Edna May Oliver
Encyclopedia
Edna May Oliver was an American stage and film actress. During the 1930s, she was one of the best-known character actresses in American films, often playing tart-tongued spinsters.
, the daughter of Ida May and Charles Edward Nutter, Edna was a descendant of the sixth American president, John Quincy Adams
. She quit school at age fourteen in order to pursue a career on stage and achieved her first success in 1917 on Broadway
in Jerome Kern
's musical comedy Oh, Boy!
, playing the hero's comically dour Quaker Aunt Penelope.
in The Cradle Snatchers co-starring Mary Boland
, Margaret Dale, Gene Raymond
, Raymond Hackett and a young Humphrey Bogart
. Oliver's most notable stage appearance was as Parthy, wife of Cap'n Andy Hawks, in the original 1927 stage production of the musical Show Boat
. She repeated the role in the 1932 Broadway revival, but turned down the chance to play Parthy in the 1936 film version
of the show so that she could play the Nurse in that year's film version of Romeo and Juliet
, her only role in a Shakespeare film or play.
Her film debut occurred in 1923 in the film Wife in Name Only and she continued to appear in films until Lydia
in 1941. Oliver first gained major notice in films for her appearances in several comedy films starring the team of Wheeler & Woolsey
including Half Shot at Sunrise
, her first film under her RKO Radio Pictures contract in 1930.
While most often playing featured parts, she starred in ten films, including the women's stories Fanny Foley Herself
and Ladies of the Jury. Edna May Oliver's most popular star vehicles were mystery-comedies starring Oliver as spinster sleuth Hildegarde Withers
from the popular Stuart Palmer
novels. The series ended prematurely when Oliver left RKO to sign with MGM
in 1935; the studio attempted to continue the series with Helen Broderick
and then ZaSu Pitts
as Withers, but these later films were not well-received. When asked why she played predominantly comedic roles, she replied, "With a horse's face, what more can I play?"
Since Oliver was cast in several film versions of classic British literature
, including Alice in Wonderland
(1933), A Tale of Two Cities
(1935), David Copperfield
(1935), the 1936 film version of Romeo and Juliet
, and Pride and Prejudice
(1940), using a quite realistic upper-class English accent, many film-goers have incorrectly assumed that she is British.
Oliver died on her 59th birthday in 1942 following a short intestinal ailment that proved terminal, and was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California
.
nomination for Best Supporting Actress
in 1939 for her appearance in Drums Along the Mohawk
.
cartoon
Porky's Road Race, and her notably "bottom-heavy" physique was satirized in cartoons such as Friz Freleng
's The Hardship of Miles Standish (1940).
Early life
Born Edna May Nutter in Malden, MassachusettsMalden, Massachusetts
Malden is a suburban city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 59,450 at the 2010 census. In 2009 Malden was ranked as the "Best Place to Raise Your Kids" in Massachusetts by Bloomberg Businessweek Magazine.-History:...
, the daughter of Ida May and Charles Edward Nutter, Edna was a descendant of the sixth American president, John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States . He served as an American diplomat, Senator, and Congressional representative. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Adams was the son of former...
. She quit school at age fourteen in order to pursue a career on stage and achieved her first success in 1917 on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in Jerome Kern
Jerome Kern
Jerome David Kern was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in over 100 stage works, including such classics as "Ol' Man River", "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man", "A...
's musical comedy Oh, Boy!
Oh, Boy! (musical)
Oh, Boy! is a musical in two acts, with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse. The story concerns befuddled George, who elopes with Lou Ellen, the daughter of Judge Carter. He must win over her parents and his Quaker aunt...
, playing the hero's comically dour Quaker Aunt Penelope.
Career
In 1925, Oliver appeared on BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in The Cradle Snatchers co-starring Mary Boland
Mary Boland
-Career:Born Marie Anne Boland in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she was the daughter of William Boland, an actor, and his wife Mary Cecilia Hatton. She had an older sister named Sara....
, Margaret Dale, Gene Raymond
Gene Raymond
Gene Raymond was an American film, television, and stage actor of the 1930s and 1940s. In addition to acting, Raymond was also a composer, writer, director, producer, and decorated military pilot.-Stage and movie career:...
, Raymond Hackett and a young Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey DeForest Bogart was an American actor. He is widely regarded as a cultural icon.The American Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema....
