Norma Varden (20 January 1898 – 19 January 1989) was an English actress with a long film career in Hollywood.Born in London, the daughter of a retired sea captain, Varden was a child prodigy. She trained as a concert pianist in Paris and performed in England before deciding to take up acting. She studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and made her first appearance as Mrs Darling in Peter Pan. She acted in repertory theater and made her West End debut in The Wandering Jew in 1920. From Shakespeare to farce, she established herself as a regular member of the Aldwych Theatre company where she appeared in plays from 1929 to 1933. She began to appear in British films, usually in haughty upper class roles.Visiting California with her ailing mother in the 1940s, she decided to settle permanently there and began her American film career. She appeared in Casablanca (1942), The Major and the Minor (1942), The White Cliffs of Dover (1944), National Velvet (1944), The Green Years (1946), Forever Amber (1947), Strangers on a Train (1951), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), and Witness for the Prosecution (1957). She played the housekeeper Frau Schmidt in The Sound of Music (1965). Two years later, she had a minor part as Lady Petherington in Doctor Dolittle (1967).She had a recurring role in the 1960s NBC sitcom Hazel as Harriet Johnson. She appeared on CBS's I Love Lucy as "Mrs. Benson", the neighbor with whom the Ricardos switch apartments after the birth of Little Ricky in 1953. She was cast as Mrs. Murdock in the 1961 episode "The Swedish Girl" on ABC's The Real McCoys. She appeared on CBS's Perry Mason as Winifred Wileen in the 1964 episode, "The Case of the Illicit Illusion." She also appeared on the 7th season episode of The Beverly Hillbillies "Problem Bear" as the snobby socialite, Mrs. Vanransenhoff, who went home with Granny to get gossip on Mrs. Drysdale.She died of natural causes in Santa Barbara, California, on the day before her 91st birthday.
I never got used to the way one is cast here [in America]. It's based on one's salary. If your agent can get you so much per week, then you are considered only for parts that are budgeted at that amount...I don't mean to sound ungrateful for the success I've had in American films, but this system is so limiting for serious actors.
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Fact
1
Norma was initially up for the role of the Mother Superior in The Sound of Music (1965), but lost out to Peggy Wood when the producers changed their minds. Somewhat of a consolation, Norma was relegated to the minor role of Frau Schmidt, the Von Trapps' housekeeper.
2
Spent later years active with the Screen Actors Guild, pushing for better medical benefits for older actors.
$850,000
