Spring Byington
Encyclopedia
Spring Byington was an American actress. Her career included a seven-year run on radio and television as the star of December Bride
. She was a key MGM contract player appearing in films from the 1930s through the 1960s.
. She had one younger sister, Helene Kimball Byington, born September 4, 1890, in Colorado. Their father was Professor Edwin Lee Byington (1852–1891), a well-respected educator and superintendent of schools in Colorado. When he died unexpectedly, his wife, Helene Maud Cleghorn Byington, decided to send daughter Helene to live with her parents, Arthur and Charlotte Cleghorn, in Port Hope
, Ontario while Spring remained with family in Denver. Her mother moved to Boston
and became a student at the Boston University School of Medicine
where she graduated in 1896. After graduation she moved back to Denver, Colorado, and began a practice with fellow graduate, Dr. Mary Ford.
Byington played in amateur shows in her school days and graduated from North High School in 1904, and shortly afterward, at age 14, became a professional actress with the Elitch Garden Stock Company
. Her mother had been a friend of Mary Elitch. When her mother died in 1907, Byington and her sister were legally adopted by their aunt Margaret, wife of Rice Eugene Eddy. However, Byington was already of legal age and took her inheritance to begin an acting career in New York.
, Argentina
. At 24, she married the company's manager, Roy Carey Chandler; the couple remained in South America for eight years where she became fluent in Spanish. In 1916, she returned to New York where she gave birth to daughters Phyllis (born 1916) and Lois (born 1917). Their marriage ended in about 1920.
and staying with her daughters, whom she had placed to live with friends J. Allen and Lois Babcock, in Leonardsville Village, New York (Madison County). She began touring in 1919 with a production of Birds in Paradise, which brought the Hawaiian culture to the mainland, and in 1921 began work with the Stuart Walker Company for which she played roles in Mr. Pim Passes By, The Ruined Lady and Rollo's Wild Oats, among others. This connection landed her a role in her first Broadway performance in 1924, George S. Kaufman
and Marc Connelly
's Beggar on Horseback
which ran for six months. She renewed the role in March and April 1925 and continued on Broadway with an additional 18 productions in the ten years from 1925 to 1935. These included roles in Kaufman and Moss Hart
's Once in a Lifetime
, Rachel Crothers
's When Ladies Meet and Dawn Powell
's Jig Saw.
in 1933 as "Marmee" with Katharine Hepburn
as her daughter "Jo". She became a household name during The Jones Family series of films and continued as a character actress in Hollywood for several years. In 1938, Byington was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
for You Can't Take it With You
, which was won by Fay Bainter
for Jezebel (in which Byington also had a role, as antebellum society matron Mrs. Kendrick).
During World War II
, Byington worked in radio and decided to return when her film career began to dwindle after the war. In 1952, she joined CBS
Radio to become the lead role of the widowed Lily Ruskin in the sitcom December Bride
. In 1954, Desilu Productions
produced a pilot of the show for a television sitcom, also starring Byington. The pilot was successful and the new hit sitcom aired in its first two seasons after I Love Lucy
. The series broadcast 111 episodes through 1959. Her co-stars were Frances Rafferty
as her daughter Ruth Henshaw, Dean Miller
as her son-in-law Matthew Henshaw, Verna Felton
as her friend Hilda Crocker, and Harry Morgan
as her wisecracking neighbor Pete Porter.
From 1961–1963, Byington appeared in the Western
series Laramie
with John Smith
and Robert Fuller
. After Laramie she guest starred as Mrs. Jolly on Dennis Weaver
's NBC series, Kentucky Jones
, in the episode "Feminine Intrusion", a comedy/drama about a client paying her bill by performing housekeeping duties. Her penultimate role before her death from cancer
was as Larry Hagman
's mother on I Dream of Jeannie
in 1967. Her final role was as Mother General on The Flying Nun
in 1968.
Byington and her series December Bride are profiled in The Women Who Made Television Funny: Ten Stars of 1950s Sitcoms, by David C. Tucker, published by McFarland & Company in 2007.
, and she also learned Brazilian Portuguese
in her golden years. In July 1958 she confided to reporter Hazel Johnson that she had acquired a "small coffee plantation" in Brazil the month before and was learning Portuguese. "Miss Byington explained that she first listens to a 'conditioning record' before she goes to sleep. An hour later her Portuguese lessons automatically begin feeding into her pillow by means of a small speaker."