. Oliver's most notable stage appearance was as Parthy, wife of Cap'n Andy Hawks, in the original 1927 stage production of the musical Show Boat
Show Boat
Show Boat is a musical in two acts with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It was originally produced in New York in 1927 and in London in 1928, and was based on the 1926 novel of the same name by Edna Ferber. The plot chronicles the lives of those living and working...
. She repeated the role in the 1932 Broadway revival, but turned down the chance to play Parthy in the 1936 film version
Show Boat (1936 film)
Show Boat is a 1936 film based on the musical play by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II , which the team adapted from the novel by Edna Ferber....
of the show so that she could play the Nurse in that year's film version of Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet (1936 film)
Romeo and Juliet is a 1936 American film adapted from the play by Shakespeare, directed by George Cukor from a screenplay by Talbot Jennings...
, her only role in a Shakespeare film or play.
Her film debut occurred in 1923 in the film Wife in Name Only and she continued to appear in films until Lydia
Lydia (film)
Lydia is a 1941 drama film, directed by Julien Duvivier. It stars Merle Oberon as Lydia MacMillan, a woman whose life is seen from her spoiled, immature youth through bitter and resentful middle years, until at last she is old and accepting...
in 1941. Oliver first gained major notice in films for her appearances in several comedy films starring the team of Wheeler & Woolsey
Wheeler & Woolsey
Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey were a famous American film comedy team of the 1930s....
including Half Shot at Sunrise
Half Shot at Sunrise
Half Shot at Sunrise is a 1930 slapstick comedy film starring the comedy duo Wheeler & Woolsey and Dorothy Lee. The film is about US army soldiers in Paris during World War I and their efforts to escape just about everything to do with the military....
, her first film under her RKO Radio Pictures contract in 1930.
While most often playing featured parts, she starred in ten films, including the women's stories Fanny Foley Herself
Fanny Foley Herself
Fanny Foley Herself is an American comedy-drama film that was shot entirely in Technicolor. The film was the second feature to be filmed using a new Technicolor process which removed grain and resulted in a much improved color...
and Ladies of the Jury. Edna May Oliver's most popular star vehicles were mystery-comedies starring Oliver as spinster sleuth Hildegarde Withers
Hildegarde Withers
Hildegarde Withers is a fictional character who appeared in several films and novels. She was created by Stuart Palmer.Miss Withers "whom the census enumerator had recently listed as 'spinster, born Boston, age thirty-nine, occupation school teacher'" becomes an amateur sleuthin the first book of...
from the popular Stuart Palmer
Stuart Palmer
Stuart Palmer was a popular mystery novel author and screenwriter, best known for his character Hildegarde Withers.Palmer was born in Baraboo, Wisconsin...
novels. The series ended prematurely when Oliver left RKO to sign with MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
in 1935; the studio attempted to continue the series with Helen Broderick
Helen Broderick
Helen Broderick was an American film and stage actress known for her comic roles, especially as a wisecracking sidekick.-Career:...
and then ZaSu Pitts
ZaSu Pitts
ZaSu Pitts was an American actress who starred in many silent dramas and comedies, transitioning to comedy sound films.-Early life:ZaSu Pitts was born in Parsons, Kansas to Rulandus and Nellie Pitts; she was the third of four children...
as Withers, but these later films were not well-received. When asked why she played predominantly comedic roles, she replied, "With a horse's face, what more can I play?"
Since Oliver was cast in several film versions of classic British literature
British literature
British Literature refers to literature associated with the United Kingdom, Isle of Man and Channel Islands. By far the largest part of British literature is written in the English language, but there are bodies of written works in Latin, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Scots, Cornish, Manx, Jèrriais,...
, including Alice in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland (1933 film)
Alice in Wonderland is a 1933 film version of the famous Alice novels of Lewis Carroll. The film was produced by Paramount Pictures, featuring an all-star cast. It is all live-action, except for the Walrus and The Carpenter sequence, which was animated by Leon Schlesinger Productions.Stars featured...
(1933), A Tale of Two Cities
A Tale of Two Cities
A Tale of Two Cities is a novel by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. With well over 200 million copies sold, it ranks among the most famous works in the history of fictional literature....
(1935), David Copperfield
Personal History, Adventures, Experience, and Observation of David Copperfield the Younger
The Personal History, Adventures, Experience, & Observation of David Copperfield the Younger is a 1935 American film based upon the Charles Dickens novel David Copperfield...
