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Frances Bavier

Frances Bavier

Known For Acting
Birthday Dec 14, 1902
Died Dec 06, 1989 (86)
Birthplace Manhattan, New York, USA
Popularity 1 (history)
Updated Aug 08, 2025
Entry Date Apr 13, 2024
Links TMDb IMDb
Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Frances Elizabeth Bavier (December 14, 1902 – December 6, 1989) was an American stage and television actress. Originally from New York theatre, Bavier worked in film and television from the 1950s. She is best known for her role of Aunt Bee on The Andy Griffith ... Show and Mayberry R.F.D. from 1960–70. Aunt Bee logged more Mayberry years (ten) than any other character. She won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Comedy Actress for the role in 1967. Bavier had roles in more than a dozen films, as well as playing a range of supporting roles on television. Career highlights include her turn as Mrs. Barley in the classic 1951 film The Day the Earth Stood Still. In 1955, she played the rough and tough "Aunt Maggie" Sawtelle, a frontier Ma Barker-type character, in the Lone Ranger episode "Sawtelle's Saga End". In the episode, she fights with Tonto while the Lone Ranger battles with her nephew. At the conclusion, Tonto says that he would like to trade opponents next time. In 1957, she played Nora Martin, mother to Eve Arden's character on The Eve Arden Show, despite the fact that Arden was only 6 or 7 years younger than Bavier. That same year, Bavier guest-starred in the eighth episode of Perry Mason as Louise Marlow in "The Case of the Crimson Kiss". She was in an episode of Make Room for Daddy, which featured Andy Griffith as Andy Taylor and Ron Howard as Opie Taylor. She played a character named Henrietta Perkins. The episode led to The Andy Griffith Show, and Bavier was cast in the new role of Aunt Bee. Bavier had a love-hate relationship with her famous role during the run of the show. As a New York City actress, she felt her dramatic talents were being overlooked, yet after playing Bee for eight seasons, she was the only original cast member to remain with the series in the spin-off, Mayberry R.F.D., for two additional seasons.

Known For

Filmography

Benji

Benji

1974

as Lady with the Cat

It Started with a Kiss

It Started with a Kiss

1959

as Mrs. Tappe

The Blessed Midnight

The Blessed Midnight

1956

as Mrs. Hayes

The Bad Seed

The Bad Seed

1956

as Woman at Dinner Party (uncredited)

Man in the Attic

Man in the Attic

1953

as Helen Harley

The Lady Says No

The Lady Says No

1952

as Alice Hatch

My Wife's Best Friend

My Wife's Best Friend

1952

as Mrs. Chamberlain

Sally and Saint Anne

Sally and Saint Anne

1952

as Mrs. Kitty 'Mom' O'Moyne

Horizons West

Horizons West

1952

as Martha Hammond

Bend of the River

Bend of the River

1952

as Mrs. Prentiss

The Stooge

The Stooge

1951

as Mrs. Rogers

The Day the Earth Stood Still

The Day the Earth Stood Still

1951

as Mrs. Barley, boarder

Girls About Town

Girls About Town

1931

as Joy - Party Girl (uncredited)

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Organization Category Movie
Television Credits

The Andy Griffith Show

as Aunt Bee Taylor

Episodes: 249

First Aired: Oct 03, 1960

Mayberry R.F.D.

as Aunt Bee Taylor

Episodes: 78

First Aired: Sep 23, 1968

It's a Great Life

as Mrs. Amy Morgan

Episodes: 78

First Aired: Sep 07, 1954

Perry Mason

as Louise Marlow

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 21, 1957

General Electric Theater

as Miss Trimingham

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Feb 01, 1953

Hallmark Hall of Fame

as Lou Bloor

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Dec 24, 1951

Lux Video Theatre

as Martha

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 02, 1950

Sugarfoot

as Nancy Thomas

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 17, 1957

Cavalcade of America

as Mrs. Hayes

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 01, 1952

Letter to Loretta

as Mrs. Logan

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 20, 1953

Letter to Loretta

as Aunt Marty

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 20, 1953

Letter to Loretta

as Aunt Meg

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 20, 1953

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

as Mrs. Fergusen

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 02, 1955

The Danny Thomas Show

as Henrietta Perkins

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 29, 1953

The Eve Arden Show

Episodes: 26

First Aired: Sep 17, 1957

Dragnet

Episodes: 4

First Aired: Dec 16, 1951

City Detective

Episodes: 3

First Aired: Sep 07, 1953

77 Sunset Strip

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 10, 1958

Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 25, 1964

Rawhide

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 09, 1959

The Thin Man

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 20, 1957

Lux Video Theatre

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 02, 1950

The Ford Television Theatre

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 02, 1952

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 05, 1951

Revlon Mirror Theatre

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jun 23, 1953

Popularity Metrics

Popularity History


Year Month Avg Max Min
2024 5 16 16 16
2024 6 13 25 8
2024 7 17 32 5
2024 8 13 23 6
2024 9 8 23 2
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2024 11 5 15 2
2024 12 4 7 2
2025 1 7 10 3
2025 2 4 9 1
2025 3 2 4 1
2025 5 1 2 1
2025 6 1 1 1
2025 7 0 0 0
2025 8 2 11 0
2025 9 0 1 0
2025 10 0 1 0

Trending Rank


Year Month Avg Rank Max Rank
2024 5 1084 1084

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