Byington was fascinated by metaphysics and science fiction novels, including George Orwell
's 1984
. She surprised her co-stars in December Bride with her knowledge of the Earth's satellites and constellations in the night sky.
In August 1955 she began taking flying lessons in Glendale, California
, but the studio made her stop because of insurance problems.
Byington also had a long-term relationship with actress Marjorie "Ma Kettle" Main
. In addition, she also had an affair with actress/writer Maude Adams
.
Byington's sister Helene married Raleigh Stanhope and had one son, Phillip Stanhope, who was killed at Normandy
in 1944 at the age of 34. He was married to Rosannah Milam of Cartersville, Georgia
; they had no children. He is mentioned by Byington during her radio show performance as guest star on Amos and Andy ("Turkey Trouble", 1945). Her ancestors can be traced back to David Byington, born in Farmington, Connecticut
, in 1702.
, one for movies at 6507 Hollywood Blvd. and one for television at 6233 Hollywood Blvd.
December Bride
December Bride is an American sitcom that aired on the CBS television network from 1954 to 1959, adapted from the original CBS radio network series that aired from June 1952 through September 1953.-Overview:...
. She was a key MGM contract player appearing in films from the 1930s through the 1960s.
Early life
Byington was born Spring Dell Byington in Colorado Springs, ColoradoColorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
. She had one younger sister, Helene Kimball Byington, born September 4, 1890, in Colorado. Their father was Professor Edwin Lee Byington (1852–1891), a well-respected educator and superintendent of schools in Colorado. When he died unexpectedly, his wife, Helene Maud Cleghorn Byington, decided to send daughter Helene to live with her parents, Arthur and Charlotte Cleghorn, in Port Hope
Port Hope
Port Hope mar refer to:*Port Hope, Michigan, U.S.*Port Hope, Ontario, Canada**Port Hope Aerodrome**Port Hope Conference**Port Hope Panthers**Port Hope railway station**Port Hope Transit...
, Ontario while Spring remained with family in Denver. Her mother moved to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and became a student at the Boston University School of Medicine
Boston University School of Medicine
Boston University School of Medicine is one of the graduate schools of Boston University. Founded in 1848, the medical school holds the unique distinction as the first institution in the world to formally educate female physicians. Originally known as the New England Female Medical College, it was...
where she graduated in 1896. After graduation she moved back to Denver, Colorado, and began a practice with fellow graduate, Dr. Mary Ford.
Byington played in amateur shows in her school days and graduated from North High School in 1904, and shortly afterward, at age 14, became a professional actress with the Elitch Garden Stock Company
Elitch Theatre
The Historic Elitch Theatre is located at the original Elitch Gardens site in northwest Denver, Colorado. Opened in 1890 it was centerpiece of the park that was the First Zoo West of Chicago. The theatre was home to America's first, and oldest summer-stock theater from 1893 until 1987. The first...
. Her mother had been a friend of Mary Elitch. When her mother died in 1907, Byington and her sister were legally adopted by their aunt Margaret, wife of Rice Eugene Eddy. However, Byington was already of legal age and took her inheritance to begin an acting career in New York.
Early career and marriage
In 1910, Byington joined a repertory company that was touring Buenos AiresBuenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. At 24, she married the company's manager, Roy Carey Chandler; the couple remained in South America for eight years where she became fluent in Spanish. In 1916, she returned to New York where she gave birth to daughters Phyllis (born 1916) and Lois (born 1917). Their marriage ended in about 1920.
Broadway
Upon returning to New York, Byington divided her time between working in ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and staying with her daughters, whom she had placed to live with friends J. Allen and Lois Babcock, in Leonardsville Village, New York (Madison County). She began touring in 1919 with a production of Birds in Paradise, which brought the Hawaiian culture to the mainland, and in 1921 began work with the Stuart Walker Company for which she played roles in Mr. Pim Passes By, The Ruined Lady and Rollo's Wild Oats, among others. This connection landed her a role in her first Broadway performance in 1924, George S. Kaufman
George S. Kaufman
George Simon Kaufman was an American playwright, theatre director and producer, humorist, and drama critic. In addition to comedies and political satire, he wrote several musicals, notably for the Marx Brothers...
and Marc Connelly
Marc Connelly
Marcus Cook Connelly was an American playwright, director, producer, performer, and lyricist. He was a key member of the Algonquin Round Table, and received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1930.-Biography:...
