Sarah Edwards (October 11, 1881 – January 7, 1965) was a Welsh-born American film and stage actress. She often played dowagers or spinsters in numerous Hollywood movies of the 1930s and 1940s, mostly in minor roles.

Life and career

Edwards started her acting career as a stage actress, she was described in 1916 by a newspaper article as a leading actress "very popular with West End theatre-goers". She eventually settled in the United States and appeared in six Broadway plays between 1919 and 1931, primarily in comedies like ''The Merry Malones'' by George M. Cohan. Among her first movies was the New York-filmed 1929 musical '' Glorifying the American Girl'' (1929), where she portrayed the mercenary mother of the character played by lead actress Mary Eaton. She came to Hollywood in the mid-1930s where she appeared in about 190 films until her retirement 1951, mostly in uncredited, small character roles. Edwards died in Hollywood in 1965, aged 83. Edwards seemed older than she was and often portrayed a "kindly grandmother, imperious dowager, hardy pioneer wife, ill-tempered teacher and strict governess".Sarah Edwards at Allmovie
/ref> She remains perhaps best-known to modern audiences as the imperious mother of Mary Hatch ( Donna Reed) in

Frank Capra Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-American film director, producer, and screenwriter who was the creative force behind Frank Capra filmography#Films that won Academy Award ...

's film classic '' It's a Wonderful Life'' (1946) who tries to keep her daughter away from George Bailey. Edwards also played a customer in

Ernst Lubitsch Ernst Lubitsch (; ; January 29, 1892November 30, 1947) was a German-born American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His urbane comedies of manners gave him the reputation of being Hollywood's most elegant and sophisticated director; a ...

's '' The Shop Around the Corner'' (1940) with

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military aviator. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morali ...

. She also appeared in another Christmas classic, ''

The Bishop's Wife ''The Bishop's Wife'' (also known as ''Cary and the Bishop's Wife'') is a 1947 American Christmas Romance film, romantic Fantasy film, fantasy comedy film directed by Henry Koster, starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young and David Niven. The plot is ...

'' (1947) with

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English and American actor. Known for his blended British and American accent, debonair demeanor, lighthearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing, he ...

, and as the wife of a doctor on the train in Hitchcock's thriller '' Shadow of a Doubt'' (1943). Edwards sometimes also portrayed more substantial roles, for instance in the

Charlie Chan Charlie Chan is a fictional Honolulu Police Department, Honolulu police detective created by author Earl Derr Biggers for a series of mystery novels. Biggers loosely based Chan on Hawaiian detective Chang Apana. The benevolent and heroic Chan ...

movie ''

Charlie Chan in the Secret Service ''Charlie Chan in the Secret Service'' is a 1944 mystery film starring Sidney Toler as Charlie Chan. It is the first film made by Monogram Pictures after the series was dropped by 20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly ...

'' (1944).

Partial filmography

* '' Glorifying the American Girl'' (1929) - Mrs. Hughes * '' Wayward'' (1932) - Nurse (uncredited) * '' American Madness'' (1932) - Gossip on Phone (uncredited) * '' Smarty'' (1934) - Mrs. Crosby's Mother (uncredited) * '' Side Streets'' (1934) - Second Customer (uncredited) * '' The World Accuses'' (1934) - Lucille Weymouth * '' Sweepstake Annie'' (1935) - Friend of Mrs. Foster (uncredited) * '' Shadow of Doubt'' (1935) - Dowager in Taxi (uncredited) * '' Ruggles of Red Gap'' (1935) - Mrs. Myron Carey (uncredited) * '' People Will Talk'' (1935) - Martie Beemish * '' Man on the Flying Trapeze'' (1935) - Motorcar Owner (uncredited) * '' Welcome Home'' (1935) - Mrs. Edwards * '' Anna Karenina'' (1935) - Wife - Second Couple (uncredited) * '' The Dark Angel'' (1935) - Josephine Bidley (uncredited) * ''

I Live My Life ''I Live My Life'' is a 1935 American comedy-drama film starring Joan Crawford, Brian Aherne and Frank Morgan. It is based on the story "Claustrophobia" by A. Carter Goodloe. Plot Bored socialite Kay Bentley travels to Greece on her wealthy f ...

