Nana Irene Bryant (November 23, 1888 – December 24, 1955) was an American film, stage, and television actress. She appeared in more than 100 films between 1935 and 1955.

Biography

Bryant was born 1888 in

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line w ...

. She appeared in stock companies in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

and

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...

, and spent several seasons on tour. She also played on Broadway, appearing in the then non-singing role of Morgan le Fay in Rodgers and Hart's ''A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'', before working in films. Her other Broadway credits included ''Marriage Is for Single People'' (1945), ''Baby Pompadour'' (1934), ''A Ship Comes In'' (1934), ''The First Apple'' (1933), ''The Dubarry'' (1932), ''The Stork is Dead'' (1932), ''Heigh-Ho, Everybody'' (1932), ''The Padre'' (1926), ''The Wild Rose'' (1926), ''No More Women'' (1926), ''The Firebrand'' (1924). Bryant had a supporting role in the ''Frank Morgan Show'', a summer replacement for Jack Benny's program in 1946. On television, she played Connie's mother in ''

The First Hundred Years ''The First Hundred Years'' is the first ongoing TV soap opera in the United States that began as a daytime serial, airing on CBS from December 4, 1950 until June 27, 1952. A previous daytime drama on NBC, '' These Are My Children'', aired in 19 ...

'' and Mrs. Nestor in '' Our Miss Brooks''. She also made several appearances as the mother of Margaret Williams ( Jean Hagen) during the first three seasons of '' Make Room for Daddy''. Bryant appeared for the first time in a musical role October 1 to November 1, 1912 in ''The Man Who Owns Broadway'' at Morosco's Burbank Theatre, produced by David M. Hartford. Her role was Sylvia, Anthony Bridwell's daughter. She sang Song of the Soul in Act 1 and I'm in love with one of the stars. She was accompanied by Sophia Caldwell of Wheeling, West Virginia; Caldwell was then studying for the opera. Brochure from the show and Personal Scrap Book of Sophia Caldwell McCrystal in the Larry Roeder Archives.

Personal life

Bryant was married to writer Ted MacLean. Bryant died in

Hollywood, California Hollywood is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the U.S. film industry and the people associated with it. Many notable film studios, such as Columbia Picture ...

in 1955, aged 67. She was buried in Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery.

Partial filmography

* '' Unknown Woman'' (1935) - Aunt Mary *'' Atlantic Adventure'' (1935) - Joan Hill (uncredited) *''

A Feather in Her Hat ''A Feather in Her Hat'' is a 1935 melodrama film starring Pauline Lord as a working-class woman with ambitions for her son. It is based on the 1934 novel of the same name by I. A. R. Wylie. Plot In 1925 London, middle-aged, widowed shopkeeper ...

'' (1935) - Lady Drake *'' Guard That Girl'' (1935) - Sarah *'' Crime and Punishment'' (1935) - Madam (uncredited) *'' One Way Ticket'' (1935) - Mrs. Bourne *'' The Lone Wolf Returns'' (1935) - Aunt Julie Stewart *'' You May Be Next'' (1936) - Miss Abbott *''

Lady of Secrets ''Lady of Secrets'' is a 1936 American drama film directed by Marion Gering and starring Ruth Chatterton, Otto Kruger and Lionel Atwill.Monaco p.111 Plot Celia Whittaker, a reclusive socialite who has long eschewed romantic opportunities, lear ...

'' (1936) - Aunt Harriet *'' The King Steps Out'' (1936) - Louise *'' Meet Nero Wolfe'' (1936) - Sarah Barstow *''

Blackmailer Blackmail is an act of coercion using the threat of revealing or publicizing either substantially true or false information about a person or people unless certain demands are met. It is often damaging information, and it may be revealed to fa ...

