Frances Bavier

Known for ActingBorn 1902-12-14Died 1989-12-06Manhattan, New York, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Frances Elizabeth Bavier (December 14, 1902 – December 6, 1989) was an American stage and television actress. Originally from New York theatre, Bavier worked in film and television from the 1950s. She is best known for her role of Aunt Bee on The Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry R.F.D. from 1960–70. Aunt Bee logged more Mayberry years (ten) than any other character. She won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Comedy Actress for the role in 1967. Bavier had roles in more than a dozen films, as well as playing a range of supporting roles on television. Career highlights include her turn as Mrs. Barley in the classic 1951 film The Day the Earth Stood Still. In 1955, she played the rough and tough "Aunt Maggie" Sawtelle, a frontier Ma Barker-type character, in the Lone Ranger episode "Sawtelle's Saga End". In the episode, she fights with Tonto while the Lone Ranger battles with her nephew. At the conclusion, Tonto says that he would like to trade opponents next time. In 1957, she played Nora Martin, mother to Eve Arden's character on The Eve Arden Show, despite the fact that Arden was only 6 or 7 years younger than Bavier. That same year, Bavier guest-starred in the eighth episode of Perry Mason as Louise Marlow in "The Case of the Crimson Kiss". She was in an episode of Make Room for Daddy, which featured Andy Griffith as Andy Taylor and Ron Howard as Opie Taylor. She played a character named Henrietta Perkins. The episode led to The Andy Griffith Show, and Bavier was cast in the new role of Aunt Bee. Bavier had a love-hate relationship with her famous role during the run of the show. As a New York City actress, she felt her dramatic talents were being overlooked, yet after playing Bee for eight seasons, she was the only original cast member to remain with the series in the spin-off, Mayberry R.F.D., for two additional seasons.Read more

Movies & web series

MGM Parade

Hallmark Hall of Fame

Sally and Saint Anne

It's a Great Life

Chevron Theatre

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

Perry Mason

The Ford Television Theatre

The Andy Griffith Show

The Thin Man

City Detective

The Day the Earth Stood Still

Rawhide

Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

The Bad Seed

77 Sunset Strip

Bend of the River

General Electric Theater

The Lone Ranger

The Stooge

Lux Video Theatre

Letter to Loretta

Benji

Dragnet

Girls About Town

Mayberry R.F.D.

Horizons West

The Danny Thomas Show

The Investigators

My Wife's Best Friend

It Started with a Kiss

Man in the Attic

Sugarfoot

The Blessed Midnight

A Nice Little Bank That Should Be Robbed

The Lady Says No

Cavalcade of America

Revlon Mirror Theatre