Beulah Bondi

Infobox actor
name = Beulah Bondi


imagesize = 250px
caption = "The Unholy Wife" (1957)
birthname = Beulah Bondy
birthdate = birth date|1889|5|3
birthplace = city-state|Chicago|Illinois, U.S.
deathdate = Death date and age|1981|1|11|1889|5|3
deathplace = city-state|Los Angeles|California, U.S.
emmyawards = Outstanding Guest Actress - Drama Series
1977 "The Waltons"
tonyawards =

Beulah Bondi (May 3 1889 – January 11 1981)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] was an Emmy Award-winning and Oscar-nominated American actress. Of slight stature, with a gaunt, pale face, dark hair and deep-set, penetrating eyes, she was a veteran actress who worked well into her 80s. She is probably best remembered for her role as Mrs. Bailey, the mother of George Bailey, in "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946), although she had a long career both before and after that film.

Biography

Bondi was born as Beulah Bondy in Valparaiso, Indiana, the daughter of Eva (née Marble) and Adolphe Bondy. [ [http://homepage.mac.com/peterlucia/noweverthen/many/bondi.html Beulah Bondi ] ] Bondi began her acting career on the stage at age 7, playing the title role in the play "Little Lord Fauntleroy" in a production at the Memorial Opera House in Valparaiso, Indiana. She gained her Bachelors and Masters degrees in oratory at Valparaiso University in 1916 and 1918, and moved to film in the 1930s. Her debut movie role was as "Emma Jones" in Elmer Rice's "Street Scene" (1931), which starred Sylvia Sidney, and in which Bondi reprised her stage role, followed by "Mrs. Davidson" in "Rain" (1932), which starred Joan Crawford and Walter Huston.

She was one of the first five women to be nominated for an Academy Award in the newly-created category of "Best Supporting Actress" for her work in "The Gorgeous Hussy", although she lost the award to Gale Sondergaard. Two years later, she was nominated again for "Of Human Hearts", and lost again, but her reputation as a character actress kept her employed.

She would most often be seen in the role of the mother of the star of the film for the rest of her career, with the exception of 1937's "Make Way for Tomorrow" as the abandoned Depression-era 'Ma' Cooper. Her own personal favorite performance Fact|date=October 2007 was as the bigoted "Ma Bridges" in 1957's "Track of the Cat".

She often played mature roles in her early film career even though she was only in her early 40s. Bondi played James Stewart’s mother in four films: "It's a Wonderful Life", "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington","Of Human Hearts", and "Vivacious Lady". She made her final appearances as "Martha Corinne Walton" on the television series "The Waltons", in the episodes "The Conflict" (9/73) & "The Pony Cart" (12/76). She received an Emmy award for her performance in the latter episode. When her name was called it appeared at first that she was not present but she walked slowly up to the podium to receive the award and was given a standing ovation. She thanked everyone for honoring her while she was still alive.

Personal life

Despite the fact that she was known for playing mother figures, Bondi never married in real life. She died from pulmonary complications due to broken ribs suffered when she tripped over her cat on January 11 1981, aged 91.

Partial filmography

*"Street Scene" (1931)
*"Rain" (1932)
*"The Invisible Ray" (1936)
*"The Trail of the Lonesome Pine" (1936)
*"Hearts Divided" (1936)
*"The Gorgeous Hussy" (1936)
*"Maid of Salem" (1937)
*"Make Way for Tomorrow" (1937)
*"The Buccaneer" (1938)
*"Of Human Hearts" (1938)
*"Vivacious Lady" (1938)
*"On Borrowed Time" (1939)
*"The Under-Pup" (1939)
*"Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" (1939)
*"Remember the Night" (1940)
*"Our Town" (1940)
*"Penny Serenade" (1941)
*"The Shepherd of the Hills" (1941)
*"One Foot in Heaven" (1941)
*"Watch on the Rhine" (1943)
*"The Very Thought of You" (1944)
*"The Southerner" (1945)
*"Back to Bataan" (1945)
*"Sister Kenny" (1946)
*"It's a Wonderful Life" (1946)
*"The Snake Pit" (1948)
*"So Dear to My Heart" (1948)
*"Reign of Terror" (1949)
*"The Baron of Arizona" (1950)
*"The Furies" (1950)
*"Lone Star" (1952)
*"Track of the Cat" (1954)
*"Back from Eternity" (1956)
*"The Unholy Wife" (1957)
*"A Summer Place" (1959)

References

External links

*imdb|0094135
*amg name|2:7241
*Find A Grave|id=8008
* [http://www.dougmacaulay.com/kingspud/sel_by_actor_index_2.php?actor_first=Beulah&actor_last=Bondi Great Character Actors]
* [http://www.what-a-character.com/cgi-bin/display.cgi?id=BondiB What-A-Character]

Persondata
NAME= Bondi, Beulah
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Bondy, Beulah
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Actor
DATE OF BIRTH= 1889-5-3
PLACE OF BIRTH= Valparaiso, Indiana, U.S.
DATE OF DEATH= 1981-1-11
PLACE OF DEATH= Los Angeles, California, U.S.