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Hope Summers
Actor
Died June 22, 1979 (83 years)
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.
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.
Filmography
| 2000 | Rosemary's Baby: A Retrospective · as Cast |
| 1985 | Evil Town · as Alice Wylie (as Hope Summer) |
| 1978 | Smokey and the Good Time Outlaws · as Marcie |
| 1978 | Foul Play · as Ethel |
| 1975 | Welcome Back, Kotter (TV Series) |
| 1975 | Starsky & Hutch (TV Series) |
| 1974 | Dr. Shagetz · as Alice Wylie |
| 1974 | Death Sentence · as Emily Boylan |
| 1974 | Chico and the Man (TV Series) |
| 1974 | Our Time · as Biology Teacher |
| 1974 | Little House on the Prairie (TV Series) · as Addie Bjornesen |
| 1974 | Indict and Convict · as Mrs. Potter |
| 1973 | Charley Varrick · as Mess Vesta |
| 1973 | The Girl with Something Extra (TV Series) · as Stella |
| 1973 | Ace Eli and Rodger of the Skies · as Laura |
| 1972 | M*A*S*H (TV Series) · as Nurse Meg Cratty |
| 1972 | The Paul Lynde Show (TV Series) · as Ticketseller |
| 1972 | Where Does It Hurt? · as Nurse Throttle |
| 1972 | Get to Know Your Rabbit · as Mrs. Beeman |
| 1972 | Banacek (TV Series) · as Mrs. Liddell |
| 1969 | Night Gallery (TV Series) |
| 1969 | The Learning Tree · as Mrs. Kiner |
| 1969 | Marcus Welby, M.D. (TV Series) · as Mrs. Whittaker |
| 1968 | 5 Card Stud · as Customer In General Store |
| 1968 | Mayberry R.F.D. (TV Series) · as Clara |
| 1968 | Adam-12 (TV Series) · as Clara Fisher |
| 1968 | Hawaii Five-O (TV Series) · as Minnie Leona Moroney |
| 1968 | The Shakiest Gun in the West · as Celia |
| 1968 | Rosemary's Baby · as Mrs. Gilmore |
| 1967 | The Second Hundred Years (TV Series) · as Mrs. Hansen |
| 1966 | Penelope · as Shop Lady (uncredited) |
| 1966 | |
| 1966 | The Pruitts of Southampton (TV Series) |
| 1966 | Love On A Rooftop (TV Series) |
| 1966 | The Ghost and Mr. Chicken · as Susanna Blush |
| 1965 | The Hallelujah Trail · as Mrs. Hasselrad |
| 1964 | My Living Doll (TV Series) · as Edwina |
| 1964 | Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (TV Series) |
| 1964 | Bewitched (TV Series) |
| 1964 | One Man's Way · as Mrs. Elwood Thompson |
| 1963 | Petticoat Junction (TV Series) · as Mabel Denton |
| 1963 | The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters (TV Series) · as Mrs. Rutledge |
| 1963 | Spencer's Mountain · as Mother Ida |
| 1962 | Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (TV Series) · as Cast |
| 1962 | The Beverly Hillbillies (TV Series) |
| 1962 | The New Loretta Young Show (TV Series) · as Mrs. Teesdale |
| 1962 | It's a Man's World (TV Series) · as The Salvation Army Woman |
| 1962 | The Couch · as Mrs. Quimby |
| 1962 | Rome Adventure · as Mrs. Stillwell |
| 1961 | Claudelle Inglish · as Ernestine Peasley (uncredited) |
| 1961 | The Children's Hour · as Agatha |
| 1961 | The New Breed (TV Series) · as Mrs. Mccurtin |
| 1961 | The Dick Van Dyke Show (TV Series) |
| 1961 | Dr. Kildare (TV Series) · as Madge |
| 1961 | Hazel (TV Series) · as Edna |
| 1961 | Homicidal · as Martha Adrims (uncredited) |
| 1961 | Angel Baby · as Woman At Revival Meeting (uncredited) |
| 1961 | Parrish · as Mary |
| 1960 | The Andy Griffith Show (TV Series) · as Clara Edwards |
| 1960 | My Three Sons (TV Series) |
| 1960 | Inherit the Wind · as Mrs. Krebs - Righteous Townswoman |
| 1959 | Hound-Dog Man · as Jewell Crouch |
| 1959 | Edge of Eternity · as Motel Attendant |
| 1959 | The Detectives (1959) (TV Series) · as Madame Jeanette |
| 1959 | Dennis the Menace (TV Series) |
| 1959 | Law of the Plainsman (TV Series) · as Mrs. Dodge |
| 1959 | The Third Man (TV Series) · as Irate Woman |
| 1959 | The Untouchables (TV Series) · as Letta Hodges |
| 1958 | I Want to Live! · as Ethel - Policewoman On Bus (uncredited) |
| 1958 | U.S. Marshal (TV Series) · as Mrs. Martin |
| 1958 | 77 Sunset Strip (TV Series) · as Mrs. Bell |
| 1958 | The Rifleman (TV Series) |
| 1958 | Rescue 8 (TV Series) · as Dora |
| 1958 | Peter Gunn (TV Series) |
| 1957 | Zero Hour! · as Older Woman |
| 1957 | Colt .45 (TV Series) · as Miss Pilgrim |
| 1957 | The Californians (TV Series) · as Mrs. Snyder |
| 1957 | Maverick (TV Series) |
| 1957 | The Thin Man (TV Series) |
| 1957 | Wagon Train (TV Series) · as Mae O'malley |
| 1957 | Bachelor Father (TV Series) · as Housekeeper |
| 1957 | Sally (TV Series) · as Woman Tourist |
| 1957 | Date with the Angels (TV Series) · as Miss Wakefield |
| 1957 | O. Henry Playhouse (TV Series) · as Martha O'carron |
| 1957 | Whirlybirds (TV Series) · as Mrs. Wagner |
| 1956 | The Gale Storm Show (TV Series) · as Angie Kirkham |
| 1956 | Telephone Time (TV Series) · as Ella Tostenson |
| 1956 | State Trooper (TV Series) |
| 1955 | |
| 1955 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents (TV Series) · as Maid |
| 1955 | Gunsmoke (TV Series) · as Ellen Cade |
| 1954 | Studio 57 (TV Series) · as Cast |
| 1953 | Make Room for Daddy (TV Series) · as Jenny - Copa Club Cleaning Woman |
| 1953 | The Loretta Young Show (TV Series) · as Nurse O'brien |
| 1953 | Private Secretary (TV Series) |
| 1953 | General Electric Theater (TV Series) · as Elizabeth |
| 1952 | This Is The Life (TV Series) · as Cast |
| 1952 | Death Valley Days (TV Series) · as Lucretia Mott |
| 1951 | Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (TV Series) · as Old Lady |
| 1950 | Ashley Banjo’s Big Town Dance (TV Series) · as Cast |
| 1950 | The Lux Video Theatre (TV Series) · as Martha |
| 1950 | Robert Montgomery Presents Your Lucky Strike Theatre (TV Series) · as Cast |