Person
Frances Bavier
Manhattan, New York, USA
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 theat…
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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.
Filmography
Movies and shows, newest first
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1974
Benji
Movie Lady with the Cat
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1968
Mayberry R.F.D.
TV show Aunt Bee Taylor
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1964
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
TV show Aunt Bee Taylor
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1961
The Investigators
TV show
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1960
The Andy Griffith Show
TV show Aunt Bee Taylor
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1959
It Started with a Kiss
Movie Mrs. Tappe
-
1959
Rawhide
TV show
-
1958
A Nice Little Bank That Should Be Robbed
Movie Mrs. Solitaire
-
1958
77 Sunset Strip
TV show
-
1957
Perry Mason
TV show Louise Marlow
-
1957
The Thin Man
TV show
-
1957
Sugarfoot
TV show Nancy Thomas
-
1956
The Blessed Midnight
Movie Mrs. Hayes
-
1956
The Bad Seed
Movie Woman at Dinner Party (uncredited)
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1955
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
TV show Mrs. Fergusen
-
1955
MGM Parade
TV show Self
More credits
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1954
It's a Great Life
TV show Mrs. Amy Morgan
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1953
Man in the Attic
Movie Helen Harley
-
1953
The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse
TV show Thalia Morton
-
1953
The Danny Thomas Show
TV show Henrietta Perkins
-
1953
Letter to Loretta
TV show Mrs. Logan
-
1953
City Detective
TV show
-
1953
Revlon Mirror Theatre
TV show
-
1953
General Electric Theater
TV show Miss Trimingham
-
1952
Horizons West
Movie Martha Hammond
-
1952
My Wife's Best Friend
Movie Mrs. Chamberlain
-
1952
The Ford Television Theatre
TV show
-
1952
Cavalcade of America
TV show Mrs. Hayes
-
1952
Sally and Saint Anne
Movie Mrs. Kitty 'Mom' O'Moyne
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1952
Bend of the River
Movie Mrs. Prentiss
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1952
The Lady Says No
Movie Alice Hatch
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1952
Chevron Theatre
TV show
-
1951
Hallmark Hall of Fame
TV show Lou Bloor
-
1951
Dragnet
TV show
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1951
The Stooge
Movie Mrs. Rogers
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1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
TV show
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1951
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Movie Mrs. Barley
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1950
Lux Video Theatre
TV show Martha
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1949
The Lone Ranger
TV show Aunt Maggie Sawtelle
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1931
Girls About Town
Movie Joy - Party Girl (uncredited)
