Angela Clarke (August 14, 1909 – December 16, 2010) was an American stage, television and film actress.
Career Clarke entered film acting at a relatively late age. She was nearly forty when she landed a series of uncredited roles, beginning with Her Sister's Secret (1946). Her first screen credit was for The Undercover Man (1949). She then proceeded to corner the market on grey-haired, matriarchal characters, such as her performance as Mama Caruso in The Great Caruso (1951).
In the course of forty years, Clarke appeared on screen over sixty times, counting her work in films and in guest spots on TV series episodes. Although she generally had background roles and bit parts, the films where she made a more substantial impression included Darling, How Could You! (1951), The Harlem Globetrotters (1951), The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima (1952), House of Wax (1953), Houdini (1953), and The Seven Little Foys (1955), in which she had a sizable supporting role as Bob Hope's disapproving sister-in-law.
Clarke's acting career came to a halt after The Seven Little Foys was released in June 1955. That was the month she testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). She was previously named as a Communist to the HUAC by Judith Raymond, and by Carin Kinzel Burrows (wife of Abe Burrows). In her testimony, Clarke admitted she had been a member of the Communist Party USA from 1942 to 1949. She said she drifted away from the Party "because acting was more important". However, she would not "name names" of her Communist associates, and for that she was blacklisted. She didn't work again in films until 1962. The year before, she had obtained her first TV acting job (on the premiere episode of Ben Casey) and would continue to supplement her film work with guest appearances on TV series.
Death Angela Clarke died on December 16, 2010, in Moorpark, California. She was 101.
Filmography YearFilmRoleNotes1946Her Sister's SecretCafe Cashier(uncredited)1947Backlash Mrs. O'Neill(uncredited)1947Night SongWoman (uncredited)1947A Double LifeLucy(uncredited)1948The Snake PitGreek Patient(uncredited)1949The Undercover ManTheresa Rocco1949House of SettlementClara Christopher1949The Doctor and the GirlMiss Rourke(uncredited)1949Mrs. MikeSarah Carpentier1950Captain Carey, U.S.A.Serafina 1950Woman in HidingClara May's Mother(uncredited)1950The GunfighterMac's Wife(uncredited)1950OutrageMadge Harrison1950The Killer That Stalked New YorkMrs. Dominic(uncredited)1950Undercover GirlBabe Snell1951The Great CarusoMama Caruso1951The Harlem GlobetrottersSylvia Saperstein1951Darling, How Could You!Nurse1951It's a Big CountryMama Esposito1951My Favorite SpyGypsy Fortune Teller1952The Miracle of Our Lady of FatimaMaria Rosa Abóbora dos Santos1952The SavagePehangi1953House of WaxMrs. Andrews1953HoudiniHarry's Mother 1953Beneath the 12-Mile ReefMama Petrakis1954The EgyptianKipa(uncredited)1954The Bounty HunterSeñora Maria Dominquez(uncredited)1955The Seven Little FoysAunt Clara Morando1962The InternsMrs. Emma Auer1966BlindfoldLavinia Vincenti1973The Girl Most Likely To...ActressTV movie1974Nightmare HoneymoonLady in the Park1974Harrad SummerMrs. Kolasukas1978The Ghost of Flight 401Mrs. ColluraTV movie1986Killer in the Mirror Mrs. Wilkens TV movie1988Memories of MeMrs. Petrakis(small part)
Television YearShowRoleNotes1961Ben CaseyMrs. SalazarEpisode: To the Pure1962Going My WayMama CipollaroEpisode: Not Good Enough for my Sister1962Alcoa PremiereMamaEpisode: The Potentate1963Combat!Madame Michelin / Claire BrouchardEpisode playing Mme. Michelin: No Hallelujahs for Glory Episode playing Claire Brouchard: Reunion (both 1963) 1962 - 1963 The UntouchablesCatherine Chavis / Mrs. SantosEpisode playing Catherine Chavis: Come and Kill Me (1962) Episode playing Mrs. Santos: The Spoiler (1963)1964The Outer Limits Sue Ann Beasley Episode: Second Chance1962 - 1964GunsmokeTopsanah / Carrie Newcom / Mrs. Crabbe Episode playing Topsanah: Quint Asper Comes Home (1962) Episode playing Carrie Newcom: The Far Places (1963)
Episode playing Mrs. Crabbe: Trip West (1964)1965Mr. NovakMother GeneralEpisode: There's a Penguin in my Garden1966The VirginianMary TaitEpisode: The Inchworm's Got No Wings at All1966Dr. Kildare Dahlia RossiTwo episodes: The Art of Taking a Powder
Read the Book and then See the Picture1966Daniel BooneWanona Episode: The Allegiances 1967Dundee and the CulhaneMariaEpisode: The Vasquez Brief1967Mission: Impossible Nancy StonerEpisode: The Survivors1968The High ChaparralSister LukeEpisode: A Joyful Noise1965 - 1969Death Valley DaysRosie Winters / Theresa Pico / Serafina Episode playing Rosie Winters: The Trouble with Taxes (1965) Episode playing Theresa Pico: The Firebrand (1966)
Episode playing Serafina: The Great Pinto Bean Gold Hunt (1969)1965 - 1970BonanzaTeresa / Mrs. MarshallEpisode playing Teresa: Jonah (1965) Episode playing Mrs. Marshall: It's a Small World (1970)1970Arnie Helena NuvoEpisode: Pilot1970Bracken's WorldMama Finello / NormaEpisode playing Mama Finello: Focus on a Gun Episode playing Norma: Preview in Samarkand 1970The Young LawyersMrs. McGuireEpisode: At the Edge of the Night1971Alias Smith and JonesHannah UtleyEpisode: Stagecoach Seven 1973The Partridge FamilyMyra FromacherEpisode: The Partridge Connection1974KojakMrs. HarringtonEpisode: Cross Your Heart and Hope to Die1974 - 1975PetrocelliMrs. Donato / Mrs. MoranEpisode playing Mrs. Donato: An Act of Love (1974) Episode playing Mrs. Moran: Five Yards of Trouble (1975)1976Rich Man, Poor Man Mrs. Jardino Mini-series Appears in Part III: Chapter 51974 - 1977Insight Maria Abrams / Lillian Episode playing Maria Abrams: And the Walls Came Tumblin' Down (1974) Episode playing Lillian: Arnstein's Miracle (1977)1977 - 1978BarettaMama / Mrs. Volga Episode playing Mama: New Girl in Town (1977) Episode playing Mrs. Volga: The Gadjo (1978)1978Fantasy IslandNanaEpisode: Return/The Toughest Man Alive1979All in the FamilyMrs. Loretta DillonEpisode: Edith Gets Fired1983Voyagers!Sara Delano RooseveltEpisode: Destiny's Choice1983BrooksideElsa Two episodes: Better Things to Do
In Clink (both 1973)1984St. ElsewhereEmma KeuhnelianThree episodes: Attack
After Dark
Vanity (all 1984)1985MacGyverCaterina BennettEpisode: The Prodigal
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