Fay Bainter

Actor
Fay Bainter

About

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Also Known As
Fay Okell Bainter
Birth Place
Los Angeles, California, USA
Born
December 07, 1891
Died
April 16, 1968

Biography

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Broadway actress who made her screen debut in 1934 and, four years later, earned simultaneous Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress ("Jezebel," for which she won) and Best Actress ("White Banners"). Often in matriarchal roles, Bainter was also acclaimed for "The Children's Hour" (1962), her last film. Mother of actor Richard Venable....

Filmography

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The Children's Hour (1961)
Mrs. Amelia Tilford
The President's Lady (1953)
Mrs. Donelson
Close to My Heart (1951)
Mrs. Morrow
June Bride (1948)
Paula Winthrop
Give My Regards to Broadway (1948)
Fay Norwick
Deep Valley (1947)
Mrs. Saul

Photos & Videos

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Jezebel - Scene Stills
30 Photos
Jezebel - (Re-issue Trailer)
Young Tom Edison - Movie Poster
1 Photo
0 Photos
Jezebel (1938) -- (Movie Clip) I'm Scandalized

Family & Companions

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Reginald Venable
Husband
Navy Lieutenant Commander. Married 42 years; died in 1964.

Biography

Broadway actress who made her screen debut in 1934 and, four years later, earned simultaneous Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress ("Jezebel," for which she won) and Best Actress ("White Banners"). Often in matriarchal roles, Bainter was also acclaimed for "The Children's Hour" (1962), her last film. Mother of actor Richard Venable.

Filmography

 

Cast (Feature Film)

The Children's Hour (1961)
Mrs. Amelia Tilford
The President's Lady (1953)
Mrs. Donelson
Close to My Heart (1951)
Mrs. Morrow
June Bride (1948)
Paula Winthrop
Give My Regards to Broadway (1948)
Fay Norwick
Deep Valley (1947)
Mrs. Saul
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947)
Mrs. [Eunice] Mitty
The Kid from Brooklyn (1946)
Mrs. E. Winthrop Le Moyne
The Virginian (1946)
Mrs. Taylor
State Fair (1945)
Melissa Frake
3 Is a Family (1944)
Frances Whitaker
The Heavenly Body (1944)
[Mrs.] Margaret Sibyll
Cry 'Havoc' (1944)
Captain [Alice] Marsh
Dark Waters (1944)
Aunt Emily Lamont/May
Salute to the Marines (1943)
Jennie Bailey
Presenting Lily Mars (1943)
Mrs. [Mimi] Thornway
The Human Comedy (1943)
Mrs. [Katie] Macauley
The War Against Mrs. Hadley (1942)
Stella Hadley
Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch (1942)
Mrs. Elvira Wiggs
Babes on Broadway (1942)
Miss Jones
Woman of the Year (1942)
Ellen Whitcomb
Journey for Margaret (1942)
Trudy Strauss
Maryland (1940)
Charlotte Danfield
Young Tom Edison (1940)
Mrs. Samuel [Nancy] Edison
A Bill of Divorcement (1940)
Margaret Fairchild
Our Town (1940)
Mrs. [Julie] Gibbs
The Lady and the Mob (1939)
Hattie Leonard
Our Neighbors--the Carters (1939)
Ellen Carter
Daughters Courageous (1939)
Nan Masters
Yes, My Darling Daughter (1939)
Ann Murray
Jezebel (1938)
Aunt Belle
The Shining Hour (1938)
Hannah Linden
The Arkansas Traveler (1938)
Martha Allen
White Banners (1938)
Hannah [Parmalee]
Mother Carey's Chickens (1938)
Mrs. [Margaret] Carey
The Soldier and the Lady (1937)
Strogoff's mother [Martha]
Make Way for Tomorrow (1937)
Anita Cooper
Quality Street (1937)
Susan Throssel
This Side of Heaven (1934)
Francene Turner

Cast (Short)

Mister Gardenia Jones (1942)
Cavalcade of the Academy Awards (1940)
Herself

Life Events

1897

Debut as stock actress at age 4 in "The Jewess"

1912

New York stage debut in the musical,"The Rose of Panama"

1916

Had notable stage success in "Arms and the Girl"

1934

Film debut, "This Side of Heaven"

1944

Essayed rare villainous role in "Dark Waters"

1957

Toured with national company of "Long Day's Journey Into Night"

1962

Last film, "The Children's Hour"

Photo Collections

 
30 Photos
Jezebel - Scene Stills
Here are several scene stills from Warner Bros' Jezebel (1938), starring Bette Davis and Henry Fonda.
1 Photo
Young Tom Edison - Movie Poster
Here is the American one-sheet movie poster for Young Tom Edison (1940), starring Mickey Rooney. One-sheets measured 27x41 inches, and were the poster style most commonly used in theaters.

