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Fay Okell Bainter (December 7, 1893 – April 16, 1968) was an American film and stage actress.<ref>Obituary Variety, April 24, 1968.</ref> She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Jezebel (1938) and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Early lifeEdit

File:Fay Bainter.jpg
Portrait of Fay Bainter by Robert Henri (1918)

Bainter was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Charles F. Bainter and Mary Okell.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

CareerEdit

Bainter made her first appearance on stage in 1908 in The County Chairman at Morosco's Theater in Burbank, California. In 1910, she was a traveling stage actress. Her Broadway debut was in the role of Celine Marinter in The Rose of Panama (1912). P. G. Wodehouse, reviewing Turn to the Right in Vanity Fair in 1916, wrote, "Miss Bainter's advent from nowhere and her instant success form the season's biggest sensation."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> She appeared in a number of successful plays in New York, such as East Is West, The Willow Tree, and Dodsworth. In 1926, she appeared with Walter Abel in a Broadway production of Channing Pollock's The Enemy. MGM persuaded her to try films and her movie debut was in This Side of Heaven (February 1934). Also in 1934, she appeared in Dodsworth on Broadway and in the film It Happened One Day. Bainter quickly achieved success in the movies, and in 1939, she became the first performer to receive two Oscar nominations in the same year, contending for both Best Actress for White Banners (1938) and Best Supporting Actress for Jezebel (1938), winning for the latter.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1940, she played Mrs. Gibbs in the film production of the Thornton Wilder play Our Town. In 1945, she played Melissa Frake in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical State Fair. She was again nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Children's Hour (1961).<ref>Thomas, Bob (February 1, 1962). "Liz Isn't in the Race for '61 Academy Awards". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 24. Retrieved June 28, 2023.</ref>

Bainter has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, California.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Personal lifeEdit

Fay Bainter and Reginald Venable were married on June 8, 1921, in Riverside, California.<ref name="LATimes"/> Cmdr. Reginald Venable was a United States Navy officer who graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1913. He resigned from the Navy in 1925 as a lieutenant commander to manage his wife's business affairs. He had been a real-estate operator.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The couple had one son, Reginald Venable Jr., who became an actor.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Bainter was the aunt of actress Dorothy Burgess.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Bainter and Venable are interred at Arlington National Cemetery.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

FilmographyEdit

Films
Year Title Role Notes
1934 This Side of Heaven Francene Turner
1937 Quality Street Susan Throssel
1937 The Soldier and the Lady Strogoff's Mother
1937 Make Way for Tomorrow Anita Cooper
1938 White Banners Hannah Parmalee Nominated – Academy Award for Best Actress
1938 Jezebel Aunt Belle Massey Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
1938 Mother Carey's Chickens Mrs. Margaret Carey
1938 The Arkansas Traveler Mrs. Martha Allen
1938 Template:Sortname Hannah Linden
1939 Yes, My Darling Daughter Ann "Annie" Murray
1939 The Lady and the Mob Hattie Leonard
1939 Daughters Courageous Nancy "Nan" Masters
1939 Our Neighbors – The Carters Ellen Carter
1940 Young Tom Edison Mrs. Samuel (Nancy) Edison
1940 Our Town Mrs. Julia Hersey Gibbs
1940 Template:Sortname Margaret "Meg" Fairfield
1940 Maryland Charlotte Danfield
1941 Babes on Broadway Miss "Jonesy" Jones
1942 Woman of the Year Ellen Whitcomb
1942 Template:Sortname Stella Hadley
1942 Journey for Margaret Trudy Strauss
1942 Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch Mrs. Elvira Wiggs
1943 Template:Sortname Mrs. Macauley
1943 Presenting Lily Mars Mrs. Thornway
1943 Salute to the Marines Jennie Bailey
1943 Cry 'Havoc' Captain Alice Marsh
1944 Template:Sortname Margaret Sibyll
1944 Dark Waters Aunt Emily
1944 Three Is a Family Frances Whittaker
1945 State Fair Melissa Frake
1946 Template:Sortname Mrs. E. Winthrop LeMoyne
1946 Template:Sortname Mrs. Taylor
1947 Deep Valley Ellie Saul
1947 Template:Sortname Mrs. Eunice Mitty
1948 Give My Regards to Broadway Fay Norwick
1948 June Bride Paula Winthrop
1951 Close to My Heart Mrs. Morrow
1953 Template:Sortname Mrs. Donaldson
1961 Template:Sortname Mrs. Amelia Tilford Laurel Award for Top Female Supporting Performance (2nd place)
Nominated – Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture

Radio appearancesEdit

Year Program Episode/source
1946 Suspense 180/"The Lucky Lady"
1952 Theatre Guild on the Air "The Search"<ref>Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref>

See alsoEdit

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ReferencesEdit

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Further readingEdit

External linksEdit

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