Before Aunt Harriet

I’ve always enjoyed Madge Blake on the Batman TV series. She gave fine performances as the naïve but kindly Aunt Harriet.

Considering the huge impact the show had on kids when it debuted, it’s hard to realise Blake made regular appearances on TV shows before that.

At the time, some of her roles were proudly profiled in local newspapers. Here’s a feature story form the Modesto Bee of May 7, 1961. She had been appearing periodically on The Real McCoys at the time. It explains why she got into acting late in life.

Madge Blake Of The Real McCoys Visits Son In Merced
By Richard Watry
McClatchy Newspapers Service
MERCED, Merced Co. — Madge Blake is a wonderfully warm actress-mother whose theatrical star orbited when she was cast as the delightful Flora MacMichael on the highly popular The Real McCoy's television show witch features the venerable Walter Brennan.
Mrs. Blake has been here on a brief visit with Ted Blake, one of her two teaching sons. Blake is a science instructor at Merced High School. His other brother, Jim, teaches in a Southern California high school. And while in Merced the past few days Mrs. Blake found time to drop in at El Capitan High School to be guest lecturer in Alice Osborn's drama class.
Madge Blake — that is her real name — did not stumble into acting but entered it late, only 12 years ago. The daughter of a Methodist circuit riding minister, she always had a bent for the dramatics.
"But my father was a true hell bent for the Lord type of a man who would tolerate no smoking, lipstick, late hours or dramatics," she said.
However, living alone after her sons went into military service in World War II, Mrs. Blake worked for Cal-Tech in the chemistry division, a post for which "I guess they felt my one year of high school chemistry made me eminently qualified to do the task." Nonetheless she was given a special citation for her tasks in the war effort.
Not readily recognizable was her developing talent in little theater work "which I did to fill the vacant hours".
It was the late Fanny Brice who triggered the countdown for Mrs. Blake's eventual recognition as character star material. She had seen a performance by Mrs. Blake and subsequently was instrumental in landing the latter the role of mother to Spencer Tracy in Adam's Rib.
This was in 1949 and Mrs. Blake credits Katherine Hepburn also with "aiding and abetting my career". Miss Hepburn, also in that film, kept building up Madge Blake's part by tossing her some unauthored dialog which Director George Cuker [sic] left in the script.
Since then Mrs. Blake has done some 50 to 60 films and more than 300 professional shows.
And gilding the lily, so to speak, was her selection to play veteran actor Andy Clyde's sister Flora in The Real McCoys for television. She was just right for the sweet, soft spoken foil to Brennan.
It is a tribute that wherever she goes young and old alike hail her as Flora MacMichael instead of Madge Blake.
Even greater theatrical heights are in sight for her this fall when the Joey Bishop show is scheduled for a weekly run. She already has signed contracts to appear as his mother. And Jack Benny wants Mrs. Blake to join him once again for his summer show in Las Vegas because of her success with the show there last year.
Mrs. Blake has no affectations. She is in real life much like Flora McMichael who sat in this reporter's home until 1 in the morning eating ice cream, munching cookies and dispensing with some warmly amusing bon mots about her love affair with the theater.
She lives alone in Pasadena, her place of residence the past 24 years. In her younger days she lived in the Dinuba and Reedley areas while her father was in the ministry. How does this belated film and television activity affect her?
"Well,” she remarked, "I just love it. I am glad I had smaller roles and a chance to develop into character parts gradually. I love to cook and do some entertaining. And, of course, the pride of my world is not the acting profession but my four delightful grandsons in Southern California.
"I enjoy visiting in Merced and meeting Ted and Millie's friends. And I do love the theater. I just hope I can go on and on and on and I am looking forward to my new series with Joey."

The “new series with Joey” wasn’t as permanent she might have hoped. The series went on, but Blake was dumped after the first season as Bishop tinkered with the sitcom’s situations. Here’s Blake speaking to the Merced Sun-Star of May 12, 1962.

HOME IN MERCED FOR MOTHER’S DAY
Veteran, Twinkling Star in Appearance at Merced High
Madge Blake's large expressive eyes twinkled and a warm, friendly smile flashed across her face as she offered this bit of advice:
"If you want security in your life's work, don't go into show business. Become a dressmaker or a plumber."
Mrs. Blake, known to tele-viewers as the loveable and flustered mother of Joey Bishop on the television comedy show of the same name gave a few hints about show business in a brief talk Friday afternoon before Merced High and El Capitan High Schools drama students.
"Show business isn’t really as glamorous as it appears looking in from the outside," she told the students. "You have to put in many long hours and work awfully hard.
"I know that some days I came home and am so exhausted I wonder if I'll be able to get up the next morning."
Mrs. Blake is in Merced for Mother's Day and is staying with her son, Ted Blake, who is a teacher at Merced High School.
The actress told the students she got into show business at the end of World War II after working at a number of other jobs, including a two year stint at Cal Tech, Pasadena, in experimental chemistry and as a salesclerk in a large well known Southern California department store.
"After the war ended and my two sons came home I became interested in acting and went to the Pasadena Playhouse," Mrs. Blake related. "I just had to learn to act because it seemed like a challenge.
"In the years that followed I learned that much hard work has to go into an acting career and I had many bit parts and good breaks in a number of films.
"I learned, for instance, that in comedy, timing is the important thing. A good scene can go down the drain if an actor isn't aware of the importance of timing."
Mrs. Blake recalled that she played the part of Spencer Tracy's mother in the film Adam's Rib.
"When Spencer learned that I was to play that part, he was considerably annoyed," she continued. "I am younger than him and he felt that it wouldn't work out.
"I told him that in the movie I play the part of a rich woman who has no worries and said that the woman holds her age well and looks young. He seemed satisfied with that and we got along wonderfully."
She also was in the casts of "I Remember Mama" and "The Long, Long Trailer."
"Lucille Ball, one of the stars of "The Long, Long Trailer," told me recently that she saw that film in New York," Mrs. Blake remarked. "She said the scene where I got so mad when the trailer rolled over my garden evoked a lot of laughs.
"I've never been in New York in my life but apparently my shadows rocked the walls of a movie theater there."
She also has been in the production of "The Happiest Millionaire," "Bell Book and Candle," and "Harvey."
Mrs. Blake said that when young persons who aspire to be actors and actresses ask her for advice she tells them this is her recipe for success in show business:
"Develop the hide of a rhinoceros and add a little rubber to your diet so you can bounce back if you get knocked down."
She explained that the new format of the Joey Bishop show next season will probably mean she will appear less in the program.
"Joey plays the part of an entertainer who has his own show," she noted. "This is really what he enjoys doing the most. He's a talented man and is a darling to work with."
Mrs. Blake said she doesn't know what all she will be doing during the next season but imagines she will be working on different programs.
She has had the part of Grandpa's girl friend in "The Real McCoys" and will be seen next week in the "Dr. Kildare" series. After this weekend, Mrs. Blake will return to her home in Hollywood.

In these interviews, Blake comes across as a down-to-earth, rather gentle person. I hope that’s an accurate assessment. I’ve enjoyed her in many different roles over the years. It’s a shame ill health (and a focus on Batgirl and some preposterous villains played by Barbara Rush, Rudy Vallee and Milton Berle) prevented her from doing much on Batman after the second season. She passed away on Feb. 19, 1969 after a heart attack.