's Beggar on Horseback
Beggar on Horseback
Beggar on Horseback is a play by George S. Kaufman and Marc Connelly.A parody of the expressionistic parables that were popular at the time, it rails against the perils of trading one's artistic talents for commercial gain. At its core is Neil McRae, a poor, young classical composer...
which ran for six months. She renewed the role in March and April 1925 and continued on Broadway with an additional 18 productions in the ten years from 1925 to 1935. These included roles in Kaufman and Moss Hart
Moss Hart
Moss Hart was an American playwright and theatre director, best known for his interpretations of musical theater on Broadway.-Early years:...
's Once in a Lifetime
Once in a Lifetime (play)
Once in a Lifetime is a play by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman, the first of eight on which they collaborated in the 1930s.-Plot:The satirical comedy focuses on the effect talking pictures have on the entertainment industry...
, Rachel Crothers
Rachel Crothers
Rachel Crothers was a prolific and successful American playwright and theater director, known for her well-crafted plays. One of the most famous was Susan and God , which was made into a film by MGM in 1940 starring Joan Crawford and Frederic March.Crothers was born in Bloomington, Illinois, USA...
's When Ladies Meet and Dawn Powell
Dawn Powell
Dawn Powell was an American writer of novels and stories.-Biography:Powell was born in Mount Gilead, Ohio, a village 45 miles north of Columbus and the county seat of Morrow County. Powell regularly gave her birth year as 1897 but primary documents support the earlier date...
's Jig Saw.
Hollywood
In her last years on Broadway, Byington began work in films. The first was a short film titled Papa's Slay Ride in 1931 and the second, and most famous, was Little WomenLittle Women (1933 film)
Little Women is a 1933 American drama film directed by George Cukor. The screenplay by Sarah Y. Mason and Victor Heerman is based on the classic novel of the same name by Louisa May Alcott...
in 1933 as "Marmee" with Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Houghton Hepburn was an American actress of film, stage, and television. In a career that spanned 62 years as a leading lady, she was best known for playing strong-willed, sophisticated women in both dramas and comedies...
as her daughter "Jo". She became a household name during The Jones Family series of films and continued as a character actress in Hollywood for several years. In 1938, Byington was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
for You Can't Take it With You
You Can't Take It with You
You Can't Take It with You is a comedic play in three acts by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. The original production of the play opened at the Booth Theater on December 14, 1936, and played for 837 performances...
, which was won by Fay Bainter
Fay Bainter
Fay Okell Bainter was an American film and stage actress.-Early life:She was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Charles F. Bainter and Mary Okell. In 1910, she was a traveling stage actress...
for Jezebel (in which Byington also had a role, as antebellum society matron Mrs. Kendrick).
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Byington worked in radio and decided to return when her film career began to dwindle after the war. In 1952, she joined CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
Radio to become the lead role of the widowed Lily Ruskin in the sitcom December Bride
December Bride
December Bride is an American sitcom that aired on the CBS television network from 1954 to 1959, adapted from the original CBS radio network series that aired from June 1952 through September 1953.-Overview:...
. In 1954, Desilu Productions
Desilu Productions
Desilu Productions was a Los Angeles, California-based company jointly owned by actors Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball, who were married to each other from 1940 to 1960....
produced a pilot of the show for a television sitcom, also starring Byington. The pilot was successful and the new hit sitcom aired in its first two seasons after I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy is an American television sitcom starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley. The black-and-white series originally ran from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, on the Columbia Broadcasting System...
. The series broadcast 111 episodes through 1959. Her co-stars were Frances Rafferty
Frances Rafferty
Frances Rafferty was an American actress, dancer, World War II pin-up girl and MGM contract star.-Early life:Frances Anne Rafferty was born in Sioux City, Iowa, the daughter of Maxwell Lewis Rafftery, Snr...
as her daughter Ruth Henshaw, Dean Miller
Dean Miller (broadcaster)
Dean Miller, born Dean C. Stuhlmueller , was an American actor and broadcaster, perhaps best known for his role as the son-in-law in the CBS sitcom December Bride...
as her son-in-law Matthew Henshaw, Verna Felton
Verna Felton
Verna Felton was an American character actress who was best-known for providing many female voices in numerous Disney animated films, as well as voicing Fred Flintstone's mother-in-law Pearl Slaghoople for Hanna-Barbera...
as her friend Hilda Crocker, and Harry Morgan
Harry Morgan
Harry Morgan is an American actor. Morgan is well-known for his roles as Colonel Sherman T. Potter on M*A*S*H , Pete Porter on both Pete and Gladys and December Bride , Detective Bill Gannon on Dragnet , and Amos Coogan on Hec Ramsey...
as her wisecracking neighbor Pete Porter.