(1935), the 1936 film version of Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet (1936 film)
Romeo and Juliet is a 1936 American film adapted from the play by Shakespeare, directed by George Cukor from a screenplay by Talbot Jennings...
, and Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice (1940 film)
Pride and Prejudice is a 1940 film adaptation of Jane Austen's novel of the same name. Robert Z. Leonard directed, and Aldous Huxley served as one of the screenwriters of the film. It is adapted specifically from the stage adaptation by Helen Jerome in addition to Jane Austen's novel...
(1940), using a quite realistic upper-class English accent, many film-goers have incorrectly assumed that she is British.
Oliver died on her 59th birthday in 1942 following a short intestinal ailment that proved terminal, and was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
.
Awards and honors
Oliver received an OscarAcademy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
nomination for Best Supporting Actress
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
in 1939 for her appearance in Drums Along the Mohawk
Drums Along the Mohawk
Drums Along the Mohawk is a 1939 historical Technicolor film based upon a 1936 novel of the same name by American author, Walter D. Edmonds. The film was produced by Darryl F. Zanuck and directed by John Ford. Henry Fonda and Claudette Colbert portray settlers on the New York frontier during the...
.
In popular culture
Oliver was one of the many movie stars caricatured in the 19371937 in film
The year 1937 in film involved some significant events, including the Walt Disney production of the first full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.- Events :*April 16 - Way Out West premieres in the US....
cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
Porky's Road Race, and her notably "bottom-heavy" physique was satirized in cartoons such as Friz Freleng
Friz Freleng
Isadore "Friz" Freleng was an animator, cartoonist, director, and producer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons from Warner Bros....
's The Hardship of Miles Standish (1940).
Filmography
- Wife in Name Only (1923) as Mrs. Dornham
- Three O'Clock in the MorningThree O'Clock in the Morning"Three O’clock in the Morning" is a popular good-night waltz.The lyrics were written by Theodora Morse to music written by Julian Robledo. The song was recorded in 1922 by Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra...
(1923) as Hetty - Restless WivesRestless WivesRestless Wives is a 1924 silent melodrama, directed by Gregory La Cava.-Plot:Polly, is a wealthy wife neglected by her husband James Benson. When a business engagement causes James to miss their wedding anniversary, Polly goes with admirer Curtis Wilbur to a cabaret, and later she decides to go...
(1924) as Benson's Secretary - IceboundIceboundIcebound is a novel written by best-selling author Dean Koontz. The book was originally published in 1976 under the title Prison of Ice under Koontz's pseudonym David Axton, and was revised and re-released as Icebound in 1995....
(1924) as Hannah - Manhattan (1924) as Mrs. Trapes
- The Lady Who Lied (1925)
- The Lucky Devil (1925) as Mrs. McDee
- Lovers in Quarantine (1925) as Amelia Pincent
- The American VenusThe American VenusThe American Venus is an American feature film directed by Frank Tuttle, and starring Esther Ralston, Ford Sterling, Edna May Oliver, Lawrence Gray, Fay Lanphier, Louise Brooks, Kenneth MacKenna, and Douglas Fairbanks Jr., and released by Paramount Pictures. Brooks appears, in her first credited...
(1926) as Mrs. Niles - Let's Get MarriedLet's Get Married (1926 film)Let's Get Married is a 1926 silent film comedy produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It's directed by Gregory La Cava and stars Richard Dix and Lois Wilson. The film is based on an 1897 play The Man from Mexico by Henry A. Du Souchet performed by William Collier, Sr....
(1926) as J.W. Smith - The Saturday Night KidThe Saturday Night KidThe Saturday Night Kid is an early talking romantic comedy film about two sisters and the man they both want. It stars Clara Bow, Jean Arthur, and James Hall. The film was based on the play Love 'Em and Leave 'Em by George Abbott and John V. A. Weaver...
(1929) as Miss Streeter - Half Shot at SunriseHalf Shot at SunriseHalf Shot at Sunrise is a 1930 slapstick comedy film starring the comedy duo Wheeler & Woolsey and Dorothy Lee. The film is about US army soldiers in Paris during World War I and their efforts to escape just about everything to do with the military....
(1930) as Mrs. Marshall - CimarronCimarron (1931 film)Cimarron is a 1931 Pre-Code film directed by Wesley Ruggles and based on the Edna Ferber novel Cimarron. It won three Academy Awards.-Background:...
