Who played Lucy Ricardo's mother, Mrs. McGillicuddy?

Kathryn Card played Lucy Ricardo's mother, Mrs. McGillicuddy, on I Love Lucy.

Card first appeared as Lucy's mother in the fourth-season episode “Lucy’s Back in Town,” broadcast in 1954. Mrs. McGillicuddy was a comic contrast to Ricky Ricardo: she was affectionate toward Lucy but often irritated Ricky by calling him “Mickey” or confusing him with bandleader Xavier Cugat.

The role is easy to mix up with Card’s other I Love Lucy appearances. She also played Minnie Finch, the eccentric woman who attends Ricky’s club opening, and the two characters look and sound very different. Elizabeth Patterson, another recurring performer, played Mrs. Matilda Trumbull, not Lucy’s mother.

Card was a veteran radio, film, and television actress. Her recurring presence helped establish Lucy’s family background, even though Mrs. McGillicuddy appeared far less often than the Ricardos’ neighbors and friends.