Beulah Bondi (born Beulah Bondy; May 3, 1889 – January 11, 1981) was an American actress. She began her acting career as a young child in theater and, after establishing herself as a stage actress, reprised her role in Street Scene for the 1931 film version. She played supporting roles in several films during the 1930s, and was twice nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She played the mother of James Stewart in the four films Of Human Hearts, Vivacious Lady, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) and It's a Wonderful Life (1946). She continued acting well into her later years, winning an Emmy Award for an appearance on The Waltons in 1976.

============================================================

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, June 30, 2020. 01:08.PM.

Beulah Bondi - Actress

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Profile :

Born Beulah Bondi, May 3, 1889, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

Died January 11, 1981 (aged 91), Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Alma mater Valparaiso University

Occupation Actress

Years active 1895–1976

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. Introduction :

Beulah Bondi (born Beulah Bondy; May 3, 1889 – January 11, 1981) was an American actress. She began her acting career as a young child in theater and, after establishing herself as a stage actress, reprised her role in Street Scene for the 1931 film version. She played supporting roles in several films during the 1930s, and was twice nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She played the mother of James Stewart in the four films Of Human Hearts, Vivacious Lady, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) and It's a Wonderful Life (1946). She continued acting well into her later years, winning an Emmy Award for an appearance on The Waltons in 1976.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. Life and career :

Bondi was born in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of Eva Suzanna (née Marble), an author, and Abraham O. Bondy, who worked in real estate. The family moved to Valparaiso, Indiana when she was three, and Bondi began her acting career on the stage at age seven, playing Cedric Errol in a production of Little Lord Fauntleroy at the Memorial Opera House in Valparaiso. She graduated from the Frances Shimer Academy (later Shimer College) in 1907, and gained her bachelor's and master's degrees in oratory at Valparaiso University in 1916 and 1918.

She made her Broadway debut in Kenneth Seymour Webb's One of the Family at the 49th Street Theatre on December 21, 1925. She next appeared in another hit, Maxwell Anderson's Saturday's Children, in 1926. It was Bondi's performance in Elmer Rice's Pulitzer Prize-winning Street Scene, which opened at the Playhouse Theatre on January 10, 1929, that brought Bondi to the movies at the age of 43. Her debut movie role was as "Emma Jones" in Street Scene (1931), which starred Sylvia Sidney, and in which Bondi reprised her stage role, followed by "Mrs. Davidson" in Rain (1932), which starred Joan Crawford and Walter Huston.

She was one of the first five women to be nominated for an Academy Award in the newly created category of "Best Supporting Actress" for her work in The Gorgeous Hussy, although she lost the award to Gale Sondergaard. Two years later she was nominated again for Of Human Hearts and lost again, but her reputation as a character actress kept her employed. She would most often be seen in the role of the mother of the star of the film for the rest of her career, with the exception of Make Way for Tomorrow (1937) as the abandoned Depression-era 'Ma' Cooper. She often played mature roles in her early film career even though she was only in her early 40s. In 1940 Bondi played Mrs. Webb in Our Town and Granny Tucker in The Southerner, directed by Jean Renoir and released in 1945.

For her contributions to the film industry, Bondi received a motion pictures star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960. The star is located at 1718 Vine Street.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4. Television :

Bondi's television credits include Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Howard Richardson's Ark of Safety on the Goodyear Television Playhouse. She appeared with Jan Clayton in "The Prairie Story" on NBC's Wagon Train. (This theme is also examined in the novel The Wind by Dorothy Scarborough; the episode aired on February 1, 1961, three months after the death of Ward Bond.).  She made a guest appearance on Perry Mason in 1963 when she played the role of Sophia Stone in "The Case of the Nebulous Nephew."