From 1961–1963, Byington appeared in the Western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
series Laramie
Laramie (TV series)
Laramie is an American Western television series that aired on NBC from 1959 to 1963. Laramie was a Revue Studios production which originally starred John Smith as Slim Sherman, Robert Fuller as Jess Harper, Hoagy Carmichael as Jonesy and Robert Crawford, Jr...
with John Smith
John Smith (actor)
John Smith was an American actor remembered in particular for two NBC western television series.-Early life and career:He was born Robert Errol Van Orden, in Los Angeles, California...
and Robert Fuller
Robert Fuller
Robert Welch is a professional wrestler and manager better known by his ring names Robert Fuller and Col. Robert Parker. Robert and his brother Ron co-owned Continental Championship Wrestling for a time.-Career:...
. After Laramie she guest starred as Mrs. Jolly on Dennis Weaver
Dennis Weaver
William Dennis Weaver was an American actor, best known for his work in television, including roles on Gunsmoke, as Marshal Sam McCloud on the NBC police drama McCloud, and the 1971 TV movie Duel....
's NBC series, Kentucky Jones
Kentucky Jones
Kentucky Jones is a half-hour comedy/drama starring Dennis Weaver as Kenneth Yarborough "K.Y. or Kentucky" Jones, D.V.M., a recently widowed former horse trainer and active rancher, who becomes the guardian of Dwight Eisenhower "Ike" "Wong, a 10-year-old Chinese orphan, played by Ricky Der...
, in the episode "Feminine Intrusion", a comedy/drama about a client paying her bill by performing housekeeping duties. Her penultimate role before her death from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
was as Larry Hagman
Larry Hagman
Larry Martin Hagman is an American film and television actor, producer and director known for playing J.R. Ewing in the 1980s primetime television soap opera Dallas and Major Anthony "Tony" Nelson in the 1960s sitcom I Dream of Jeannie.-Early life and career:Hagman was born in Fort Worth, Texas...
's mother on I Dream of Jeannie
I Dream of Jeannie
I Dream of Jeannie is a 1960s American sitcom with a fantasy premise. The show starred Barbara Eden as a 2,000-year-old genie, and Larry Hagman as an astronaut who becomes her master, with whom she falls in love and eventually marries...
in 1967. Her final role was as Mother General on The Flying Nun
The Flying Nun
The Flying Nun is an American sitcom produced by Screen Gems for ABC based on the 1965 book The Fifteenth Pelican, by Tere Rios, which starred Sally Field as Sister Bertrille...
in 1968.
Byington and her series December Bride are profiled in The Women Who Made Television Funny: Ten Stars of 1950s Sitcoms, by David C. Tucker, published by McFarland & Company in 2007.
Personal life
Byington was an extremely intelligent and energetic woman throughout her life. She spoke Spanish fluently, which she learned during the time spent with her husband in Buenos AiresBuenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, and she also learned Brazilian Portuguese
Brazilian Portuguese
Brazilian Portuguese is a group of Portuguese dialects written and spoken by most of the 190 million inhabitants of Brazil and by a few million Brazilian emigrants, mainly in the United States, United Kingdom, Portugal, Canada, Japan and Paraguay....
in her golden years. In July 1958 she confided to reporter Hazel Johnson that she had acquired a "small coffee plantation" in Brazil the month before and was learning Portuguese. "Miss Byington explained that she first listens to a 'conditioning record' before she goes to sleep. An hour later her Portuguese lessons automatically begin feeding into her pillow by means of a small speaker."
Byington was fascinated by metaphysics and science fiction novels, including George Orwell
George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist...
's 1984
Nineteen Eighty-Four
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell is a dystopian novel about Oceania, a society ruled by the oligarchical dictatorship of the Party...
. She surprised her co-stars in December Bride with her knowledge of the Earth's satellites and constellations in the night sky.
In August 1955 she began taking flying lessons in Glendale, California
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
, but the studio made her stop because of insurance problems.
Family
Spring Byington was married to a man and had children.Byington also had a long-term relationship with actress Marjorie "Ma Kettle" Main
Marjorie Main
Marjorie Main was an American character actress, mainly at MGM, perhaps best known for her role as Ma Kettle in a series of ten Ma and Pa Kettle movies.-Early life and career:...
