Jane Darwell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jane Darwell
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Darwell in the 1945 play
A Doll's House |
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| Born |
Patti Woodard
October 15, 1879 Palmyra, Missouri, U.S.
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| Died | August 13, 1967 (aged 87) Woodland Hills, California, U.S.
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| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1909–1964 |
Jane Darwell (born Patti Woodard; October 15, 1879 – August 13, 1967) was a famous American actress. She acted in plays, movies, and TV shows. She appeared in over 100 major films during her long career.
Darwell is best known for her touching role as Ma Joad in the movie The Grapes of Wrath. For this role, she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also has a special star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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Early Life and Dreams
Jane Darwell was born Patti Woodard in Palmyra, Missouri. Her father, William Robert Woodard, was the president of a railroad company.
When she was young, Jane had big dreams. First, she wanted to be a circus rider. Then, she thought about becoming an opera singer. Her father did not approve of these ideas. So, they agreed that she could become an actress instead. She changed her name to Darwell so her family name would not be linked to her acting career.
The house where Jane Darwell was born is now a historic place. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
A Career in Acting
Jane Darwell studied singing and piano. She also took drama classes. At one point, she even thought about joining a convent, but she decided to become an actress instead.
She started acting in plays in Chicago. Her first movie role was in 1913. She appeared in nearly 20 films over the next two years. After that, she went back to acting on stage for 15 years.
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In 1930, she returned to movies in Tom Sawyer. This started her long career as a character actress in Hollywood. She was often cast as a mother figure. She also appeared in five Shirley Temple movies, usually playing a housekeeper or grandmother.
Her most famous role was Ma Joad in The Grapes of Wrath in 1940. She won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for this role. The film's star, Henry Fonda, insisted that she play the part. Jane Darwell was a contract player for 20th Century Fox. She also had memorable roles in films like The Ox-Bow Incident. She appeared in many other major movies and some smaller films.
Jane Darwell also continued to act on stage. In 1944, she was very popular in a play called Suds in Your Eye. She played an Irish woman who inherited a junkyard.
By the end of her career, she had been in over 170 films. Some of her other well-known movies include Jesse James (1939), Gone with the Wind (1939), and My Darling Clementine (1946).
Television Appearances
Jane Darwell also appeared on television shows. She was a guest star on Faye Emerson's Wonderful Town in the early 1950s. In 1954, she was in an episode of The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse called "Santa's Old Suit."
In 1959, she appeared in the TV Western series Buckskin. That same year, she was in an episode of Wagon Train. She also guest-starred on the crime drama Sheriff of Cochise.
In 1961, Darwell played Grandmother McCoy in an episode of the sitcom The Real McCoys. In the story, the family returns home for Grandmother McCoy's 100th birthday.
Hollywood Walk of Fame and Final Role
On February 8, 1960, Jane Darwell received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her star is located at 6735 Hollywood Boulevard. This honor recognized her important contributions to the movie industry.
In her mid-eighties, Darwell was mostly retired from acting. She had moved into a retirement home for actors. However, Walt Disney offered her the role of the Bird Woman in Mary Poppins (1964). At first, Darwell said no. But Walt Disney really wanted her for the part. He personally drove to her retirement home to ask her. She agreed, and it became her very last acting role. In the movie, the Bird Woman sells bread crumbs to feed pigeons outside St Paul's Cathedral. The famous song "Feed the Birds" is sung during this scene.
Later Years and Death
In her final years, Jane Darwell was not in good health. She passed away on August 13, 1967, at the age of 87. She died from a heart attack at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital.
Images for kids
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Darwell in the 1945 play A Doll's House
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Darwell as Ma Joad in The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
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Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne congratulate Darwell and Walter Brennan on their Academy Awards, February 28, 1941.
See also
In Spanish: Jane Darwell para niños
- List of actors with Academy Award nominations
