Hope Summers
Known for: Acting
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.
Filmography
Series
Hawaii Five-O
Minnie Leona Moroney
1969
Series
M*A*S*H
Nurse Meg Cratty
1972
Series
The Andy Griffith Show
Clara Edwards
1960
Series
Adam-12
Clara Fisher
1968
Series
Little House on the Prairie
Addie Bjornesen
1974
Series
Bewitched
1964
Series
Maverick
1957
Series
The Rifleman
1958
Series
The Rifleman
Hattie Denton
1958
Series
Dr. Kildare
Madge
1961
Series
My Three Sons
1960
Series
Petticoat Junction
Mabel Denton
1963
Series
Starsky & Hutch
1975
Series
The Beverly Hillbillies
1962
Series
The Dick Van Dyke Show
1961
Series
Gunsmoke
Ellen Cade
1955
Series
Gunsmoke
Della
1955
Series
Gunsmoke
Jen
1955
Series
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
1964
Series
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Marie Tallendier
1955
Series
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Maid
1955
Series
Night Gallery
1970
Series
Peter Gunn
1958
Series
That Girl
1966
Series
Dennis the Menace
Mrs. Burns
1959
Series
Mayberry R.F.D.
Clara Edwards
1968
Series
Mayberry R.F.D.
Clara
1968
Series
The Third Man
Irate woman
1959
Series
The Gale Storm Show
Angie Kirkham
1956
Series
Law of the Plainsman
Mrs. Dodge
1959
Series
The New Breed
Mrs. McCurtin
1961
Series
The Thin Man
1957
Film
Rosemary's Baby
Mrs. Gilmore
1968
Series
Chico and the Man
1974
Series
Letter to Loretta
Nurse O'Brien
1953
Series
The Second Hundred Years
Mrs. Hansen
1967
Series
The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters
Mrs. Rutledge
1963
Series
Private Secretary
1953
Series
U.S. Marshall
Mrs. Martin (uncredited)
1958
Series
Love on a Rooftop
1966
Series
Welcome Back, Kotter
1975
Series
The Pruitts of Southampton
1966
Film
Foul Play
Ethel
1978
Series
General Electric Theater
Elizabeth
1953
Series
General Electric Theater
Aunt
1953
Series
General Electric Theater
Mrs. Wagner
1953
Film
The Children's Hour
Agatha
1961
Series
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
Series
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Old Lady
1951
Film
Inherit the Wind
Mrs. Krebs - Righteous Townswoman
1960
Film
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken
Susanna Blush
1966
Series
Glynis
1963
Film
Charley Varrick
Mess Vesta
1973
Film
5 Card Stud
Customer in General Store (uncredited)
1968
Film
I Want to Live!
Ethel - Policewoman on Bus (uncredited)
1958
Film
The Hallelujah Trail
Mrs. Hasselrad
1965
Film
The Shakiest Gun in the West
Celia
1968
Film
Where Does It Hurt?
Nurse Throttle
1972
Film
Get to Know Your Rabbit
Mrs. Beeman
1972
Film
Homicidal
Martha Adrims (Uncredited)
1961
Film
Spencer's Mountain
Mother Ida
1963
Film
Penelope
Shop Lady (uncredited)
1966
Film
Edge of Eternity
Motel Attendant
1959
Film
Ace Eli and Rodger of the Skies
Laura
1973
Film
The Couch
Mrs. Quimby
1962
Film
Smokey and the Good Time Outlaws
Marcie
1978
Film
Zero Hour!
Older Woman
1957
Series
Snip
Aunt Polly
1976
Film
Death Sentence
Emily Boylan
1974
Film
One Man's Way
Mrs. Elwood Thompson
1964
Film
Parrish
Mary (uncredited)
1961
Another Day
1978
Film
Hound-Dog Man
Jewell Crouch
1959
Film
Evil Town
Alice Wylie (as Hope Summer)
1987
Film
Indict and Convict
Mrs. Potter
1974
Film
The Learning Tree
Mrs. Kiner
1969
Film
Angel Baby
Woman at Revival Meeting (uncredited)
1961
Film
Dr. Shagetz
Alice Wylie
1975
Film
Our Time
Biology Teacher
1974
Film
Claudelle Inglish
Ernestine Peasley (uncredited)
1961
Film
Son of Man
Miss Johnson
1954
Film
Better Use of Leisure Time
Mrs. Michaels (uncredited)
1950