Mary LaRoche

Actress. She is best remembered for her portrayal of the timid Annabelle Streator in the "The Twilight Zone" episode, "Living Doll" (1963). Born unto a family of wealth and position, she received her formal education at the Eastman School of Music and after being declared "The Child Prodigy of 1930" she began her acting career with her own radio show in New York City, New York. In 1938, she became a stage actress appearing in leading roles in such productions as "The Girl from Wyoming," "The New Moon," "The Merry Widow," "South Pacific," and "Laffing Room Only". After being discovered by a talent scout during a fashion show in Manhattan, New York, in 1945, she relocated to California to partake in screen and voice tests. Upon making her film debut in "Well, Goodnight" (1946), she would spend the following 30 years as a familiar character actress; often typecast as wives, mothers, singers, best friends, love interests, secretaries, educators, businesswomen, retail clerks, old maids, housekeepers, neighbors, and, in her later years, matriarchs. In motion pictures, she appeared in "Catskill Honeymoon" (1950), "Operation Mad Ball" (1957), "Run Silent, Run Deep" (1958), "The Lineup" (1958), "Gidgit" (1959), "The Ladies Man" (1961), "The Swinger" (1963), and "Bye, Bye Birdie" (1963). On television, she became a household name appearing in various guest spots on such syndicated sitcoms as "The Web," "Martin Kane," "Matinee Theatre," "Schlitz Playhouse," "Jefferson Drum," "M Squad," "Mike Hammer," "The Millionaire," "Tales of Wells Fargo," "Zane Grey Theatre," "Shotgun Slade," "The Law and Mrs. Jones," "Westinghouse Preview Theatre," "Wagon Train," "Checkmate," "Ben Casey," "Perry Mason," "Gunsmoke," "Alcoa Premier," "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Dr. Kildare," "The Virginian," "Karen," "The Magical World of Disney," "My Three Sons," and "The Streets of San Francisco." During her career, she was a member of the Screen Actors Guild, was supportive of the Motion Picture and Television Fund, was a regular parishioner of the Catholic church, was supportive of the New York State and California Democratic Committees, served on the fashion council for Target Corporation, and she was an honorary chairwoman for her local charters of The American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, The March of Dimes, The Boys and Girl Scouts of America, and The Muscular Dystrophy Association. In addition, she was married to actor John Hudson from 1941 to 1947, director Douglas Rodgers from 1952 to 1965, and actor Sherwood Price from 1967 until her death (her first 2 unions ended in divorce and all of her marriages produced no children). Upon her retirement in 1977, she relocated from Los Angeles, California and settled in her native Rochester, New York, where she spent the final years of her life devoted to religious and charitable causes until her death from undisclosed causes.