'' (1935) - Professor Douglas (uncredited) * '' Two-Fisted'' (1935) - Abigail Adams * '' It's in the Air'' (1935) - Old Maid (uncredited) * '' Stars Over Broadway'' (1935) - Woman Dancing with Fat Man (uncredited) * '' One Way Ticket'' (1935) - Miss Aldridge (uncredited) * '' Miss Pacific Fleet'' (1935) - Woman with Mrs. Freytag in Snuggle-Up Inn (uncredited) * '' Dangerous Intrigue'' (1936) - Superintendent of Nurses (uncredited) * '' The Walking Dead'' (1936) - Female Doctor - Guest at Party (uncredited) * '' Colleen'' (1936) - First Society Woman (uncredited) * ''

The Great Ziegfeld ''The Great Ziegfeld'' is a 1936 American musical film, musical drama film directed by Robert Z. Leonard and produced by Hunt Stromberg. It stars William Powell as the theatrical impresario Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., Florenz "Flo" Ziegfeld Jr., Lui ...

'' (1936) - Wardrobe Woman (uncredited) * '' Moonlight Murder'' (1936) - Autograph Seeker (uncredited) * '' The Golden Arrow'' (1936) - Mrs. Meyers * '' Early to Bed'' (1936) - Miss Barton (uncredited) * ''

Palm Springs Palm Springs (Cahuilla language, Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Rivers ...

'' (1936) - Miss Pinchon * '' My American Wife'' (1936) - Townswoman (uncredited) * '' Two-Fisted Gentleman'' (1936) - Mrs. O'Shea * ''

The General Died at Dawn ''The General Died at Dawn'' is a 1936 American drama film that tells the story of a mercenary who meets a beautiful girl while trying to keep arms from getting to a vicious warlord in war-torn China. The movie was written by Charles G. Booth a ...

'' (1936) - American's Companion (uncredited) * '' Stage Struck'' (1936) - Schoolteacher at Aquarium (uncredited) * '' Theodora Goes Wild'' (1936) - Mrs. Moffat (uncredited) * '' We're on the Jury'' (1937) - Miss Evelyn Bottomley * '' Maytime'' (1937) - Minor Role (uncredited) * '' The Jones Family in Big Business'' (1937) - Miss Collins - School Principal (uncredited) * '' Public Wedding'' (1937) - Mrs. J.P. Van Drexel (uncredited) * ''

Varsity Show The Varsity Show is one of the oldest traditions at Columbia University. Founded in 1893 as a fundraiser for the university's fledgling athletic teams, the Varsity Show now draws together the entire Columbia undergraduate community for a series of ...

'' (1937) - Mrs. Biddle (uncredited) * ''

Life Begins in College ''Life Begins in College'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by William A. Seiter. It marked the Ritz Brothers' first starring role in a feature film. Plot The action takes place at Lombardy College, founded "to give the Indian nations of ...

'' (1937) - Teacher (uncredited) * ''

It's Love I'm After ''It's Love I'm After'' is a 1937 American screwball comedy film directed by Archie Mayo and starring Leslie Howard, Bette Davis, and Olivia de Havilland. Based on the story "Gentlemen After Midnight" by Maurice Hanline, with a screenplay by Cas ...

'' (1937) - Mrs. Hinkle * '' Partners in Crime'' (1937) - Committee Woman (uncredited) * '' The Awful Truth'' (1937) - Lucy's Attorney's Wife (uncredited) * '' Second Honeymoon'' (1937) - Woman in Airplane (uncredited) * '' Love Is a Headache'' (1938) - Mrs. Warden, Fan from New Jersey (uncredited) * '' Gold Is Where You Find It'' (1938) - Party Guest (uncredited) * '' Merrily We Live'' (1938) - Mrs. Fleming (uncredited) * '' Fools for Scandal'' (1938) - Tourist Buying Rug (uncredited) * '' Judge Hardy's Children'' (1938) - Miss Adams, Cotillion Hostess (uncredited) * '' Women Are Like That'' (1938) - Mrs. Snell * '' The Beloved Brat'' (1938) - Miss Brundage (uncredited) * ''A Trip to Paris'' (1938) - Woman in Bank (uncredited) * '' Woman Against Woman'' (1938) - Party Guest (uncredited) * '' Keep Smiling'' (1938) - Governess (uncredited) * '' Three Loves Has Nancy'' (1938) - Autograph Session Chairwoman (uncredited) * '' Sons of the Legion'' (1938) - Mrs. Hynes * '' Touchdown, Army'' (1938) - Mrs. Rawlings (uncredited) * ''

A Man to Remember A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, and others worldwide. Its name in English is '' a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes''. It is similar in shape to the Ancient ...

