{{short description|American actress (1924-1995)}} {{Use American English|date=December 2022}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Doris Grau | image = Cropped_Photo_of_Doris_Grau.jpeg | caption = | birth_name = <!-- only use if different from name --> | birth_date = {{Birth date|1924|10|12}} | birth_place = [[Brooklyn, New York]], U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|1995|12|30|1924|10|12}} | death_place = [[Los Angeles, California]], U.S. | occupation = {{hlist|Actress|script supervisor}} | years_active = }} '''Doris Grau''' (October 12, 1924 – December 30, 1995) was an American actress and [[script supervisor]] from [[Brooklyn]]. After moving to [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]] in 1940, she began her career supervising film and television scripts. She continued to do this until the 1990s and worked on films such as ''[[Point Blank (1967 film)|Point Blank]]'' and ''[[King Kong (1976 film)|King Kong]]'' and television shows such as ''[[Cheers]]'' and ''[[The Tracey Ullman Show]]''. Grau did some acting in her later years, playing live-action and animated roles. On the sitcom ''[[The Simpsons]]'', she worked as a script supervisor and provided the voice of [[List of recurring The Simpsons characters#Lunchlady Doris|Lunchlady Doris]] and other minor characters.
==Early life== Grau was born on October 12, 1924, in [[Brooklyn, New York]]. She moved to the [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]] district in [[Los Angeles, California]], as a teenager in 1940.<ref name=Lentz/><ref name=DB/> There she was soon hired as a [[script supervisor]] for the production company [[Columbia Pictures]].<ref name=Lentz/><ref name=DB>{{cite news|title=Voice of 'Simpson' character dies|newspaper=[[Daily Breeze]]|date=1996-01-08|page=B2}}</ref>
==Career== Grau supervised the script of the 1967 [[crime film]] ''[[Point Blank (1967 film)|Point Blank]]'', which revolves around a man named Walker (played by [[Lee Marvin]]) who sets out to find his friend who betrayed him during a robbery that they performed together and left with all the money for himself.<ref name=films1971>{{cite book|title=The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States: Feature Films, 1961-1970|year=1971|publisher=[[University of California Press]]|isbn=978-0-520-20970-1|pages=855–856|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s1k1RsGvFwwC&q=%22Doris+Grau%22&pg=PA855}}</ref> Grau was also the script supervisor of the 1976 remake of ''[[King Kong (1976 film)|King Kong]]''.<ref name=Morton>{{cite book|last=Morton|first=Ray|title=King Kong: The History of a Movie Icon from Fay Wray to Peter Jackson|year=2005|publisher=[[Hal Leonard Corporation]]|isbn=978-1-55783-669-4|page=145|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UPXbsJLVgCcC&q=%22Doris+Grau%22&pg=PT158}}</ref> She then supervised the scripts of the films ''[[The Champ (1979 film)|The Champ]]'' (1979), ''[[The Frisco Kid]]'' (1979), ''[[The Hunter (1980 film)|The Hunter]]'' (1980), ''[[The Pursuit of D. B. Cooper]]'' (1981), ''[[Caveman (film)|Caveman]]'' (1981), ''[[Clue (film)|Clue]]'' (1985), ''[[Marie (1985 film)|Marie]]'' (1985), and ''[[No Way Out (1987 film)|No Way Out]]'' (1987).<ref name=NYT>{{cite web|title=Doris Grau - Filmography|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/person/28294/Doris-Grau/filmography|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105000957/http://movies.nytimes.com/person/28294/Doris-Grau/filmography|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-11-05|department=Movies & TV Dept.|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=2012|access-date=2011-08-13}}</ref> In the 1980s, she also supervised scripts of the television show ''Coward of the County'' (1982) and the television films ''[[The Shadow Riders (film)|The Shadow Riders]]'' (1983), ''Missing Children: A Mother's Story'' (1983), ''[[Kenny Rogers as The Gambler: The Adventure Continues]]'' (1984), ''Velvet'' (1984), and ''[[My Wicked, Wicked Ways|My Wicked, Wicked Ways: The Legend of Errol Flynn]]'' (1985).<ref name=NYT/>
