Spring Byington

Actor

About

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Birth Place

Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA

Born

October 17, 1893

Died

September 07, 1971

Filmography

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Please Don't Eat the Daisies (1960)

Mrs. Suzie Robinson

The Rocket Man (1954)

Justice Amelia Brown

No Room for the Groom (1952)

Because You're Mine (1952)

Bannerline (1951)

Angels in the Outfield (1951)

Photos & Videos

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Blue Bird, The (1940) -- (Movie Clip) It's Against The Law!

B.F.'s Daughter (1948) -- (Movie Clip) Your Pretty Little Head

Family & Companions

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Roy Chandler

Husband

Stage manager. Married c. 1912; divorced c. 1917.

Biography

Filmography

Cast (Feature Film)

Please Don't Eat the Daisies (1960)

Mrs. Suzie Robinson

The Rocket Man (1954)

Justice Amelia Brown

No Room for the Groom (1952)

Because You're Mine (1952)

Bannerline (1951)

Angels in the Outfield (1951)

According to Mrs. Hoyle (1951)

The Reformer and the Redhead (1950)

Voice of Kathleen's mother

Devil's Doorway (1950)

Please Believe Me (1950)

Walk Softly, Stranger (1950)

The Skipper Surprised His Wife (1950)

Agnes Thorndyke

The Skipper Suprised His Wife (1950)

In the Good Old Summertime (1949)

The Big Wheel (1949)

B. F.'s Daughter (1948)

My Brother Talks to Horses (1947)

Mrs. ["Ma"] Penrose

Carrie Jannings

It Had to Be You (1947)

Living in a Big Way (1947)

Little Mister Jim (1947)

Singapore (1947)

Dragonwyck (1946)

Faithful in My Fashion (1946)

Meet Me on Broadway (1946)

A Letter for Evie (1946)

Captain Eddie (1945)

The Enchanted Cottage (1945)

Salty O'Rourke (1945)

Thrill of a Romance (1945)

The Heavenly Body (1944)

I'll Be Seeing You (1944)

Heaven Can Wait (1943)

Bertha Van Cleve

Presenting Lily Mars (1943)

Mrs. [Flora] Mars

Roxie Hart (1942)

The War Against Mrs. Hadley (1942)

The Vanishing Virginian (1942)

Rings on Her Fingers (1942)

Mrs. Maybelle Worthington

The Affairs of Martha (1942)

Mrs. Sophie Sommerfield

Arkansas Judge (1941)

Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime (1941)

Carlotta Emerson

When Ladies Meet (1941)

The Devil and Miss Jones (1941)

Elizabeth [Ellis]

Meet John Doe (1941)

My Love Came Back (1940)

A Child Is Born (1940)

Mrs. [Mamie] West

The Blue Bird (1940)

On Their Own (1940)

Mrs. John Jones [Mother]

Lucky Partners (1940)

Young As You Feel (1940)

Mrs. John Jones

The Story of Alexander Graham Bell (1939)

Too Busy to Work (1939)

Mrs. Louise Jones

The Jones Family in Hollywood (1939)

Mrs. John Jones

The Jones Family in Quick Millions (1939)

Mrs. John Jones

Everybody's Baby (1939)

Mrs. John Jones

Chicken Wagon Family (1939)

Josephine Fippany

The Buccaneer (1938)

You Can't Take It with You (1938)

Down on the Farm (1938)

Mrs. John Jones

Safety in Numbers (1938)

Mrs. John Jones

A Trip to Paris (1938)

Mrs. John Jones

Love on a Budget (1938)

Mrs. John Jones

Penrod and His Twin Brother (1938)

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938)

The Road Back (1937)

Green Light (1937)

It's Love I'm After (1937)

A Family Affair (1937)

Mrs. [Emily] Hardy

Clarence (1937)

Hotel Haywire (1937)

Mrs. [Minerva] Parkhouse

The Jones Family in Big Business (1937)

Mrs. John Jones

Borrowing Trouble (1937)

Mrs. John Jones

Hot Water (1937)

Mrs. John Jones

Penrod and Sam (1937)

Off to the Races (1937)

Mrs. John Jones

Dodsworth (1936)

The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936)

Lady Octavia Warrenton

Stage Struck (1936)

Palm Springs (1936)

Theodora Goes Wild (1936)