'' (1938) - Clerk (uncredited) * '' The Cowboy and the Lady'' (1938) - Dinner Party Guest (uncredited) * '' The Shining Hour'' (1938) - Chairman of Morals Society (uncredited) * '' Boy Trouble'' (1939) - Mrs. Moots * '' Persons in Hiding'' (1939) - Beauty Shop Proprietor (uncredited) * ''

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn ''Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' is a picaresque novel by American author Mark Twain that was first published in the United Kingdom in December 1884 and in the United States in February 1885. Commonly named among the Great American Novels, th ...

'' (1939) - Mrs. Annie Rucker (uncredited) * '' Blondie Meets the Boss'' (1939) - Saleswoman (uncredited) * '' Inside Story'' (1939) - (uncredited) * '' Unmarried'' (1939) - Mrs. Jones * '' 6,000 Enemies'' (1939) - Fourth Lady (uncredited) * ''

Coast Guard A coast guard or coastguard is a Maritime Security Regimes, maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with cust ...

'' (1939) - Florence (uncredited) * '' Espionage Agent'' (1939) - Militant American Tourist (uncredited) * '' Here I Am a Stranger'' (1939) - Chaperone at Dance (uncredited) * ''

Sabotage Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, government, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, demoralization (warfare), demoralization, destabilization, divide and rule, division, social disruption, disrupti ...

'' (1939) - Laura Austin - Judgmental Woman on Street (uncredited) * '' Too Busy to Work'' (1939) * '' Meet Dr. Christian'' (1939) - Mrs. Minnows * '' The Amazing Mr. Williams'' (1939) - Citizens Committee Woman (uncredited) * '' Remember?'' (1939) - Lady in Revolving Door (uncredited) * '' The Shop Around the Corner'' (1940) - Woman Customer * '' Free, Blonde and 21'' (1940) - Minor Role (uncredited) * '' Star Dust'' (1940) - Woman in Dining Car (uncredited) * ''

Curtain Call A curtain call (often known as a walkdown or a final Bowing, bow) occurs at the end of a performance when one or more performers return to the stage to be recognized by the audience for the performance. In musical theatre, the performers typi ...

'' (1940) - Literary Committee Member (uncredited) * '' Opened by Mistake'' (1940) - Mrs. Karff (uncredited) * '' Lucky Cisco Kid'' (1940) - Choir Leader (uncredited) * '' Anne of Windy Poplars'' (1940) - (uncredited) * ''

New Moon In astronomy, the new moon is the first lunar phase, when the Moon and Sun have the same ecliptic longitude. At this phase, the lunar disk is not visible to the naked eye, except when it is silhouetted against the Sun during a solar eclipse. ...

'' (1940) - Marquise della Rosa (uncredited) * '' Young People'' (1940) - Mrs. Stinchfield * '' The Bride Wore Crutches'' (1940) - Mrs. Hopkins, Landlady (uncredited) * '' The Howards of Virginia'' (1940) - Neighbor Girl (uncredited) * '' Strike Up the Band'' (1940) - Miss Hodges * '' Arise, My Love'' (1940) - Spinster (uncredited) * '' Little Men'' (1940) - Landlady (uncredited) * '' The Invisible Woman'' (1940) - Showroom Buyer (uncredited) * '' The Face Behind the Mask'' (1941) - Mrs. Perkins (uncredited) * '' Ride, Kelly, Ride'' (1941) - Teacher (uncredited) * '' Footsteps in the Dark'' (1941) - Mrs. Belgarde (uncredited) * '' Meet John Doe'' (1941) - Mrs. Hawkins (uncredited) * '' Mr. District Attorney'' (1941) - Miss Petherby * '' She Knew All the Answers'' (1941) - (uncredited) * '' Tom, Dick and Harry'' (1941) - Mrs. Burton (uncredited) * '' Sunset in Wyoming'' (1941) - Susanna Hawkins Peabody * '' Private Nurse'' (1941) - Nurse (uncredited) * ''

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

'' (1941) - Mrs. Spicer (scenes deleted) * '' You Belong to Me'' (1941) - Mrs. Snyder (uncredited) * '' Three Girls About Town'' (1941) - Clubwoman (uncredited) * '' Birth of the Blues'' (1941) - Dowager in Cafe (uncredited) * '' I Wake Up Screaming'' (1941) - Customer (uncredited) * ''

Miss Polly ''Miss Polly'' is a 1941 American comedy film produced as part of Hal Roach's Hal Roach's Streamliners, Streamliners series. It was directed by Fred Guiol, written by Eugene Conrad and Edward E. Seabrook and stars ZaSu Pitts, Slim Summerville, Ka ...

