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Hollywood Legends
Mary Wickes: I Know I've Seen That Face Before
Moviegoers know her as the housekeeper in White Christmas, the nurse in Now, Voyager, and the crotchety choir director in Sister Act. This book, filled with never-published behind-the-scenes stories from Broadway and Hollywood, chronicles the life of a complicated woman who brought an assortment of unforgettable nurses, nuns, and housekeepers to life on screen and stage.
Wickes (1910-1995) was part of some of the most significant moments in film, television, theatre, and radio history. On that frightening night in 1938 when Orson Welles recorded his earth-shattering "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast, Wickes was waiting on another soundstage for him for a rehearsal of Danton's Death, oblivious to the havoc taking place outside.
When silent film star Gloria Swanson decided to host a live talk show on this new thing called television, Wickes was one of her first guests. When Lucille Ball made one of her first TV appearances, Wickes appeared with her--and became Lucy's closest friend for more than thirty years. Wickes was the original Mary Poppins, long before an umbrella carried Julie Andrews across the rooftops of London. And when Disney began creating 101 Dalmatians, Wickes was asked to pose for animators trying to capture the evil of Cruella De Vil.
The pinched-face actress who cracked wise by day became a confidante to some of the day's biggest stars by night, including Bette Davis and Doris Day. Bolstered by interviews with almost three hundred people, and by private correspondence from Ball, Davis, Day, and others, Mary Wickes: I Know I've Seen That Face Before includes scores of never-before-shared anecdotes about Hollywood and Broadway. In the process, it introduces readers to a complex woman who sustained a remarkable career for sixty years.
Wickes (1910-1995) was part of some of the most significant moments in film, television, theatre, and radio history. On that frightening night in 1938 when Orson Welles recorded his earth-shattering "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast, Wickes was waiting on another soundstage for him for a rehearsal of Danton's Death, oblivious to the havoc taking place outside.
When silent film star Gloria Swanson decided to host a live talk show on this new thing called television, Wickes was one of her first guests. When Lucille Ball made one of her first TV appearances, Wickes appeared with her--and became Lucy's closest friend for more than thirty years. Wickes was the original Mary Poppins, long before an umbrella carried Julie Andrews across the rooftops of London. And when Disney began creating 101 Dalmatians, Wickes was asked to pose for animators trying to capture the evil of Cruella De Vil.
The pinched-face actress who cracked wise by day became a confidante to some of the day's biggest stars by night, including Bette Davis and Doris Day. Bolstered by interviews with almost three hundred people, and by private correspondence from Ball, Davis, Day, and others, Mary Wickes: I Know I've Seen That Face Before includes scores of never-before-shared anecdotes about Hollywood and Broadway. In the process, it introduces readers to a complex woman who sustained a remarkable career for sixty years.
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First published May 17, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
March 4, 2013
What a surprise this book was. I guess I was expecting something like one of Mary Wickes' movies -- light entertainment, amusing, inconsequential. Steve Taravella's biography of Wickes is serious and rigorous, even academic. That's not to say it's a tough read, but it is a tough-minded biography. Quite often, celebrity bios are written by smitten fans, but Taravella is dispassionate and fair.
The result is a portrait of a Mary Wickes who is sharper-edged than I imagined. Taravella starts with the obligatory geneology and childhood of Wickes (born Wickenhauser) and then traces her career meticulously. He interviewed friends and associates of Wickes and examined the papers she left to her alma mater, Washington University in St. Louis.
Wickes seemed like a high-spirited young woman and she enjoyed playing parts for laughs, although she also seemed to relish the occasional serious role she got. As she got older, and especially after her mother died, with whom she was very close, she became more likely to say what was on her mind and less likely to couch it in a joke or even a smile. Friends were sometimes hurt and offended, but she maintained some very good friendships her whole life, Lucille Ball among them.
It's a good biography, readable and entertaining, but not gossipy. Although Wickes fans may disagree, I think the biography was a better effort than her career warranted.
The result is a portrait of a Mary Wickes who is sharper-edged than I imagined. Taravella starts with the obligatory geneology and childhood of Wickes (born Wickenhauser) and then traces her career meticulously. He interviewed friends and associates of Wickes and examined the papers she left to her alma mater, Washington University in St. Louis.
Wickes seemed like a high-spirited young woman and she enjoyed playing parts for laughs, although she also seemed to relish the occasional serious role she got. As she got older, and especially after her mother died, with whom she was very close, she became more likely to say what was on her mind and less likely to couch it in a joke or even a smile. Friends were sometimes hurt and offended, but she maintained some very good friendships her whole life, Lucille Ball among them.
