Spring Byington

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Spring Byington

Byington in the Little Women trailer (1933)
Born Spring Dell Byington
(1886-10-17)October 17, 1886
Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S.
Died September 7, 1971(1971-09-07) (aged 84)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Cause of death
 Cancer
Nationality American
Occupation Actress
Years active 1904–1968
Spouse(s) Roy Carey Chandler (m. 1909–20)
Children Phyllis Chandler (b. 1916)
Lois Chandler (b. 1917)

Spring Dell Byington (October 17, 1886 – September 7, 1971) was a professional American actress.[1] Her career included a seven-year run on radio and television as the star of December Bride. She was a key MGM contract player appearing in films from the 1930s through the 1960s. In 1939, she was nominated the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Penny Sycamore in You Can't Take It with You

Early life

Byington was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado to Professor Edwin Lee Byington (1852–1891), an educator and superintendent of schools in Colorado, and Helene Maud (née Cleghorn). Byington had one sibling, a younger sister, Helene Kimball Byington. After Edwin Lee's death, Helene decided to send her younger daughter, Helene, to live with her parents, Arthur and Charlotte Cleghorn, in Port Hope, Ontario, while Spring remained with family in Denver. Her mother moved to Boston and became a student at the Boston University School of Medicine, where she graduated in 1896. After graduation, she moved back to Denver, Colorado, and began a practice with fellow graduate, Dr. Mary Ford.

Byington played in amateur shows in her school days, and graduated from North High School in 1904. Shortly afterward, at age 14, Byington became a professional actress with the Elitch Garden Stock Company.[2] Her mother had been a friend of Mary Elitch. When their mother died in 1907, Byington and Helene were legally adopted by their aunt Margaret Eddy. Byington stated in an interview in 1949 that she had tried her hand at newspaper reporting. However, as she was already of legal majority age, she took her inheritance to begin an acting career in New York, saying that she enjoys it, and "I can't do anything else very well."[3]

Career

Stage

In 1908, Byington joined a repertory company that was touring Buenos Aires, Argentina. Between 1908 and 1916, the company performed American plays translated into Spanish and Portuguese in Argentina and Brazil.

Upon returning to New York, Byington divided her time between working in Manhattan and staying with her daughters. Her daughters were living with friends J. Allen and Lois Babcock, in Leonardsville Village, New York (Madison County), who were taking care of them while Byington worked in the city. She began touring in 1919 with a production of Birds in Paradise, which brought the Hawaiian culture to the mainland, and in 1921 began work with the Stuart Walker Company, for which she played roles in Mr. Pim Passes By, The Ruined Lady and Rollo's Wild Oats, among others. This connection landed her a role in her first Broadway performance in 1924, George S. Kaufman and Marc Connelly's Beggar on Horseback which ran for six months. She renewed the role in March and April 192, and continued on Broadway with an additional 18 productions in the ten years from 1925 to 1935. These included roles in Kaufman and Moss Hart's Once in a Lifetime, Rachel Crothers's When Ladies Meet, and Dawn Powell's Jig Saw.

Films, radio and television

In her last years on Broadway, Byington began work in films. The first was a short film titled Papa's Slay Ride, released in 1930, where she played the role of "Mama," and the second role, and most famous, was in Little Women in 1933, as "Marmee," with Katharine Hepburn as her daughter "Jo". 1935, Midshipman Roger Byam's (Franchot Tone) mother in Mutiny on the Bounty. She became a household name during The Jones Family series of films, and continued as a character actress in Hollywood for several years.[2] In 1938, Byington was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for You Can't Take it With You, which was won by Fay Bainter for Jezebel (in which Byington also had a role as antebellum society matron, Mrs. Kendrick).[citation needed]

During World War II, Byington worked in radio, and decided to continue working in this medium as her film career began to dwindle after the war. In 1952, she joined CBS Radio to become the lead role of the widowed Lily Ruskin, in the sitcom December Bride. In 1954, Desilu Productions produced a pilot of the show for a television sitcom, also starring Byington. The pilot was successful, and the new hit sitcom aired in its first two seasons immediately following I Love Lucy. December Bride broadcast 111 episodes through 1959.