The Voice of Bugle Ann (1936)

Back to Nature (1936)

Mrs. [Louise] Jones

The Girl on the Front Page (1936)

Educating Father (1936)

Mrs. John Jones

Every Saturday Night (1936)

Mrs. [Louise] Evers

Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)

The Great Impersonation (1935)

Duchess Caroline

Way Down East (1935)

Mrs. [Louisa] Bartlett

Broadway Hostess (1935)

Mrs. Duncan-Griswold-Wembly-Smythe

Orchids to You (1935)

Werewolf of London (1935)

Miss Ettie Coombes

Ah, Wilderness (1935)

Love Me Forever (1935)

Little Women (1933)

Cast (Special)

The Desilu Revue (1959)

Life Events

1897

After father's death, sent with sister to live with relatives in Canada while mother completed medical training (date approximate)

1912

Married at age 18 and moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina (date approximate)

1917

After divorce from husband, moved to NYC to pursue an acting career (date approximate)

1924

Breakthrough stage role in "Beggar on Horseback"

1930

Enjoyed warm notices for performance in stage play "Once in a Lifetime"

1931

Acted in the short comedy film "Papa's Slay Ride"

1933

Portrayed Marmee in the film version of "Little Women"

1934

Made last Broadway appearances in "No Questions Asked", "Jig Saw" and "The First Apple"

1935

Appeared in eight movies, including "Mutiny on the Bounty" and "Ah, Wilderness!"

1936

Co-starred in "Dodsworth" and "Theodora Goes Wild", among others

1936

Introduced a signature role as the matriarch of a typical American family in "Every Saturday Night"; in original film family's surname was Evers, but it was changed to Jones for a series of 17 sequels produced between 1936 and 1940

1937

Originated role of Mrs. Hardy in "A Family Affair"; role was played by Faye Holden in later installments of the series

1938

Received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for portrayal of the flighty mother of an eccentric family in "You Can't Take It With You", directed by Frank Capra

1940

Cast as Shirley Temple's mother in the Technicolor feature "The Blue Bird"

1941

Appeared as Barbara Stanwyck's mom in "Meet John Doe"

1942

Portrayed the nosy gossip columnist Mary Sunshine in "Roxie Hart", starring Ginger Rogers

1943

Continued in a maternal vein playing Judy Garland's parent in "Meet Lily Mars"

1944

Was the cruel mother of Dorothy Maguire in "The Enchanted Cottage"

1950

Had one of her best career roles in "Louisa", as a widowed grandmother who is courted by two suitors

1951

Made TV appearance in "Charming Billy", an episode of "Bigelow-Sanford Theater" on the Dumont network

1953

Starred in the radio production "December Bride"

1954

Reprised role in the TV series "December Bride" (CBS)

1960

Final film, "Please Don't Eat the Daisies"

Photo Collections

The Devil and Miss Jones - Lobby Cards

The Devil and Miss Jones - Lobby Cards

Devil's Doorway - Publicity Stills

Here are a few photos taken to help publicize MGM's Devil's Doorway (1950), starring Robert Taylor and Paula Raymond. Publicity stills were specially-posed photos, usually taken off the set, for purposes of publicity or reference for promotional artwork.

You Can't Take It with You - Lobby Card Set

Here is a set of Lobby Cards from Frank Capra's You Can't Take It with You (1938). Lobby Cards were 11" x 14" posters that came in sets of 8. As the name implies, they were most often displayed in movie theater lobbies, to advertise current or coming attractions.

In the Good Old Summertime - Scene Stills

Here are several scene stills from MGM's In the Good Old Summertime (1949), starring Judy Garland and Van Johnson.

Videos

Blue Bird, The (1940) -- (Movie Clip) It's Against The Law! Opening in black & white from a Maurice Maeterlinck fantasy (thus seen as similar to the previous year’s The Wizard Of Oz), Shirley Temple and little bro Johnny Russell are woodcutters’ kids seeking a precious bird, Sybil Jason their bothersome friend, in 20th Century-Fox’s The Blue Bird, 1940.

B.F.'s Daughter (1948) -- (Movie Clip) Your Pretty Little Head Park Avenue, 1932, breakfasting with his wife (Spring Byington), industrialist B.F. Fulton (Charles Coburn) fumes over a radio commentator’s criticism as daughter Polly (Barbara Stanwyck) appears, sniffing a chance to help her fiancé (Richard Hart), opening MGM’s B.F.’s Daughter, 1948.