It's a good biography, readable and entertaining, but not gossipy. Although Wickes fans may disagree, I think the biography was a better effort than her career warranted.
September 1, 2013
Bio of memorable character actress Mary Wickes, whose career ran from Miss Preen, the befuddled nurse in The Man Who Came to Dinner in 1940 to the Sister Act movies in the 90s. I like Wickes but this book does her a disservice. She appears not to have led a terribly interesting life, so the book should perhaps have focused more tightly on her acting, but instead the author uses seemingly every bit of every interview he conducted to pad out the book. For example, it's not enough to suggest that Wickes may never have had sex--that could be convincingly done in a page or two. Instead Taravella spends an entire chapter interviewign several people saying basically the same thing over and over. There are a few good tidbits in the book, but a paring away of at least a third of the manuscript would have helped.
December 16, 2023
This is a rather maddening book. Steve Taravella starts with a straight up chronological biography through Wickes' early years on Broadway. Then he starts jumping around to deal with different topics just before the bio would logically move to the role that took Wickes to Hollywood, Nurse Preen in "The Man Who Came to Dinner." The result is you get a strong sense of Wickes' childhood, what brought her to acting and the start of her career but little sense of how her career developed after that. That's a pity, as she was one of the most adept character comedians of her era, with strong work in mostly supporting roles (though she was the first Mary Poppins). Major work like "The Man Who Came to Dinner," "Now, Voyager," "Sister Act" and "Mary Poppins" is dealt with briefly then returned to several times, leaving it to the reader to piece together those experiences. It's also disappointing that he says so little about "The Decorator," a Bette Davis TV pilot in which Wickes took over a role originally written as a gay man. Taravella had access to Wickes' papers and interviews with those who remember her, so the material is definitely there. It just needed a stronger organizational sense.
May 18, 2016
This 300-page book may be the longest ever devoted to such a minor character actress. I absolutely loved Mary Wickes and enjoy all of her performances, but this book takes her way too seriously. There are not enough interesting things about her life to call for such a lengthy biography, and the author does not spend enough time on the few significant roles she is best known for. Despite constantly telling us that Wickes was not respected enough or paid enough for "an actress of her status," Wickes really is a footnote in most screen productions that deserves a much more entertaining book.
The writer spent at least 15 years researching detailed records and interviewing dozens of famous friends (many of whom died before this book was published), but then tried to jam way too many insignificant details into the book. The first hundred pages are extremely dull and could easily be skipped. It really doesn't get interesting until the chapter on Mary's friendship with Lucille Ball. Wow, what an eye-opener! Taravella even discusses the possibility that they could have been in a lesbian relationship (with a quoted note from Lucy that hints at it). While there is a short analysis of her sexual history (debating whether she was a virgin or had actually had sex with one person!), the lesbian question is never addressed again.
There are a couple of other good chapters in the book but most plod along and get extremely repetitive. Then there's just not enough about The Trouble With Angels or Sister Act, her two big success stories. The author also makes big assumptions about what Wickes was thinking without actually having any evidence, and often uses the phrase "she must have...." Well, how does he know? Much of it ends up being him putting his own conclusions on the actress. And many that like Wickes will not appreciate the negative portrayal of the actress in her later years, with a number of people quoted saying bad things about Mary's opinionated ways or a big point repeatedly made that the actress was cheap or details about how she ignored the few living relatives that she had.
Overall the book is not well written and should have been better edited to cut out about half of the material. Skip through it to get the good stories, much as you have to shift through a lot of dull movies and TV shows in order to locate the Wickes performances (which I did last night when I found her short role as a stern insurance person on the Jimmy Stewart sitcom!).
The writer spent at least 15 years researching detailed records and interviewing dozens of famous friends (many of whom died before this book was published), but then tried to jam way too many insignificant details into the book. The first hundred pages are extremely dull and could easily be skipped. It really doesn't get interesting until the chapter on Mary's friendship with Lucille Ball. Wow, what an eye-opener! Taravella even discusses the possibility that they could have been in a lesbian relationship (with a quoted note from Lucy that hints at it). While there is a short analysis of her sexual history (debating whether she was a virgin or had actually had sex with one person!), the lesbian question is never addressed again.