Bondi made her final appearances as Martha Corinne Walton on The Waltons in the episodes "The Conflict" (September 1974) and "The Pony Cart" (December 1976). She received an Emmy award for Outstanding Lead Actress for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series for her performance in "The Pony Cart" (December 1976), her final career screen performance. When her name was called, it first appeared that she was not present, but she received a standing ovation as she walked slowly to the podium, from which she thanked the audience for honoring her while she was still living.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5. Personal life and death :

Bondi died from pulmonary complications caused by broken ribs suffered when she tripped over her cat in her home on January 11, 1981, at age 91.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6. Complete filmography :

Year Title Role Notes

1931 Street Scene Emma Jones 

Arrowsmith Mrs. Tozer Uncredited

1932 Rain Mrs. Davidson 

1933 The Stranger's Return Beatrice Storr 

Christopher Bean Mrs. Hannah Haggett 

1934 Two Alone Mrs. Slag 

Registered Nurse Miss McKenna 

Finishing School Her Teacher / Miss Van Alstyne 

The Painted Veil Frau Koerber Scenes cut

Ready for Love Mrs. Burke 

1935 The Good Fairy Dr. Schultz 

Bad Boy Mrs. Larkin 

1936 The Invisible Ray Lady Arabella Stevens 

The Trail of the Lonesome Pine Melissa Tolliver 

The Moon's Our Home Mrs. Boyce Medford 

The Case Against Mrs. Ames Mrs. Livingston Ames 

Hearts Divided Madame Letizia 

The Gorgeous Hussy Rachel Jackson 

1937 Maid of Salem Abigail - His Wife 

Make Way for Tomorrow Lucy Cooper 

1938 The Buccaneer Aunt Charlotte 

Of Human Hearts Mary Wilkins 

Vivacious Lady Martha Morgan 

The Sisters Rose Elliott 

1939 On Borrowed Time Nellie - Granny 

The Under-Pup Miss Thornton 

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Ma Smith

------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------

1940 Remember the Night Mrs. Sargent 

Our Town Mrs. Webb 

The Captain Is a Lady Angie Peabody 

1941 Penny Serenade Miss Oliver 

The Shepherd of the Hills Aunt Mollie Matthews 

One Foot in Heaven Mrs. Lydia Sandow 

1943 Tonight We Raid Calais Mme. Bonnard 

Watch on the Rhine Anise 

1944 She's a Soldier Too Agatha Kittredge 

I Love a Soldier Etta Lane 

Our Hearts Were Young and Gay Miss Horn 

The Very Thought of You Mrs. Harriet Wheeler 

And Now Tomorrow Aunt Em 

1945 Back to Bataan Bertha Barnes 

The Southerner Granny Tucker 

1946 Breakfast in Hollywood Mrs. Annie Reed 

Sister Kenny Mary Kenny 

It's a Wonderful Life Ma Bailey 

1947 High Conquest Clara Kingsley 

1948 The Sainted Sisters Hester Rivercomb 

The Snake Pit Mrs. Greer 

So Dear to My Heart Granny Kincaid 

1949 The Life of Riley Miss Martha Bogle 

Reign of Terror Grandma Blanchard 

Mr. Soft Touch Mrs. Clara Hangale 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1950 The Baron of Arizona Loma 

The Furies Mrs. Anaheim 

1952 Lone Star Minniver Bryan 

1953 Latin Lovers Analyst 

1954 Track of the Cat Ma Bridges 

1956 Back from Eternity Martha Spangler 

1957 The Unholy Wife Emma Hochen 

On Borrowed Time 'Granny' Northrup TV movie

1959 The Big Fisherman Hannah 

A Summer Place Mrs. Emily Hamilton Hamble 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1961 Tammy Tell Me True Mrs. Annie Call 

1962 The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm The Gypsy ('The Dancing Princess')

1963 Tammy and the Doctor Mrs. Annie Call 

1972 She Waits Mrs. Medina TV movie

1974-1976 The Waltons Martha Corinne

----------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------

7. Radio appearances :

Year Program Episode/source

1952 Stars in the Air "On Borrowed Time"

The End.

==============================================================