'' (1941) - Angie Turner * '' H. M. Pulham, Esq.'' (194) - Mrs. Motford - Kay's Mother (uncredited) * '' Glamour Boy'' (1941) - Second Matron (uncredited) * '' Bedtime Story'' (1941) - Housekeeper (uncredited) * ''

Reap the Wild Wind ''Reap the Wild Wind'' is a 1942 American adventure film produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Ray Milland, John Wayne, and Paulette Goddard, with a supporting cast featuring Raymond Massey, Robert Preston (actor), Robert Pres ...

'' (1942) - Dowager at Tea (uncredited) * '' Rings on Her Fingers'' (1942) - Mrs. Clancy * ''

My Favorite Blonde ''My Favorite Blonde'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Sidney Lanfield and starring Bob Hope and Madeleine Carroll. Based on a story by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama, the film is about a vaudeville performer who gets mixed up with Br ...

'' (1942) - Mrs. Weatherwax (uncredited) * '' Moonlight Masquerade'' (1942) - Minor Role (uncredited) * '' Flight Lieutenant'' (1942) - Customer (uncredited) * '' Sons of the Pioneers'' (1942) - Housekeeper (uncredited) * '' The Gay Sisters'' (1942) - Lady in Elevator (uncredited) * '' Apache Trail'' (1942) - Stagecoach Passenger (uncredited) * '' Scattergood Survives a Murder'' (1942) - Selma Quentin * '' The Forest Rangers'' (1942) - Mrs. Hansen (uncredited) * '' Happy Go Lucky'' (1943) - Spinster (uncredited) * '' Shadow of a Doubt'' (1943) - Doctor's Wife on Train (uncredited) * '' The Powers Girl'' (1943) - School Board Membner (uncredited) * '' Calaboose'' (1943) - The Colonel (uncredited) * '' Dixie Dugan'' (1943) - Mrs. Kelly * '' All by Myself'' (1943) - Mrs. Vincent * ''

Hers to Hold ''Hers to Hold'' (aka ''Three Smart Girls Join Up'') is a 1943 American romantic musical comedy film and is the third film in '' Three Smart Girls'' trilogy. In ''Hers to Hold'', Deanna Durbin reprises her role as Penny Craig, who is the only ...

'' (1943) - Graduate Nurse (uncredited) * '' Let's Face It'' (1943) - Woman in Court (uncredited) * '' My Kingdom for a Cook'' (1943) - Woman in Employment Office (uncredited) * '' Nearly Eighteen'' (1943) - Miss Perkins * '' Where Are Your Children?'' (1943) - Matron * ''

'' (1944) - Mrs. Hargue * ''

You Can't Ration Love ''You Can't Ration Love'' is a 1944 American comedy film directed by Lester Fuller and written by Val Burton and Hal Fimberg. The film stars Betty Jane Rhodes, Johnnie Johnston, Marjorie Weaver, Johnnie Davis, Marie Wilson (American actress), Mar ...

'' (1944) - Miss Hawks (uncredited) * ''

Rationing Rationing is the controlled distribution (marketing), distribution of scarcity, scarce resources, goods, services, or an artificial restriction of demand. Rationing controls the size of the ration, which is one's allowed portion of the resourc ...

'' (1944) - Mrs. Beachman (uncredited) * '' Henry Aldrich Plays Cupid'' (1944) - Mrs. Bradley (uncredited) * '' The Story of Dr. Wassell'' (1944) - 'Janssen' Passenger (uncredited) * '' The Adventures of Mark Twain'' (1944) - Townswoman (uncredited) * '' Henry Aldrich's Little Secret'' (1944) - Mrs. Bradley * ''

Bathing Beauty ''Bathing Beauty'' is a 1944 American Musical film, musical romantic comedy film directed by George Sidney, and starring Red Skelton and Esther Williams. Although this was not Williams' screen debut, it was her first Technicolor musical. The f ...

'' (1944) - Faculty Member (uncredited) * '' Three Little Sisters'' (1944) - Addie Pepperdine (uncredited) * '' Storm Over Lisbon'' (1944) - Maude Perry-Tonides * '' The Thin Man Goes Home'' (1944) - Passenger on Train asking 'Why Should I?' (uncredited) * '' Music for Millions'' (1944) - Lady in Train Station (uncredited) * '' Eadie Was a Lady'' (1945) - Mrs. Meeker (uncredited) * '' The Clock'' (1945) - Clerk at Blood Lab (uncredited) * ''

The Corn Is Green ''The Corn Is Green'' is a 1938 semi-autobiographical play by Welsh dramatist and actor Emlyn Williams. The play premiered in London at the Duchess Theatre in September 1938; with Sybil Thorndike as Miss Moffat and Williams himself portraying Mo ...