'' (1936) - Mrs. Lindsay *'' The Man Who Lived Twice'' (1936) - Margaret Schuyler *'' Theodora Goes Wild'' (1936) - Ethel Stevenson *'' Pennies from Heaven'' (1936) - Miss Howard *'' Let's Get Married'' (1937) - Mrs. Willoughby *'' The League of Frightened Men'' (1937) - Agnes Burton *'' The Devil Is Driving'' (1937) - Mrs. Sanders *'' A Dangerous Adventure'' (1937) - Marie *'' Counsel for Crime'' (1937) - Mrs. Maddox *'' Man-Proof'' (1938) - Meg Swift *'' Midnight Intruder'' (1938) - Mrs. John Clark Reitter Sr. *'' The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' (1938) - Mrs. Thatcher *'' Mad About Music'' (1938) - Louise Fusenot *''

Sinners in Paradise ''Sinners in Paradise'' is a 1938 American south seas adventure film directed by James Whale and starring Madge Evans, John Boles, Bruce Cabot, Marion Martin and Gene Lockhart. In 1966, the film entered the public domain in the United States bec ...

'' (1938) - Mrs. Franklin Sydney *'' Give Me a Sailor'' (1938) - Mrs. Minnie Brewster *''

Always in Trouble ''Always in Trouble'' is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Joseph Santley, and written by Robert Chapin and Karen DeWolf. The film stars Jane Withers, Jean Rogers, Arthur Treacher, Robert Kellard, Eddie Collins and Andrew Tombes. The film ...

'' (1938) - Mrs. Minnie Darlington *''

Out West with the Hardys ''Out West with the Hardys'' is a 1938 American comedy film directed by George B. Seitz and the fifth film in the Andy Hardy series of sixteen films. Premise Judge Hardy gets a request to help out an old friend so he takes his family on a holid ...

'' (1938) - Dora Northcote *'' Peck's Bad Boy with the Circus'' (1938) - Mrs. Henry Peck *''

Swing, Sister, Swing ''Swing, Sister, Swing'' is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Joseph Santley and written by Charles Grayson. The film stars Ken Murray, Johnny Downs, Kathryn Kane, Eddie Quillan, Ernest Truex and Edna Sedgewick. The film was released on ...

'' (1938) - Hyacinth Hepburn *''

Lincoln in the White House ''Lincoln in the White House '' is a 1939 American biographical short or historical "special" about United States President Abraham Lincoln, highlighting events during his first term of office, from his inaugural speech in 1861 to his delivery o ...

'' (1939, Short) - Mary Todd Lincoln (uncredited) *''

Street of Missing Men ''Street of Missing Men'' is a 1939 American drama film directed by Sidney Salkow and written by Frank Dolan and Leonard Lee. The film stars Charles Bickford, Harry Carey, Tommy Ryan, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, Ralph Graves and John Gallaudet. Th ...

'' (1939) - Mrs. Putnam * ''

Parents on Trial ''Parents on Trial'' is a 1939 American drama film directed by Sam Nelson and starring Jean Parker, Johnny Downs and Noah Beery Jr.Lyons p.35 Plot Cast * Jean Parker as Susan Wesley * Johnny Downs as Don Martin * Noah Beery Jr. as Jerry Kear ...

'' (1939) - Margaret Ames *''

Espionage Agent ''Espionage Agent'' is a pre– World War II spy melodrama produced by Hal B. Wallis in 1939. Directed by Lloyd Bacon, ''Espionage Agent'', like many Warner Bros. movies, clearly identifies the Germans as the enemy. This was unlike many other mov ...

'' (1939) - Mrs. Corvall *'' Our Neighbors – The Carters'' (1939) - Louise Wilcox *'' Brother Rat and a Baby'' (1940) - Mrs. Harper *'' If I Had My Way'' (1940) - Marian Johnson *'' A Little Bit of Heaven'' (1940) - Mom *''

Father Is a Prince ''Father Is a Prince'' is a 1940 comedy film directed by Noel M. Smith, starring Grant Mitchell and Nana Bryant. ''Father is a Prince'' is a remake of the 1934 comedy-drama ''Big Hearted Herbert'', itself based on a play by Sophie Kerr Sophie ...

'' (1940) - Susan Bower *'' The Reluctant Dragon'' (1941) - Mrs. Benchley *'' Nice Girl?'' (1941) - Mary Peasley *'' Thieves Fall Out'' (1941) - Martha Matthews *''

One Foot in Heaven ''One Foot in Heaven'' is a 1941 American biographical film starring Fredric March, Martha Scott, Beulah Bondi, Gene Lockhart and Elisabeth Fraser. The film was adapted by Casey Robinson from the autobiography by Hartzell Spence. It was directed ...

