Martha Ellen Scott (September 22, 1912 – May 28, 2003) was an American actress. She was featured in major films such as
Cecil B. DeMille’s ''
The Ten Commandments'' (1956), and
William Wyler
William Wyler (; born Willi Wyler (); July 1, 1902 – July 27, 1981) was a German-born American film director and producer. Known for his work in numerous genres over five decades, he received numerous awards and accolades, including three Aca ...
's ''
Ben-Hur Ben-Hur or Ben Hur may refer to:
Fiction
*'' Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ'', an 1880 novel by American general and author Lew Wallace
** ''Ben-Hur'' (play), a play that debuted on Broadway in 1899
** ''Ben Hur'' (1907 film), a one-reel silent ...
'' (1959). Martha played the mother of
Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923 – April 5, 2008) was an American actor. He gained stardom for his leading man roles in numerous Cinema of the United States, Hollywood films including biblical epics, science-fiction f ...
's character in both films. She originated the role of Emily Webb in
Thornton Wilder
Thornton Niven Wilder (April 17, 1897 – December 7, 1975) was an American playwright and novelist. He won three Pulitzer Prizes, for the novel ''The Bridge of San Luis Rey'' and for the plays ''Our Town'' and ''The Skin of Our Teeth'', and a U. ...
's ''
Our Town
''Our Town'' is a three-act play written by American playwright Thornton Wilder in 1938. Described by Edward Albee as "the greatest American play ever written", it presents the fictional American town of Grover's Corners between 1901 and 1913 ...
'' on Broadway in 1938, and later recreated the role in the
1940 film version. In the 1940 version , she was nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Actress
The Academy Award for Best Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 1st Academy Awards to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a lead ...
.
[
]
Early life
Scott was born in Jamesport, Missouri. She was the daughter of Letha (née McKinley) and Walter Alva Scott. Walter was an engineer and garage owner.[ Her mother was a second cousin of U.S. President ]William McKinley
William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until Assassination of William McKinley, his assassination in 1901. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Repub ...
.[ The Scott family remained in Jamesport until Martha was 13 years old. At that time, they moved to Kansas City, Missouri. Eventually, they relocated in Detroit, Michigan.] Scott became interested in acting while in high school. She furthered this interest by attending the University of Michigan. Her accolades included a teaching certificate, as well as accomplishing a Bachelor of Arts degree[ in drama in 1934.]
Career
Stage
Scott received a career boost right out of college, when she appeared with the Globe Theatre Troupe in a series of Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
productions at the Century of Progress
A Century of Progress International Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was a world's fair held in the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States, from 1933 to 1934. The fair, registered under the Bureau International des Exposit ...
world's fair in Chicago in 1934.[ Following that, she moved to New York City, where she found steady work both in stock stage productions and radio dramas. In 1938, she made her Broadway debut in the original staging of ]Thornton Wilder
Thornton Niven Wilder (April 17, 1897 – December 7, 1975) was an American playwright and novelist. He won three Pulitzer Prizes, for the novel ''The Bridge of San Luis Rey'' and for the plays ''Our Town'' and ''The Skin of Our Teeth'', and a U. ...
's play ''Our Town
''Our Town'' is a three-act play written by American playwright Thornton Wilder in 1938. Described by Edward Albee as "the greatest American play ever written", it presents the fictional American town of Grover's Corners between 1901 and 1913 ...
'' as Emily Webb, the tragic young woman who dies in childbirth.
Film
Two years later, Scott reprised the role of Emily in her film debut when ''Our Town
''Our Town'' is a three-act play written by American playwright Thornton Wilder in 1938. Described by Edward Albee as "the greatest American play ever written", it presents the fictional American town of Grover's Corners between 1901 and 1913 ...
'' was made into a movie. Her critically acclaimed performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
Scott found steady movie work for the next four decades, appearing in major epics such as ''The Ten Commandments'', ''Ben-Hur'', '' The Desperate Hours'', and ''Airport 1975
''Airport 1975'' (also known as ''Airport '75'') is a 1974 American air disaster film and the first sequel to the successful 1970 film ''Airport''. It was directed by Jack Smight, produced by William Frye, executive produced by Jennings Lang, a ...
''. Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923 – April 5, 2008) was an American actor. He gained stardom for his leading man roles in numerous Cinema of the United States, Hollywood films including biblical epics, science-fiction f ...
was a frequent co-star with Scott on both stage and screen. As she told an interviewer in 1988, "I played his mother twice and his wife twice. I was his mother in ''Ben Hur'' and ''The Ten Commandments''. I was his wife on the stage in New York in ''Design for a Stained Glass Window'' and ''The Tumbler in London''."
Producer
In 1968, Scott joined Henry Fonda
Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor whose career spanned five decades on Broadway theatre, Broadway and in Hollywood. On screen and stage, he often portrayed characters who embodied an everyman image.
Bo ...
and Robert Ryan
Robert Bushnell Ryan (November 11, 1909 – July 11, 1973) was an American actor and activist. Known for his portrayals of hardened cops and ruthless villains, Ryan performed for over three decades. He was nominated for the Academy Award for B ...
in forming a theatrical production company called the Plumstead Playhouse.[ It later became the Plumstead Theatre Company and moved to Los Angeles. The company produced '' First Monday in October'', both on stage and on film. Scott co-produced both versions. Her last production was '' Twelve Angry Men'', which was performed at the Henry Fonda Theatre in Hollywood, California.
