Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

108

Gender

Female

Birthday

1881-10-09

Day of Death

1965-01-07 (84 years old)

Place of Birth

Glyn Ceiriog, Denbighshire, Wales

Also Known As

Sara Edwards

Sarah Edwards

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 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. 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".[1] 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 leading 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. Sarah 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". She remains perhaps best-known to modern audiences as the imperious mother of Mary Hatch (Donna Reed) in Frank Capra'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's The Shop Around the Corner (1940) with James Stewart. She also appeared in another Christmas classic, The Bishop's Wife (1947) with Cary Grant, 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 movie Charlie Chan in the Secret Service (1944).

Known For

It's a Wonderful Life

It's a Wonderful Life

The Shop Around the Corner

The Shop Around the Corner

Merrily We Live

Merrily We Live

Shadow of a Doubt

Shadow of a Doubt

The Awful Truth

The Awful Truth

Free, Blonde and 21

Free, Blonde and 21

Curtain Call

Curtain Call

Ruggles of Red Gap

Ruggles of Red Gap

The Corn Is Green

The Corn Is Green

Acting

It's a Wonderful Life

1946

It's a Wonderful Life

as

Mrs. Hatch

Theodora Goes Wild

1936

Theodora Goes Wild

as

Mrs. Moffat (uncredited)

The Shop Around the Corner

1940

The Shop Around the Corner

as

Woman Customer

Air Hostess

1949

Air Hostess

as

Bertha Hallum

The Cowboy and the Lady

1938

The Cowboy and the Lady

as

Dinner Party Guest (uncredited)

Three Loves Has Nancy

1938

Three Loves Has Nancy

as

Autograph Session Chairwoman (uncredited)

Scattergood Survives a Murder

1942

Scattergood Survives a Murder

as

Selma Quentin

Charlie Chan in the Secret Service

1944

Charlie Chan in the Secret Service

as

Mrs. Hargue

The Bishop's Wife

1947

The Bishop's Wife

as

Mrs. Duffy

Allotment Wives

1945

Allotment Wives

as

Sadie

Miss Polly

1941

Miss Polly

as

Angie Turner

Young People

1940

Young People

as

Mrs. Stinchfield

California Firebrand

1948

California Firebrand

as

Granny Hortense Mason

Saratoga Trunk

1945

Saratoga Trunk

as

Miss Diggs (uncredited)

It's Love I'm After

1937

It's Love I'm After

as

Mrs. Hinkle

Persons in Hiding

1939

Persons in Hiding

as

Beauty Shop Proprietor (uncredited)

Storm Over Lisbon

1944

Storm Over Lisbon

as

Maude Perry-Tonides

Glorifying the American Girl

1929

Glorifying the American Girl

as

Mrs. Hughes

Two-Fisted Gentleman

1936

Two-Fisted Gentleman

as

Mrs. O'Shea

Lady on a Train

1945

Lady on a Train

as

Shadow of Doubt

1935

Shadow of Doubt

as

Dowager in Taxi

Two-Fisted

1935

Two-Fisted

as

Abigail Adams

A Doggone Mixup

1938

A Doggone Mixup

as

Boy Trouble

1939

Boy Trouble

as

Mrs. Moots

Judge Hardy's Children

1938

Judge Hardy's Children

as

Miss Adams (uncredited)

Family Honeymoon

1948

Family Honeymoon

as

Mrs. Carp (uncredited)

Merrily We Live

1938

Merrily We Live

as

Mrs. Fleming

My Favorite Blonde

1942

My Favorite Blonde

as

Mrs. Weatherwax (uncredited)

Palm Springs

1936

Palm Springs

as

Miss Pinchon

H.M. Pulham, Esq.

1941

H.M. Pulham, Esq.

as

Mrs. Motford - Kay's Mother (uncredited)

Good News

1947

Good News

as

Miss Pritchard (uncredited)

Two Americans

1929

Two Americans

as

Carson City

1952

Carson City

as

Stagecoach Passenger (uncredited)

Bathing Beauty

1944

Bathing Beauty

as

Faculty Member (uncredited)

The Fuller Brush Girl

1950

The Fuller Brush Girl

as

Mrs. East (uncredited)

Meet Dr. Christian

1939

Meet Dr. Christian

as

Mrs. Minnows

A Man to Remember

1938

A Man to Remember

as

Clerk (uncredited)

Love Is a Headache

1938

Love Is a Headache

as

Mrs. Warden, Fan from New Jersey (uncredited)

The Amazing Mr. Williams

1939

The Amazing Mr. Williams

as

Citizens Committee Woman (uncredited)

Colleen

1936

Colleen

as

First Society Woman (uncredited)

Public Wedding

1937

Public Wedding

as

Mrs. Van Drexel

Stars Over Broadway

1935

Stars Over Broadway

as

Woman Dancing with Fat Man

Henry Aldrich Plays Cupid

1944

Henry Aldrich Plays Cupid

as

Mrs. Bradley

Henry Aldrich's Little Secret

1944

Henry Aldrich's Little Secret

as

Mrs. Bradley

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

1939

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

as

Annie Rucker (uncredited)

Blondie Meets the Boss

1939

Blondie Meets the Boss

as

Saleswoman (uncredited)

Coast Guard

1939

Coast Guard

as

Florence (uncredited)

Remember?

