • Conditions of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your Ads Privacy Choices
IMDb, an Amazon company

© 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.