Karolyn Grimes | |
|---|---|
 Grimes in 2019 | |
| Born | (1940-07-04)July 4, 1940 (age 84) Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1945–1954, 2016, 2020 |
| Notable work | It's a Wonderful Life (1946) andThe Bishop's Wife (1947) |
| Spouse(s) | Hal Barnes (m. 19??;div. 19??) |
| Children | 4 |
Karolyn Grimes (born July 4, 1940[1]) is an American actress. She is best known for her role asZuzu Bailey in the classic 1946Frank Capra filmIt's a Wonderful Life.[2] She also played Debby Brougham in the 1947 filmThe Bishop's Wife.
Grimes' film debut came when she was 6 months old.[3] She first attracted attention playingFred MacMurray's daughter in 1945'sPardon My Past.[4] Her most famous role came as Zuzu inIt's a Wonderful Life in 1946.[2] The following year she appeared in six pictures, most notably as the daughter ofDavid Niven andLoretta Young inThe Bishop's Wife.[5]
In total, Grimes starred in 16 motion pictures as a child actor; however, it is as Zuzu that she is best remembered. She was honored as a famousMissourian with a star on the Missouri Walk of Fame inMarshfield, Missouri. She also received the city's highest honor, theEdwin P. Hubble Medal of Initiative in 2007 at the annual Marshfield Cherry Blossom Festival.[6]
Grimes was born inHollywood, California. Her father worked as a store manager forSafeway.[7] From an early age her mother took her for all sorts of lessons, training in violin, piano, singing and dance, and took her to auditions.[7] However, when Grimes was 8, her mother's health began to decline. She was suffering from early onsetAlzheimer's disease, an aggressive form of the malady. Six years later she died, at the age of 44. Grimes was just 14 years old at the time. Without her mother she was unable to continue in acting. The following year her father was killed in an automobile accident, and Karolyn was an orphan at the age of 15.[8] By ruling of the District Court, she was sent from Hollywood to live with her uncle and his wife inOsceola, Missouri. It was a very difficult adjustment for her. Life in rural Missouri was a far cry from life in southern California, and her aunt was strict, mean and unstable.[7][9] Karolyn adjusted to the changes, and found support from among the townspeople, who were aware of what she was going through.[8] She attended theUniversity of Central Missouri and became amedical technologist.
She married, had two children, divorced, married again to a man with three children, and then had two more children with her second husband.[10] Renewed interest inIt's a Wonderful Life in the early 1980s ledJimmy Stewart to wonder what had happened to the little girl who had played 'ZuZu'. Grimes was 39 years old by the time Stewart's secretary tracked her down.[9]
Her youngest child took his own life, and a few years later her second husband died of cancer.[11] In the mid-1980s she began receiving cards and letters from fans who lovedIt's a Wonderful Life.[12] Repeated showings on local and cable television each holiday season created a broad base of admirers, and the movie became a perennial holiday favorite.[13] After the death of her second husband, she came to appreciate the depth of the film, particularly the deep desperation portrayed by Stewart.[2] The struggles George Bailey faced seemed echoed in the hardships of her own life. She took the movie's message to heart, and came to be a strong advocate for the film.[11] Grimes has been closely tied to the movie, as the character she portrayed uttered one of cinema's most famous lines: "Look, Daddy. Teacher says, 'Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.'"[14]
Grimes has been called upon to introduce the film at screenings nationwide, meeting with people and signing autographs for those who had come to love the picture and its portrayal of hope.[12] In the 1990s, theTarget store chain chose "It's a Wonderful Life" as its marketing theme for Christmas, and contracted with a number of the actors to be store ambassadors. "They reunited the Bailey kids and we went on tour all over the United States," Grimes said. "It was fabulous. I had the best time ever. I didn't realize how much people loved this film. They seemed to just embrace us so much and put us in their hearts."[14]
Through her speaking engagements, she met a psychologist who worked at the Benedict House, a homeless shelter in theBremerton area, whom she married. Grimes moved to theSeattle area.[8] She continues to be invited to big-screen showings ofIt's a Wonderful Life at dinner theaters worldwide, where she is asked to share stories of her memories of Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed and the making of the picture.[15] In addition, she appears annually at the"It's a Wonderful Life" event held inSeneca Falls, New York, the town that inspiredBedford Falls in the film.[2] She also wrote a holiday cookbook with recipes interspersed with pictures and stories of her time on the set of the movie.[12][16] In 2023 she recited her famous line "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings" for the Christmas single "A Day in the Life of a Christmas Tree", by Danish singer, Anders Knudsen.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | That Night with You | Orphan | Uncredited |
| Pardon My Past | Stephanie Pemberton | ||
| 1946 | Sister Kenny | Carolyn | Scenes deleted |
| Blue Skies | Mary Elizabeth Adams | ||
| It's a Wonderful Life | Zuzu Bailey | ||
| 1947 | Sweet and Low | Tammie | Short film |
| Philo Vance's Gamble | Pat Roberts | Uncredited | |
| The Private Affairs of Bel Ami | Laurine de Marelle | ||
| Mother Wore Tights | Iris, age 6 | Uncredited | |
| Unconquered | Little Girl | ||
| The Bishop's Wife | Debby Brougham | ||
| 1948 | Albuquerque | Myrtle Walton | Also known asSilver City |
| 1949 | Lust for Gold | Martha Bannister | Also known asFor Those Who Dare |
| 1950 | Rio Grande | Margret Mary | |
| 1951 | Honeychile | Effie | |
| 1952 | Hans Christian Andersen | Copenhagen Match Girl | Uncredited |
| 2020 | Canaan Land | Talk Show Guest | First film in 68 years |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | Fireside Theatre | Episode: "His Name Is Jason" | |
| 1954 | The Ford Television Theatre | Episode: "The Good of His Soul" | |
| 2016 | Cassandra's Castle | Sister Bernadice | First acting role in 62 years |
| International | |
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| National | |
