Ladies Of Character Character Actresses
Linda Watkins
One Life To Live (TV)/ Robin Crosley R N
From Hell It Came/ Mrs. Mae Kilgore
The Parent Trap/ Edna Robinson
Ten North Frederick/ Peg Slattery
Linda Watkins was an American character actress of theater, film and television.
She was born Linda Mathews Watkins in Boston, MA in 1908, the daughter of Gardiner and Elizabeth Watkins.
At the age of sixteen she was sent to study at the Theater Guild and after six months she was appearing with the summer program of the Guild in Scarborough, NY.
Instead of finishing her schooling she pursued a job at the office of Charles Watkins Theater. When asked what she preferred playing she said "tragedy".
She performed with Frederic March in the Tom Cushing comedy The Devil In The Cheese at the Charles Hopkins Theater in New York. She was only 17 years old at the time. She appeared in the Forest Theater production of Tripped by Samuel Shipman. She also appeared in the revival of The Wild Duck in 1928, starred in the George Kaufman and Ring Lardner comedy Julie Moon in 1929 as well as co starred with Ralph Morgan in Sweet Stranger in 1930.
Linda Watkins made her motion picture debut in 1931 in the film Sob Sister. She continued on in films and also moved later on into television making her debut there in the TV series The Billy Rose Show in 1950.
Her early years were spent in theater and some films. Her career as far as films and television were concerned lasted from 1931 to 1974 with 72 credits for those two mediums.
In later years she was mostly on television.
Some of the film roles of Linda Watkins were:
Sob Sister (1931) as Jane Ray
Good Sport (1931) as Marilyn Parker
Charlie Chan's Chance (1932) as Gloria Garland
Cheaters At Play (1932) as Tess Boyce
The Gay Caballero (1932) as Ann Gray
Playthings Of Desire (1933) as Gloria Dawn
From Hell It Came (1957) as Mrs. Mae Kilgore
Going Steady (1958) as Aunt Lola
Ten North Frederick (1958) as Peg Slattery
As Young As We Are (1958) as Mrs. Hutchins
Cash McCall (1960) as Marie Austen
Because They're Young (1960) as Frances McCalla
The Parent Trap (1961) as Edna Robinson
Good Neighbor Sam (1964) as Edna
Harpy (1971-TV) as Mrs. Reed
Huckleberry Finn (1974) as Mrs. Grangerford
Bad Ronald (1974) as Mrs. Schumacher.
Ms. Watkins appeared on television appearing in such programs as The Billy Rose Show, Lux Video Theater, Wagon Train, Cheyenne, M Squad, How To Marry A Millionaire, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Schlitz Playhouse Of Stars, The Adventures Of Jim Bowie, Suspicion, The Lineup, The David Niven Show, Perry Mason, Death Valley Days, Johnny Staccato, The Detectives, Markham, General Electric Theater, The Roaring 20's , The Asphalt Jungle, Surfside 6, The Loretta Young Show, Peter Gunn, Dr. Kildare, Adventures In Paradise, Boris Karloff's Thriller, Sam Benedict, The Untouchables, Hawaiian Eye, The Third Man, 77 Sunset Strip, Hazel, Route 66, The Munsters, Run For Your Life, My Three Sons, The Girl From Uncle, One Life To Live, The Doris Day Show, Ironside, Love American Style, Bonanza, Emergency!, McMillan & Wife, Gunsmoke, The Waltons, Mannix and Apple's Way among others.
She was married to film board lawyer Gabriel Hess from 1932 until 1969. They had a son named Adam.
Linda Watkins passed away in 1976.at age 68.
I enjoyed Ms. Watkins in the films The Parent Trap, From Hell It Came, Ten North Frederick and Good Neighbor Sam. I also enjoyed her television appearances as well, especially her roles in two of the Boris Karloff's Thriller series namely The Cheaters and A Wig For Miss Devore.
Louie The Movie Buff