. In addition, she also had an affair with actress/writer Maude Adams
Maude Adams
Maude Ewing Kiskadden , known professionally as Maude Adams, was an American stage actress who achieved her greatest success as Peter Pan. Adams's personality appealed to a large audience and helped her become the most successful and highest-paid performer of her day, with a yearly income of more...
.
Byington's sister Helene married Raleigh Stanhope and had one son, Phillip Stanhope, who was killed at Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
in 1944 at the age of 34. He was married to Rosannah Milam of Cartersville, Georgia
Cartersville, Georgia
Cartersville is a town in Bartow County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 19,7314. The city is the county seat of Bartow County.-Geography:Cartersville was named for Colonel Farish Carter....
; they had no children. He is mentioned by Byington during her radio show performance as guest star on Amos and Andy ("Turkey Trouble", 1945). Her ancestors can be traced back to David Byington, born in Farmington, Connecticut
Farmington, Connecticut
Farmington is a town located in Hartford County in the Farmington Valley area of central Connecticut in the United States. The population was 25,340 at the 2010 census. It is home to the world headquarters of several large corporations including Carrier Corporation, Otis Elevator Company, and Carvel...
, in 1702.
Selected films
- Papa's Slay Ride (1930) – Mama
- Little WomenLittle Women (1933 film)Little Women is a 1933 American drama film directed by George Cukor. The screenplay by Sarah Y. Mason and Victor Heerman is based on the classic novel of the same name by Louisa May Alcott...
(1933) – Marmee March - Love Me ForeverLove Me ForeverLove Me Forever is a 1935 American drama film directed by Victor Schertzinger. The film was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Sound Recording .-Cast:* Grace Moore as Margaret Howard* Leo Carrillo as Steve Corelli...
(1935) - Werewolf of LondonWerewolf of LondonWerewolf of London is a 1935 Horror/werewolf movie starring Henry Hull and produced by Universal Pictures. Jack Pierce's eerie werewolf make-up was simpler than his version six years later for Lon Chaney, Jr., in The Wolf Man but, according to film historians, remains strikingly effective as worn...
(1935) – Miss Ettie Coombes - Mutiny on the BountyMutiny on the Bounty (1935 film)Mutiny on the Bounty is a 1935 film starring Charles Laughton and Clark Gable, and directed by Frank Lloyd based on the Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall novel Mutiny on the Bounty.The film was one of the biggest hits of its time...
(1935) – Mrs. Byam - DodsworthDodsworth (film)Dodsworth is a 1936 American drama film directed by William Wyler. Sidney Howard based the screenplay on his 1934 stage adaptation of the 1929 novel of the same name by Sinclair Lewis...
(1936) – Matey Pearson - The Charge of the Light BrigadeThe Charge of the Light Brigade (1936 film)The Charge of the Light Brigade is a 1936 historical film made by Warner Bros. It was directed by Michael Curtiz and produced by Samuel Bischoff, with Hal B. Wallis as executive producer, from a screenplay by Michael Jacoby and Rowland Leigh, from a story by Michael Jacoby based on the poem The...
(1936) – Lady Octavia Warrenton - Theodora Goes WildTheodora Goes WildTheodora Goes Wild is a 1936 American romantic comedy film that tells the story of a small town which is incensed by a risqué novel, little knowing that it was written under a pseudonym by a member of the town's leading family. It stars Irene Dunne and Melvyn Douglas and was directed by Richard...
(1936) - Penrod and Sam (1937)
- A Family AffairA Family Affair (film)A Family Affair is the first entry in the Andy Hardy film series, though Mickey Rooney has a secondary role as the son of Judge Hardy, played by Lionel Barrymore. The highly respected judge has to deal with family and political problems. The film was based on the play Skidding by Aurania...
(1937) - It's Love I'm AfterIt's Love I'm AfterIt's Love I'm After is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Archie Mayo. The screenplay by Casey Robinson is based on the story Gentlemen After Midnight by Maurice Hanline...
(1937) - The BuccaneerThe Buccaneer (1938 film)The Buccaneer is a 1938 American adventure film made by Paramount Pictures based on Jean Lafitte and the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812. It was produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille from a screenplay by Harold Lamb, Edwin Justus Mayer and C. Gardner Sullivan adapted by Jeanie...
