Spring Byington
For over 30 years, Spring Byington balanced a prolific stage and radio career with strong supporting roles in film and television. She took up acting at a young age, and by 1910 she had joined a repertory company and embarked on a tour of Buenos Aires, Argentina. She married the theater company's manager and lived abroad for eight years before returning to New York in 1920. There she honed her comedic skills in numerous Broadway plays, and in 1930 she made her film debut in the short Christmas comedy "Papa's Slay Ride." Her next role, as the kindhearted Marmee in the critically acclaimed adaptation of the Louisa May Alcott novel "Little Women," became a stock character for the well-liked actress. Byington was a key player in many MGM films of the '30s and '40s, and appeared as the good-natured family matriarch in the popular "Jones family" series of comedies. In 1938, she garnered critical praise for her role as the eccentric Penny Sycamore in the award-winning romantic comedy "You Can't Take It with You." After turning in memorable performances as a stuffy mother in the fantasy romance "Heaven Can Wait" and as a sweet-faced con artist in the Gene Tierney comedy "Rings on Her Fingers," Byington was cast as the perky widow Lily Ruskin in the TV sitcom "December Bride," based on her popular radio serial, which aired for five seasons. Byington later appeared as kindly homemaker Daisy Cooper on the primetime Western series "Laramie"
Photos
Spring Byington
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
57% |
|
Please Don't Eat the Daisies | Suzie Robinson (Character) | - | 1960 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Rocket Man | Justice Amelia Brown (Character) | - | 1954 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | No Room for the Groom | Mama Kingshead (Character) | - | 1952 |
No Score Yet |
|
Because You're Mine | Mrs. Montville (Character) | - | 1952 |
83% |
|
Angels in the Outfield | Sister Edwitha (Character) | - | 1951 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | According to Mrs. Hoyle | Mrs. Hoyle (Character) | - | 1951 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Bannerline | Mrs. Loomis (Character) | - | 1951 |
No Score Yet |
|
Walk Softly, Stranger | Mrs. Brentman (Character) | - | 1950 |
100% |
|
Devil's Doorway | Mrs. Masters (Character) | - | 1950 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Please Believe Me | Mrs. Milwright (Character) | - | 1950 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Louisa | Louisa Norton (Character) | - | 1950 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Skipper Surprised His Wife | Agnes Thorndyke (Character) | - | 1950 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Big Wheel | Mary Coy (Character) | - | 1949 |
62% |
|
In the Good Old Summertime | Nellie Burke (Character) | - | 1949 |
No Score Yet |
|
B.F.'s Daughter | Gladys Fulton (Character) | - | 1948 |
No Score Yet |
|
Cynthia | Carrie Jannings (Character) | - | 1947 |
No Score Yet |
|
Living in a Big Way | Mrs. Minerva Alsop Morgan (Character) | - | 1947 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Little Mister Jim | Mrs. Starwell (Character) | - | 1947 |
No Score Yet |
|
Singapore | Mrs. Bellows (Character) | - | 1947 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | My Brother Talks to Horses | Mrs. "Ma" Penrose (Character) | - | 1946 |
67% |
|
Dragonwyck | Magda (Character) | - | 1946 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Faithful in My Fashion | Miss Mary Swanson (Character) | - | 1946 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Meet Me on Broadway | Sylvia Kane Storm (Character) | - | 1946 |
100% |
|
The Enchanted Cottage | Violet Price (Character) | - | 1945 |
No Score Yet |
|
Thrill of a Romance | Nona Glenn (Character) | - | 1945 |
No Score Yet |
|
A Letter for Evie | Mrs. McPherson (Character) | - | 1945 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Una Carta Para Eva | Unknown (Character) | - | 1945 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Salty O'Rourke | Mrs. Brooks (Character) | - | 1945 |
No Score Yet |
|
I'll Be Seeing You | Mrs. Marshall (Character) | - | 1944 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Heavenly Body | Nancy Potter (Character) | - | 1943 |
89% |
|
Heaven Can Wait | Bertha Van Cleve (Character) | - | 1943 |
No Score Yet |
|
Presenting Lily Mars | Mrs. Mars (Character) | - | 1943 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Affairs of Martha | Sophia Sommerfield (Character) | - | 1943 |
No Score Yet |
|
Rings on Her Fingers | Mrs. Maybelle Worthington (Character) | - | 1942 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The War Against Mrs. Hadley | Cecilia Talbot (Character) | - | 1942 |
90% |
|
The Devil and Miss Jones | Elizabeth Ellis (Character) | - | 1941 |
No Score Yet |
|
When Ladies Meet | Bridget Drake (Character) | - | 1941 |
92% |
|
