Marjorie Main was a popular American actress and singer who starred in many classic Hollywood movies, especially the Ma and Pa Kettle series. She was known for her distinctive voice, comedic timing, and strong personality. But behind her successful career, she also faced a personal tragedy that eventually led to her death. Here is the story of how Marjorie Main’s lung cancer ended her life and career.
Early Life and Career
Marjorie Main was born as Mary Tomlinson on February 24, 1890, in Acton, Indiana. She was the daughter of a Disciples of Christ minister and a homemaker. She developed an interest in acting at a young age and joined a local stock company as a teenager. She changed her name to Marjorie Main to avoid embarrassing her family.
She pursued her acting education in Chicago and New York City, despite her father’s disapproval. She started her career on the stage, performing in vaudeville and Broadway shows. She made her film debut in 1931 in A House Divided. She soon became a character actress who specialized in playing tough, domineering, and sometimes eccentric women.
She appeared in many film classics, such as Dead End (1937), The Women (1939), Dark Command (1940), The Shepherd of the Hills (1941), Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), and Friendly Persuasion (1956). She also formed a successful comedy duo with Wallace Beery in six films, such as Barnacle Bill (1941) and Rationing (1944).
The Ma Kettle Role
Marjorie Main’s most famous role was that of Ma Kettle, a rural mother of 15 children who lived in a ramshackle farm with her lazy husband Pa Kettle, played by Percy Kilbride. She first played the role in The Egg and I (1947), a film adaptation of Betty MacDonald’s best-selling memoir. The film was a huge hit and earned Main an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
The popularity of the Kettle characters led to a spin-off series of 10 films, starting with Ma and Pa Kettle (1949) and ending with The Kettles on Old MacDonald’s Farm (1957). The films were low-budget but highly profitable, making Main one of the top box-office stars of the 1950s. She also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contribution to the film industry.
Personal Life and Death
Marjorie Main was married to Stanley LeFevre Krebs, a psychologist and lecturer, from 1921 until his death from cancer in 1935. They had no children together. Main was deeply affected by his death and claimed to communicate with him through spiritualism. She also became interested in Christian Science and metaphysics.
Main suffered from lung cancer in her later years, but refused to seek medical treatment. She retired from acting after her last Kettle film in 1957. She spent her final years in Los Angeles, California, where she died on April 10, 1975, at the age of 85. She was cremated and her ashes were scattered over the Pacific Ocean.
Marjorie Main left behind a legacy of memorable performances that entertained millions of people. She was one of the most versatile and talented actresses of her generation. She will always be remembered as the beloved Ma Kettle who made audiences laugh with her witty remarks and antics.
