Mary Carr(1874-1973)
- Actress
American character actress famed for roles as mothers. Born in a
Philadelphia suburb as Mary Kennevan, she became a schoolteacher, but
soon gave it up for work as an actress in touring companies. She
married actor William Carr and toured extensively with his company. After
the turn of the century, he became involved in film production as both
an actor and director, and he brought Mary and their six children into
the film business with him. Mary made her film debut in 1916, but it
was her appearance in Over the Hill to the Poorhouse (1920) which made her a success in movies. It
was a tremendous success due in large part to her touching portrayal of
a poverty-stricken mother. She followed it with similar roles in scores
of films throughout the silent period. A fallow period arrived with the
talkies, and Carr found herself nearly destitute, but publicity about
her status rallied help to her cause and she found help and occasional
work. She spent her later years appearing infrequently, often in films
directed by her son Thomas Carr. She died at the age of 99 in November
1973.