'' (1941) - Mrs. Morris *'' Public Enemies'' (1941) - Emma *'' The Corsican Brothers'' (1941) - Madame Dupre *'' Calling Dr. Gillespie'' (1942) - Mrs. Marshall Todwell *'' Get Hep to Love'' (1942) - Aunt Addie *'' Youth on Parade'' (1942) - Agatha Frost *'' Thunder Birds'' (1942) - Mrs. Blake *'' Madame Spy'' (1942) - Alicia Rolf *'' Hangmen Also Die!'' (1943) - Mrs. Hellie Novotny *'' Get Going'' (1943) - Mrs. Daughtery *'' Best Foot Forward'' (1943) - Mrs. Dalrymple *'' The West Side Kid'' (1943) - Mrs. Winston *''

Princess O'Rourke ''Princess O'Rourke'' is a 1943 American romantic comedy film directed and written by Norman Krasna (in Krasna's directorial debut), and starring Olivia de Havilland, Robert Cummings and Charles Coburn. Krasna won the 1944 Oscar for Best Origin ...

'' (1943) - Mrs. Mulvaney (uncredited) *'' The Song of Bernadette'' (1943) - Mere Imbert (uncredited) *'' The Adventures of Mark Twain'' (1944) - Mrs. Langdon *'' Jungle Woman'' (1944) - Miss Gray - Nurse *'' Bathing Beauty'' (1944) - Dean Clinton *'' Take It or Leave It'' (1944) - Miss Burke *'' Marriage Is a Private Affair'' (1944) - Nurse *'' Can't Help Singing'' (1944) - Mrs. Carstairs (uncredited) *'' Brewster's Millions'' (1945) - Mrs. Gray *'' Week-End at the Waldorf'' (1945) - Mrs. H. Davenport Drew *'' Black Market Babies'' (1945) - Mrs. Grace Andrews *'' The Virginian'' (1946) - Mrs. Wood (uncredited) *'' The Runaround'' (1946) - Mrs. Mildred Hampton *'' Big Town'' (1946) - Mrs. Crane *'' The Perfect Marriage'' (1947) - Corinne Williams *'' Millie's Daughter'' (1947) - Mrs. Cooper Austin *'' The Big Fix'' (1947) - Mrs. Carter *'' Possessed'' (1947) - Pauline Graham (uncredited) *''The Hal Roach Comedy Carnival'' (1947) - Mrs. Cornelius Belmont Sr., in 'Fabulous Joe' *''

The Fabulous Joe ''The Fabulous Joe'' is a 1947 American comedy film in the Hal Roach's Streamliners series. It was directed by Harve Foster and written by Arnold Belgard and Jack Jevne. The film stars Walter Abel, Margot Grahame, Marie Wilson, Donald Meek, Sh ...

'' (1947) - Mrs. Belmont *'' The Unsuspected'' (1947) - Mrs. White *''

Her Husband's Affairs ''Her Husband's Affairs'' is a 1947 American romantic comedy film directed by S. Sylvan Simon and starring Lucille Ball and Franchot Tone Stanislaus Pascal Franchot Tone (February 27, 1905 – September 18, 1968) was an American actor, produc ...

'' (1947) - Mrs. Winterbottom *'' Dangerous Years'' (1947) - Miss Templeton *''

Goodbye, Miss Turlock ''Goodbye, Miss Turlock'' is a 1948 American short film directed by Edward L. Cahn, released as one of the '' John Nesbitt's Passing Parade'' series. It won an Oscar at the 20th Academy Awards in 1948 for Best Short Subject (One-Reel). Plot A ...

'' (1948, Short) - Miss Turlock (uncredited) *''

Reaching from Heaven ''Reaching from Heaven'' is a 1948 American drama film directed by Frank Strayer, which stars Hugh Beaumont, Cheryl Walker, and John Qualen. The screenplay was written by Charles Palmer, from an original story by Henry Rische and H. W. Gockel. ...