]
Television
Scott began appearing in TV roles in the medium's early days. On November 2, 1950, she starred in "The Cut Glass Bowl" on '' The Nash Airflyte Theater'', followed by several guest appearances on ''Robert Montgomery Presents
''Robert Montgomery Presents'' is an American drama (film and television), drama television series which was produced by NBC from January 30, 1950, until June 24, 1957. The Live television, live show had several sponsors during its eight-year run ...
'' and other shows of television's "golden age", including two episodes of ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents
''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 ...
''. This pattern of guest roles continued through the 1960s with appearances on '' Route 66'', '' Ironside'', and '' The Courtship of Eddie's Father'', among others. In the mid-1950s, Scott was the narrator for '' Modern Romances'', an afternoon program on NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
-TV.[
Scott was also a frequent TV guest star in the 1970s. She had recurring roles as ]Bob Newhart
George Robert Newhart (September 5, 1929 – July 18, 2024) was an American comedian and actor. Newhart was known for his deadpan and stammering delivery style. Beginning his career as a stand-up comedian, he transitioned his career to acting in ...
's mother on ''The Bob Newhart Show
''The Bob Newhart Show'' is an American television sitcom produced by MTM Enterprises that aired on CBS from September 16, 1972, to April 1, 1978, with a total of 142 half-hour episodes over six seasons. Comedian Bob Newhart portrays a psychol ...
'', the mother of Colonel Steve Austin (Lee Majors
Lee Majors (born Harvey Lee Yeary; April 23, 1939) is an American actor. He portrayed the characters of Heath Barkley on the American television Western series '' The Big Valley'' (1965–1969), Colonel Steve Austin on the American television sc ...
) on both ''The Six Million Dollar Man
''The Six Million Dollar Man'' is an American science fiction and action television series, running from 1973 to 1978, about a former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors. After being seriously injured in a NASA test f ...
'' and ''The Bionic Woman
''The Bionic Woman'' is an American science fiction film, science fiction Action-adventure fiction, action-adventure television series created by Kenneth Johnson (producer), Kenneth Johnson based on the 1972 novel Cyborg (novel), ''Cyborg'' by ...
'', as well as Patricia Shepard, Sue Ellen and Kristin's mother on ''Dallas
Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
'' during its early years and later during the 1986 season. Scott was cast in single-episode guest appearances on several hit shows of the era, such as ''The Sandy Duncan Show
''Funny Face'' and ''The Sandy Duncan Show'' are two American sitcoms aired by CBS starring Sandy Duncan as part of its 1971 and 1972 fall lineups, respectively. Both series were created and produced by Carl Kleinschmitt.
In the spring of 197 ...
'', '' Columbo: Playback'' (1975), ''The Mod Squad
''The Mod Squad'' is an American crime drama series, originally broadcast for five seasons on ABC from September 24, 1968, to March 1, 1973. It starred Michael Cole as Peter "Pete" Cochran, Clarence Williams III as Lincoln "Linc" Hayes, Pegg ...
'', '' Marcus Welby, M.D.'', and ''The Love Boat
''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Wilford Lloyd Baumes that originally aired on ABC from September 24, 1977, to May 24, 1986. In addition, three TV movies aired before the regular series pre ...
''. She played the role of Jennifer Talbot, Terri Brock's nasty grandmother, on ''General Hospital
''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera created by Frank and Doris Hursley which has been broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC since April 1, 1963. Originally a half-hour seria ...
'' for six months (1986–1987), which ended when her character was murdered and stuffed in a drain pipe.
In the 1980s, she had a regular role on the short-lived series '' Secrets of Midland Heights'' and appeared in several television movies and in single episodes of shows such as '' Magnum, P.I.'', '' The Paper Chase'', and '' Highway to Heaven''. In the late 1980 she costarred with Jeffrey Lynn in an episode of ''Murder, She Wrote
''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...
'', which was a direct sequel to their 1949 feature film '' Strange Bargain''. Scott's final acting role on television was in 1990 in the movie ''Daughter of the Streets''.
Personal life
Scott was married twice, first to radio producer and announcer Carleton William Alsop from 1940 to 1946, and then to jazz pianist and composer Mel Powell from 1946 until his death in 1998.[ She had one child with Alsop, son Carleton Scott Alsop, and two daughters—Mary Powell Harpel and Kathleen Powell—with her second husband.
According to her son, Scott never forgot about her childhood hometown, using the mental image of a Jamesport cemetery in preparation for her Oscar-nominated role in ''Our Town''. Said Alsop, "She told me she used that place as her image because it's so serene and beautiful" and that her deceased McKinley and Scott relatives "became the Gibbs and the Webbs in the play".]
A Democrat, she supported the campaign of Adlai Stevenson Adlai Stevenson may refer to:
* Adlai Stevenson I
Adlai Ewing Stevenson (October 23, 1835 – June 14, 1914) was an American politician and diplomat who served as the 23rd vice president of the United States from 1893 to 1897 under President Gr ...
during the 1952 presidential election.[''Motion Picture and Television Magazine'', November 1952, page 33, Ideal Publishers]
Scott died on May 28, 2003, in Van Nuys
Van Nuys ( ) is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley.
History
In 1 ...
, Los Angeles, aged 90, from natural causes. She was interred next to Powell in the Masonic Cemetery in her native Jamesport, Missouri.
Honors
For her contribution in the theatre, Scott has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...
at 6126 Hollywood Boulevard.[
]
Filmography
Film
Television
Radio appearances
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, Martha
1912 births
2003 deaths
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American women
Actresses from Missouri
American film actresses
American radio actresses
American stage actresses
American television actresses
California Democrats
Missouri Democrats
People from Daviess County, Missouri
University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance alumni