Hope Summers
Hope Summers could portray a friendly neighbor or companion as she did for Frances Bavier's Aunt Bee character on many episodes of The Andy Griffith Show (1960) or a seemingly amiable Satanist in Rosemary's Baby (1968). Born in Mattoon, Illinois, she developed an early interest in the theater. Graduating from Northwestern School of Speech in Evanston, Illinois, she subsequently taught speech and diction there. This, in turn, led to her the head position in the Speech Department at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, teaching students privately on the side as well. In the 1930s Hope began to focus on acting. She found work in community and stock theaters in Illinois and earned some notice for putting on one-woman shows such as "Backstage of Broadway." She made use of her vocal eloquence by building up her resumé on radio, performing in scores of dramatic shows, including "Authors' Playhouse," "First Night," "Ma Perkins", and "Step-Mother". In 1950 Hope transferred her talents to the new medium of television and earned a regular role on the comedy series Hawkins Falls: A Television Novel (1950). By the age of 50 she was customarily called upon to play slightly older than she was, appearing in a number of minuscule matron roles in such films as Zero Hour! (1957), Hound-Dog Man (1959), Inherit the Wind (1960), Spencer's Mountain (1963), The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966), Charley Varrick (1973) and her last, Foul Play (1978). She never had any major stand-out roles in movies; TV would be a more prolific choice of medium. Her gently stern, old-fashioned looks allowed her to be a part of many small-town settings, including Dennis the Menace (1959) and Petticoat Junction (1963), and in various western locales such as Maverick (1957) and Wagon Train (1957). She played a rustic regular for many years on The Rifleman (1958). Usually assigned to play teachers, nurses and other helpful, nurturing types, her characters were also known to be inveterate gossips. Hope worked until close to the end of her life, passing away from heart failure in 1979.
Known For
Credits
- 1987 · Evil Town as Alice Wylie (as Hope Summer)
- 1978 · Smokey and the Good Time Outlaws as Marcie
- 1978 · Foul Play as Ethel
- 1978 · Another Day as
- 1976 · Snip as Aunt Polly
- 1975 · Starsky & Hutch as
- 1975 · Welcome Back, Kotter as
- 1975 · Dr. Shagetz as Alice Wylie
- 1974 · Death Sentence as Emily Boylan
- 1974 · Chico and the Man as
- 1974 · Little House on the Prairie as Addie Bjornesen
- 1974 · Our Time as Biology Teacher
- 1974 · Indict and Convict as Mrs. Potter
- 1973 · Charley Varrick as Mess Vesta
- 1973 · Ace Eli and Rodger of the Skies as Laura
- 1972 · M*A*S*H as Nurse Meg Cratty
- 1972 · Where Does It Hurt? as Nurse Throttle
- 1972 · Get to Know Your Rabbit as Mrs. Beeman
- 1970 · Night Gallery as
- 1968 · Mayberry R.F.D. as Clara Edwards
- 1968 · Mayberry R.F.D. as Clara
- 1968 · Adam-12 as Clara Fisher
- 1968 · Hawaii Five-O as Minnie Leona Moroney
- 1968 · The Shakiest Gun in the West as Celia
- 1968 · Rosemary's Baby as Mrs. Gilmore
- 1966 · Penelope as Shop Lady (uncredited)
- 1966 · That Girl as
- 1966 · Love on a Rooftop as
- 1966 · The Pruitts of Southampton as
- 1966 · The Ghost & Mr. Chicken as Susanna Blush
- 1965 · The Hallelujah Trail as Mrs. Hasselrad
- 1964 · Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. as
- 1964 · Bewitched as
- 1964 · One Man's Way as Mrs. Elwood Thompson
- 1963 · The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters as Mrs. Rutledge
- 1963 · Glynis as
- 1963 · Petticoat Junction as Mabel Denton
- 1963 · Spencer's Mountain as Mother Ida
- 1962 · The Beverly Hillbillies as
- 1962 · The Couch as Mrs. Quimby
- 1961 · The Children's Hour as Agatha
- 1961 · The Dick Van Dyke Show as
- 1961 · The New Breed as Mrs. McCurtin
- 1961 · Dr. Kildare as Madge
- 1961 · Claudelle Inglish as Ernestine Peasley (uncredited)
- 1961 · Homicidal as Martha Adrims (Uncredited)
- 1961 · Angel Baby as Woman at Revival Meeting (uncredited)
- 1961 · Parrish as Mary (uncredited)
- 1960 · The Andy Griffith Show as Clara Edwards
- 1960 · My Three Sons as
- 1960 · Inherit the Wind as Mrs. Krebs - Righteous Townswoman
- 1959 · Hound-Dog Man as Jewell Crouch
- 1959 · Edge of Eternity as Motel Attendant
- 1959 · Dennis the Menace as
- 1959 · Law of the Plainsman as Mrs. Dodge
- 1958 · I Want to Live! as Ethel - Policewoman on Bus (uncredited)
- 1958 · The Rifleman as
- 1958 · Peter Gunn as
- 1957 · Zero Hour! as Older Woman
- 1957 · Maverick as
- 1957 · The Thin Man as
- 1956 · State Trooper as
- 1955 · Alfred Hitchcock Presents as Marie Tallendier
- 1955 · Alfred Hitchcock Presents as Maid
- 1955 · Gunsmoke as Ellen Cade
- 1955 · Gunsmoke as Della
- 1955 · Gunsmoke as Jen
- 1953 · Letter to Loretta as Nurse O'Brien
- 1953 · Private Secretary as
- 1953 · General Electric Theater as Elizabeth
- 1953 · General Electric Theater as Mrs. Wagner
- 1953 · General Electric Theater as Aunt
- 1951 · Schlitz Playhouse of Stars as
- 1951 · Schlitz Playhouse of Stars as Old Lady