Margaret Mann on AllMovie

According to a 1928 Fox Studios press release, Scottish actress Margaret Mann's own life was as difficult and tragic as those of her screen characters. Reportedly born into a poverty-stricken family, Mann was widowed early on, forced to take whatever jobs she could to keep her family fed. While this may have been mere press-agent puffery, it is certainly true that the characters she portrayed were required to endure more than the usual ration of suffering. In films from 1918, Mann's best showing during the silent era was the much-put-upon Ma Bernle in John Ford's Four Sons (1928). In talkies, she was generally consigned to bit roles as maids, nursing-home residents and comforting mothers. Margaret Mann holds a special place in the hearts of "Our Gang" fans for her portrayal of the frail-looking but iron-willed granny in the 1931 two-reelers Helping Grandma and Fly My Kite.