CineScope
Sarah Edwards picture

Sarah Edwards

Acting
Known For

83 Years Old

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).

Born

Glyn Ceiriog, Denbighshire, Wales on 11th October 1881

Died

7th January 1965

All Credits

It's a Wonderful Life Image
It's a Wonderful Life
Mrs. Hatch
Boy Trouble Image
Boy Trouble
Mrs. Moots
Glorifying the American Girl Image
Glorifying the American Girl
Mrs. Hughes
Girls of the Big House Image
Girls of the Big House
Dormitory Matron
Sabotage Image
Sabotage
(uncredited)
Big Business Image
Big Business
Miss Collins - School Principal
Little Men Image
Little Men
Landlady
Miss Polly Image
Miss Polly
Angie Turner
Undercurrent Image
Undercurrent
Cora (uncredited)
Young People Image
Young People
Mrs. Stinchfield
No Image
My Grandfather's Clock
Housekeeper (uncredited)
Sons of the Pioneers Image
Sons of the Pioneers
Housekeeper
Theodora Goes Wild Image
Theodora Goes Wild
Mrs. Moffat (uncredited)
Curtain Call Image
Curtain Call
Literary Committee Member
Allotment Wives Image
Allotment Wives
Sadie
Song of Arizona Image
Song of Arizona
Dolly Finnuccin
Three Loves Has Nancy Image
Three Loves Has Nancy
Autograph Session Chairwoman (uncredited)
The Golden Arrow Image
The Golden Arrow
Mrs. Lizzie Burke-Meyers
Remember? Image
Remember?
Lady in Revolving Door
Arise, My Love Image
Arise, My Love
Spinster (Uncredited)
No Image
Sweepstake Annie
Friend of Mrs. Foster (uncredited)
New Moon Image
New Moon
Marquise della Rosa
Here I Am a Stranger Image
Here I Am a Stranger
Chaperone at Dance
Mr. District Attorney Image
Mr. District Attorney
Miss Petherby
California Firebrand Image
California Firebrand
Granny Hortense Mason
Sunset in Wyoming Image
Sunset in Wyoming
Susanna Hawkins Peabody
Bathing Beauty Image
Bathing Beauty
Faculty Member (uncredited)
Wayward Image
Wayward
Nurse (uncredited)
The Forest Rangers Image
The Forest Rangers
Mrs. Hansen (uncredited)
Family Honeymoon Image
Family Honeymoon
Mrs. Carp (uncredited)
Stars Over Broadway Image
Stars Over Broadway
Woman Dancing with Fat Man
Unmarried Image
Unmarried
Mrs. Jones
The World Accuses Image
The World Accuses
Lucille Weymouth
Carson City Image
Carson City
Spinster on Stagecoach (uncredited)
The Fuller Brush Girl Image
The Fuller Brush Girl
Mrs. East (uncredited)
Three Girls About Town Image
Three Girls About Town
Clubwoman
Lady on a Train Image
Lady on a Train
Merrily We Live Image
Merrily We Live
Mrs. Fleming
Rings on Her Fingers Image
Rings on Her Fingers
Shadow of a Doubt Image
Shadow of a Doubt
Doctor's Wife on Train (uncredited)
The Shop Around the Corner Image
The Shop Around the Corner
Woman Customer
The Bishop's Wife Image
The Bishop's Wife
Mrs. Duffy
Opened by Mistake Image
Opened by Mistake
Mrs. Karff (uncredited)
The Awful Truth Image
The Awful Truth
Lucy's Attorney's Wife (uncredited)
Public Wedding Image
Public Wedding
Mrs. Van Drexel
One Foot in Heaven Image
One Foot in Heaven
Mrs. Spicer (uncredited)
H.M. Pulham, Esq. Image
H.M. Pulham, Esq.
Mrs. Motford - Kay's Mother (uncredited)
Lucky Cisco Kid Image
Lucky Cisco Kid
Spinster
The Corn Is Green Image
The Corn Is Green
Mrs. Watty's Friend (uncredited)
Henry Aldrich Plays Cupid Image
Henry Aldrich Plays Cupid
Mrs. Bradley
A Doggone Mixup Image
A Doggone Mixup
Nearly Eighteen Image
Nearly Eighteen
Miss Perkins
Calling All Pa's Image
Calling All Pa's
Grandma Vanderscnooze (uncredited)
No Image
Two Americans
The Invisible Woman Image
The Invisible Woman
Showroom Buyer (uncredited)
Tom, Dick and Harry Image
Tom, Dick and Harry
