JUDITH LOWRY
She was born JUDITH IVES in 1890, the daughter of a surgeon; sources vary as to whether her birthplace was Morristown, N.J. or Ft. Sill, OK. She began her acting career on the stage around 1916, but retired a little more than 10 years later once she married RUDD LOWRY whom she (had) met while entertaining the troops during WWI, around 1918. They had 9 children. She resumed her acting career in the mid 40s once her children were near grown. Initially, she was merely playing non-speaking roles as older women on film, but once her charming, gregarious personality became known, it gave the small elderly frail white haired grandmother an entire additional aspect to her repetiore: She would excell at playing the sharp tongued funny old lady. You'd expect her to be like 90 year old grandmother, and then she'd surprise the shit out of you with her sharp barbs. She was cast in two more stage plays: JB in 1958 which ran for near a year and then in 1966 she was cast in THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE. The latter lasted about 3 months before it was closed.
LOWRY faired better in Hollywood: She played old deaf Sister Prudence in THE TROUBLE WITH ANGELS (1966), another non-speaking role as (Anne Welles') Aunt Amy in VALLEY OF THE DOLLS (1967), funny as hell as Odie in COLD TURKEY among other film roles. She capped off her career with her most memorable role, that being as Mother Dexter on the television show PHYLLIS which was a spin-off from THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW. The character of Mother Dexter was so well received that it was changed to being a recurring part. While walking in Greenwich Village on November 29th, 1976, JUDITH LOWRY dropped dead of a sudden heart attack. Her final episode on PHYLLIS aired in December. On it, her character marries her 92 year old boyfriend Arthur played by BURT MUSTIN, who died just months later in 1977. LOWRY is buried at Long Island National Cemetery in Farmingdale, New York.
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Originally Posted by Tebssis