There are a couple of other good chapters in the book but most plod along and get extremely repetitive. Then there's just not enough about The Trouble With Angels or Sister Act, her two big success stories. The author also makes big assumptions about what Wickes was thinking without actually having any evidence, and often uses the phrase "she must have...." Well, how does he know? Much of it ends up being him putting his own conclusions on the actress. And many that like Wickes will not appreciate the negative portrayal of the actress in her later years, with a number of people quoted saying bad things about Mary's opinionated ways or a big point repeatedly made that the actress was cheap or details about how she ignored the few living relatives that she had.
Overall the book is not well written and should have been better edited to cut out about half of the material. Skip through it to get the good stories, much as you have to shift through a lot of dull movies and TV shows in order to locate the Wickes performances (which I did last night when I found her short role as a stern insurance person on the Jimmy Stewart sitcom!).
October 7, 2019
The thorough research that author Steve Taravella put into his book, Mary Wickes: I Know I’ve Seen That Face Before, is readily apparent. Having been a fan of Wickes for decades, I found it to be a truly satisfying read. Mr. Taravella treats his subject with the respect and credit she was always due, but was seldom afforded by the entertainment industry. He proves that Mary’s life was interesting enough to merit a book of 300 pages. While there is some necessary chronological order to the book, Mr. Taravella addresses various aspects of Mary’s life, career, and personality by chapter. These topics include her uncommonly close relationship with her mother, her frugality, her sometimes harsh treatment of friends and colleagues in later life, her unconventional appearance, her guarded privacy, and, yes, her sexuality. He accomplishes this without a hint of a gratuitously gossipy tone. If you are a Mary Wickes fan, read this book. If you are not, read this book and you will become one.
December 28, 2015
I adored Mary Wickes. Very funny lady who was able to turn a line whether it was for television, stage, or screen. This book provided more insight into a very personal life. However, Ms. Wickes did not necessarily have the kind of life biographies are written about which makes for, unfortunately, a rather dull read. If the author had removed the painstaking research he did also for the people who were orbiting Mary's life, it would have been a thin book indeed. The book did provide some context around her life of which very little is known by most people. Most fascinating: her relationship with Lucille Ball.
October 10, 2017
This is one of the most well-researched biographies I've come across--especially for a character actress. Let's face it: There's probably not a helluva lot of people who are going to take the time to read a bio of Mary Wickes. And yet, Steve Taravella busted his ass interviewing anyone and everyone who knew her. Not only did he find the one man she ever had sex with from the mid 1930's...he also found the voyeur who watched them do it. Now that's what I call research! I love Mary Wickes, a sensible shoes St. Louis gal who worked with some of the biggest names in 20th century entertainment, but still watched her bank accounts like a hawk and clipped coupons. Late in life, after she quit driving, she even took L.A.city buses to the supermarket rather than bother people. Tell me that wouldn't be cool--to ride the 720 Wilshire Express with Mary Wickes!
January 29, 2018
Mary Wickes gave standout performances as a supporting actor in two of my favorite movies, "White Christmas" and "The Trouble with Angels." I enjoyed tracking down a used copy of this book and reading to learn about her time on stage, screen, radio and TV. The author was given access to her personal papers at Washington University to write the book. Many of the roles she played - nurses, housekeeper, nuns, were witnesses to the main action - she was an everywoman. It is satisfying to learn that she was a nice person, a sound professional and, more quietly, a long time volunteer and devout Episcopalian. Especially endearing was to hear that Lucille Ball's daughter honored her at her funeral by fulfilling one of her wishes. A very fine record of Ms. Wickes' life.
September 8, 2020
Author Steve Tavarella offers readers an intimate look at the life and work of the much beloved actress in Mary Wickes: I Know I've Seen That Face Before. This biography is not your typical one. Tavarella's book is essentially a collection of thematic essays with each chapter unlocking an aspect of Wickes' personality or exploring an era in her life. While there isn't all too much in the form of behind-the-scenes informations about her films, we do get a lot about Mary Wickes herself, who she was as a person and as a performer.
My full review here: https://www.outofthepastblog.com/2020...
My full review here: https://www.outofthepastblog.com/2020...
January 31, 2023
I've been a fan of Mary Wickes for as long as I can remember. I always felt she never got the true recognition she deserved. She was such a talented lady. The author, Steve Taravella, did a tremendous amount of research to write this book. I never knew about her close, sister-like, relationship with Lucille Ball. Mary was a private person and I think that had a lot to do with her upbringing. She didn't let a lot of people get close to her but she was extremely loyal to those that she allowed into her inner circle. Such a well researched and written book. She is truly a Hollywood legend.
