Hermione Baddeley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hermione Baddeley
Baddeley at home by Allan Warren, 1970s
Born	Hermione Youlanda Ruby Clinton-Baddeley (1906-11-13)13 November 1906 Broseley, Shropshire, England
Died	19 August 1986(1986-08-19) (aged 79) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1927–1982
Spouse(s)	David Pax Tennant ​ ​ (m. 1928; div. 1937)​ John Henry Willis ​ ​ (m. 1940; div. 1946)​
Children	2, including Pauline Tennant

Hermione Youlanda Ruby Clinton-Baddeley (born November 13, 1906 – died August 19, 1986) was an English actress. She was famous for her roles in plays, movies, and TV shows. Hermione often played strong, outgoing characters.

She was nominated for an Academy Award (a very important movie award) for her role in Room at the Top (1959). She also received a Tony Award nomination (a top award for stage plays) for The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore in 1963.

You might know her as Mrs. Cratchit in the 1951 film Scrooge. She also played Ellen the maid in the Disney movie Mary Poppins (1964). Hermione lent her voice to Madame Adelaide Bonfamille in the Disney cartoon The Aristocats (1970). In 1975, she won a Golden Globe Award for her role as Nell Naugatuck on the TV show Maude.

Early Life and Family

Hermione Baddeley was born in Broseley, Shropshire, England. Her father was W.H. Clinton-Baddeley and her mother, Louise Bourdin, was French. Hermione was related to Sir Henry Clinton, a famous general from the American War of Independence.

Her older sister, Angela Baddeley, was also an actress. Her half-brother, William Baddeley, was a church leader. Hermione first appeared on stage in 1923 in a play called The Likes of Her in London's famous West End district.

Acting Career

Baddeley (left) as Mrs Naugatuck in Maude, with Bea Arthur

Hermione Baddeley was well-known for her supporting roles in many films. These include Passport to Pimlico (1949), Tom Brown's Schooldays (1951), and Scrooge (1951). She also appeared in The Pickwick Papers (1952) and The Belles of St Trinian's (1954). Later, she was in Mary Poppins (1964) as Ellen, the maid, and The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964). She started making movies in the 1920s.

One of her important roles was in Brighton Rock (1947). She played Ida, a main character who tries to find out what happened to a friend. This puts her in danger from a character named Pinkie.

Hermione also had many roles on stage. She worked often with the famous writer Noël Coward in his plays during the 1940s and 1950s. She had a very successful show with Hermione Gingold in Coward's comedy Fallen Angels.

Baddeley (left) and Reta Shaw in the film Mary Poppins (1964)

She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Room at the Top (1959). Her role was very short, only about two minutes long. This is the shortest role ever to be nominated for an Academy Award! In 1960, she played Doll Tearsheet in a BBC series about Shakespeare's history plays. Her sister Angela also acted in this series. In 1963, she was nominated for a Tony Award for her role in The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore.

American audiences knew her from TV shows like Bewitched, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Little House on the Prairie. She also played Nell Naugatuck on the popular TV series Maude. Towards the end of her career, Hermione also lent her voice to animated characters. These included roles in The Aristocats (1970) and The Secret of NIMH (1982).

Personal Life

Baddeley in 1978

In 1928, Hermione married David Tennant. She was an hour late for her own wedding because she forgot the time! They had a daughter named Pauline Laetitia Tennant. The couple divorced in 1937.

In 1940, Hermione married John Henry Willis, a military officer. They divorced in 1946. She also had a relationship with actor Laurence Harvey, who was much younger than her. He asked her to marry him, but Hermione felt the age difference was too big.

Hermione Baddeley loved animals very much. She even dedicated her own book, called The Unsinkable Hermione Baddeley, to her pet dog. She continued to work in movies and TV shows until shortly before she passed away.

She died on August 19, 1986, at the age of 79, in a hospital in Los Angeles. She was buried in the United Kingdom. She was survived by her two children, Pauline and David.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Hermione Baddeley para niños

• List of Academy Award records