On this date in 1890, a girl named Mary Tomlinson was born in Acton, which was then a thriving community on the rail line in the corner of Franklin Township. The daughter of minister Samuel Tomlinson, Mary wasn’t content with small-town life, and decided early on that she wanted to pursue acting — though when she did, she changed her name to avoid embarrassing her family. Thus Marjorie Main was born, and by 1916 she had risen through the ranks of local stock companies and the vaudeville circuit to make her Broadway debut.
After making a name for herself on the stage, Marjorie Main transitioned to Hollywood. Her first film was released in 1931, kicking off a career that lasted nearly 90 theatrical films — including several film versions of roles she had played on stage — and a few forays into television.
Though she began her film career playing straight-laced widows and society women, Main is best remembered for her comedic roles, for which her brash voice and sprawling country dialect were perfectly suited. Her most famous and prolific character was “Ma” in the Ma and Pa Kettle movies, opposite Percy Kilbride. Together they made nine films in the series, with Main reprising her character alone in a tenth (her final film, in 1957). She also made six comedy films with Wallace Beery during the 1940s, as studio MGM capitalized on the series’ success, and was frequently featured as a character actor in studio musicals such as Meet Me in St. Louis (1944, with Judy Garland) or in comedies such as The Long, Long Trailer (1953, with Lucille Ball).
Marjorie Main with Clark Gable in Honky Tonk (1941).
During her lengthy film career Main also appeared opposite such top-notch stars as Humphrey Bogart, John Wayne, Roy Rogers, Claudette Colbert, William Powell, Gene Kelly, Clark Gable, and scores of others. She was nominated for an Academy Award in 1948, and for a Golden Globe in 1957.
And to think it all started right here in Franklin Township.
But you didn’t think you could get this far into a tribute to Acton’s local celebrity without seeing her on film, did you? Fortunately, Turner Classic Movies has produced a short but glowing biography, which you can view below.
As Deadeyes perceived Margery Main back in 1944 and 1945 she was a fighting gal. So we made her our pin-up girl. The soldiers in US 96th Infantry Division (Deadeyes) voted her in December of 1945. Our website features her 0n a separate page. She met the troops in California when they came home. So go to the site and learn even more about this born and reared Hoosier.
I too am a born and reared Hosier and historian for the website. I have my military story also available there.