Fay Bainter
(1892 - 1968)If ever there was a veteran character actress, it was Fay Bainter. She was most often seen as a faithful wife, adoring mother, beloved aunt or other sympathetic types. She was a small woman, with dark hair, dark, worrisome eyes and a husky but soothing voice. She was born in Los Angeles, California on December 7, 1892 and got her start in acting early at the age of 6 appearing in stock theatre companies in Los Angeles. At age 18 she left for New York with her life savings and made an unsuccessful attempt at the Broadway Stage. Returning to California and stock theatre, a friend advised her to consider stock theatre as important as the Broadway stage. Putting this advice to work soon brought about a triumphant return to Broadway and a successful stage career. In 1934 she made her film debut in "This Side of Heaven" as Francene Turner, opposite Lionel Barrymore. Four years later she was nominated for Oscars for both Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress prompting confusion and a change in the rules for Academy Award selections. She was married for over 40 years to Reginald Venable and was the mother of actor Richard Venable, her only child. Among her film credits were: "Quality Street" (1937); "White Banners" (1938) as Hannah Parmalee, her Oscar nomination for Best Actress; "Jezebel" (1938) as Aunt Belle Bogardus, her Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, which she won; "Young Tom Edison" (1940) with Mickey Rooney, as Mrs. Samuel 'Nancy' Edison, one of my favorite of her roles; "Maryland" (1940) as Charlotte Danfield; "Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch" (1942) as Mrs. Elvira Wiggs; "The Human Comedy" (1943) as Mrs. Macauley; "State Fair" (1945) as Melissa Frake; "The Virginian" (1946) as Mrs. Taylor; "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" (1947) with Danny Kaye, as Mrs. Mitty; "Give My Regards to Broadway" (1948) as Fay Norwick; "Close to My Heart" (1951) as Mrs. Morrow and "The Children's Hour" (1961) with Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine, as Mrs. Amelia Tilford, her last Oscar nomination and her final film. She rarely appeared on TV but guest starred on the series: "Goodyear Television Playhouse" (1951) and "Adventures in Paradise" (1959). She died of pneumonia related to a long illness on April 16, 1968 in Los Angeles, California at age 75.
From Great Character Actors, Page 5.
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