In 1986, Grau played a role in the television series ''All Is Forgiven''.<ref name=NYT/> Between 1986 and 1987, she played the character Corinne in a few episodes of the sitcom ''[[Cheers]]'',<ref name=Lentz/> a show on which she had previously worked as script supervisor during seasons one and four.<ref name=Bjorklund>{{cite book|last=Bjorklund|first=Dennis A.|title=Toasting Cheers|year=1997|publisher=Praetorian Publishing|isbn=978-0-89950-962-4|pages=262, 304|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hKbxOW2ONGEC&q=%22Doris+Grau%22&pg=PA304}}</ref> Grau worked as a script supervisor on [[Fox Broadcasting Company]]'s ''[[The Tracey Ullman Show]]'' (1987–1990), a variety show that featured among many things the first appearance of the fictional animated [[Simpson family]].<ref name=Cuprisin/> This family was later given their own animated series on Fox, called ''[[The Simpsons]]'', in 1989. Grau worked on that show as a script supervisor as well.<ref name=Cuprisin>{{cite news|last=Cuprisin|first=Tim|title='Gold rush' victory - Packers score big ratings for WITI Nielsen ratings show that much of the region was tuned in|newspaper=[[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]]|date=1996-01-09|page=3}}</ref> Grau also voiced some characters in ''The Simpsons''. She is best known for lending her voice to [[Lunchlady Doris]], who speaks with a "gruff voice" according to ''[[The Journal Gazette]]'' editor Dean Robinson.<ref name=Robinson/> This character appeared on the show with Grau's voice between 1991 and 1997. Grau also worked as an actress on the animated series ''[[The Critic (TV series)|The Critic]]'' that was created by writers of ''The Simpsons'' in 1994. She voiced the [[chain-smoking]] character [[List of The Critic characters#Doris Grossman|Doris Grossman]], who is the make-up artist for the main character of the show.<ref name=Willistein>{{cite news|last=Willistein|first=Paul|title='The Critic' moves to Fox|newspaper=[[The Morning Call]]|date=1994-08-14|page=T01}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Richmond|first=Ray|author-link=Ray Richmond|title=Television - Jones tall in the saddle with 'Good Old Boys'|newspaper=[[Daily News of Los Angeles]]|date=1995-03-05|page=L38}}</ref>
In 1992, Grau appeared in the supporting role of Hattie Rifkin in the film ''[[The Distinguished Gentleman]]''.<ref name=Cameron-Wilson>{{cite book|last=Cameron-Wilson|first=James|title=Film Review|year=1993|publisher=[[St. Martin's Press]]|page=36|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iQgqAAAAYAAJ&q=%22Doris+Grau%22}}</ref> According to Philip Wuntch, film critic for ''[[The Dallas Morning News]]'', Grau "has only a few lines as a senior citizen with old-time political savvy, but she makes every vocal inflection count."<ref name=Wuntch>{{cite news|last=Wuntch|first=Philip|title=The Distinguished Gentleman - Not quite distinguished, but quite likable|newspaper=[[The Dallas Morning News]]|date=1992-12-04|page=1C}}</ref> ''[[The Patriot-News]]''{{'s}} Sharon Johnson called her "a delight as the feisty senior citizens' lobbyist who first recognizes Johnson as a winner."<ref name=Johnson>{{cite news|last=Johnson|first=Sharon|title=The Distinguished Gentleman|newspaper=[[The Patriot-News]]|date=1992-12-04|page=C1}}</ref>