(1931) as Mrs. Tracy Wyatt - Laugh and Get Rich (1931) as Mrs. Sarah Cranston Austin
- Cracked NutsCracked NutsCracked Nuts is a 1931 comedy film directed by Edward F. Cline, starring Wheeler & Woolsey and featuring Boris Karloff.-Cast:* Bert Wheeler - Wendell Graham* Robert Woolsey - Zander Ulysses Parkhurst* Dorothy Lee - Betty Harrington...
(1931) as Aunt Minnie Van Varden - Newly Rich (1931) as Bessie Tate
- Fanny Foley HerselfFanny Foley HerselfFanny Foley Herself is an American comedy-drama film that was shot entirely in Technicolor. The film was the second feature to be filmed using a new Technicolor process which removed grain and resulted in a much improved color...
(1931) as Fanny Foley - Ladies of the Jury (1932) as Mrs. Livingston Baldwin Crane
- Hold 'Em Jail (1932) as Violet
- The Conquerors (1932) as Matilda Blake
- Penguin Pool MurderPenguin Pool MurderPenguin Pool Murder is a comedy/mystery film starring Edna May Oliver as Hildegarde Withers, a witness in a murder case at the New York Aquarium, James Gleason as the police inspector in charge of the case, who investigates with her unwanted help, and Robert Armstrong as an attorney representing...
(1932) as Miss Hildegarde Martha Withers - The Great Jasper (1933) as Madame Talma
- It's Great to Be AliveIt's Great to Be AliveIt's Great to Be Alive is a science fiction musical comedy film produced by Fox Film Corporation, is a remake of The Last Man on Earth , and later influenced the novel Mr. Adam by Pat Frank.-Synopsis:...
(1933) as Dr. Prodwell - Ann VickersAnn VickersAnn Vickers is a 1933 novel by Sinclair Lewis.It is also a 1933 drama film directed by John Cromwell, adapted by Jane Murfin from Lewis's novel, and starring Irene Dunne, Bruce Cabot, Walter Huston, and Conrad Nagel...
(1933) as Malvina Wormser
- Meet the BaronMeet the BaronMeet the Baron is a comedy film starring Jack Pearl, Jimmy Durante, Edna May Oliver, Zasu Pitts, Ted Healy and the Three Stooges.-Plot:...
(1933) as Dean Primrose - Only YesterdayOnly Yesterday (1933 film)Only Yesterday is a 1933 drama film about a young woman who becomes pregnant by her boyfriend before he rushes off to fight in World War I. It stars Margaret Sullavan and John Boles. The film was based on the novel Briefe einer unbekannten by Stefan Zweig, though he was not credited...
(1933) as Leona - Little WomenLittle Women (1933 film)Little Women is a 1933 American drama film directed by George Cukor. The screenplay by Sarah Y. Mason and Victor Heerman is based on the classic novel of the same name by Louisa May Alcott...
(1933) as Aunt March - Alice in WonderlandAlice in Wonderland (1933 film)Alice in Wonderland is a 1933 film version of the famous Alice novels of Lewis Carroll. The film was produced by Paramount Pictures, featuring an all-star cast. It is all live-action, except for the Walrus and The Carpenter sequence, which was animated by Leon Schlesinger Productions.Stars featured...
(1933) as The Red Queen - The Poor Rich (1934) as Harriet Spottiswood
- The Last Gentleman (1934) as Augusta Pritchard
- Murder on the BlackboardMurder on the BlackboardMurder on the Blackboard is a mystery film starring Edna May Oliver as schoolteacher Hildegarde Withers and James Gleason as Police Inspector Oscar Piper. Together, they investigate a murder at Withers' school...
(1934) as Hildegarde Withers - We're Rich AgainWe're Rich AgainWe're Rich Again is a 1934 comedy film starring Edna May Oliver, Billie Burke and Marian Nixon. A formerly wealthy family tries to stave off bankruptcy until one of them can marry a rich man...
(1934) as Maude Stanley - David Copperfield (1935) as Aunt Betsy Trotwood
- Murder on a HoneymoonMurder on a HoneymoonMurder on a Honeymoon is a mystery film starring Edna May Oliver and James Gleason. This was the third and last time Oliver portrayed astute schoolteacher Hildegarde Withers, who in this film witnesses the death of an airplane passenger...
