Minerva Urecal (born Florence Minerva Dunnuck; September 22, 1894 – February 26, 1966) was an American stage and radio performer as well as a
character actress in
Hollywood films and on various television series from the early 1950s to 1965.[1]
Early years
Urecal was born Florence Minerva Dunnuck in
Eureka, California in 1894. She later formed her stage name by combining letters from the names of her hometown and state.[1]
Career
Urecal was originally a
vaudeville performer[2] before venturing into
radio and stage, later making her film debut in 1933. She played largely uncredited roles such as secretaries, laundresses and frontierswomen. She began working in
television in the 1950s, favoring
Westerns.
In 1957, Urecal had her only starring television role on the syndicated The Adventures of Tugboat Annie, playing the title character[4]: 18 originally performed by
Marie Dressler in the film Tugboat Annie in 1933 and continued by
Marjorie Rambeau and
Jane Darwell in two movie sequels. Later, in 1957, Urecal appeared as a landlady in the Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Fan Dancer's Horse". In 1959, Urecal replaced actress
Hope Emerson as nightclub owner "Mother" for season 2 of the private detective series Peter Gunn.
Urecal appeared on the
Walter BrennanABC sitcom The Real McCoys in the series' 1960 episode "The Gigolo" and in the Western series Whispering Smith in the episode "Swift Justice". She was cast as a maid in the 1961 episode "Call Me Mother" of the CBS sitcom Angel, starring
Annie Fargé. In 1965 she made her second appearance on Perry Mason, this time as Martha Glenhorn in "The Case of the Lover's Gamble", as well as appearing as Martha Winslow in the rural sitcom Petticoat Junction in an episode entitled 'A Tale of Two Dogs'. Her final television appearance was the following year, when she played Mrs. Griffin on an episode entitled 'Billie Jo's Independence Day' of Petticoat Junction.
^
abScheuer, Steven H. (1958). "Tugboat Annie Sails Again", archives (1923-1963) of the Chicago Daily Tribune, November 15, 1958, p. C7. ProQuest Historical Newspapers.
^
abcTerrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 876.
ISBN978-0-7864-6477-7.
^Terrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 224.
ISBN978-0-7864-4513-4.
^"Minerva Urecal". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Hawaii, Honolulu. Associated Press. 1 March 1966. p. 41. Retrieved 30 January 2018 – via
Newspapers.com.
^Wilson, Scott. Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Locations 25047-25048). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.
Minerva Urecal (born Florence Minerva Dunnuck; September 22, 1894 – February 26, 1966) was an American stage and radio performer as well as a
character actress in
Hollywood films and on various television series from the early 1950s to 1965.[1]
Early years
Urecal was born Florence Minerva Dunnuck in
Eureka, California in 1894. She later formed her stage name by combining letters from the names of her hometown and state.[1]
Career
Urecal was originally a
vaudeville performer[2] before venturing into
radio and stage, later making her film debut in 1933. She played largely uncredited roles such as secretaries, laundresses and frontierswomen. She began working in
television in the 1950s, favoring
Westerns.
In 1957, Urecal had her only starring television role on the syndicated The Adventures of Tugboat Annie, playing the title character[4]: 18 originally performed by
Marie Dressler in the film Tugboat Annie in 1933 and continued by
Marjorie Rambeau and
Jane Darwell in two movie sequels. Later, in 1957, Urecal appeared as a landlady in the Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Fan Dancer's Horse". In 1959, Urecal replaced actress
Hope Emerson as nightclub owner "Mother" for season 2 of the private detective series Peter Gunn.
Urecal appeared on the
Walter BrennanABC sitcom The Real McCoys in the series' 1960 episode "The Gigolo" and in the Western series Whispering Smith in the episode "Swift Justice". She was cast as a maid in the 1961 episode "Call Me Mother" of the CBS sitcom Angel, starring
Annie Fargé. In 1965 she made her second appearance on Perry Mason, this time as Martha Glenhorn in "The Case of the Lover's Gamble", as well as appearing as Martha Winslow in the rural sitcom Petticoat Junction in an episode entitled 'A Tale of Two Dogs'. Her final television appearance was the following year, when she played Mrs. Griffin on an episode entitled 'Billie Jo's Independence Day' of Petticoat Junction.
^
abScheuer, Steven H. (1958). "Tugboat Annie Sails Again", archives (1923-1963) of the Chicago Daily Tribune, November 15, 1958, p. C7. ProQuest Historical Newspapers.
^
abcTerrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 876.
ISBN978-0-7864-6477-7.
^Terrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 224.
ISBN978-0-7864-4513-4.
^"Minerva Urecal". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Hawaii, Honolulu. Associated Press. 1 March 1966. p. 41. Retrieved 30 January 2018 – via
Newspapers.com.
^Wilson, Scott. Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Locations 25047-25048). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.