Grau worked as a script supervisor on the sitcom ''[[Good Advice (TV series)|Good Advice]]'' in 1993, and played characters in the sitcoms ''[[Phenom (TV series)|Phenom]]'' and ''[[The George Carlin Show]]'' in 1994.<ref name=NYT/> One of her last film appearances was a minor role in the 1995 film ''[[Babe (film)|Babe]]'', which is about a pig who wants to be a sheepdog.<ref name=Lentz/> She also appeared as the character Rose in the 1995 film ''[[Coldblooded (film)|Coldblooded]]'' that tells the story of a member of the Mob who is promoted to [[hitman]] against his will.<ref name=Craddock>{{cite book|last=Craddock|first=Jim|title=Videohound's Golden Movie Retriever|year=2005|publisher=Thomson/Gale|isbn=978-0-7876-7470-0|page=184|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hRnQWgtuSKAC&q=%22Doris+Grau%22}}</ref>
==Death== On December 30, 1995, aged 71, Grau died from [[respiratory failure]] at a hospital in Hollywood.<ref name=Lentz>{{cite book|last=Lentz|first=Harris M.|title=Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 1995|year=1996|publisher=[[McFarland & Co.]]|isbn=978-0-7864-0253-3|page=74}}</ref> "[[Team Homer]]", an episode of the [[The Simpsons season 7|seventh season]] of ''The Simpsons'' that aired on January 7, 1996, was dedicated to her memory.<ref name=Robinson>{{Cite news|title=TBS premieres 'Survivors of the Holocaust'|work=[[The Journal Gazette]]|date=1996-01-08|last=Robinson|first=Dean|page=4D}}</ref> Because some episodes of ''The Simpsons'' are produced long before they air, Grau's last appearance on the show was in the season 9 episode "[[Lisa's Sax]]" (an episode originally produced for season 7) that aired on October 19, 1997. Her character, Lunchlady Doris on ''The Simpsons'' was retired out of respect (similar to the retirement of [[Phil Hartman]]'s characters). However, the character returned to the show after a decade-long absence in 2006 (voiced by [[Tress MacNeille]] and renamed Lunchlady Dora.)<ref>{{Cite episode |title=The Mook, the Chef, the Wife and Her Homer |episode-link=The Mook, the Chef, the Wife and Her Homer |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |airdate=2006-09-10 |season=18 |number=01}}</ref>
==Filmography== ===Film=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- !Year !Title !Role !Notes |- | 1992 | ''[[The Distinguished Gentleman]]'' | Hattie Rifkin | |- | 1995 | ''[[Coldblooded (film)|Coldblooded]]'' | Rose | |- | 1995 | ''[[Babe (film)|Babe]]'' | Country Woman (voice) | Final role |}
===Television=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- !Year !Title !Role !Notes |- | 1986-1987 | ''[[Cheers (TV series)|Cheers]]'' | Corinne | 3 episodes |- | 1988-1990 | ''[[DuckTales (1987 TV series)|DuckTales]]'' | Additional Voices (voice) | 15 episodes |- | 1991-1997 | ''[[The Simpsons]]'' | Lunchlady Doris, Various (voice) | 22 episodes |- | 1994 | ''[[The George Carlin Show]]'' | Mom | Episode: "George Loses His Thermos" |- | 1994-1995 | ''[[The Critic (TV series)|The Critic]]'' | Doris Grossman (voice) | 23 episodes |- | 1994 | ''[[Phenom (TV series)|Phenom]]'' | Mrs. Mackie | Episode: "It's a Wonderful Mid-Life Crisis" |- | 1994 | ''[[Monty (TV series)|Monty]]'' | Elsa | Episode: "Eggheads" |- |}
==References== {{reflist|2}}
== External links == * {{IMDb name|0336064}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Grau, Doris}} [[Category:1924 births]] [[Category:1995 deaths]] [[Category:Actresses from Los Angeles]] [[Category:American film actresses]] [[Category:American script supervisors]] [[Category:American television actresses]] [[Category:American voice actresses]] [[Category:Deaths from respiratory failure in the United States]] [[Category:Respiratory disease deaths in California]] [[Category:Actresses from Brooklyn]] [[Category:20th-century American actresses]]