Estelle Winwood

 Estelle Winwood, born Estelle Ruth Goodwin (January 24, 1883 – June 20, 1984)

Throughout her career, her first love was the theatre; and, as the years passed, she appeared less frequently in London and became a frequent performer on Broadway, appearing in such plays as A Successful Calamity (1917), A Little Journey (1918), Spring Cleaning (1923), The Distaff Side (1934), The Importance of Being Earnest (which she also directed, 1939), When We Are Married (1939), Ladies in Retirement (1940), The Pirate (1942), Ten Little Indians (1944), Lady Windermere's Fan (1947), and The Madwoman of Chaillot (1948). Like many stage actors of her era, she expressed a distaste for films and resisted the offers she received during the 1920s. Finally, she relented and made her film début in Night Angel (1931), but her scenes were cut before the film's release. Her official film début came in The House of Trent (1933), and Quality Street (1937) was her first role of note. During the 1950s, she appeared more frequently in television than she did in film in such series as Robert Montgomery Presents, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and The Donna Reed Show. Her other film credits include Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959), The Misfits (1961), The Magic Sword (1962), The Notorious Landlady (1962), Dead Ringer (1964), Camelot (1967) and The Producers (1968).

Her other work for television included guest roles in Dennis the Menace, The Twlight Zone, Thriller, Dr. Kildare, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Name of the Game, Bewitched, Batman, Love, American Style, Cannon, Police Story, and Perry Mason. When she took on her final major television role in a 1979 episode of Quincy, she officially became, at age 96, the oldest actor working in the U.S. Winwood was married four times, once to successful theatre director, film director and producer Guthrie McClintic. Another marriage was to Arthur Chesney. Winwood had no children by any of her marriages. Winwood died in her sleep in Woodland Hills, California, in 1984, at age 101. She is interred at Westwood Memorial Park.