I searched TVTropes for this, and they have the Jewish Mother trope, but apparently not the Jewish Mother We Never See.
This is a character we never see - but we hear her nagging, shouting at, and arguing with her son (who is often one of the main characters).
Examples springing immediately to mind are in Men In Black, Big Bang Theory and Mr & Mrs Smith, but where did this trope first arise? Was it even on the screen? (I could see it working on stage).
Specifically a jewish mother we never see, or just an ongoing character we never see?
Going back to the 60’s and 70’s, there were shows with characters who never appeared on screen, the most famous of which was probably Carleton, the doorman in The Mary Tyler Moore Show. The wives of characters who we only ever saw in the office usually never appeared on the show, or only later in the series’ run.
But I’m drawing a total blank on off-screen Jewish Mother (the mother in Mr. & Mrs. Smith appears on screen, though).
It probably came from standup comedy. I wouldn’t be surprised if Shelly Berman had a telephone routine where he talked to his mother.
I believe Carleton was Rhoda’s doorman on Rhoda. There wasn’t a doorman at Mary and Rhoda’s apartment.
Having said that, did we ever meet Rhoda’s mom on the show or just listen to Rhoda’s side of the phone conversation and hear Rhoda do impersonations of her?
Wilson from Home Improvement was another character, although parts of him were always visible. It was until the Series Finale that his whole face was seen.
Epstein’s Mom?
Nancy Walker did appear on MTM before Rhoda began, in the episodes “A Girl’s Best Mother Is Not Her Friend”, “Support Your Local Mother” and “Enter Rhoda’s Parents”.
Was there ever a note that was really from Epstein’s mom?
We never saw Les Nesmond’s dog, although we did see the bandages Les had to use to cover all the injuries the dog inflicted on him.
Then there’s Charlie. You know, the guy with the Angels?
Yes, but I don’t remember the episode. I think he had a stomach virus.
Once. The school was hit with a flu epidemic and Epstein missed some time before coming back with a legit absence letter from his mother.
I’m thinking it started with an actor’s actual mother shouting at him from backstage.
Epstein was very put out about it, too. Although Horshack did manage to send him back home with a whiff of his sandwich.
Was Stanley Myron Handelman’s mother’s voice ever actually heard? I know he would end his routine typically with something like “My mother’s calling me.”
Eddie’s mother? Are you sure?
hm. I don’t see an “Eddie’s Mom” listed in IMDB, so I may be misremembering. Sadly, my copy is in storage so I can’t confirm.
I happen to be watching it now - Eddie’s mother is mentioned a number of times - but we only hear her speak twice (the second time at Eddie’s house; she calls for Eddie, he screams “Mom! we’re on high alert. I almost killed you right now!” and she replies 'Never mind…"
So she’s invisible, but not a really big character in the movie - a marginal example of the trope, probably.
The concept can be traced back to the musical *Gypsy, *which opened in 1959. I’m sure there were examples earlier than that. (I’m not implying that Rose is never seen, only that she controlled her performing kids while being off-stage.)
And she actually makes her very first entrance as “that voice”…the first you’re aware of her is when she starts yelling instructions down to June and Louise from somewhere in the back of the orchestra, followed almost immediately by her marching down an aisle to the stage.
As I said before, this undoubtedly based on actual mothers. The Marx Bros. mother Minnie may have been doing this to her zany brood. I’d expect it to go back to vaudeville or beyond.