Edna May Oliver Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Edna May Oliver
Oliver in the 1930s
Born	Edna May Nutter (1883-11-09)November 9, 1883 Malden, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	November 9, 1942(1942-11-09) (aged 59) Malibu, California, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1897–1941
Spouse(s)	David Welford Pratt (m. 1928; div. 1931)

Edna May Oliver (born Edna May Nutter, November 9, 1883 – November 9, 1942) was a famous American actress. She worked on both stage and in movies. During the 1930s, she was well-known for playing funny, often grumpy older women. She was a "character actress," meaning she played unique and memorable supporting roles instead of the main hero or heroine.

Edna May Oliver's Acting Journey
Her Final Years
Awards and Recognitions
Images for kids
See also

Edna May Oliver's Acting Journey

Edna May Oliver was born in Malden, Massachusetts. Her parents were Ida May and Charles Edward Nutter. She decided to leave school when she was just 14 years old. Her dream was to become an actress.

Starting on Stage

Edna May found her first big success on Broadway in 1917. She acted in a musical comedy called Oh, Boy!. In this show, she played a funny and serious character named Aunt Penelope. Later, in 1925, she appeared in another Broadway play, The Cradle Snatchers. She even acted alongside famous stars like Humphrey Bogart.

One of her most famous stage roles was as Parthy Ann Hawks. This was in the original 1927 musical Show Boat. She played this role again in 1932. However, she chose not to be in the movie version of Show Boat in 1936. Instead, she decided to play the Nurse in the film Romeo and Juliet that same year.

Moving to Movies

Edna May Oliver started her film career in 1923 with a movie called Wife in Name Only. She continued to make movies until 1941. She became very popular in films for her roles in comedies. Many of these were with the comedy duo Wheeler & Woolsey. Her first movie under her RKO Radio Pictures contract was Half Shot at Sunrise in 1930.

She often played important supporting roles. She also starred in ten films herself. These included Fanny Foley Herself (1931) and Ladies of the Jury (1932). In 1933, she played the rich and bossy Aunt March in the movie Little Women.

Oliver (center) in a poster for David Copperfield (1935)

Playing a Detective

Edna May Oliver was very popular for her mystery-comedy films. In these movies, she played a clever detective named Hildegarde Withers. This character came from popular books by Stuart Palmer. The movie series ended when she moved to a different studio, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, in 1935.

Classic Roles and Later Films

While at MGM, a famous producer named David O. Selznick cast Edna May in two movies based on books by Charles Dickens. She played the strict Miss Pross in A Tale of Two Cities (1935). She also played the quirky Aunt Betsy Trotwood in David Copperfield (also 1935).

John Barrymore, Oliver and Leslie Howard in Romeo and Juliet (1936)

She appeared in the Shirley Temple film Little Miss Broadway (1938). In this movie, she played a hotel owner who wanted to close down a hotel for performers. She also acted in two musicals in 1939. One was Second Fiddle with Tyrone Power and Sonja Henie. The other was The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle, where she supported Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

In 1940, she gave a funny performance as Lady Catherine de Bourgh. This was in Pride and Prejudice. She played the bossy aunt of Mr. Darcy, who was played by Laurence Olivier. Her last film role was in 1941. She played Merle Oberon's grandmother in the movie Lydia.

Edna May Oliver also acted in serious films. These included Cimarron (1931) and Romeo and Juliet (1936).

Her Final Years

Edna May Oliver passed away on her 59th birthday in 1942. She had a short illness related to her intestines. She was buried at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.

Awards and Recognitions

Edna May Oliver was nominated for an Oscar. This was for Best Supporting Actress. She received this honor for her role in the movie Drums Along the Mohawk (1939).