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.

Family Affair, A (1937) -- (Movie Clip) Keep It Dark! Mom Hardy (Spring Byington) and Aunt Milly (Sara Haden) with Andy (Mickey Rooney, his first scene in the role) taking a call from sister Marion (Cecilia Parker), and the judge (Lionel Barrymore) arrives home, in the first Hardy family movie, A Family Affair, 1937.

You Can't Take It With You (1938) -- (Movie Clip) Home Sweet Home This ensemble scene featuring Donald Meek, Lionel Barrymore, Ann Miller, Dub Taylor, Spring Byington and others illuminates the Sycamore household in Frank Capra's You Can't Take It With You, 1938.

Family Affair, A (1937) -- (Movie Clip) I Got Detained Andy (Mickey Rooney) joins adults Aunt Milly (Sara Haden), and his dad the judge (Lionel Barrymore) for breakfast after a big night, in the first Hardy family movie A Family Affair, 1937.

Angels In The Outfield (1951) -- (Movie Clip) Get Her Out Of The Sun Reporter Jennifer (Janet Leigh) narrating, manager McGovern (Paul Douglas) trying his new Shakespeare-augmented griping technique, Sister Edwitha (Spring Byington) escorting orphan Bridget (Donna Corcoran), in Angels In The Outfield, 1951.

I'll Be Seeing You (1944) -- (Movie Clip) Not Much Bigger Than A Cell Traveling at Christmas, mysterious Mary (Ginger Rogers) arrives at the home of her aunt (Spring Byington), meeting her younger cousin Barbara (Shirley Temple), whose faux pas clears up the circumstances, early in I'll Be Seeing You, 1944, from director David Selznick.

It Had To Be You (1947) -- (Movie Clip) A Day In June Director’s credit shared by Don Hartman and cinematographer Rudolph Matè, Ginger Rogers with expressions for three trips to the altar, Charles Evans officiating, Gerald Fielding, Myron Healy and Harlan Warde grooms, Percy Waram and Spring Byington parents, opening It Had To Be You, 1947.

It Had To Be You (1947) -- (Movie Clip) George Moccasins Victoria (Ginger Rogers) explains to fiancè Oliver (Ron Randell) and her parents (Spring Byington, Percy Waram) why she missed him at train station, not wanting to mention her maybe-imaginary Indian pursuer (Cornel Wilde), until he shows up, having acquired a suit, in It Had To Be You, 1947.

Heaven Can Wait (1943) -- (Movie Clip) There Is No Santa Claus Grandad Van Cleve (Charles Coburn) takes the moment to brief son Randolph (Louis Calhern) on what’s happened between his bedridden son and the French maid (Signe Hasso), mom Spring Byington aghast, young Albert (Allyn Joslyn) in support, in Ernst Lubitsch’s Heaven Can Wait, 1943.

Story Of Alexander Graham Bell, The (1939) -- (Movie Clip) You Are No Longer A Child! En route to dine with Boston investor Hubbard (Charles Coburn), inventor Don Ameche (title character) meets Loretta Young as his lip-reading daughter Mabel, then Loretta’s own dazzling sisters (Sally Blane, Georgiana Young, Polly Ann Young), as her siblings, in The Story Of Alexander Graham Bell, 1939.

Jezebel - (Re-issue Trailer) Bette Davis received her second Academy Award portraying a fiery Southern belle in Jezebel (1938).

Mutiny On The Bounty (1935) - (Original Trailer) The sadistic Captain Bligh (Charles Laughton) drives his men to revolt during a South Seas expedition in Mutiny on the Bounty (1935).

Little Women (1933) - (Original Trailer) The four March sisters fight to keep their family together and find love while their father is off fighting the Civil War in Little Women (1933).

Family

Edward Lee Byington

Father

Professor. Canadian; died c. 1897.

Helene Byington

Mother

Doctor. Canadian; attended medical schools in Colorado and Boston, Massachusetts; died c. 1909.

Helene Byington

Sister

Lois Chandler

Daughter

Phyllis Chandler

Daughter

Companions

Roy Chandler

Husband

Stage manager. Married c. 1912; divorced c. 1917.

Bibliography

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