(1935) as Hildegarde Withers - No More LadiesNo More LadiesNo More Ladies is a 1935 film starring Joan Crawford, Robert Montgomery, and Franchot Tone, directed by Edward H. Griffith and George Cukor. It is based on a play by A.E. Thomas...
(1935) as Mrs. Fanny "Grandma" Townsend - A Tale of Two CitiesA Tale of Two Cities (1935 film)A Tale of Two Cities is a 1935 film based upon Charles Dickens' 1859 historical novel, A Tale of Two Cities. The film stars Ronald Colman as Sydney Carton, Donald Woods and Elizabeth Allan. The supporting players include Basil Rathbone, Blanche Yurka, and Edna Mae Oliver. It was directed by Jack...
(1935) as Miss Pross - Romeo and JulietRomeo and Juliet (1936 film)Romeo and Juliet is a 1936 American film adapted from the play by Shakespeare, directed by George Cukor from a screenplay by Talbot Jennings...
(1936) as Nurse to Juliet - ParnellParnell (film)Parnell is a 1937 MGM film starring Clark Gable as Charles Stewart Parnell, the famous Irish politician. It is considered Gable's worst film, and is classified in The Fifty Worst Films of All Time.-Production:...
(1937) as Aunt Ben Wood - My Dear Miss Aldrich (1937) as Mrs. Lou Atherton
- RosalieRosalie (film)Rosalie is an MGM film adaptation of the 1928 stage musical of the same name. The film was released in December 1937. The film follows the story of the musical but replaces most of the Broadway score with new songs by Cole Porter...
(1937) as Queen of Romanza - Paradise for ThreeParadise for ThreeParadise for Three, titled Romance for Three in the United Kingdom, is a 1938 romantic comedy film starring Frank Morgan as a wealthy industrialist who decides to find out about his German workers by temporarily living among them incognito...
(1938) as Mrs. Julia Kunkel - Little Miss BroadwayLittle Miss BroadwayLittle Miss Broadway is a 1938 American musical film directed by Irving Cummings. The screenplay was written by Harry Tugend and Jack Yellen. The film stars Shirley Temple in a story about a theatrical boarding house and its occupants, and was originally titled Little Lady of Broadway...
(1938) as Sarah Wendling - The Story of Vernon and Irene CastleThe Story of Vernon and Irene CastleThe Story of Vernon and Irene Castle is an American biographical musical comedy, released in 1939 and directed by H.C. Potter. The film stars Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edna May Oliver, and Walter Brennan....
(1939) as Maggie Sutton - Second FiddleSecond Fiddle (1939 film)Second Fiddle is a 1939 American musical romance film directed by Sidney Lanfield and starring Sonja Henie, Tyrone Power, Rudy Vallee and Lyle Talbot. The score was composed by Irving Berlin. A Hollywood publicity agent falls in love with a new actress he helped to discover. The film parodies the...
(1939) as Aunt Phoebe - Nurse Edith CavellNurse Edith CavellNurse Edith Cavell is a 1939 American film directed by Herbert Wilcox.The film was nominated at the 1939 Oscars for Best Original Score.- Cast :*Anna Neagle as Nurse Edith Cavell*Edna May Oliver as Countess de Mavon*George Sanders as Capt. Heinrichs...
(1939) as Countess de Mavon - Drums Along the MohawkDrums Along the MohawkDrums Along the Mohawk is a 1939 historical Technicolor film based upon a 1936 novel of the same name by American author, Walter D. Edmonds. The film was produced by Darryl F. Zanuck and directed by John Ford. Henry Fonda and Claudette Colbert portray settlers on the New York frontier during the...
(1939) as Mrs. McKlennar - Pride and PrejudicePride and Prejudice (1940 film)Pride and Prejudice is a 1940 film adaptation of Jane Austen's novel of the same name. Robert Z. Leonard directed, and Aldous Huxley served as one of the screenwriters of the film. It is adapted specifically from the stage adaptation by Helen Jerome in addition to Jane Austen's novel...
(1940) as Lady Catherine de Bourgh - LydiaLydia (film)Lydia is a 1941 drama film, directed by Julien Duvivier. It stars Merle Oberon as Lydia MacMillan, a woman whose life is seen from her spoiled, immature youth through bitter and resentful middle years, until at last she is old and accepting...
(1941) as Sarah MacMillan