Editing Frances Bavier (section)

==Early life and career==
Bavier was born in New York City in a [[brownstone]] on [[Gramercy Park]]<ref>{{cite journal|title=Childhood Jealousy Leads Frances Bavier to Stage|journal=The Ogden Standard-Examiner|date=June 26, 1936|page=13}}</ref> to Charles S. Bavier, a [[stationary engineer]], and Mary S. (née Birmingham) Bavier.  She originally planned to become a teacher after attending [[Columbia University]]. She first appeared in [[vaudeville]], later moving to the [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] stage.<ref name=":0">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/12/08/obituaries/frances-bavier-dead-tv-performer-was-86.html|title=Frances Bavier Dead; TV Performer Was 86|date=1989-12-08|work=The New York Times|access-date=2009-05-14}}</ref>

After graduating from the [[American Academy of Dramatic Arts]] in 1925, she was cast in the stage comedy ''The Poor Nut''.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=http://fans-pages.com/aunt-bee-sex-symbol-and-diva|title=Aunt Bee: Sex Symbol and Diva?|last1=Carp|first1=Randy|work=Fans Pages|access-date=March 13, 2013}}</ref> Bavier's big break came in the original Broadway production of ''[[On Borrowed Time]]''. She later appeared with [[Henry Fonda]] in the play ''[[Point of No Return (play)|Point of No Return]]''.<ref name="auto"/>

Bavier had roles in more than a dozen films, and played 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|Ma Barker-type]] character, in the ''[[The Lone Ranger (TV series)|Lone Ranger]]'' episode "Sawtelle's Saga End". In 1957, she played Nora Martin, mother of [[Eve Arden]]'s character on ''[[The Eve Arden Show]]'', despite the fact that Arden was less than six years younger than Bavier. That same year, Bavier guest-starred in the eighth episode of ''[[Perry Mason (1957 TV series)|Perry Mason]]'' as Louise Marlow in "The Case of the Crimson Kiss".

She was in an episode of ''[[The Danny Thomas Show]]'', 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 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 (media)|spin-off]], ''[[Mayberry R.F.D.]]'', for two additional seasons.<ref name="kelly">{{cite book|last=Kelly|first=Richard Michael|title=The Andy Griffith Show|year=1985|pages=13–14|publisher=J.F. Blair |isbn=0-89587-043-6}}</ref>

Bavier was easily offended on the set of ''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]'' and the production staff took a cautious approach when communicating with her. Series star Andy Griffith once admitted the two sometimes clashed during the series’ run.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1989/12/07/Frances-Aunt-Bea-Bavier-dead-at-86/6743629010000/ |title=Frances 'Aunt Bee' Bavier dead at 86|work=[[United Press International]]|date=December 7, 1989|access-date=5 October 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://statelineobserver.com/stories/columns/37-nowhere-road/6915-2014-05-29-aunt-bea-s-studebaker-and-other-fine-vehicles|title=Aunt Bee's Studebaker and other fine vehicles|work=State Line Observer|last=Foley|first=Rich|date=October 23, 2014|access-date=5 October 2018|archive-date=December 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201211120656/https://statelineobserver.com/stories/columns/37-nowhere-road/6915-2014-05-29-aunt-bea-s-studebaker-and-other-fine-vehicles|url-status=dead}}</ref> On an appearance on ''Larry King Live'' (November 27, 2003), Griffith said Bavier phoned him four months before she died and apologized for being "difficult" during the series’ run. Bavier confessed in an interview with Bill Ballard for Carolina Camera that "it is very difficult for an actress ... to create a role and to be so identified that you as a person no longer exist and all the recognition you get is for a part that is created on the screen."<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyhkr9nI88k Carolina Camera: Aunt Bee Retires. Ballard, Bill. www.youtube.com]</ref>

Bavier won the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Comedy Series|Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Comedy]] in 1967.