Videos

Movie Clip

Jezebel (1938) -- (Movie Clip) I'm Scandalized Banker Preston (Henry Fonda) meets Aunt Belle (Fay Bainter) guardian General Bogardus (Henry O'Neill), en route to confront his rebellious fianceè Julie (Bette Davis), the Olympus ball that evening, in William Wyler's Jezebel, 1938.
Jezebel (1938) -- (Movie Clip) Pleasant Evening Noteworthy work by director William Wyler and cinematographer Ernest Haller, reluctant but resolute Pres (Henry Fonda) arrives at the ball with rebel fianceè Julie (Bette Davis) in her outrageous red dress, former boyfriend Buck (George Brent) taking some heat, in Jezebel, 1938.
Make Way For Tomorrow (1937) -- (Movie Clip) You Know I Worry Rhoda (Barbara Read) checks with usherette (Terry Ray) thinking she's ditched Granny (Beulah Bondi) at the movies, then returning home to George and Anita (Thomas Mitchell, Fay Bainter) at their bridge game, in Make Way For Tomorrow, 1937.
Make Way For Tomorrow (1937) -- (Movie Clip) You Know How It Is Cutting to the big city, Rhoda (Barbara Read) with mom Anita (Fay Bainter) who nudges dad George (Thomas Mitchell) to call and ask aunt Nellie (Minna Gombell) to take Granny for the evening, in Leo McCarey's Make Way For Tomorrow, 1937.
Children's Hour, The -- (Movie Clip) Funny Secrets Spoiled student Mary (Karen Balkin) teases influential Grandmother Tilford (Fay Bainter) with lurid suggestions about her teachers in William Wyler's The Children's Hour, 1961, from Lillian Hellman's play.
Daughters Courageous (1939) -- (Movie Clip) A Well Brought-Up Mother Fay Bainter is mom to the Masters sisters (Lola Lane, Priscilla Lane, Rosemary Lane and Gale Page) of Carmel, Ca, indirectly informing them that Sam, the landlord, has proposed, early in Warner Bros.’ same-cast but not-sequel to the hit Four Daughters from the previous year, Daughters Courageous, 1939.
Daughters Courageous (1939) -- (Movie Clip) Who's Head Of The Family Landlord Sam (Donald Crisp), his proposal accepted by Mrs. Masters (Fay Bainter) is joining the girls (Priscilla Lane, Lola Lane, Rosemary Lane and Gale Page) for a first meal when maid Penny (May Robson) announces dad Jim (Claude Rains), appearing for the first time in 20 years, in Daughters Courageous, 1939.
Daughters Courageous (1939) -- (Movie Clip) Moby Dick's Teeth Introduction of John Garfield as rogue-ish Gabriel Lopez, in trouble with the judge (Berton Churchill) for a seaside scam, his dad (George Humbert) arriving with his employer Mrs. Masters (Fay Bainter) and spunky daughter Buff (Priscilla Lane), in Warner Bros. Daughters Courageous, 1939.
Woman Of The Year (1942) -- (Movie Clip) I'd Say Marry The Girl Crusty reporter Sam (Spencer Tracy), not sure why he's invited to see columnist Tess (Katharine Hepburn) off at the airport, winds up chatting with her equally famous aunt Ellen (Fay Bainter), in George Stevens' Woman Of The Year, 1942.
Human Comedy, The (1943) -- (Movie Clip) I Have Been Dead For Two Years Ray Collins appears as the posthumous McCauley, hewing close to the William Saroyan novel, then Jack Jenkins as his youngest son Ulysses, then Fay Bainter, his widowed mom, artful touches in director Clarence Brown’s opening, in the film said to have been MGM boss Louis B. Mayer’s favorite, The Human Comedy, 1943.
Human Comedy, The (1943) -- (Movie Clip) All The World Will Be Jealous Contemporary San Joaquin Valley, Ca., we meet neighbor Mary (Dorothy Morris) and teen sister Bess (Donna Reed), with her mom Katie (Fay Bainter) playing harp and explaining to youngest Ulysses (Jack Jenkins) about his late father, in the MGM William Saroyan tear-jerker The Human Comedy, 1943.
Human Comedy, The (1943) -- (Movie Clip) People Are In Such Trouble Teen Homer (Mickey Rooney), now helping support the family after his father’s passing, has just delivered his first wartime death notice telegram, visiting with his mom (Fay Bainter), then explaining stuff for his kid brother Ulysses (Jack Jenkins), in the MGM hit The Human Comedy, 1943.

Trailer

Jezebel - (Re-issue Trailer) Bette Davis received her second Academy Award portraying a fiery Southern belle in Jezebel (1938).
Young Tom Edison -- (Original Trailer) Mickey Rooney is Young Tom Edison (1940), defying authority to develop his first inventions.
Make Way For Tomorrow - (Original Trailer) An elderly couple are forced to move in with their children in Leo McCarey's Make Way For Tomorrow (1937).
Deep Valley - (Original Trailer) A farmer's daughter (Ida Lupino) helps an escaped convict (Dane Clark) through the Dark Valley (1947).
Daughters Courageous - (Original Trailer) A father (Claude Rains) returns to the family he left years earlier and tries to solve their problems. Co-starring John Garfield.
State Fair (1945) - (Original Trailer) Jeanne Crain and Dana Andrews star in Rodgers & Hammerstein's musical version of State Fair (1945).
Presenting Lily Mars - (Original Trailer) A small-town girl fights for her chance on Broadway in Presenting Lily Mars (1943) starring Judy Garland.
Babes On Broadway - (Original Trailer) Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney "put on a show" in Busby Berkeley's Babes On Broadway (1941).
White Banners - (Original Trailer graphics) A mysterious woman tries to help her son's foster family without revealing her true identity in White Banners (1938) starring Fay Bainter.
Cry Havoc - (Original Trailer) Cry Havoc (1943) as a group of nurses stay behind to treat the wounded after the Japanese seize Bataan during World War II.
June Bride - (Original Trailer) Two bickering reporters turn a small-town wedding into a battleground in Warner Bros.' June Bride (1948), starring Bette Davis and Robert Montgomery.
Heavenly Body, The - (Original Trailer) When her astronomer husband neglects her, Hedy Lamarr turns to astrology in her own search for The Heavenly Body (1943).

Family

Richard Venable
Son
Actor. Born in 1926; died in 1974.

Companions

Reginald Venable
Husband
Navy Lieutenant Commander. Married 42 years; died in 1964.

Bibliography

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