(1938) – Dolly Madison - The Adventures of Tom SawyerThe Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938 film)The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a 1938 American drama film directed by Norman Taurog. The screenplay by John V.A. Weaver was based on the classic 1876 novel by Mark Twain.-Plot:...
(1938) – Widow Douglas (uncredited) - Jezebel (1938) – Mrs. Kendrick
- You Can't Take It with YouYou Can't Take It with YouYou Can't Take It with You is a comedic play in three acts by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. The original production of the play opened at the Booth Theater on December 14, 1936, and played for 837 performances...
(1938) – Penny Sycamore - The Blue BirdThe Blue Bird (1940 film)The Blue Bird is a 1940 American fantasy film directed by Walter Lang. The screenplay by Walter Bullock was adapted from the 1908 play of the same name by Maurice Maeterlinck...
– Mummy Tyl - Lucky PartnersLucky PartnersLucky Partners is a 1940 comedy romance drama film directed by Lewis Milestone for RKO Radio Pictures. The film is based on the 1936 Sacha Guitry film Bonne Chance, and stars Ronald Colman and Ginger Rogers marking their first film together, and marks Rogers' eleventh and final film that was...
(1940) – Aunt Lucy - The Devil and Miss JonesThe Devil and Miss JonesThe Devil and Miss Jones is a 1941 comedy film starring Jean Arthur and Charles Coburn. Directed by Sam Wood and scripted by Norman Krasna, the film was the product of an independent collaboration between Krasna and producer Frank Ross...
(1941) – Elizabeth Ellis - Meet John DoeMeet John DoeMeet John Doe is a 1941 American comedy drama film directed and produced by Frank Capra, and starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. The film is about a "grassroots" political campaign created unwittingly by a newspaper columnist and pursued by a wealthy businessman. It became a box office hit...
(1941) – Mrs. Mitchell - When Ladies MeetWhen Ladies Meet (1941 film)When Ladies Meet is a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer feature film starring Joan Crawford, Robert Taylor, Greer Garson, Herbert Marshall, and Spring Byington in a story about a novelist in love with her publisher. The screenplay by S.K. Lauren and Anita Loos was based upon a 1932 play by Rachel Crothers. The...
(1941) – Bridget 'Bridgie' Drake - Roxie HartRoxie Hart (film)Roxie Hart is a 1942 film directed by William A. Wellman and starring Ginger Rogers, Adolphe Menjou, George Montgomery, Nigel Bruce, Phil Silvers, William Frawley, and Spring Byington....
(1942) – Mary Sunshine - Rings on Her FingersRings on Her FingersRings on Her Fingers is a 1942 screwball comedy film starring Henry Fonda and Gene Tierney. A poor man gets mistaken for a millionaire and is swindled out of his life savings.-Cast:* Henry Fonda as John Wheeler...
(1942)
- The Affairs of MarthaThe Affairs of MarthaThe Affairs of Martha is a 1942 romantic comedy film directed by Jules Dassin. A young maid, Marsha Hunt, falls in love with Jeff Sommerfield and the two marry on impulse before he leaves for an anthropological trip. Before he leaves, he asks her to get the marriage annulled, but she does not do so...
(1942) – Sophia Sommerfield - Heaven Can WaitHeaven Can Wait (1943 film)Heaven Can Wait is a 1943 American comedy film produced and directed by Ernst Lubitsch. The screenplay was by Samson Raphaelson based on the play Birthday by Leslie Bush-Fekete. The music score was by Alfred Newman and the cinematography by Edward Cronjager.The film tells the story of a man who has...
(1943) – Bertha Van Cleve - The Heavenly BodyThe Heavenly BodyThe Heavenly Body is a 1944 romantic comedy film starring William Powell and Hedy Lamarr. A neglected wife turns to an astrologer, who tells her she will meet and fall in love with a handsome stranger, much to the dismay of her astronomer husband.- Cast :...
(1944) - I'll Be Seeing You (1944) – Mrs. Marshall
- The Enchanted CottageThe Enchanted Cottage (1945 film)The Enchanted Cottage is a 1945 romantic film fantasy starring Robert Young, Dorothy McGuire, and Mildred Natwick. It was based on a play by Arthur Wing Pinero...
(1945) - Thrill of a RomanceThrill of a RomanceThrill of a Romance was an American romance film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1945, starring Van Johnson, Esther Williams and Carleton G. Young, with musical performances by opera singer Lauritz Melchior...
