Templeton Fox: Movies & Filmography

Templeton Fox (born Esther May Fox) was an American actress who became particularly well-known for her extensive work in old-time radio during the Golden Age of Broadcasting. Born on July 24, 1916, in Chicago, Illinois, she was the daughter of Lawrence Brainard Fox and Anne "Annie" Templeton, whose maiden name she later adopted as her stage name on the advice of a numerologist. Sources disagree about her early life, with some suggesting she was born in Pasadena, California in 1913, though official documents support the 1916 Chicago birth date. Raised in Elgin, Illinois, Fox attended Pomona College and began her artistic career as a singer in Los Angeles before transitioning to acting. She gained early experience at the Pasadena Community Playhouse after winning a hotel-sponsored talent contest. Her career took a major leap when her parents challenged her to audition with NBC, resulting in a contract as a dramatic actress in September 1935.

Fox's career spanned radio, film, stage, and television over several decades. In radio, she took on supporting roles in popular programs such as Manhattan at Midnight, Lights Out, and The Mystery Man, becoming a recognizable voice of the era. In film, she worked primarily at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), mostly in bit parts, with credits including Tony Rome, Fate Is the Hunter, Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte, Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?, and Shock Treatment. On stage, she portrayed Miriam Blake in a 1942 production of Guest in the House in Boston. Her television work included appearances in shows such as Hazel, Route 66, Dennis the Menace, The Thin Man, My Three Sons, Slattery's People, Gentle Ben, My Living Doll, and Peyton Place. In a notable 1975 moment, she was a last-minute replacement to play Ralph Kramden's mother-in-law on the 25th anniversary episode of The Honeymooners after the originally slated actress died suddenly. Personally, she married radio advertising executive and Paramount Pictures producer Robert Lyon Welch in 1938, with whom she had two children, including musician Bob Welch, an early member of Fleetwood Mac. After Welch's death in 1964, she married William Reid McLeod in 1970. Fox passed away on January 9, 1993, in Los Angeles, California, leaving behind a rich legacy across multiple entertainment mediums.