Menu
Caret Down
Browse
Home
Free to me
Movies
TV shows
Sports
News
Live TV
Store
Subscriptions
Channels
Browse all
Caret Right
Home
Free to me
Movies
TV shows
Sports
News
Live TV
Channels
Subscriptions
Store
Store
Search
Clear
EN
Caret Down
Bahasa Indonesia
Bahasa Melayu
Dansk
Deutsch
English
Español
Español Latinoamérica
Français
Italiano
Magyar
Nederlands
Norsk
Polski
Português (Brasil)
Português (Portugal)
Română
Suomi
Svenska
Türkçe
Wikang Filipino
Čeština
Ελληνικά
Русский
עברית
العربية
हिन्दी
தமிழ்
తెలుగు
ไทย
日本語
简体中文
繁體中文
한국어
Categories Remaster
Your account
Sign In
Help
Join Prime
Menu
Caret Down
Home
Free to me
Movies
TV shows
Sports
News
Live TV
Store
Categories
Join Prime
Channels
Subscriptions
Search
Clear
EN
Caret Down
Bahasa Indonesia
Bahasa Melayu
Dansk
Deutsch
English
Español
Español Latinoamérica
Français
Italiano
Magyar
Nederlands
Norsk
Polski
Português (Brasil)
Português (Portugal)
Română
Suomi
Svenska
Türkçe
Wikang Filipino
Čeština
Ελληνικά
Русский
עברית
العربية
हिन्दी
தமிழ்
తెలుగు
ไทย
日本語
简体中文
繁體中文
한국어
Your account
Sign In
Help
Mary Jane Croft
Actor
Born February 15, 1916 in Muncie, Indiana, USA
Diminutive, blond character comedienne whose strident voice and nervy manner made her the perfect foil to Lucille Ball's madcap antics on TV, at first, occasionally, on I Love Lucy (1951) (as "Betty Ramsay" and "Evelyn Bigsby"), then on a regular basis on The Lucy Show (1962) and Here's Lucy (1968) (as "Mary Jane Lewis"). Mary Jane started her show business career on the stage with the civic theatre in her hometown, Muncie, Indiana. After briefly acting with the Guild Theatre in Cincinnati, Ohio, she joined the local radio station WLW and embarked on a lengthy career as a radio actress. Her marriage to fellow actor Jack Zoller was followed by a move to Los Angeles in 1939. During the 1940's and 1950's, Mary Jane became one of a company of much in-demand voice actresses (along with performers Lurene Tuttle, Howard Duff and Bea Benaderet, whom she befriended), comedy inevitably being her forte. She acted on "The Mel Blanc Show" (1946), as the love interest "Leila Ransom" on "The Great Gildersleeve" (1950), "Blondie" (1950), "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" (1950), the family friend on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952), and the voice of basset hound "Cleo", owned by Jackie Cooper, on The People's Choice (1955) (1955-56). Her best-known pre-Lucille role was as "Daisy Enright", the nemesis of "Our Miss Brooks", which starred Eve Arden and Gale Gordon (both on radio and, subsequently, on TV). Mary Jane re-enacted the part for three seasons in the television series, produced by Desilu. In 1960, Mary Jane got married for the second time, using her newly married name for her character on The Lucy Show (1962), produced by new hubby Elliott Lewis. By 1965, Mary Jane had replaced Vivian Vance, who retired from the show, as Lucy's neighbor. For most TV audiences, Mary Jane will be fondly remembered as Lucy's cheerful ally and confidante in their various joint endeavors at setting up pompous banker Mr. Mooney (Gale Gordon). Despite other changes in the cast, Mary Jane's role carried over into the next incarnation of the Desilu franchise, Here's Lucy (1968). After her death in August 1999, Lucie Arnaz eulogized her mother's friend Mary Jane, as being the antithesis of the dizzy blonde she portrayed on screen and as a fun-loving and joyous spirit.
Imdb
Top titles
Arrow
Arrow
The Lucy Show - Vol. 2
I Love Lucy - Season 1
Here's Lucy
The People's Choice
I Married Joan
Dragnet - Season 1
A Classic TV Christmas with Bing Crosby and Betty White
The Mothers-in-Law
Date with the Angels
Lucy Calls the President
In Old Oklahoma
Arrow
Arrow
Filmography
Latest
Caret Down
Arrow
Arrow
1977
Lucy Calls the President
1968
Here's Lucy
1967
The Mothers-in-Law
1962
The Lucy Show - Vol. 2
1957
Court of Last Resort
Date with the Angels
1955
The People's Choice
1952
I Married Joan
A Classic TV Christmas with Bing Crosby and Betty White
1951
I Love Lucy - Season 1
Dragnet - Season 1
1943
In Old Oklahoma
Arrow
Arrow
Connections
James Gonzalez
Mary Wickes
Margaret Irving
Genres