Byington guest starred as herself in the CBS sitcom Dennis the Menace, starring Jay North, in the 1961 episode titled "Dennis Birthday", with character actor Vaughn Taylor also appearing in this segment.[4]

From 1961 to 1963, Byington was cast as the wise, matronly housekeeper, Daisy Cooper, in the NBC Western series Laramie, starring John Smith and Robert Fuller. On Laramie, Daisy serves as a surrogate grandmother to orphaned Mike Williams, played by the child actor Dennis Holmes.

After Laramie, Byington guest starred as Mrs. Jolly on Dennis Weaver's NBC sitcom, Kentucky Jones. Her penultimate role before her death from cancer was in 1967, as Larry Hagman's mother on NBC's I Dream of Jeannie. Her final role was in 1968 as Mother General on ABC's The Flying Nun, starring Sally Field.

Personal life

Byington spoke some Spanish, which she learned during the time spent with her husband in Buenos Aires, and she studied Brazilian Portuguese in her golden years. In July 1958 she confided to reporter Hazel Johnson that she had acquired a "small coffee plantation" in Brazil the month before and was learning Portuguese. "Miss Byington explained that she first listens to a 'conditioning record' before she goes to sleep. An hour later, her Portuguese lessons automatically begin feeding into her pillow by means of a small speaker."[2]

Byington was fascinated by metaphysics and science fiction novels, including George Orwell's 1984. She surprised her co-stars in December Bride with her knowledge of the Earth's satellites, and the constellations in the night sky.[2]

In August 1955, Byington began taking flying lessons in Glendale, California, but the studio made her stop the lessons because of insurance problems.[2]

In January, 1957, she testified in the trial of the Sica brothers as a character witness in behalf of the DaLonne Cooper, who was a friend and the Script Supervisor for December Bride.[5]

Marriage and engagement

Spring Byington married Roy Chandler in 1909; the manager of the theater troupe she worked with in Buenos Aires. They remained in Buenos Aires until 1916, when Spring returned to New York to give birth to her first daughter, Phyllis Helene. Her second daughter, Lois Irene, was born in 1917. The couple divorced in about 1920. Between then and the mid-1930s, she devoted her time to developing her career.[6]

In the late 1930s, Byington was once again engaged to be married; this time to an Argentine industrialist. Following an engagement of a couple of years and several months before they were to be married, he died unexpectedly. Following this, she chose to devote her life to her career and family.

Byington has been identified as a lesbian by a number of Hollywood historians.[7][8] Actress Marjorie Main's biographer Michelle Vogel has noted that Main and Byington were reported widely as having had a long-term affair.[9] When asked about Byington's sexual orientation, Main acknowledged: "It's true, she didn't have much use for men."[7]

Death

On September 7, 1971, Byington died of rectal cancer [10] at her home in the Hollywood Hills.[6][11] At her request, her body was donated to medical research.[12]

For her contribution to the film and television industry, Byington has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for films at 6507 Hollywood Blvd., and one for television at 6233 Hollywood Blvd.[6]

Broadway credits

  • Beggar on Horseback (1924, 1925 revival) – Mrs. Cady
  • Weak Sisters (1925)
  • Puppy Love (1926)
  • The Great Adventure (1926–1927)
  • Skin Deep (1927)
  • The Merchant of Venice (1928)
  • To-Night at 12 (1928–1929)
  • Be Your Age (1929)
  • Jonesy (1929)
  • Ladies Don't Lie (1929)
  • I Want My Wife (1930)
  • Once in a Lifetime (1930) – Helen Hobart
  • Ladies of Creation (1931)
  • We Are No Longer Children (1932)
  • When Ladies Meet (1932–1933)
  • The First Apple (1933–1934)
  • No Questions Asked (1934)
  • Jig Saw (1934)
  • Piper Paid (1934–1935)