Mrs. Burton (uncredited)
American Madness Image
American Madness
Gossip on Phone (uncredited)
Saratoga Trunk Image
Saratoga Trunk
Miss Diggs (uncredited)
I Wake Up Screaming Image
I Wake Up Screaming
Customer (uncredited)
Two O'Clock Courage Image
Two O'Clock Courage
Mrs. Tuttle (Patty's Landlady) (uncredited)
Strike Up the Band Image
Strike Up the Band
Miss Hodges
The Face Behind the Mask Image
The Face Behind the Mask
Mrs. Perkins (uncredited)
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Image
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Annie Rucker (uncredited)
My Favorite Blonde Image
My Favorite Blonde
Mrs. Weatherwax (uncredited)
Ruggles of Red Gap Image
Ruggles of Red Gap
Mrs. Myron Carey
Good News Image
Good News
Miss Pritchard (uncredited)
Charlie Chan in the Secret Service Image
Charlie Chan in the Secret Service
Mrs. Hargue
Love Is a Headache Image
Love Is a Headache
Mrs. Warden, Fan from New Jersey (uncredited)
Dixie Dugan Image
Dixie Dugan
Mrs. Kelly
The General Died at Dawn Image
The General Died at Dawn
Companion of American without Matches (uncredited)
Varsity Show Image
Varsity Show
Mrs. Biddle
All by Myself Image
All by Myself
Mrs. Vincent
The Howards of Virginia Image
The Howards of Virginia
Neighbor Girl
It's Love I'm After Image
It's Love I'm After
Mrs. Hinkle
Coast Guard Image
Coast Guard
Florence (uncredited)
The Amazing Mr. Williams Image
The Amazing Mr. Williams
Citizens Committee Woman (uncredited)
I Live My Life Image
I Live My Life
Professor Douglas (Uncredited)
Gold Is Where You Find It Image
Gold Is Where You Find It
Party Guest (uncredited)
Shadow of Doubt Image
Shadow of Doubt
Dowager in Taxi
Dudes Are Pretty People Image
Dudes Are Pretty People
Miss Priddle
Too Busy to Work Image
Too Busy to Work
The Cowboy and the Lady Image
The Cowboy and the Lady
Dinner Party Guest (uncredited)
Woman Against Woman Image
Woman Against Woman
Party Guest
Air Hostess Image
Air Hostess
Bertha Hallum
It's in the Air Image
It's in the Air
Old Maid (uncredited)
A Man to Remember Image
A Man to Remember
Clerk (uncredited)
The Shining Hour Image
The Shining Hour
Chairwoman of Morals Society (uncredited)
Espionage Agent Image
Espionage Agent
Militant American Tourist
Colleen Image
Colleen
First Society Woman (uncredited)
Storm Over Lisbon Image
Storm Over Lisbon
Maude Perry-Tonides
The Romance of Rosy Ridge Image
The Romance of Rosy Ridge
Mrs. Dessark (uncredited)
The Beloved Brat Image
The Beloved Brat
School Board Member Miss Brundage
Palm Springs Image
Palm Springs
Miss Pinchon
Women Are Like That Image
Women Are Like That
Mrs. Snell
Free, Blonde and 21 Image
Free, Blonde and 21
Undetermined Role
Meet Dr. Christian Image
Meet Dr. Christian
Mrs. Minnows
Blondie Meets the Boss Image
Blondie Meets the Boss
Saleswoman (uncredited)
Scattergood Survives a Murder Image
Scattergood Survives a Murder
Selma Quentin
People Will Talk Image
People Will Talk
Martie Beemish
Early to Bed Image
Early to Bed
Miss Barton
Persons in Hiding Image
Persons in Hiding
Beauty Shop Proprietor (uncredited)
Drunk Driving Image
Drunk Driving
Driver (uncredited)
Apache Trail Image
Apache Trail
Stagecoach Passenger (uncredited)
Two-Fisted Image
Two-Fisted
Abigail Adams
Judge Hardy's Children Image
Judge Hardy's Children
Miss Adams (uncredited)
Two-Fisted Gentleman Image
Two-Fisted Gentleman
Mrs. O'Shea
The Main Street Kid Image
The Main Street Kid
Mrs. Clauson
We're on the Jury Image
We're on the Jury
Evelyn Bottomley
Henry Aldrich's Little Secret Image
Henry Aldrich's Little Secret
Mrs. Bradley