Elsa Raven has a small but critical role in "Back to the Future," playing the townsperson who urges Marty to save the clock tower from destruction — which he does, but in 1955, not 1985. When she died in November 2020 at age 91, Variety cited Raven's performance in the time-travel film as one of the highlights of her career.
But the actor had a career even before "Back to the Future," which went as far back as 1970's "The Honeymoon Killers." She filmed small roles in films like "The Amityville Horror" as Mrs. Townsend and "Titanic" as Ida Straus, though most of her scenes in the latter were cut. Raven also acted in shows such as "Family Ties," "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," "Seinfeld," and the ground-breaking drama "Wiseguy." Getting a regular role in "Days of Our Lives" in the '90s, then, must have felt like a great reward after so many small but vital performances. And she continued acting up until 2011, when she made her final appearance in "Answers to Nothing" as Mrs. Harrison.
