Do you like the Verna Felton, Mother of Dennis Day Character

[Jack Benny]

She still kind of bugs me. She has some great lines and slams Jack harder and better than most others with the possible exception of Mary and Fred Allen! She just does such a great job of being over bearing, that she makes me uncomfortable, kind like watching "The Office."

[Yhtapmys]

Verna was absolutely perfectly cast for the role and, to be honest, I'm disappointed they didn't use her as much later on. The way Dennis' character was being written, especially after the war, you can see why she wasn't. His character expanded a lot so his dialogues with Jack revolved around things other something that would need his mother to defend him. And they didn't need her being there to refer to her and get laughs.

Someone here pointed out some YouTube clips of Verna on December Bride. She sure shows her stage training and that she was a great physical comedienne, too. And I liked her as Wilma's mother on The Flintstones; she always brought a shot of energy to the cartoon.

Yhtapmys

[mrdj]

One of my favorite episodes is her visit to Jack's show. Even now I can hear ''You no good, cheap, conniving, chiseler. I 'm going to come up there and punch you right in the nose!'' in my mind and laugh out loud. Perhaps if they had used her more it would have weakened her character, but I would have been willing to take that chance. Loved her!!

[helloagain]

I first discovered Verna Felton on 'December Bride', when I was a kid. I think her character's name was 'Hilda'. This was long before I saw or heard her on the Benny program. She was a very fine actress, who could do drama as well as comedy.

[mrdj]

Nice to see that her bio on Imdb says she has a star on the 'Hollywood Walk of Fame'!

[Mister Kitzel]

Verna Felton's character did offer some great comedic moments. While some characters could put Jack down, Jack was still their boss. Somehow Dennis' mother was able to keep Jack in his place. At the same time, though, there were little bits that popped out about Dennis' contractual agreements that proved Jack still had the upper hand. You have to wonder what would have happened to Dennis if his mother had not intervened.

[helloagain]

Yes, I seem to recall her saying that she couldn't break Dennis' contract because Jack adopted him!

[shimp scrampi]

I enjoy Verna Felton quite a bit, though I understand how she can rub some the wrong way. Whenever I think of the verb "to bellow", it's Verna's voice I hear.

Incidentally, she also played Gracie Allen's mother in some Burns and Allen in the later 1940s ... lesson learned, if you want to have brainy kids, don't have 'em with Verna!

[helloagain]

I remember Verna in an episode of 'I Love Lucy'. Lucy was ( for some reason ) selling vacuum cleaners door to door. When Verna opens the door Lucy throws dirt on her carpet and gives her a $10 bill, promising her she can keep it if the vacuum doesn't pick up every particle. Verna lets her jump thorough the hoops, quietly giving her that menacing stare, finally telling her that the electricity was shut off. I think she also played a domineering maid that Lucy hires in another episode. She's always a joy to watch.

[kbbl]

Thank you, in the back of my mind I always knew I recognized that voice, and now I know why.

I probably watched 4-5 hours of the Flintstones a week growing up. of course, Wilma's mother.

[Maxwell]

I remember her best from when I was a kid as Hilda Crocker on "December Bride."

[helloagain]

I just listened to chapter one of a 1937 broadcast of 'The Cinnamon Bear' and heard Verna Felton playing a young mother. Her voice is almost unrecognizable, but I guess we were all young once.

[Ray Faiola]

I thought they missed a wonderful opportunity when they had Dennis Day sing "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo" from CINDERELLA. How great it would have been if Verna, who sang the song in the picture, could have done the number with Dennis. I know it would have been out of character but it still would have been grand.

[AnneCr]

I don't know Yo Gabba Gabba – except for googling it just now -, but somehow imdb has verna felton listed as Sprout in the Yo Gabba Gabba Movie 2. I did not know she was also the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella. Thanks for bringing her up!