Spring Byington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Spring Byington
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| Born |
Spring Dell Byington
October 17, 1886 |
| Died | September 7, 1971 (aged 84) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1904–1968 |
| Known for |
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| Spouse(s) |
Roy Carey Chandler
(m. 1909; div. 1920) |
| Children | 2 |
Spring Dell Byington (born October 17, 1886 – died September 7, 1971) was a famous American actress. She had a long career in movies, radio, and television. Many people remember her as the star of the TV show December Bride, which ran for seven years.
Spring Byington also appeared in many films from the 1930s to the 1960s. She was even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the movie You Can't Take It with You (1938). She was known for playing kind and often quirky characters.
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Early Life and Education
Spring Byington was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Her father, Edwin Lee Byington, was a school superintendent. Her mother, Helene Maud Byington, was a doctor. Spring had a younger sister named Helene.
After her father passed away in 1891, Spring lived with relatives in Denver. Her mother went to medical school in Boston and became a doctor. She later returned to Denver to open her own medical practice.
Spring enjoyed performing in school plays. She graduated from North High School in 1904. Soon after, she became a professional actress with the Elitch Garden Stock Company.
Starting an Acting Career
In 1903, Spring Byington joined a theater group called the Belasco De Mille Company. This group toured in Buenos Aires, Argentina, performing American plays translated into Spanish and Portuguese. She performed in Argentina and Brazil until 1916.
When she returned to New York, Spring continued her acting career. She started touring in 1919 with a play called The Bird of Paradise. In 1921, she joined the Stuart Walker Company. This led to her first performance on Broadway, which is the highest level of theater in New York City.
Her first Broadway show was Beggar on Horseback in 1924. It was very popular and ran for six months. She continued to act in many Broadway productions until 1935.
Movies, Radio, and Television
While still working on Broadway, Spring Byington began acting in films. Her first movie was a short film in 1930. A more famous early role was as Marmee in Little Women (1933), where she played the mother of Jo, played by Katharine Hepburn.
She also appeared in Mutiny on the Bounty (1935). Spring Byington became well-known for her roles in The Jones Family movies. She was a popular character actress in Hollywood for many years.
Academy Award Nomination
In 1938, Spring Byington was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. This was for her role as Penelope Sycamore in You Can't Take It with You. Even though she didn't win, it was a big honor. She also appeared in Jezebel that same year. In 1941, she played the mother of Barbara Stanwyck's character in Meet John Doe.
Radio and TV Star
During World War II, Spring Byington worked in radio. After the war, her film career slowed down, so she focused more on radio. In 1952, she joined CBS Radio to play the main character, Lily Ruskin, in the sitcom December Bride.
In 1954, the show was made into a television series, also starring Spring Byington. It was a huge success! December Bride aired 156 episodes until 1959. For its first two seasons, it aired right after the very popular show I Love Lucy.
After December Bride, Spring Byington made guest appearances on other TV shows. She was on The Tab Hunter Show in 1960 and even played herself on Dennis the Menace in 1961.
From 1961 to 1963, she played Daisy Cooper, a kind housekeeper, in the NBC Western series Laramie. Her last acting role was in 1968 on The Flying Nun.
Personal Life
Spring Byington learned some Spanish while living in Buenos Aires. Later in life, she studied Brazilian Portuguese. She even bought a small coffee farm in Brazil in 1958. She was very interested in metaphysics and science-fiction novels. She enjoyed reading and learning about space.
In 1955, she started taking flying lessons in Glendale, California. However, her studio asked her to stop because of insurance concerns.
Family Life
In 1909, Spring Byington married Roy Chandler, who managed the theater group she worked with in Buenos Aires. They lived there until 1916, when Spring returned to New York to have her first daughter, Phyllis Helene. Her second daughter, Lois Irene, was born in 1917. The couple divorced around 1920. After that, Spring focused on her acting career and raising her daughters.
Legacy and Recognition
Spring Byington passed away from cancer on September 7, 1971. She left her body to medical research.
For her amazing work in movies and television, Spring Byington has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. One star is for her contributions to motion pictures, and the other is for her work in television.