(1945) – Nona Glenn - Dragonwyck (1946)
- A Letter for EvieA Letter for Evie-Plot:This film is a Cyrano type love story with a wartime setting. A soldier , answers a letter intended for his more handsome and wolfish buddy .-Cast:* Marsha Hunt - Evie O'Connor* John Carroll - Edgar 'Wolf' Larson...
(1946) – Mrs. McPherson - Living in a Big WayLiving in a Big WayLiving in a Big Way is an American musical comedy film starring Gene Kelly and Marie McDonald as a couple who marry during World War II after only knowing each other a short time.- Synopsis :...
(1947) - SingaporeSingapore (1947 film)Singapore is a American romance film directed by John Brahm and starring Fred MacMurray and Ava Gardner. The film was remade as Istanbul with the location moved to Turkey.-Plot:...
(1947) - It Had to Be YouIt Had to Be You (1947 film)It Had to Be You is a 1947 romantic comedy film starring Ginger Rogers and Cornel Wilde.-Cast:* Ginger Rogers as Victoria Stafford * Cornel Wilde as George McKesson/Johnny Blaine* Ron Randell as Oliver H.P. Harrington...
(1947) – Mrs. Stafford - B.F.'s DaughterB.F.'s DaughterB.F.'s Daughter is a 1948 drama film directed by Robert Z. Leonard and starring Barbara Stanwyck and Van Heflin. It is adapted from John P. Marquand's controversial 1946 novel of the same name, but the movie script soft-pedals the controversial elements and is a fairly conventional love...
(1948) - In the Good Old SummertimeIn the Good Old SummertimeIn the Good Old Summertime is a 1949 musical film directed by Robert Z. Leonard. It starred Judy Garland, Van Johnson and S.Z. Sakall.The film is a musical adaptation of the 1940 film, The Shop Around the Corner, directed by Ernst Lubitsch, and starring James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan, and...
(1949) - The Big WheelThe Big Wheel (film)The Big Wheel is a 1949 film starring Mickey Rooney and Thomas Mitchell.-Plot:Rooney plays Billy Coy, a young man determined to follow in his father's footsteps as a race car driver. Despite the fact that his father, "Cannonball" Coy, was killed in a fiery crash during the Indianapolis 500, Billy...
(1949) - Please Believe MePlease Believe MePlease Believe Me is a 1950 romantic comedy film directed by Norman Taurog, and starring Deborah Kerr, Robert Walker, Mark Stevens and Peter Lawford.-Plot:...
(1949) - LouisaLouisa (film)Louisa is a 1950 comedy film directed by Alexander Hall and starring Ronald Reagan and Spring Byington in the title role. This film was Piper Larie's film debut. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Sound Louisa is a 1950 comedy film directed by Alexander Hall and starring Ronald Reagan...
(1950) – Louisa Norton - Walk Softly, StrangerWalk Softly, StrangerWalk Softly, Stranger is a 1950 film that tells the story of a small-time crook on the run who later becomes reformed by the love of a crippled woman. This would be the last RKO credit for famed film producer Dore Schary, who would leave the studio soon after the completion of the film. Privately,...
(1950) - According to Mrs. Hoyle (1951) – Mrs. Hoyle
- Angels in the OutfieldAngels in the Outfield (1951 film)Angels in the Outfield is a 1951 American black-and-white film starring Paul Douglas and Janet Leigh, directed by Clarence Brown, and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer...
(1951) – Sister Edwitha - Please Don't Eat the DaisiesPlease Don't Eat the Daisies (film)Please Don't Eat the Daisies is a comedy film starring Doris Day and David Niven, made by Euterpe Inc., and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer...
(1960) – Suzie Robinson
Broadway credits
- Beggar on HorsebackBeggar on HorsebackBeggar on Horseback is a play by George S. Kaufman and Marc Connelly.A parody of the expressionistic parables that were popular at the time, it rails against the perils of trading one's artistic talents for commercial gain. At its core is Neil McRae, a poor, young classical composer...
(1924, 1925 revival) – Mrs. Cady - Weak Sisters (1925)
- Puppy Love (1926)
- The Great Adventure (1926–1927)
- Skin Deep (1927)
- The Merchant of Venice (1928)
- To-Night at 12 (1928–1929)
- Be Your Age (1929)
- Jonesy (1929)
- Ladies Don't Lie (1929)
- I Want My Wife (1930)
- Once in a LifetimeOnce in a Lifetime (play)Once in a Lifetime is a play by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman, the first of eight on which they collaborated in the 1930s.-Plot:The satirical comedy focuses on the effect talking pictures have on the entertainment industry...