November 15, 2025
A thoroughly researched biography of a wonderful and memorable actress. Mary Isabella Wickenhauser, professionally known as Mary Wickes, would be thrilled with the care author Steve Taravella has taken to get the story of her life, from its beginning in St. Louis, Missouri, to its end in Los Angeles, correct. Despite being an intensely private person, Miss Wickes is surely smiling at what is nothing less than her due.
March 23, 2019
As the subtitle of this book states, I knew I'd seen that face.............. Mostly I remembered her from the Trouble With Angels movies, "Sister Act" and the housekeeper on "Father Downling". This is a wonderful telling of the achievements of an amazing woman, whose talent was never properly recognized, tho her face certainly is!
February 4, 2025
I love Mary Wickes, but this book should have been an article in Vanity Fair. I loved to hear about her life and how is pretty much was the straight-laced, spinster she portrayed, but I didn't need to hear about every piece of mail she kept or every regional theater production she starred in. I listened to the audiobook, which seemed to go on forever.
September 24, 2023
Everything For Which You’d Hope
Beautifully researched. Respectfully written. Keen, appropriate insights. Not salacious. Honest. It reminded me of my mom’s girlfriends, maiden aunts & Sunday visits. Highly recommended.
Beautifully researched. Respectfully written. Keen, appropriate insights. Not salacious. Honest. It reminded me of my mom’s girlfriends, maiden aunts & Sunday visits. Highly recommended.
December 31, 2021
I never expected such a substantial, impeccably documented biography of a character actress. Pretty impressive!
February 14, 2022
Interesting biography of an actress everyone has seen in many movies and TV shows. Nothing groundbreaking - just a nice solid biography.
February 27, 2023
Author doesn’t get close enough to the subject character actress Mary Wickes. He repeatedly comments on her looks and height which is a shame.
February 14, 2015
Whenever an older friend and I watch an old movie where Mary Wickes appears, we yell “Mary Wickes!” And then she’s gone. I’ve always wondered what her story was, and here we get it. Unfortunately, there is not a ton to report. This book needed to be half its length. The author beats every issue to death, such as her frugality, her conservative views, her close relationship with her mother, and her lack of a romantic life which caused her to focus on furthering her career, to the point of being pushy with her allies in the industry. I’m not always sure what the author is trying to say. At one point he talks about how her looks worked against her when she wanted to expand the scope of roles offered her, but then quotes a friend and renowned casting director who said that Wickes didn’t possess the range to play a role like the brittle Amanda in “The Glass Menagerie”. Other actors say that Wickes started to identify even further with the old fashioned, middle-American kind of parts she played as time went on.
One of the more interesting parts of the book centered on her friendship with Lucille Ball, her best friend, which I had hitherto known nothing about. Of course, half of the interest is simply because it’s Lucy, but it is also interesting because the author gets a lot of input from Lucie Arnaz. One of the greatest drawbacks of this book is that there are very few people still alive to whom the author could talk. The author can draw upon Wickes’ papers left to Washington University, but the person who holds the 80 pages of autobiography Wickes attempted would not give the author access to them.
The author does present an interesting portrait of an actor whose career only achieves a middling level, and then plateaus. One of the most compelling stories involves Wickes needing a mastectomy, which caused difficulty in costuming and, in one case of needing swimming lessons, preparation for a role because she already felt her career was tenuous and could not afford to be open about any physical abnormalities in that day and age. Still, it's nice to hear about her 1990s renaissance, starting with "Postcards From the Edge", then "Sister Act", and then voice-work in Disney's "Hunchback of Notre Dame".
If you’re a fan of Mary Wickes, I cannot dissuade you from reading this book (or listening to the audiobook), but you may find yourself becoming impatient with the overkill and repetition. Also, as a fan of Mary Wickes, you may want to reserve for yourself what little mystery she holds for you – and skip it altogether. I feel bad saying this, as this was an admirable labor of love for the author, but it probably needed to be at least 100 pages shorter. If I could, I would give the book 2.5 stars, but since the author was facing a tremendous uphill battle trying to compile and organize what little material he could, I'm rounding up to 3 stars.
One of the more interesting parts of the book centered on her friendship with Lucille Ball, her best friend, which I had hitherto known nothing about. Of course, half of the interest is simply because it’s Lucy, but it is also interesting because the author gets a lot of input from Lucie Arnaz. One of the greatest drawbacks of this book is that there are very few people still alive to whom the author could talk. The author can draw upon Wickes’ papers left to Washington University, but the person who holds the 80 pages of autobiography Wickes attempted would not give the author access to them.
