LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Mabel Paige
built 640 days ago
Mabel Paige, one of Hollywood's most beloved character actresses, was given her one-and-only starring role in this Republic Pictures tearjerker. Paige plays a wealthy old lady embittered by the long-ago disappearance of her son. She lives alone in a downtown hotel, with only the occasional company of her faithful chauffeur (Harry Shannon). When a group of college boys move into the hotel, Mabel befriends the most troublesome of the bunch (John Craven) because she believes he's her grandson. Her harsh attitude toward the world softened by Craven's presence, Paige dies happy, still under the impression that the boy is her own flesh and blood. Based on a story by Ben Ames Williams, it was remade in 1957 as Johnny Trouble, starring Ethel Barrymore in her final screen role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
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When Joe discovers the photo store owner Shawn is hanged in his studio, he closes in on the murderer with the help of his mother (Mabel Paige). She's a daffy senior citizen, who shares a small house with him. While demonstrating with a friend how the murder took place she accidently has a blank go off, and this gives Joe the idea on how the murderer made it look like a suicide. The viewer knows it was murder from the opening shot, but for the first time Joe is now positive and this gives him enough conviction to go full-blast after the killer.
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As a member of Kappa Delta Chi, a community service-based sorority, Mabel performs over 25 hours of volunteer work each semester. She has tutored underprivileged kids, participated in food drives, assisted in providing flu shots for senior citizens, and much more. Mabel ... played a leadership role in conducting a pilot project to create a community service database program for the College of Nursing.
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