Margaret Field (née Margaret Joy Morlan;[1] May 10, 1922 – November 6, 2011) was an American film actress[2] usually billed as Maggie Mahoney after her marriage to actor Jock Mahoney. The mother of actress Sally Field,[1] she was best known for her work in two science-fiction films, The Man from Planet X (1951) and Captive Women (1952)[3] and played dozens of roles in various television series.

Margaret Field
Field in the trailer for
The Man from Planet X (1951)
Born
Margaret Joy Morlan

(1922-05-10)May 10, 1922
Houston, Texas, U.S.
DiedNovember 6, 2011(2011-11-06) (aged 89)
Other namesMaggie Mahoney
Alma materPasadena Junior College
OccupationActress
Years active1945–1973
Spouses
Richard Field
(m. 1942; div. 1950)
(m. 1952; div. 1968)
Children3, including Sally and Richard
RelativesPeter Craig (grandson)
Eli Craig (grandson)

Early years

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Margaret Joy Morlan was born on May 10, 1922, in Houston, Texas,[3] the daughter of Joy Beatrice (née Bickeley) and Wallace Miller Morlan.[4] Late in the 1930s, her family and she moved to Pasadena, California.[5]

Career

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Maggie Mahoney and Jock Mahoney in a 1958 episode of Yancy Derringer

Field was discovered at the Pasadena Playhouse[6] by talent scout Milton Lewis for Paramount Pictures. Following a successful screen test, she was offered an 18-month contract. She then attended Pasadena Junior College, studying voice training and acting, while acting in films.[6] Early in her career, she acted in a series of Musical Parade short films for Paramount and had small roles in 26 full-length films from 1946 to 1953.[3]

She appeared, often more than once, in television series, among which were two roles as defendants on the CBS drama series Perry Mason. In 1959, she played title character Eva Martell in "The Case of the Borrowed Brunette". In 1960, she played Linda Osborne in "The Case of the Nine Dolls". Other television appearances included a 1950 episode of The Lone Ranger entitled "Greed for Gold", Wagon Train, Bonanza, The Virginian, The Range Rider, Yancy Derringer starring her husband Jock Mahoney, To Rome With Love starring John Forsythe, Lawman starring Barry Sullivan and Clu Gulager, Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, and the 1963 Twilight Zone episode "The New Exhibit", among many others. She also appeared in the science-fiction films Captive Women and The Man from Planet X.[5] In February 1956, Field co-starred with her husband Jock Mahoney in the Death Valley Days episode "Swamper Ike".[7]

Personal life

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In 1942, Field married Richard Dryden Field, an Army officer,[3] and had two children with him: television and film actress Sally Field and physicist Richard D. Field.[8][9]

On January 21, 1952, Field married actor Jock Mahoney in Tijuana, Mexico,[6] thereafter billed in her acting work as "Maggie Mahoney". Together they had a daughter, Princess, a director of television shows including ER and Shameless. Field and Mahoney divorced in June 1968. Around 1968, when her elder daughter Sally turned 22, Field virtually ended her acting career to focus on her family.[5]

Death

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Field, aged 89, died of cancer at her home in Malibu, California, on November 6, 2011,[3] which was her daughter Sally Field's 65th birthday.[10]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1946 Our Hearts Were Growing Up Lowell Schoolgirl Uncredited
1946 Blue Skies Showgirl Uncredited
1947 Ladies' Man Girl at Cocktail Table Uncredited
1947 The Imperfect Lady Chorus Girl Uncredited
1947 Blaze of Noon Nurse Uncredited
1947 Welcome Stranger Photo of Cousin Hattie Uncredited
1947 The Perils of Pauline Juliet in Show Uncredited
1948 The Big Clock Second Secretary
1948 Beyond Glory Cora
1948 Night Has a Thousand Eyes Agnes Uncredited
1948 Isn't It Romantic? Burly Gent's Second Girl Uncredited
1948 The Paleface Guest Uncredited
1949 My Friend Irma Alice
1949 Chicago Deadline Minerva
1949 Samson and Delilah Temple Spectator Uncredited
1950 Paid in Full Mother of Betsy Uncredited
1950 Riding High Maid Uncredited
1950 It's a Small World Janie at Age 16
1950 A Modern Marriage Evelyn Brown
1950 The Du Pont Story Housewife Uncredited
1951 The Man from Planet X Enid Elliot
1951 The Dakota Kid Mary Lewis
1951 Take Care of My Little Girl Party Guest Uncredited
1951 Yukon Manhunt Polly Kaufman
1951 Chain of Circumstance Dell Dawson
1951 The Valparaiso Story
1951 Venture of Faith
1952 For Men Only Julie Brice
1952 Carrie Servant Girl Uncredited
1952 The Story of Will Rogers Sally Rogers
1952 Captive Women Ruth
1952 The Raiders Mary Morrell
1953 So This Is Love Edna Wallace
1956 Inside Detroit Barbara Linden
1956 Blackjack Ketchum, Desperado Nita Riordan
1957 The Walter Winchell File Louise Melk Episode: "Where Is Louise Milk?"
1957 Slim Carter Hat Check Girl
1960 Desire in the Dust Maude Wilson

Selected television

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Year Title Role Notes
1953 Death Valley Days Laurie Season 1, Episode 12, "Swamper Ike"
1960 Perry Mason "The Case of the Nine Dolls" Season 4, Episode 9 Linda Osborne
1961 Lawman Ann Turner "Cold Fear"
1963 Twilight Zone "The New Exhibit"

References

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  1. ^ a b Wilson, Scott (2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. McFarland. p. 241. ISBN 9781476625997. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  2. ^ "Actress Margaret OMahoney dies". Variety. 7 November 2011. Archived from the original on 11 June 2017. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d e Lentz, Harris M. III (2012). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2011. McFarland. p. 109. ISBN 9780786469949. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  4. ^ 1940 United States Federal Census
  5. ^ a b c Parla, Paul; Mitchell, Charles P. (2000). Screen sirens scream! : interviews with 20 actresses from science fiction, horror, film noir, and mystery movies, 1930s to 1960s. McFarland. pp. 95–101. ISBN 0-7864-0701-8.
  6. ^ a b c Freese, Gene (2013). Jock Mahoney: The Life and Films of a Hollywood Stuntman. McFarland. p. 62. ISBN 9780786476893. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  7. ^ "There were satisfactory performances by Jock Mahoney and Margaret Field. The 20-Mule Team Borax commercials were fairly good."Morse, Leon (February 18, 1956). "Death Valley Days (TV film)". Billboard , Inc. p. 13, Col. 2.
  8. ^ "Richard Field".
  9. ^ "Information: Field Family".
  10. ^ Margaret Field, Actress and Mother of Sally Field, Dies at 89
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