'' (1945) - Mrs. Watty's Friend (uncredited) * '' Two O'Clock Courage'' (1945) - Mrs. Tuttle (Patty's Landlady) (uncredited) * '' Lady on a Train'' (1945) - Waring Cousin (uncredited) * '' Girls of the Big House'' (1945) - Dormitory Matron * '' Allotment Wives'' (1945) - Sadie * '' Saratoga Trunk'' (1945) - Miss Diggs * '' Girl on the Spot'' (1946) - Mrs. Richards (uncredited) * '' Song of Arizona'' (1946) - Dolly Finnuccin * '' The Hoodlum Saint'' (1946) - Apartment Seeker (uncredited) * '' Renegades'' (1946) - Townswoman (uncredited) * '' Easy to Wed'' (1946) - Mrs. Dibson (uncredited) * '' Shadowed'' (1946) - Tillie * '' No Leave, No Love'' (1946) - Irate Woman (uncredited) * ''

The Verdict ''The Verdict'' is a 1982 American legal drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and written by David Mamet, adapted from Barry Reed's 1980 novel of the same name. The film stars Paul Newman as a down-on-his-luck alcoholic lawyer in Boston who acc ...

'' (1946) - Housekeeper (uncredited) * '' Undercurrent'' (1946) - Cora (uncredited) * '' Cross My Heart'' (1946) - Matron (uncredited) * '' It's a Wonderful Life'' (1946) - Mrs. Hatch * ''

It's a Joke, Son! ''It's a Joke, Son!'' is a 1947 American comedy film directed by Benjamin Stoloff (in his final directorial role in a film) featuring radio comedian Kenny Delmar as Senator Claghorn, Senator Beauregard Claghorn, a character on Fred Allen's radio ...

'' (1947) - Annabelle (uncredited) * '' My Brother Talks to Horses'' (1947) - Townswoman (uncredited) * '' That Way with Women'' (1947) - Mrs. Irwin (uncredited) * '' The Devil Thumbs a Ride'' (1947) - Minnie (uncredited) * '' The Romance of Rosy Ridge'' (1947) - Mrs. Dessark (uncredited) * '' That Hagen Girl'' (1947) - Charlotte Miller (uncredited) * ''

'' (1947) - Mrs. Duffy * '' Good News'' (1947) - Miss Pritchard (uncredited) * '' The Voice of the Turtle'' (1947) - Woman Seeking Theater Tickets (uncredited) * '' The Main Street Kid'' (1948) - Mrs. Clauson * '' California Firebrand'' (1948) - Granny Hortense Mason * '' Good Sam'' (1948) - Mrs. Gilmore (scenes deleted) * ''

Isn't It Romantic? "Isn't It Romantic?" is a popular music, popular song and part of the Great American Songbook. The music was composed by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Lorenz Hart. It has a 32-bar chorus in A–B–A–C form. Alec Wilder, in his book ''America ...

'' (1948) - Bird-Like Woman (uncredited) * '' Family Honeymoon'' (1948) - Mrs. Carp (uncredited) * ''

Air Hostess A flight attendant is a member of the aircrew whose primary responsibility is ensure the safety of passengers in the cabin of an aircraft across all stages of flight. Their secondary duty is to see to the comfort of passengers. Flight attenda ...

'' (1949) - Bertha Hallum * '' Samson and Delilah'' (1949) - Spectator (uncredited) * '' The Petty Girl'' (1950) - Prof. Morrison (uncredited) * '' The Fuller Brush Girl'' (1950) - Mrs. East (uncredited) * '' The Glass Menagerie'' (1950) - Mrs. Miller (uncredited) * '' The Lemon Drop Kid'' (1951) - Woman in Home (uncredited) * '' Honeychile'' (1951) - Sarah * ''

Carson City Carson City, officially the Carson City Consolidated Municipality, is an independent city and the capital of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,639, making it the 6th most populous city in the state. The m ...

'' (1952) - Spinster on Stagecoach (uncredited)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Edwards, Sarah 1881 births 1965 deaths Welsh emigrants to the United States American stage actresses American film actresses Welsh stage actresses Welsh film actresses 20th-century Welsh actresses 20th-century American actresses