According to the movie credits, Mae Marsh plays Mrs. Peters, the mother of Marsha Peters (a widow). According to the IMDb Cast Overview, the woman she played was called Mrs. King.
1. Was "Peters" Marsha's maiden name?
2. What was the name of the character played by Mae Marsh?
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I noticed that, too.
Mae Marsh played the mother of the gas station owner. The only time the mother's name is mentioned in the film is when Walter Williams first comes to the house for supper and he calls her "Mrs. King."
The gas station owner never introduces herself to Walter. I don't think her last name is uttered at any time during the film. (Unless perhaps the police address her by her name when she goes to San Francisco with Walter.)
The first time we hear her name is when Uncle Ben calls her Marsha. (Uncle Ben is the man who uses the gas station phone to call a competing auto mechanic).
As you noted, Marsha is a widow. She wears a wedding ring and explains when she first meets Walter that her husband was killed in World War II.
When this movie was made, and in the small town where Marsha lived, a woman would not have kept her maiden name when marrying and would not have returned to it after being widowed. She would have remained "Mrs. Peters" until/unless she remarried.
So, to answer your question, "Peters" is not Marsha's maiden name. It is her married name. Her maiden name is "King."
Imdb is correct here, and the end credits in the movie are wrong. I submitted an addition to imdb for the credits as well as an entry for "goofs." I don't think I have ever seen a credit correction noting the true name of a character, so we will see if they add it.
Well done, all around.
Thank you.
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