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Bonita Granville

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).

Known For: Acting
Born: New York City, New York, USA, 1923-02-02
Died: 1988-10-11

Film

No.YearTitleRoleVote Average
11932Little Olivia Allen (age 9)58
21932Liddy (uncredited)57
31933Young Fanny55
41933Carmen (uncredited)0
51933Amy's Classmate (uncredited)68
61934Joan Shadwell as a Child (uncredited)59
71935Mildred Miller63
81936Jen as a Child70
91936Mary Tilford72
101936Convent Girl (uncredited)57
111936Mollser Gogan56
121937Ann59
131937Isabella59
141937Ann Hilton50
151937Gracie Kane70
161938Marian Kilbourne71
171938Roberta Morgan64
181938Sally Ward58
191938Gwen Colbrook62
201938Connie Richards60
211938Nancy Drew63
221938Nancy Drew (archive footage) (uncredited)50
231939Nancy Drew62
241939Nancy Drew60
251939Peggy Finnegan64
261939Nancy Drew68
271940Doris62
281940Elsa72
291940Martha Scroggs0
301940Vicky Sherwood68
311940Ursula74
321940Kate Pendleton72
331941Francine 'Frankie' Diamond65
341941Frances Marlowe70
351941Betty Haines55
361941Self0
371941Mary Pulham69
381942Passenger0
391942Kit Latimer68
401942Opal 'Snip' Madvig66
411942June Vale73
421942Anne Porter45
431943Anna Miller59
441944Kay Wilson57
451944Bonnie0
461944Toddy Jones42
471945Alice0
481945Jeannie Blake50
491946Dorothy Larson50
501946Christine Allen50
511946Ronnie63
521946Kay Wilson53
531947Estelle Mitchell / Linda Mitchell53
541948Julie Ann Brady0
551950Stephanie Varna60
561956Welcome Kilgore61
571959Mrs. Kirkley0
581981Woman (uncredited)50
591982Self0

Television

No.YearTitleRoleVote Average
11948Ann47
21950Kitty60
31950Joan60
41951Ellen Morison70
5195461
61954Laura Jordan30
71954Molly30
81961Self51
91971Self60
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