The author does present an interesting portrait of an actor whose career only achieves a middling level, and then plateaus. One of the most compelling stories involves Wickes needing a mastectomy, which caused difficulty in costuming and, in one case of needing swimming lessons, preparation for a role because she already felt her career was tenuous and could not afford to be open about any physical abnormalities in that day and age. Still, it's nice to hear about her 1990s renaissance, starting with "Postcards From the Edge", then "Sister Act", and then voice-work in Disney's "Hunchback of Notre Dame".
If you’re a fan of Mary Wickes, I cannot dissuade you from reading this book (or listening to the audiobook), but you may find yourself becoming impatient with the overkill and repetition. Also, as a fan of Mary Wickes, you may want to reserve for yourself what little mystery she holds for you – and skip it altogether. I feel bad saying this, as this was an admirable labor of love for the author, but it probably needed to be at least 100 pages shorter. If I could, I would give the book 2.5 stars, but since the author was facing a tremendous uphill battle trying to compile and organize what little material he could, I'm rounding up to 3 stars.
September 3, 2013
Relegated to supporting roles throughout her long career, Mary Wickes is perfectly captured in this especially well-titled biography, "I Know I've Seen That Face Before."
Bigger name stars, of course, are often the subject of multiple biographies. So it's a testament to author Steve Taravella who singled out this veteran supporting player -- a most memorable, salty one at that -- for an exhaustively researched, entertainingly written book.
Many biographers string together oft-told, second-hand stories but it's obvious early on that this author went the extra mile. Many miles. The book is packed with personal reminiscences and anecdotes from friends, colleagues and her little-remaining family that bring Wickes' little-known life into the spotlight. It also includes the most painstakingly detailed role-by-role appendix I've ever seen in any actor's biography. Bravo.
Bigger name stars, of course, are often the subject of multiple biographies. So it's a testament to author Steve Taravella who singled out this veteran supporting player -- a most memorable, salty one at that -- for an exhaustively researched, entertainingly written book.
Many biographers string together oft-told, second-hand stories but it's obvious early on that this author went the extra mile. Many miles. The book is packed with personal reminiscences and anecdotes from friends, colleagues and her little-remaining family that bring Wickes' little-known life into the spotlight. It also includes the most painstakingly detailed role-by-role appendix I've ever seen in any actor's biography. Bravo.
November 2, 2014
I remember seeing Mary Wickes in Where Angels Go Trouble Follows and the Sister Act movies, but she's been in so many more. Some of those I've even seen like White Christmas and Moonlight Bay. She was also in one of my favorite episodes of I Love Lucy and I didn't even realize it.
Taravella chronicles the life of this beloved character actress who truly made a mark on Hollywood. Sadly, not many people know her by name when they see her in her movies. In fact, the year she passed away she was left off the In Memoriam portion of the Oscars. Wickes was brilliant actress and learned so much about the early years of the entertainment industry as well.
Highly recommend...both this book and any Mary Wickes movie.
Taravella chronicles the life of this beloved character actress who truly made a mark on Hollywood. Sadly, not many people know her by name when they see her in her movies. In fact, the year she passed away she was left off the In Memoriam portion of the Oscars. Wickes was brilliant actress and learned so much about the early years of the entertainment industry as well.
Highly recommend...both this book and any Mary Wickes movie.
January 3, 2014
I'm giving this 5 stars because I'm so glad it exists! Someone needed to write a book on Mary Wickes - she's in so many of my favorite movies! This was a great insight into the woman behind all those characters. I was especially interested to read about the close relationship between Ms. Wickes and Lucille Ball and her family.
January 2, 2016
So, don't really feel like I got any real sense of the woman. I can infer reasons of my own for what little evidence there was for her behaviors, but there's no personality here. As much as you might be interested in a person, pick someone who kept copious diaries or wrote unending correspondence, or don't wait until she and pretty much everyone who knew her when is in their grave.
February 26, 2015
Mary Wiickes, who played the housekeeper in White Christmas, spent a lifetime playing housekeepers, nuns, & nurses but lived alone dedicated to her craft. An excellent book written after her death but giving us a window into a very complex woman's life.
January 21, 2024
Loved it. My brother and I were interviewed and quoted in this book as Mary was a friend of his and a friend to me when I had breast cancer in 1993. She was one of the greatest character actresses. Loved her.
October 15, 2013
Mary Wickes' life wasn't one of high drama but I'm glad that this great character actress gets the attention she deserves in this well researched biography.
December 11, 2013
Ok biography.
August 2, 2013
Learn a lot about this wonderful actress
October 5, 2013
Although an interesting story, not really enough here to sustain a whole book.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews