Cheerio Meredith | |
---|---|
![]() Meredith in
A Fig Leaf for Eve (1944) | |
Born | Edwina Lucille Hoffmann July 12, 1890
Missouri, U.S. |
Died | December 25, 1964
Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, U.S. | (aged 74)
Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park Hollywood Hills |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1944–1964 |
Spouses | Conde Thompson Mosley
(
m. 1910; died 1949)
|
Children | 4 |
Cheerio Meredith (born Edwina Lucille Hoffmann; July 12, 1890 – December 25, 1964) was an American character actress. She was described in a 1963 newspaper article as having "a face like a wrinkled rosebud." [1]
Meredith was born in 1890; [2] her mother was an elocutionist in the Chautauqua movement, and one of her grandmothers was an evangelist. Meredith made her own debut on stage with a monologue at age 3. The name Cheerio resulted from her cheerful attitude as a child. [1]
As a teenager, Meredith sought to play older characters. At age 15, she asked a producer to give her the part of an old woman, and he made her a witch in the play. [3]
Films in which Meredith appeared included Brand of Courage (1958), The Long Count (1962), [4] The Fat Man (1951), I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955), I Married a Woman (1958), The Legend of Tom Dooley (1958), The Three Stooges in Orbit (1962), The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm (1962) [2] and Sex and the Single Girl (1964).
On television, Meredith portrayed Lovey Hackett on One Happy Family (1961). [5] She also was seen regularly on The Ames Brothers Show (1955) and had the role of Emma Brand (later Emma Watson) on The Andy Griffith Show. [2] Mary Lou Gedman wrote about Meredith's role on the Griffith show, "During her two-year stint on the show, she only appeared in six episodes but somehow, to the American people, she made a lasting impression." [6] She also had roles in other programs such as Petticoat Junction, December Bride, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Tom Ewell Show, McHale's Navy and Bonanza. [7]
Meredith was twice married and had four children, three of whom acted on Broadway before going into other careers. The fourth became a producer of plays. [1]
In December 1964, "after a long illness", Meredith died at the Motion Picture Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California. [8] She was 74 years old. [8] Meredith was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles County, California. [9]