Partial filmography

Films

"Jones Family" films

  • Every Saturday Night (1936)
  • Educating Father (1936)
  • Back to Nature (1936)
  • Off to the Races (1937)
  • Big Business (1937)
  • Hot Water (1937)
  • Borrowing Trouble (1937)
  • Love on a Budget (1938)
  • A Trip to Paris (1938)
  • Safety in Numbers (1938)
  • Down on the Farm (1938)
  • Everybody's Baby (1939)
  • The Jones Family in Hollywood (1939)
  • The Jones Family in Quick Millions (1939)
  • Too Busy to Work (1939)
  • Young as You Feel (1940)
  • On Their Own (1940)

Television

Awards

Nominations

  • 1933 Alexandrias: Best Supporting Actress, Little Women[13]
    • Won by Mary Astor, The World Changes
  • 1938 Oscars: Best Supporting Actress, You Can't Take It with You[14]
    • Won by Fay Bainter, Jezebel
  • 1950 Golden Globes: Best Actress – Comedy or Musical, Louisa[15]
    • Won by Judy Holliday, Born Yesterday
  • 1957 Emmys: Best Actress – Drama or Comedy Series, December Bride[16]
    • Won by Jane Wyatt, Father Knows Best
  • 1958 Emmys: Best Actress – Drama or Comedy Series, December Bride[17]
    • Won by Jane Wyatt, Father Knows Best

References

Notes
  1. ↑ Obituary Variety, September 8, 1971.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Stumpf, Charles. "Spring Byington: Eternal Spring". Classic Images, June 2000.
  3. ↑ Heyn, Howard C. (1949). "Motherly Spring Byington Says She Is Actress Solely Because She Likes It." St. Petersburg Times, July 24, 1949. Retrieved: July 16, 2013.
  4. ↑ ""Dennis' Birthday", February 19, 1961". Internet Movie Data Base. Retrieved February 9, 2013. 
  5. ↑ Fred Sica Says He Was Defending Self in Row. (January 31, 1957). Los Angeles Times, p. 4.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Hollywood Star Walk: Spring Byington." Los Angeles Times, September 8, 1971. Retrieved: June 11, 2012.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Tucker, David C. (2007). The Women Who Made Television Funny: Ten Stars of 1950s Sitcoms. Jefferson NC: McFarland. p. 69. ISBN 978-0786429004. 
  8. ↑ Faderman, Lillian and Stuart Timmons (2006). Gay L.A.: A History of Sexual Outlaws, Power Politics, and Lipstick Lesbians. New York: Basic Books. p. 48. ISBN 9780465022885. 
  9. ↑ Vogel, Michelle (2006). Marjorie Main: The Life and Films of Hollywood's "Ma Kettle". Jefferson NC: McFarland. p. 110. ISBN 0786464437. 
  10. ↑ Largo, Michael. (2007). The Portable Obituary: How the Famous, Rich, and Powerful Really Died. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. p. 268.
  11. ↑ "Actress Spring Byington Dies". The Age. 1971-09-09. p. 6. Retrieved 26 November 2012. 
  12. ↑ Tucker, David C. (2007). The Women Who Made Television Funny: Ten Stars of 1950s Sitcoms. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc. 
  13. ↑ "Past Awards Database: The Envelope, 1933 Alexandria Awards." Los Angeles Times. Retrieved: May 6, 2010.
  14. ↑ "Past Awards Database: The Envelope, 1938 Academy Awards." Los Angeles Times. Retrieved: May 6, 2010.
  15. ↑ "Past Awards Database: The Envelope, 1950 Golden Globe Awards." Los Angeles Times. Retrieved: May 6, 2010.
  16. ↑ "Past Awards Database: The Envelope, 1957 Emmy Awards." Los Angeles Times. Retrieved: May 6, 2010.
  17. ↑ "Past Awards Database: The Envelope, 1958–1959 Emmy Awards." Los Angeles Times. Retrieved: May 6, 2010.
Bibliography
  • Brooks, Tim and Earle Marsh. The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946–Present. New York: Ballantine Books, Ninth edition 2007, First edition 1979. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4.
  • Tucker, David C. Verna Felton. Duncan, Oklahoma: BearManor Media, 2010. ISBN 978-1-59393-524-5.
  • Tucker, David C. The Women Who Made Television Funny: Ten Stars of 1950s Sitcoms. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company,Inc. 2007. ISBN 978-0-7864-2900-4.

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