Martha Wentworth

Biography

Martha Wentworth was an American actress from New York City, and a versatile voice actress in radio and animation. She is better remembered for voicing the shape-shifting witch Madam Mim in the Arthurian animated film "The Sword in the Stone" (1963). This was Wentworth's last credited voice role, but Mim turned out to be one of the most popular characters introduced in this film. Mim went on to become a significant recurring character in Disney comics, often depicted as the roommate and best friend of fellow witch Magica De Spell. In 1889, Wentworth was born in New York City. She made her theatrical debut c. 1906, at the age of 17. She was one of the proteges of the veteran actress Minnie Maddern Fiske (1865-1932). In the early 1920s, Wentworth started regularly voicing radio characters. In 1935, she was hired to voice the horror host Old Nancy, the Witch of Salem in the horror-themed radio series "The Witch's Tale" (1931-1938). She replaced Nancy's previous actress Adelaide Fitz-Allen, who had died in 1935. Wentworth also voiced the recurring villain Wintergreen the Witch in the Christmas-themed serial "The Cinnamon Bear" (1937). Wentworth voiced Jenny Wren in "Who Killed Cock Robin?" (1935), one of Disney's "Silly Symphonies". She also voiced the terrorist Mad Bomber in "The Blow Out", the first solo cartoon for Porky Pig. She voiced several minor characters in late 1930s "Merrie Melodies". She voiced the radio announcer of the "witching hour" in "Fraidy Cat" (1942), one of the earliest Tom and Jerry short films. Wentworth was one of the regular supporting players in the radio show "The Abbott and Costello Show" (1940-1949). The show's stars were the comedy duo of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. She voiced Daffy Duck's domineering wife in "His Bitter Half" (1950). Wentworth voiced three relatively minor characters in the animated feature film "One Hundred and One Dalmatians" (1961). Her characters in the film were the loyal housekeeper Nanny, the helpful goose Lucy, and Queenie, the leader of a group of cows. During its initial release, the film earned 14 million dollars at the domestic box office. Wentworth retired from acting in the mid-1960s. She died in March 1974, at the age of 84. Though her radio fame has faded, she still has a loyal following among animation fans. Her voice has continued to entertain generations of fans, long after her heyday.