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Polly Rowles 1914 - 2001

Polly Rowles of Concord, Merrimack County, NH was born on January 10, 1914, and died at age 87 years old on October 7, 2001.

Polly Rowles

Concord, Merrimack County, NH 03301

January 10, 1914

October 7, 2001

Female

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Polly Rowles Polly Rowles (1914 - 2001)

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Polly Rowles' History: 1914 - 2001

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Introduction

Mary Elizabeth "Polly" Rowles was an American actress best known for such films and television series as The Defenders, Sweet Liberty and Power. She also appeared as Vera Charles in the original Broadway production of Auntie Mame with Rosalind Russell in the title role. Wikipedia Born: January 10, 1914, Philadelphia, PA Died: October 7, 2001, Concord, NH
01/10

1914

Birthday

January 10, 1914

Birthdate

Unknown

Birthplace

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Professional Career

Polly Rowles PERFORMER BORN: JAN 10, 1914 IN PHILADELPHIA, PA, USA DEATH: OCT 7, 2001 IN CONCORD, NH, USA ROLES (20) Steaming Playbill - Dec 1982 STEAMING (1982) OPENED DEC 12, 1982 AS MRS. MEADOW (ORIGINAL) Steaming - Opening Night The Women Playbill - April 1973 THE WOMEN (1973) OPENED APR 25, 1973 AS LUCY (ORIGINAL) AS MISS CURTIS (ORIGINAL) Forty Carats Playbill - Dec 1968 FORTY CARATS (1968) OPENED DEC 26, 1968 AS MRS. MARGOLIN (ORIGINAL) The Killing of Sister George Playbill - Oct 1966 THE KILLING OF SISTER GEORGE (1966) OPENED OCT 5, 1966 AS MADAME XENIA (ORIGINAL) The Killing of Sister George - Opening Night The Best Laid Plans Playbill - March 1966 THE BEST LAID PLANS (1966) OPENED MAR 25, 1966 AS EVELYN HOPPER (ORIGINAL) The Best Laid Plans - Opening Night No Strings Playbill - April 1962 NO STRINGS (1962) OPENED MAR 15, 1962 AS MOLLIE PLUMMER (ORIGINAL) PB.Listing.Placeholder.BROADWAY.V4.jpg A MIGHTY MAN IS HE (1960) OPENED JAN 6, 1960 AS PHYLLIS CLYDE (ORIGINAL) Look After Lulu Playbill - March 1959 LOOK AFTER LULU (1959) OPENED MAR 3, 1959 AS CLAIRE (ORIGINAL) Auntie Mame Playbill - Dec 1956 AUNTIE MAME (1956) OPENED OCT 31, 1956 AS VERA CHARLES (ORIGINAL) PB.Listing.Placeholder.BROADWAY.V4.jpg GOODBYE AGAIN (1956) OPENED APR 24, 1956 AS ANNE ROGERS (ORIGINAL)
10/7

2001

Death

October 7, 2001

Death date

Unknown
Cause of death

Unknown
Death location

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Obituary

Polly Rowles, 87, Actress In TV and Film OCT. 20, 2001 Polly Rowles, an experienced character actress in theater and film whose most famous role was as Inspector No. 12 in a series of television commercials for Hanes underwear, died on Oct. 7 at a nursing home in Concord, N.H. She was 87. Mary Elizabeth Rowles, as she was named at her birth in Philadelphia, had an acting career that covered six decades. After graduating from the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh, she moved to Hollywood and signed with Universal Studios. She appeared in the 1930's in the films ''Love Letters of a Star,'' ''Wings Over Honolulu'' and ''Springtime in the Rockies,'' with Gene Autry. She made her Broadway debut in 1938 as Calpurnia in Orson Welles's production of Shakespeare's ''Julius Caesar.'' For the next several decades she kept a busy acting schedule, appearing in ''Time Out for Ginger''; ''Richard III,'' with Richard Whorf; the Richard Rodgers musical ''No Strings''; and many others. She played Vera Charles in ''Auntie Mame'' at the Broadhurst Theater for 637 performances, beginning in October 1956, and acted in a London production of ''Dark Eyes'' in 1948. Ms. Rowles also appeared in many television programs in the late 40's and 50's, including ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents,'' ''The Naked City'' and ''Jamie,'' and in later years, ''The Defenders,'' ''Somerset'' and ''The Nurses.'' At the end of her career, in the mid-80's, she returned to film, appearing in ''Power'' and Alan Alda's ''Sweet Liberty.'' Ms. Rowles developed a reputation for portraying snappy, sardonic older women, appearing in plays like ''Best Laid Plans,'' ''40 Carats'' and ''Steaming,'' a British comedy about women at a steam bath. Ms. Rowles played the only character who did not disrobe. Her talent for toughness and sarcasm served her well in a series of commercials for Hanes during the 80's. She played Inspector No. 12, a stern quality-control monitor whose catch phrase was, ''They don't say Hanes until I say Hanes.'' She appeared in at least 10 ads throughout the decade, beginning in 1980, and was an enthusiastic spokeswoman for the company, a Hanes representative said, at trade conventions and at Hanes factories. It became her best-known role. She is survived by her daughter, Constance Heath, of Concord, and a cousin, Constance Anderson, of Philadelphia.

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