(1930) – Helen Hobart - Ladies of Creation (1931)
- We Are No Longer Children (1932)
- When Ladies Meet (1932–1933)
- The First Apple (1933–1934)
- No Questions Asked (1934)
- Jig Saw (1934)
- Piper Paid (1934–1935)
"Jones Family" films
- Every Saturday Night (1936)
- Educating Father (1936)
- Back to Nature (1936)
- Off to the Races (1937)
- Big Business (1937)
- Hot Water (1937)
- Borrowing Trouble (1937)
- Love on a Budget (1938)
- A Trip to Paris (1938)
- Safety in Numbers (1938)
- Down on the Farm (1938)
- Everybody's Baby (1939)
- The Jones Family in Hollywood (1939)
- The Jones Family in Quick Millions (1939)
- Too Busy to Work (1939)
- Young as You Feel (1940)
- On Their Own (1940)
Television credits
- December BrideDecember BrideDecember Bride is an American sitcom that aired on the CBS television network from 1954 to 1959, adapted from the original CBS radio network series that aired from June 1952 through September 1953.-Overview:...
(1954–1959) – Lily Ruskin - The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie FordThe Ford ShowThe Ford Show is a half-hour comedy/variety program, starring singer and folk humorist Tennessee Ernie Ford, which aired in color on NBC television on Thursday evenings from October 4, 1956 to June 29, 1961....
(December 27, 1956) - Herself - What's My Line?What's My Line?What's My Line? is a panel game show which originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, with several international versions and subsequent U.S. revivals. The game tasked celebrity panelists with questioning contestants in order to determine their occupations....
(December 27, 1957)(Episode #386, Season 9 EP.9) Mystery Guest. Was one of only a few Mystery Guests that disguised her voice well enough to fool the panel. - Alfred Hitchcock PresentsAlfred Hitchcock PresentsAlfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...
(1960) – Alice Wagner, episode "The Man with Two Faces" - Dennis the Menace (1961) - Played herself on episode "Dennis' Birthday" aired on 02/19/1961.
- LaramieLaramie (TV series)Laramie is an American Western television series that aired on NBC from 1959 to 1963. Laramie was a Revue Studios production which originally starred John Smith as Slim Sherman, Robert Fuller as Jess Harper, Hoagy Carmichael as Jonesy and Robert Crawford, Jr...
(1961–1963) – Daisy Cooper - "The Train Don't Stop Till It Gets There", The Greatest Show on EarthThe Greatest Show on Earth (TV series)The Greatest Show on Earth is an American drama series starring Jack Palance about the American circus, which aired on ABC from September 17, 1963, to April 28, 1964...
(1964) - BatmanBatman (TV series)Batman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to...
(1966) – J. Pauline Spaghetti, episodes "The Catwoman Goeth" and "The Sandman Cometh" - I Dream of JeannieI Dream of JeannieI Dream of Jeannie is a 1960s American sitcom with a fantasy premise. The show starred Barbara Eden as a 2,000-year-old genie, and Larry Hagman as an astronaut who becomes her master, with whom she falls in love and eventually marries...
(1967) – Mother, episode "Meet My Master's Mother" - The Flying NunThe Flying NunThe Flying Nun is an American sitcom produced by Screen Gems for ABC based on the 1965 book The Fifteenth Pelican, by Tere Rios, which starred Sally Field as Sister Bertrille...
(1968) – Mother General, episode "To Fly or Not to Fly"
Awards
Byington has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of FameHollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
, one for movies at 6507 Hollywood Blvd. and one for television at 6233 Hollywood Blvd.
Nominations
- 1933 Alexandrias: Best Supporting Actress, Little Women
- Won by Mary Astor, The World Changes
- 1938 Oscars: Best Supporting Actress, You Can't Take It with You
- Won by Fay Bainter, Jezebel
- 1950 Golden Globes: Best Actress – Comedy or Musical, Louisa
- Won by Judy Holliday, Born Yesterday
- 1957 Emmys: Best Actress – Drama or Comedy Series, December Bride
- Won by Jane Wyatt, Father Knows Best
- 1958 Emmys: Best Actress – Drama or Comedy Series, December Bride
- Won by Jane Wyatt, Father Knows Best