Ellen Corby

From Alfred Hitchcock Wiki

  • born: 03/Jun/1911 (Racine, Wisconsin, USA)
  • died: 14/Apr/1999 (Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA)

Biography

Ellen Corby was an Oscar-nominated American character actress. She is most widely remembered for the role of "Grandma Walton" on the television series "The Waltons", for which she won three Emmy Awards. Even after suffering a crippling stroke, Corby returned to filming "The Waltons", and her disabilities were written into her character, adding even more depth to her role.

Early life

Corby was born Ellen Hansen to Danish parents in Racine, Wisconsin; she grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. An interest in amateur theater while in high school led her to Atlantic City in 1932 where she briefly worked as a chorus girl. She moved to Hollywood that same year and got a job as a script girl at RKO Studios and Hal Roach Studios, where she frequently worked on the "Our Gang Comedies", next to her husband, cinematographer Francis Corby. She held that position for the next twelve years and took acting lessons on the side.

Career

In 1941, she co-wrote a now obscure Paramount western called "Twilight on the Trail" and provided the story for another oater, "Hoppy's Holiday" in 1947. In 1945, Corby convinced RKO she could be in front of the cameras, playing maids in her first three films, beginning with "Cornered" (1945).

For three decades, she appeared in more than 75 films, often as a gossipy neighbour or a dour spinster, rarely walking lightly, yet she had virtually no periods without work. In 1948 she received an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress playing a lovelorn aunt in "I Remember Mama" (1948). Over the next four decades, she worked steadily in both film and television, often playing maids, secretaries, waitresses or gossips. She was a favorite in western films and had a recurring role as "Henrietta Porter" in the western television series "Trackdown" (1957–1959). Other television appearances included "Wagon Train", "The Rifleman", "I Love Lucy", "The Virginian", "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", and "The Andy Griffith Show".

Her most famous role came in 1971 when she was cast as Grandma Esther Walton on the made-for-TV film "The Homecoming: A Christmas Story", which served as the pilot for "The Waltons", Corby would go on to resume the role on "The Waltons", which became a weekly series from 1972-1980 and resulted in several sequel films. For her work in "The Waltons", she won her three Emmy Awards and three more nominations as Best Supporting Actress.

Private life

Corby was married to Francis Corby from 1934 to 1944.

She suffered a serious stroke in 1977 but recovered and went on to appear in several television films based on The Waltons. Her last appearance was in "A Walton Easter" (1997).

She died at the age of 87 at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California. She was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.

(Wikipedia)

Filmography

With Hitchcock...

Links

Film Frames

Selection of film frames of Ellen Corby (click image to view larger version or refresh thumbnails)...

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