Making Early Television More Significant

There were a few significant films, Butterfield 8 (1960), A Rage to Live (1965), and Sounder (1972), but Carmen Matthews (1911–1995) spent the majority of her career in front of television cameras. Mattews began her acting studies in the States before studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Her professional acting appearance began with the Stratford-on-Avon Shakespearean Company before moving back to the United States. Her alto voice quickly became a fixture on American television, appearing in six episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Depending on its screenplay, she displayed her full range, handling dramatic or comedic roles with aplomb. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, she appeared on many of the era's popular series as diverse as The Fugitive to M.A.S.H. The next decade found her in a significant role as Mamie Eisenhower for five appearances in the mini-series, Kennedy (1983).