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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
1959
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Frances Elizabeth Bavier (December 14, 1902 – December 6, 1989) was an American stage and television actress. Originally from New York theatre, Bavier worked in film and television from the 1950s. She is best known for her role of Aunt Bee on The Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry R.F.D. from 1960–70. Aunt Bee logged more Mayberry years (ten) than any other character. She won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Comedy Actress for the role in 1967.
Bavier had roles in more than a dozen films, as well as playing a range of supporting roles on television. Career highlights include her turn as Mrs. Barley in the classic 1951 film The Day the Earth Stood Still. In 1955, she played the rough and tough "Aunt Maggie" Sawtelle, a frontier Ma Barker-type character, in the Lone Ranger episode "Sawtelle's Saga End". In the episode, she fights with Tonto while the Lone Ranger battles with her nephew. At the conclusion, Tonto says that he would like to trade opponents next time. In 1957, she played Nora Martin, mother to Eve Arden's character on The Eve Arden Show, despite the fact that Arden was only 6 or 7 years younger than Bavier. That same year, Bavier guest-starred in the eighth episode of Perry Mason as Louise Marlow in "The Case of the Crimson Kiss".
She was in an episode of Make Room for Daddy, which featured Andy Griffith as Andy Taylor and Ron Howard as Opie Taylor. She played a character named Henrietta Perkins. The episode led to The Andy Griffith Show, and Bavier was cast in the new role of Aunt Bee. Bavier had a love-hate relationship with her famous role during the run of the show. As a New York City actress, she felt her dramatic talents were being overlooked, yet after playing Bee for eight seasons, she was the only original cast member to remain with the series in the spin-off, Mayberry R.F.D., for two additional seasons.
Gender
Female
Birthday
December 14, 1902
Died
December 6, 1989
Birthplace
Manhattan, New York, USA
Also Known As
Man in the Attic
1953
Sally and Saint Anne
1952
Horizons West
1952
Bend of the River
1952
The Blessed Midnight
1956
The Day the Earth Stood Still
1951
Benji
1974
The Bad Seed
1956
It Started with a Kiss
1959
The Stooge
1951
My Wife's Best Friend
1952
Girls About Town
1931
The Lady Says No
1952
A Nice Little Bank That Should Be Robbed
1958
Perry Mason
1957
The Andy Griffith Show
1960
Rawhide
1959
Dragnet
1951
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
77 Sunset Strip
1958
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
1964
The Ford Television Theatre
1952
Sugarfoot
1957
Mayberry R.F.D.
1968
The Danny Thomas Show
1953
The Thin Man
1957
City Detective
1953
Lux Video Theatre
1950
Lux Video Theatre
1950
Cavalcade of America
1952
Chevron Theatre
1952
MGM Parade
1955
The Investigators
1961
Letter to Loretta
1953
+ 7 more TV shows