Jane Wyatt | |
|---|---|
 Wyatt in the 1930s | |
| Born | Jane Waddington Wyatt (1910-08-12)August 12, 1910 |
| Died | October 20, 2006(2006-10-20) (aged 96) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Barnard College |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1931–1996 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards | Emmy Award (1958, 1959, 1960) |
Jane Waddington Wyatt (/ˈwaɪət/WY-ət; August 12, 1910 – October 20, 2006) was an American actress. She starred in a number of Hollywood films, such asFrank Capra'sLost Horizon, but is likely best known for her role as homemaker and mother Margaret Anderson on theCBS andNBC television comedy seriesFather Knows Best, and asAmanda Grayson, the human mother ofSpock on thescience-fictiontelevision seriesStar Trek. Wyatt was a three-timeEmmy Award–winner.
Wyatt was born on August 12, 1910, inCampgaw, a neighborhood inFranklin Lakes, New Jersey, and raised inManhattan.[1] Her father, Christopher Billopp Wyatt, was a broker.[2][3] Her mother was Euphemia Van Rensselaer Waddington, granddaughter ofHenry Bell Van Rensselaer.[4] Wyatt had two sisters and a brother.[5]
While in New York City, Wyatt attendedMiss Chapin's School, where she had roles asJoan of Arc and asShylock.[6][7] She later attended two years ofBarnard College.[8] After leaving Barnard, she joined the apprentice school of the Berkshire Playhouse atStockbridge, Massachusetts,[9][10] where for six months she played a variety of roles.
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One of her first jobs onBroadway was as understudy toRose Hobart in a production ofTrade Winds—a career move that cost her her listing in the New YorkSocial Register (she later was relisted upon her marriage). Receiving favorable notices on Broadway and celebrated for her understated beauty, Wyatt made the transition from stage to screen and was placed under contract byUniversal Pictures.
She made her film debut in 1934 inOne More River.[11] In arguably her most famous film role, she co-starred asRonald Colman's character's love interest in Frank Capra'sColumbia Pictures filmLost Horizon (1937). She reflected onLost Horizon sixty years later inSt. Anthony Messenger magazine:
During thewar, they cut out all thepacifist parts of the film—the High Lama talking about peace in the world. All that was cut because they were trying to inspire those G.I.'s to get out there and go "bang! bang! bang!" which sort of ruined the film.[12]
Other film appearances includedGentleman's Agreement withGregory Peck,None but the Lonely Heart withCary Grant,Boomerang withDana Andrews, andOur Very Own withFarley Granger. Wyatt co-starred in the crime dramasPitfall andHouse by the River, and withRandolph Scott in a Western,Canadian Pacific. She played the wife ofGary Cooper in the war storyTask Force.
Her film career suffered due to her outspoken opposition to SenatorJoseph McCarthy, the chief figure in theanti-Communist investigations of that era, and was temporarily derailed for having assisted in hosting a performance by theBolshoi Ballet during theSecond World War, though it was at the request ofPresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt.[13] Wyatt returned to her roots on the New York stage for a time and appeared in such plays asLillian Hellman'sThe Autumn Garden, oppositeFredric March.
For many people, Wyatt is best remembered as Margaret Anderson onFather Knows Best, which aired from 1954 to 1960. She played oppositeRobert Young as the devoted wife and mother of the Anderson family in the small town ofSpringfield. This role won consecutiveEmmy Awards for her in 1958, 1959 and 1960 forbest actress in a comedy series.[14] AfterFather Knows Best, Wyatt guest-starred in several other series.
On June 13, 1962, she was cast as the lead in "The Heather Mahoney Story" on NBC'sWagon Train. In 1963, she portrayed Kitty McMullen in "Don't Forget to Say Goodbye" on theABC dramaGoing My Way, withGene Kelly andLeo G. Carroll, a series about the Catholic priesthood in New York City. In 1964 Wyatt appeared as Mrs. Sarah Brynmar onThe Virginian in the episode "The Secret of Brynmar Hall". In 1965, Wyatt was cast as Anne White in "The Monkey's Paw – A Retelling" on CBS'sThe Alfred Hitchcock Hour.
Wyatt portrayedAmanda Grayson,Spock's mother and AmbassadorSarek's (Mark Lenard) wife, in the 1967 episode "Journey to Babel" of the original NBC seriesStar Trek (credited as Miss Jane Wyatt), and the 1986 filmStar Trek IV: The Voyage Home.[15] Wyatt was once quoted as saying her fan mail for these two appearances in this role exceeded that ofLost Horizon.
In 1969, she made a guest appearance onHere Come the Brides, but did not have any scenes with Mark Lenard, who was starring on the show as sawmill owner Aaron Stemple.[citation needed] Also in 1969, Wyatt appeared as a concerned mother in the first episode of the ABC comedy anthology seriesLove, American Style in a segment titled "Love and the Pill."
In 1970, Wyatt guest-starred in the episode "Wedding Day?????" (the five question marks being part of the title) in the second season of the TV sitcomThe Ghost & Mrs. Muir, which played on ABC (the first season having played on NBC). She portrayed Emily Williams, the mother of Mrs. Muir.[citation needed]
In 1976, she guest-starred in an episode ofGibbsville, and she appeared asAnna, mother of theVirgin Mary, in the 1978 television filmThe Nativity. Late in her career, she appeared in a recurring role in the 1980s medical dramaSt. Elsewhere, as Katherine Auschlander, wife of hospital administrator Dr. Daniel Auschlander (Norman Lloyd).[citation needed]
She was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.
Wyatt was married to investment broker Edgar Bethune Ward[8] from November 9, 1935, until his death on November 8, 2000. The couple met in the late 1920s when both were weekend houseguests of Franklin D. Roosevelt atHyde Park, New York.[16] They had three children.
Ward later converted to the Catholic faith of his wife. Wyatt suffered a mildstroke in the 1990s but recovered well. She remained in relatively good health for the rest of her long life.[17]
Wyatt died on October 20, 2006, at her home inBel-Air, California, aged 96.[18] Wyatt's family included three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | See How They Run | Augusta Flanders |
| 1970 | Weekend of Terror | Sister Frances |
| 1973 | You'll Never See Me Again | Mary Alden |
| 1975 | Katherine | Emily Alman |
| 1976 | Amelia Earhart | Amy Earhart |
| 1978 | Superdome | Fay Bonelli |
| The Nativity | Anna | |
| 1989 | Amityville 4: The Evil Escapes | Alice Leacock |
| Year | Program | Episode/source |
|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Family Theater | Pas de Deux[19] |
| 1952 | Hollywood Sound Stage | Boomerang[20] |
| 1953 | Theatre Guild on the Air | A Square Peg[21] |
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