Gloria Henry
| Gloria Henry | |
|---|---|
 Gloria Henry, circa 1947 | |
| Born |
Gloria McEniry April 2, 1923 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1947–2005 |
| Spouse(s) | Craig Ellwood (1949–1977; divorced) |
| Children | 3 |
Gloria Henry (born Gloria McEniry; April 2, 1923) is an American actress, best known for her role as Alice Mitchell, Dennis’s mother, from 1959 to 1963 on the CBS family sitcom, Dennis the Menace.
Early life
Henry lived and grew up on the edge of the Garden District of New Orleans, Louisiana. She was educated at the Worcester Art Museum School. She moved to Los Angeles in her late teens and worked on a number of radio shows and commercials using the stage name of Gloria Henry. She also performed in little theater groups.
Career
Early career
Signed by an agent, Henry transitioned into film work via Columbia Studios and made her debut as the female lead in the minor horse-racing film Sport of Kings (1947). The 1950s were an uneventful mixture of more "B" films and episodic TV guest parts such as My Little Margie (1952) and the premiere episode of Perry Mason, "The Case of the Restless Redhead" (1957). She was also a regular on the private eye series The Files of Jeffrey Jones (1954) starring Don Haggerty, but was written out of the show when she became pregnant.
Dennis the Menace
In 1959, Henry landed the role for which she would become most well known, that of "Alice Mitchell" on the CBS comedy series Dennis the Menace.[1] The series co-starred Herbert Anderson as her husband and young Jay North in the title role of Dennis. Henry portrayed sunny domesticity and maternal warmth for four seasons until the series' cancellation in 1963.
After Dennis the Menace
Henry's career slowed down considerably after Dennis the Menace. She was spotted occasionally in TV-movies playing assorted bit-part matrons, and in 1989 played a small role as an art-collecting society matron in the prime time soap opera, Dallas. Henry returned to the big screen in a brief role in Her Minor Thing (2005), a romantic comedy directed by Charles Matthau, Walter Matthau's son. She occasionally attends film festivals and nostalgia conventions.
Personal life
Henry wed architect Craig Ellwood in 1949; they divorced in 1977. The couple had three children, Jeffrey, Adam, and Erin Ellwood.
Select film and television appearances
- Parks and Recreation (2012)
- Doogie Howser, M.D. (1992)
- Hunter (1990)
- Dallas (1989)
- Doin' Time on Planet Earth (1988)
- Falcon Crest (1987)
- The Brady Brides (1981)
- The Snoop Sisters (1974)
- Hazel (1963)
- Dennis the Menace - Alice Mitchell (1959–63)
- The Thin Man (1959)
- Rescue 8 - Joan (1958)
- Gang War (1958) - Edie Avery
- The Life of Riley - Miss Cosgrove (1958)
- Tales of Wells Fargo - Sharon Burns (1957)
- The Walter Winchell File (1957)
- Perry Mason - Helene Chaney (1957)
- Navy Log - Eileen Murphy (1957)
- The Files of Jeffrey Jones (1954)
- My Little Margie - Norma Calkins (1953)
- Hot News (1953) - Kerry Barker
- Mr. & Mrs. North - Ruth Spencer (1953)
- Rancho Notorious (1952) - Beth Forbes
- The Abbott and Costello Show - Ruby Norton
- Yellow Fin (1951) - Nina Torres
- Al Jennings of Oklahoma (1951) - Alice Calhoun
- Lightning Guns (1950) - Susan Atkins
- The Tougher They Come (1950) - Rattle Rafferty
- Rookie Fireman (1950) - Peggy Walters
- Kill the Umpire (1950) - Lucy Johnson
- Riders in the Sky (1949) - Anne Lawson
- Feudin' Rhythm (1949) - Valerie Kay
- Miss Grant Takes Richmond (1949) - Helen White
- Johnny Allegro (1949) - Addie
- Racing Luck (1948) - Phyllis Warren
- Triple Threat (1948) - Ruth Nolan
- The Strawberry Roan (1948) - Connie Bailey
- Arkansas Swing (1948) - Margie MacGregor
- Port Said (1948) - Gila Lingallo/Helena Guistano
- Adventures in Silverado (1948) - Jeannie Manning
- Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back (1947) - Ellen Curtiss
- Keeper of the Bees (1947) - Alice