TCM Star of the Month, Marie Dressler, was that Hollywood rarity - a character actress who became a majoy movie star. An unlikely celebrity sensation with her homely face and shapeless body, Dressler captivated audiences with her imposing demeanor, sincerity and expert comic timing. 

Dressler's rise started with years of acting in repertory theatre before moving to Broadway in her twenties and biding her time in vaudeville. She finally achieved recognition in "Tillie's Nightmare" (1910-11). The popularity of that humorous musical presentation led to an invitation to take her Tillie to the silver screen inTillie's Punctured Romance (1914), where she starred with a young Charlie Chaplin. Motion picture roles continued through the teens and twenties, but it was at the beginning of the sound era where this veteran character player finally found herself a star, thanks to her supporting work in Greta Garbo's Anna Christie (1930) and her own Academy Award-winning turn in the tragicomedy Min and Bill (1930). Perfectly paired in the latter with the similarly craggy and uncouth Wallace Beery, Dressler joined him again in Tugboat Annie (1933) and she enjoyed much attention for her performance as a faded stage actress in Dinner at Eight (1933) who delivered one of Hollywood's most memorable lines. Sadly, right at the height of her fame, she discovered she had cancer and died within a year. Proof that movie stars need not be picture-perfect, Dressler's determination was as immense as her skills and the status she earned made for a most unique success story.

TCM celebrates Dressler this month, on Monday nights with over 15 films including Tillie's Punctured Romance on June 6, Anna Christie on June 13, Min and Bill on June 20, and Dinner at Eight on June 27.