Broadway Performances
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Selected Film Roles
Movies
- Little Women (1933) as Marmee March
- Werewolf of London (1935) as Miss Ettie Coombes
- Love Me Forever (1935) as Clara Fields
- Broadway Hostess (1935) as Mrs. Duncan-Griswald-Wembley-Smythe
- The Great Impersonation (1935) as Duchess Caroline
- Ah, Wilderness! (1935) as Mrs. Miller
- Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) as Mrs. Byam
- Dodsworth (1936) as Matey Pearson
- Stage Struck (1936) as Mrs. Randall
- The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936) as Lady Octavia Warrenton
- Theodora Goes Wild (1936) as Rebecca Parry
- The Girl on the Front Page (1936) as Mrs. Langford
- Palm Springs (1936) as Aunt Letty
- Penrod and Sam (1937) as Mrs. Schofield
- A Family Affair (1937) as Mrs. Hardy
- Green Light (1937) as Mrs. Dexter
- It's Love I'm After (1937) as Aunt Ella Paisley
- The Buccaneer (1938) as Dolly Madison
- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938) as Widow Douglas (uncredited)
- Jezebel (1938) as Mrs. Kendrick
- You Can't Take It with You (1938) as Penelope "Penny" Sycamore
- Chicken Wagon Family (1939) as Josephine Fippany
- Quick Millions (1939) as Mrs. Jones
- The Blue Bird (1940) as Mummy Tyl
- Laddie (1940) as Mrs. Stanton
- Lucky Partners (1940) as Aunt Lucy
- My Love Came Back (1940) as Clara Malette
- The Devil and Miss Jones (1941) as Elizabeth Ellis
- Meet John Doe (1941) as Mrs. Mitchell
- When Ladies Meet (1941) as Bridget Drake
- Roxie Hart (1942) as Mary Sunshine
- Rings on Her Fingers (1942) as Mrs. Maybelle Worthington
- The Vanishing Virginian (1942) as Rosa Yancey
- The Affairs of Martha (1942) as Sophia Sommerfield
- The War Against Mrs. Hadley (1942) as Cecilia Talbot
- Heaven Can Wait (1943) as Bertha Van Cleve
- Presenting Lily Mars (1943) as Mrs. Mars
- The Heavenly Body (1944) as Nancy Porter
- I'll Be Seeing You (1944) as Mrs. Marshall
- Reward Unlimited (1944, Short) as Peggy's Mother
- The Enchanted Cottage (1945) as Violet Price
- Thrill of a Romance (1945) as Grandma Glenn
- Captain Eddie (1945) as Mrs. Frost
- Dragonwyck (1946) as Magda
- A Letter for Evie (1946) as Mrs. McPherson
- Living in a Big Way (1947) as Mrs. Minerva Alsop Morgan
- Singapore (1947) as Mrs. Bellows
- It Had to Be You (1947) as Mrs. Martha Stafford
- Cynthia (1947) as Carrie Jannings
- B.F.'s Daughter (1948) as Gladys Fulton
- In the Good Old Summertime (1949) as Nellie Burke
- The Big Wheel (1949) as Mary Coy
- The Reformer and the Redhead (1950) as Kathy's Mother (voice, uncredited)
- Please Believe Me (1950) as Mrs. Milwright
- Louisa (1950) as Louisa Norton
- The Skipper Surprised His Wife (1950) as Agnes Thorndyke
- Devil's Doorway (1950) as Mrs. Masters
- Walk Softly, Stranger (1950) as Mrs. Brentman
- According to Mrs. Hoyle (1951) as Mrs. Hoyle
- Angels in the Outfield (1951) as Sister Edwitha
- Bannerline (1951) as Mrs. Loomis
- No Room for the Groom (1952) as Mama Kingshead
- Because You're Mine (1952) as Mrs. Edna Montville
- The Rocket Man (1954) as Justice Amelia Brown
- Please Don't Eat the Daisies (1960) as Suzie Robinson
"Jones Family" Films
- Every Saturday Night (1936)
- Educating Father (1936)
- Back to Nature (1936)
- Off to the Races (1937)
- The Jones Family in 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)
- I'll Be Seeing You (1944)
Television Appearances
- December Bride (1954–1959) (157 episodes) – Lily Ruskin
- The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford (December 27, 1956) – Herself
- What's My Line? (October 27, 1957) – Mystery Guest
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1960) (Season 6 Episode 11: "The Man with Two Faces") - Alice Wagner
- The Tab Hunter Show (1960) (Season 1 Episode 6: "The Matchmaker") – Mollie Coburn
- Dennis the Menace (1961) – Herself
- Laramie (1961–1963) (59 episodes) – Daisy Cooper / Aunt Daisy Cooper
- Mister Ed (1963) (Season 4 Episode 8: "Oh, Those Hats!") - Karen Dooley
- The Greatest Show on Earth (1964) (Season 1 Episode 28: "The Train Don't Stop Till It Gets There") - Louise
- Kentucky Jones (1965) (Season 1 Episode 22: "Feminine Intrusion") – Mrs. Jolly
- Batman (1966) – J. Pauline Spaghetti
- (Season 2 Episode 33: "The Sandman Cometh")
- (Season 2 Episode 34: "The Catwoman Goeth")
- I Dream of Jeannie (1967) (Season 3 Episode 9: "Meet My Master's Mother") – Mother
- The Flying Nun (1968) (Season 2 Episode 11: "To Fly or Not to Fly") – Mother General
Awards and Nominations
Spring Byington was recognized for her acting with several nominations:
Nominations
- 1933 Alexandrias: Best Supporting Actress, Little Women
- 1938 Oscars: Best Supporting Actress, You Can't Take It with You
- 1950 Golden Globes: Best Actress – Comedy or Musical, Louisa
- 1957 Emmys: Best Actress – Drama or Comedy Series, December Bride
- 1958 Emmys: Best Actress – Drama or Comedy Series, December Bride
