Beulah Bondi

Beulah Bondi
Bondi in 1961
Born
Beulah Bondy

(1888-05-03)May 3, 1888[1]
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedJanuary 11, 1981(1981-01-11) (aged 92)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma materValparaiso University
OccupationActress
Years active1895–1976

Beulah Bondi /ˈbɒndi/ (born Beulah Bondy; May 3, 1888 – January 11, 1981)[2] was an American character actress; she often played eccentric mothers and later grandmothers and wives, although she was known for numerous other roles.[1][3] She began her acting career as a young child in theater, and after establishing herself as a Broadway stage actress in 1925, she reprised her role in Street Scene for the 1931 film version.

She played supporting roles in several films during the 1930s, and was twice nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She played the mother of James Stewart in four films: Of Human Hearts, Vivacious Lady, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), and It's a Wonderful Life (1946). Although at her height in Hollywood from the 1930s until the 1950s, Bondi never retired, and she continued acting well into her later years, at the age of 87 winning an Emmy Award for her guest-star role on The Waltons in 1976.

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference google was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ According to the State of California. California Death Index, 1940–1997. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California. At Ancestry.com
  3. ^ Obituary Variety, January 21, 1981.