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Photo of Bonita Granville

Bonita Granville

Actor, Producer, Director
Born February 2, 1923Died October 11, 1988 (65 years)
Daughter of Bernard 'Bunny' Granville and Rosina Timponi, Bonita Granville was born into an acting family on 2 Febuary 1923, in New York, New York. It's not surprising that she herself became a child actor, first on the stage and, at the age of 9, debuting in movies in Westward Passage (1932). She was regularly cast as a naughty little girl, as in These Three (1936) where she played Mary, an obnoxious girl spreading lies about her teachers. Her performance left an impression on the audience, and she was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress award.

In 1938-39 came the movies she is now best remembered for -- playing the bright and feisty detective/reporter Nancy Drew in the Nancy Drew series. She also appeared with Mickey Rooney in a few Andy Hardy movies. She never really had a movie breakthrough, and after marrying oil millionaire and later producer Jack Wrather, she retired from acting in the middle of the 1950s, although she went on to produce the Lassie (1954) TV series.

After her marriage to oil millionaire Jack Wrather in 1947, she appeared in only three more movies. She became an executive in the Wrather Corp., and first associate producer, then executive producer of the Lassie (1954) TV series. After Wrather's death in 1984, she took over as chairman of the board. She was also involved in many civic and cultural groups, and she was chair of American Film Institute, trustee of John F. Kennedy Center, as well as other well known organizations and charities.

Walt Disney personally convinced the Wrathers to build the Disneyland Hotel when Disney could not raise the money to do so -- his credit was all tied up in building the theme park itself. After the phenomenal success of Disneyland, Disney attempted to buy the hotel; but the Wrathers steadfastly refused to sell. Long after Jack and Bonita Wrather's and Walt Disney's deaths, the Disney Company bought the Wrather Corporation. The Disney Company thus acquired the Disneyland Hotel, the Queen Mary and Spruce Goose attractions in Long Beach, California, the rights to The Lone Ranger (1949) TV series, as well as other properties.

Bonita Granville Rather died of cancer on 11 October 1988, in Santa Monica, California. She and Wrather had four children (two from Wrather's first marriage).

Movies & Shows on Plex

  • The Legend of the Lone Ranger
  • Love Laughs at Andy Hardy

Known For

  • Now, Voyager
  • The Glass Key
  • Nancy Drew... Reporter
  • Lassie
  • Nancy Drew: Detective
  • The Mortal Storm
  • Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase
  • These Three
  • Hitler's Children
  • It's Love I'm After
  • Suspense
  • The Lone Ranger
  • Merrily We Live
  • The Magic of Lassie
  • Third Finger, Left Hand
  • H.M. Pulham, Esq.
  • Love Laughs at Andy Hardy
  • Seven Miles from Alcatraz
  • Breakfast in Hollywood
  • Gallant Sons
  • Escape
  • Lassie's Great Adventure

Filmography

2014
One Rogue Reporter · as Nancy Drew
1981
1959
The Velvet Alley · as Mrs. Kirkley
1956
Playhouse 90 (TV Series) · as Mrs. Kirkley
1956
The Lone Ranger · as Welcome Kilgore
1955
Matinee Theater (TV Series) · as Cast
1955
Science Fiction Theatre (TV Series) · as Barbara Cameron
1955
The Eddie Cantor Comedy Theatre (TV Series) · as Pearl
1954
Climax! (TV Series) · as Molly
1954
Lassie (TV Series)
1953
The United States Steel Hour (TV Series) · as Cast
1953
The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse (TV Series) · as Cast
1952
Ford Theatre: All Star Theatre (TV Series) · as Margo Foster
1952
This Is The Life (TV Series) · as Edna Johnson
1952
The Unexpected (TV Series) · as Cast
1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (TV Series) · as Ellen Morison
1951
Gruen Guild Theater (TV Series) · as Cast
1950
The Bigelow Theatre (TV Series) · as Cast
1950
The Lux Video Theatre (TV Series) · as Kitty
1950
The Armstrong Circle Theatre (TV Series) · as Cast
1950
Guilty of Treason · as Stephanie Varna
1948
Studio One (TV Series) · as Ann
1947
The Guilty · as Estelle Mitchell / Linda Mitchell
1946
1946
Suspense · as Ronnie
1946
The Truth About Murder · as Christine Allen
1946
Breakfast in Hollywood · as Dorothy Larson
1944
Youth Runs Wild · as Toddy Jones
1944
1944
1943
Hitler's Children · as Anna Miller
1942
Seven Miles from Alcatraz · as Anne Porter
1942
Now, Voyager · as June Vale
1942
The Glass Key · as Opal 'snip' Madvig
1942
Syncopation · as Kit Latimer
1941
H.M. Pulham, Esq. · as Mary Pulham
1941
Down in San Diego · as Betty Haines
1941
The People vs. Dr. Kildare · as Frances Marlowe
1941
The Wild Man of Borneo · as Francine 'frankie' Diamond
1940
Gallant Sons · as Kate Pendleton
1940
Escape · as Ursula
1940
Third Finger, Left Hand · as Vicky Sherwood
1940
Those Were the Days! · as Martha Scroggs
1940
The Mortal Storm · as Elsa
1940
1939
1939
Angels Wash Their Faces · as Peggy Finnegan
1939
1939
Land of Liberty · as Cast
1939
Nancy Drew... Reporter · as Nancy Drew
1938
Nancy Drew: Detective · as Nancy Drew
1938
Hard to Get · as Connie Richards
1938
My Bill · as Gwen Colbrook
1938
The Beloved Brat · as Roberta Morgan
1938
Merrily We Live · as Marian Kilbourne
1938
White Banners · as Sally Ward
1937
It's Love I'm After · as Gracie Kane
1937
Call It a Day · as Ann Hilton
1937
Quality Street · as Isabella
1937
Maid of Salem · as Ann
1936
The Plough and the Stars · as Mollser Gogan
1936
The Garden of Allah · as Convent Girl (uncredited)
1936
These Three · as Mary Tilford
1936
Song of the Saddle · as Jen As A Child
1935
Ah Wilderness! · as Mildred Miller
1934
Anne of Green Gables · as School Girl
1934
The Life of Vergie Winters · as Joan Shadwell As A Child (uncredited)
1933
Little Women · as Amy's Classmate (uncredited)
1933
Beauty for Sale · as Little Girl At Madame Sonia's
1933
Cavalcade · as Young Fanny
1932
Silver Dollar · as Liddy (uncredited)
1932
Westward Passage · as Little Olivia Allen (age 9)

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