1939

Remember?

as

Lady in Revolving Door

Dudes Are Pretty People

1942

Dudes Are Pretty People

as

Miss Priddle

Espionage Agent

1939

Espionage Agent

as

Militant American Tourist

Lucky Cisco Kid

1940

Lucky Cisco Kid

as

Spinster

Opened by Mistake

1940

Opened by Mistake

as

Mrs. Karff (uncredited)

Girls of the Big House

1945

Girls of the Big House

as

Dormitory Matron

Here I Am a Stranger

1939

Here I Am a Stranger

as

Chaperone at Dance

Shadow of a Doubt

1943

Shadow of a Doubt

as

Doctor's Wife on Train (uncredited)

Varsity Show

1937

Varsity Show

as

Mrs. Biddle

Woman Against Woman

1938

Woman Against Woman

as

Party Guest

Dixie Dugan

1943

Dixie Dugan

as

Mrs. Kelly

Sunset in Wyoming

1941

Sunset in Wyoming

as

Susanna Hawkins Peabody

The Golden Arrow

1936

The Golden Arrow

as

Mrs. Lizzie Burke-Meyers

The Invisible Woman

1940

The Invisible Woman

as

Showroom Buyer (uncredited)

The Awful Truth

1937

The Awful Truth

as

Lucy's Attorney's Wife (uncredited)

The Beloved Brat

1938

The Beloved Brat

as

School Board Member Miss Brundage

Two O'Clock Courage

1945

Two O'Clock Courage

as

Mrs. Tuttle (Patty's Landlady) (uncredited)

1934

My Grandfather's Clock

as

Housekeeper (uncredited)

All by Myself

1943

All by Myself

as

Mrs. Vincent

The Forest Rangers

1942

The Forest Rangers

as

Mrs. Hansen (uncredited)

Wayward

1932

Wayward

as

Nurse (uncredited)

Strike Up the Band

1940

Strike Up the Band

as

Miss Hodges

The Howards of Virginia

1940

The Howards of Virginia

as

Neighbor Girl

Arise, My Love

1940

Arise, My Love

as

Spinster (Uncredited)

New Moon

1940

New Moon

as

Marquise della Rosa

It's in the Air

1935

It's in the Air

as

Old Maid (uncredited)

Little Men

1940

Little Men

as

Landlady

Big Business

1937

Big Business

as

Miss Collins - School Principal

The Main Street Kid

1948

The Main Street Kid

as

Mrs. Clauson

I Live My Life

1935

I Live My Life

as

Professor Douglas (Uncredited)

Free, Blonde and 21

1940

Free, Blonde and 21

as

Undetermined Role

Sabotage

1939

Sabotage

as

(uncredited)

Three Girls About Town

1941

Three Girls About Town

as

Clubwoman

Song of Arizona

1946

Song of Arizona

as

Dolly Finnuccin

Curtain Call

1940

Curtain Call

as

Literary Committee Member

Sons of the Pioneers

1942

Sons of the Pioneers

as

Housekeeper

Apache Trail

1942

Apache Trail

as

Stagecoach Passenger (uncredited)

Early to Bed

1936

Early to Bed

as

Miss Barton

We're on the Jury

1937

We're on the Jury

as

Evelyn Bottomley

Ruggles of Red Gap

1935

Ruggles of Red Gap

as

Mrs. Myron Carey

Mr. District Attorney

1941

Mr. District Attorney

as

Miss Petherby

I Wake Up Screaming

1941

I Wake Up Screaming

as

Customer (uncredited)

The World Accuses

1934

The World Accuses

as

Lucille Weymouth

Tom, Dick and Harry

1941

Tom, Dick and Harry

as

Mrs. Burton (uncredited)

Too Busy to Work

1939

Too Busy to Work

as

Undercurrent

1946

Undercurrent

as

Cora (uncredited)

Calling All Pa's

1942

Calling All Pa's

as

Grandma Vanderscnooze (uncredited)

Rings on Her Fingers

1942

Rings on Her Fingers

as

The Corn Is Green

1945

The Corn Is Green

as

Mrs. Watty's Friend (uncredited)

Drunk Driving

1939

Drunk Driving

as

Driver (uncredited)

Women Are Like That

1938

Women Are Like That

as

Mrs. Snell

Unmarried

1939

Unmarried

as

Mrs. Jones

Sweepstake Annie

1935

Sweepstake Annie

as

Friend of Mrs. Foster (uncredited)

People Will Talk

1935

People Will Talk

as

Martie Beemish

The Shining Hour

1938

The Shining Hour

as

Chairwoman of Morals Society (uncredited)

Gold Is Where You Find It

1938

Gold Is Where You Find It

as

Party Guest (uncredited)

One Foot in Heaven

1941

One Foot in Heaven

as

Mrs. Spicer (uncredited)

American Madness

1932

American Madness

as

Gossip on Phone (uncredited)

Nearly Eighteen

1943

Nearly Eighteen

as

Miss Perkins

The General Died at Dawn

1936

The General Died at Dawn

as

Companion of American without Matches (uncredited)

The Face Behind the Mask

1941

The Face Behind the Mask

as

Mrs. Perkins (uncredited)

Production

Crew

Directing