Meet John Doe | Mrs. Mitchell (Character) | - | 1941 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Arkansas Judge | Mary Shoemaker (Character) | - | 1941 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime | Carlotta Emerson (Character) | - | 1941 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Vanishing Virginian | Rosa Yancey (Character) | - | 1941 |
No Score Yet |
|
Lucky Partners | Aunt Lucy (Character) | - | 1940 |
No Score Yet |
|
My Love Came Back | Mrs. Clara Malette (Character) | - | 1940 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Blue Bird | Mummy Tyl (Character) | - | 1940 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | A Child Is Born | Mrs. Mamie West (Character) | - | 1940 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Laddie | Mrs. Stanton (Character) | - | 1940 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Everybody's Baby | Mrs. John Jones (Character) | - | 1939 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Story of Alexander Graham Bell | Mrs. Hubbard (Character) | - | 1939 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Too Busy to Work | Mrs. John Jones (Character) | - | 1939 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Chicken Wagon Family | Unknown (Character) | - | 1939 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | In Hollywood | Mrs. John Jones (Character) | - | 1939 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Down on the Farm | Mrs. John Jones (Character) | - | 1938 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Love on a Budget | Mrs. Louise Jones (Character) | - | 1938 |
96% |
|
Jezebel | Mrs. Kendrick (Character) | - | 1938 |
94% |
|
You Can't Take It With You | Penny Sycamore (Character) | - | 1938 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer | Widow Douglas (uncredited) (Character) | - | 1938 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Penrod and His Twin Brother | Mrs. Schofield (Character) | - | 1938 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Penrod and Sam | Mrs. Laura Schofield (Character) | - | 1937 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Green Light | Mrs. Dexter (Character) | - | 1937 |
No Score Yet |
|
It's Love I'm After | Aunt Ella (Character) | - | 1937 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | In Hot Water | Mrs. John Jones (Character) | - | 1937 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Borrowing Trouble | Mrs. John Jones (Character) | - | 1937 |
No Score Yet |
|
A Family Affair | Mrs. Emily Hardy (Character) | - | 1937 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Big Business | Mrs. John Jones (Character) | - | 1937 |
91% |
|
Dodsworth | Matey Pearson (Character) | - | 1936 |
No Score Yet |
|
Theodora Goes Wild | Rebecca Perry (Character) | - | 1936 |
71% |
|
The Charge of the Light Brigade | Lady Octavia Warrenton (Character) | - | 1936 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Back to Nature | Mrs. Louise Jones (Character) | - | 1936 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Every Saturday Night | Mrs. Evers (Character) | - | 1936 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Palm Springs | Aunt Letty (Character) | - | 1936 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Girl on the Front Page | Mrs. Langford (Character) | - | 1936 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Educating Father | Mrs. John Jones (Character) | - | 1936 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Voice of Bugle Ann | Ma Davis (Character) | - | 1936 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Stage Struck | Mrs. Randall (Character) | - | 1936 |
100% |
|
Ah, Wilderness! | Essie Miller (Character) | - | 1935 |
96% |
|
Mutiny on the Bounty | Mrs. Byam (Character) | - | 1935 |
No Score Yet |
|
Way Down East | Mrs. Bartlett (Character) | - | 1935 |
85% |
|
The Werewolf of London | Miss Ettie Coombes (Character) | - | 1935 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Great Impersonation | Duchess Caroline (Character) | - | 1935 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Broadway Hostess | Mrs. Duncan-Griswald-Wembly-Smythe (Character) | - | 1935 |
No Score Yet |
|
Love Me Forever | Clara Fields (Character) | - | 1935 |
89% |
|
Little Women | Marmee (Character) | - | 1933 |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Flying Nun | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1968 |
No Score Yet | 58% | I Dream of Jeannie | Mother (Guest Star) | 1967 |
72% | 79% | Batman | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1966 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Laramie | Daisy Cooper (Character) | 1961-1963 |
No Score Yet | 87% | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Alice Wagner (Character) | 1960 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | What's My Line? | Guest | 1957 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The 20th Century-Fox Hour | Unknown (Character) | 1956 |