'' (1948) - Kay Bradley *'' On Our Merry Way'' (1948) - Housekeeper (deleted sequence) (uncredited) *'' Stage Struck'' (1948) - Mrs. Howard *'' Eyes of Texas'' (1948) - Hattie Waters * '' Lady at Midnight'' (1948) - Lydia Forsythe *'' Inner Sanctum'' (1948) - Mrs. Mitchell *'' The Return of October'' (1948) - Cousin Therese *'' The Kissing Bandit'' (1948) - Nun (uncredited) *'' Ladies of the Chorus'' (1948) - Mrs. Adele Carroll *'' State Department: File 649'' (1949) - Peggy Brown *''

Hideout Hideout may refer to: Entertainment * ''Hideout'' (film), a 1949 American thriller film directed by Philip Ford * ''The Hideout'' (1956 film), a 1956 British crime film directed by Peter Graham Scott * ''The Hideout'' (film), a 2007 film by Pup ...

'' (1949) - Sybil Elwood Kaymeer *''

The Lady Gambles ''The Lady Gambles'' is a 1949 American film noir drama film directed by Michael Gordon and starring Barbara Stanwyck, Robert Preston and Stephen McNally. Plot When his estranged wife Joan is found badly beaten after using loaded dice in a back ...

'' (1949) - Mrs. Dennis Sutherland *''

The Blonde Bandit ''The Blonde Bandit'' is a 1949 American crime film directed by Harry Keller and written by John K. Butler. The film stars Gerald Mohr, Dorothy Patrick, Robert Rockwell, Charles Cane, Larry J. Blake and Argentina Brunetti. The film was released ...

'' (1950) - Mrs. Henley *'' Key to the City'' (1950) - Mrs. Cabot (uncredited) *''

I Was a Shoplifter ''I Was a Shoplifter'' is a 1950 American film noir crime film directed by Charles Lamont and starring Scott Brady and Mona Freeman. Plot A shoplifter, Faye Burton, is being watched by Herb Klaxon, a security guard at a Los Angeles department st ...

'' (1950) - Aunt Clara (uncredited) *''

A Modern Marriage ''A Modern Marriage'' is a 1950 American drama film directed by Paul Landres and written by Samuel Roeca and George Wallace Sayre. The film stars Reed Hadley, Margaret Field, Robert Clarke, Nana Bryant, Burt Wenland and Christine McIntyre. It was ...

'' (1950) - Mrs. Brown *'' Three Secrets'' (1950) - Mrs. Gilwyn, Supervisor of 'The Shelter' (uncredited) *'' Let's Dance'' (1950) - Mrs. Bryant (uncredited) *'' Harvey'' (1950) - Mrs. Hazel Chumley *''

The Du Pont Story ''The Du Pont Story'' is a 1950 American historical drama film directed by Wilhelm Thiele and starring Eduard Franz, Marcel Journet and Sigrid Gurie.Christiansen p.94-95 Plot Cast * Eduard Franz as Éleuthère Irénée du Pont * Marcel Journ ...

'' (1950) - Elizabeth du Pont *''

'' (1951) *'' Follow the Sun'' (1951) - Sister Beatrice *'' Only the Valiant'' (1951) - Mrs. Drumm *''

Bright Victory ''Bright Victory'' is a 1951 American drama romance war film directed by Mark Robson and starring Arthur Kennedy and Peggy Dow. Plot During World War II, American sergeant Larry Nevins is blinded by a German sniper while fighting in North Af ...

'' (1951) - Mrs. Claire Nevins *'' Geraldine'' (1953) - Dean Blake *''

About Mrs. Leslie ''About Mrs. Leslie'' is a 1954 American drama film directed by Daniel Mann and starring Shirley Booth and Robert Ryan. It was nominated for a BAFTA Award in 1955. Plot Vivien Leslie, a Beverly Hills, California rooming house owner, reminisces i ...

'' (1954) - Mrs. McKay *'' The Outcast (aka The Fortune Hunter)'' (1954) - Mrs. Banner *'' The Private War of Major Benson'' (1955) - Mother Redempta

References

External links

* * * *
Nana Bryant papers, 1917-1955
held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts {{DEFAULTSORT:Bryant, Nana 1888 births 1955 deaths Burials at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery American film actresses Actresses from Ohio American stage actresses 20th-century American actresses American television actresses