Margaret Mann

Margaret Mann was a Scottish-American actress who first took up acting at age 50, portraying Martha Washington in a pageant. Born in Aberdeen, Scotland, she moved with her family to South Africa at 12. She spent a decade as a film extra, mostly at Universal and Triangle, before taking larger roles in silent pictures. Her credits included Black Beauty in 1921 and the lead in John Ford's 1928 drama Four Sons, which was among John Wayne's earliest films. She was known for kind-hearted or suffering motherly parts. When sound arrived, her roles grew smaller and were often uncredited. In 1931 she appeared in two Our Gang comedies as Mrs. Mack, a kindly grandmother. Later bit parts came in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), Frankenstein, Gone with the Wind, and You Can't Take It With You. Her final film, The Remarkable Andrew (1942), was released a year after her death.