Helen Lowell

Helen Lowell, born Helen Lowell Robb on June 2, 1866, in New York, New York, was an American stage and film actress whose career spanned from 1884 to the mid-1930s. She appeared on Broadway from 1896 to 1933, accumulating credits across numerous productions while also building a substantial reputation as a stage comedienne and character actress.

Lowell's professional debut came in 1884, when she took the title role in Iolanthe at the Academy of Music in New York. Her early stage work included the role of Charlotte Corday in 1895 and the recurring role of Mrs. Errol in Little Lord Fauntleroy. She also created the role of Susan Throssell in the first New York production of J.M. Barrie's Quality Street, appearing alongside Maude Adams, who played Phoebe Throssell.

In October 1903, Lowell appeared in Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch in Louisville, Kentucky, playing Miss Hazy. The production led to an extended touring engagement that took her through Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, and the United States over the following seven years. Her Broadway credits included starring roles in Next and The Torch-Bearers in 1922, as well as appearances in Come Easy, Take My Tip, and The Guest Room.

In 1934, Lowell relocated to Hollywood, where she transitioned into film work. She became a recognizable presence in supporting roles, frequently cast as middle-aged women. Her film appearances included Side Streets for Warner Bros., The Merry Frinks as Grandma Frink, Party Wire as Nettie Putnam, The Goose and the Gander as Aunt Julia, Strike Me Pink as Hattie "Ma" Carson, I'd Give My Life as Mrs. Bancroft Sr., Wild Brian Kent as Aunt Sue Prentice, Snowed Under as Mrs. Canterbury, and Michael O'Halloran as Hettie. An earlier film credit, Isn't Life Wonderful, dates to 1924, in which she appeared as The Grandmother.

Lowell died on June 29, 1937, when she was found dead in her hotel room in Hollywood.