Mary Jackson

Mary Jackson

Biography: One of those strikingly familiar matrons you just can't place, character actress Mary Jackson is probably best known for her recurring role as one of the delightfully eccentric bootlegging sisters, "Miss Emily" Baldwin, on the series The Waltons (1971) that ran for nine seasons. She was born November 22, 1910 in rural Milford, Michigan, and earned a bachelor's degree from West Michigan University in 1932. A Depression-era school teacher for one year before pursuing her interest in theater, she returned to college (this time Michigan State University) in a fine arts program. She started out on the Chicago stage and in summer stock before migrating to the larger stages in New York and Los Angeles. Film and TV roles did not come her way until well into middle age. Guesting on such TV shows as "The Andy Griffith Show," "The Twilight Zone," "My Three Sons," "Hazel," "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "Barnaby Jones" and "Highway to Heaven," she usually appeared as ladylike small-town citizens. She was also part of the ensemble in Peter Bogdanovich's first low-budget film thriller Targets (1968), which was Boris Karloff's last feature. In the 70s she started gathering up character bits here and there, such as her nuns in the all-star epic Airport (1970) and the horror Audrey Rose (1977). A variety of pleasant, maternal parts came her way, including Lynn Carlin's mother in the Blake Edwards' western Wild Rovers (1971) and Jane Fonda's in the comedy caper Fun with Dick and Jane (1977). She supported Fonda again in the Vietnam-era drama Coming Home (1978), was among the cast in the cultish Big Top Pee-wee (1988) and had a noticeable role in Steve Martin's Leap of Faith (1992). As for "The Waltons" success, character actress Dorothy Stickney played the part of Emily in the initial TV pilot along with Josephine Hutchinson as older sister Mamie. When the series came to fruition, Mary and actress Helen Kleeb, another one of those "I've seen her before" character faces, took over the spinster roles. Both she and Kleeb continued their sister act periodically in several Walton "reunion" TV-movies, which included assorted weddings and holiday gatherings. Both ladies made their final TV appearances in A Walton Easter (1997). Kleeb died of natural causes in 2003 at age 96. Mary passed away two years later at age 95 of complications from Parkinson's disease. - IMDb Mini Biography

Place of Birth: Not available

Birthday: November 22, 1910

Deathday: December 10, 2005

Popularity:

4.836

Known For

Big Top Pee-wee
Big Top Pee-wee

1988-07-22

A Death in Canaan
A Death in Canaan

1978-03-01

The Exorcist III
The Exorcist III

1990-08-17

Skinned Alive
Skinned Alive

1990-02-01

Some Kind of Hero
Some Kind of Hero

1982-04-02

A Small Killing
A Small Killing

1981-11-24

Audrey Rose
Audrey Rose

1977-04-06

Targets
Targets

1968-08-15

A Day for Thanks on Waltons Mountain
A Day for Thanks on Waltons Mountain

1982-11-22

Leap of Faith
Leap of Faith

1992-12-18

Our Time
Our Time

1974-04-10

My Town
My Town

1986-05-25

Meet the Munceys
Meet the Munceys

1988-05-22

The Failing of Raymond
The Failing of Raymond

1971-09-27

A Wedding on Waltons Mountain
A Wedding on Waltons Mountain

1982-02-02

Fun with Dick and Jane
Fun with Dick and Jane

1977-03-18

Airport
Airport

1970-03-25

The Two Lives of Carol Letner
The Two Lives of Carol Letner

1981-10-14

Between Two Brothers
Between Two Brothers

1982-03-09

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

1967-10-17

Friendly Persuasion
Friendly Persuasion

1956-11-25

A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion
A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion

1993-11-21

Terror at Red Wolf Inn
Terror at Red Wolf Inn

1972-09-27

Ozone
Ozone

1994-01-04

Wild Rovers
Wild Rovers

1971-06-23

Coming Home
Coming Home

1978-02-15

A Family Thing
A Family Thing

1996-03-29

Blume in Love
Blume in Love

1973-06-17

The Case of the Hillside Stranglers
The Case of the Hillside Stranglers

1989-04-02

Letters from Frank
Letters from Frank

1979-11-22

Kid Blue
Kid Blue

1973-01-31