Hope Summers
Acting • Born 1896-06-07 – Died 1979-06-22
Biography
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
79 credits
Rosemary's Baby
Movie • 1968
Mrs. Gilmore
The Children's Hour
Movie • 1961
Agatha
The Shakiest Gun in the West
Movie • 1968
Celia
Foul Play
Movie • 1978
Ethel
One Man's Way
Movie • 1964
Mrs. Elwood Thompson
Charley Varrick
Movie • 1973
Mess Vesta
Ace Eli and Rodger of the Skies
Movie • 1973
Laura
Homicidal
Movie • 1961
Martha Adrims (Uncredited)
Spencer's Mountain
Movie • 1963
Mother Ida
Indict and Convict
Movie • 1974
Mrs. Potter
Where Does It Hurt?
Movie • 1972
Nurse Throttle
Get to Know Your Rabbit
Movie • 1972
Mrs. Beeman
Our Time
Movie • 1974
Biology Teacher
Parrish
Movie • 1961
Mary (uncredited)
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken
Movie • 1966
Susanna Blush
Zero Hour!
Movie • 1957
Older Woman
Inherit the Wind
Movie • 1960
Mrs. Krebs - Righteous Townswoman
Claudelle Inglish
Movie • 1961
Ernestine Peasley (uncredited)
Angel Baby
Movie • 1961
Woman at Revival Meeting (uncredited)
Edge of Eternity
Movie • 1959
Motel Attendant
Penelope
Movie • 1966
Shop Lady (uncredited)
Evil Town
Movie • 1987
Alice Wylie (as Hope Summer)
The Hallelujah Trail
Movie • 1965
Mrs. Hasselrad
Dr. Shagetz
Movie • 1975
Alice Wylie
Hound-Dog Man
Movie • 1959
Jewell Crouch
Smokey and the Good Time Outlaws
Movie • 1978
Marcie
The Couch
Movie • 1962
Mrs. Quimby
I Want to Live!
Movie • 1958
Ethel - Policewoman on Bus (uncredited)
Death Sentence
Movie • 1974
Emily Boylan
The Learning Tree
Movie • 1969
Mrs. Kiner
Better Use of Leisure Time
Movie • 1950
Mrs. Michaels (uncredited)
Son of Man
Movie • 1954
Miss Johnson
The Andy Griffith Show
TV • 1960
Clara Edwards
Welcome Back, Kotter
TV • 1975
M*A*S*H
TV • 1972
Nurse Meg Cratty
Love on a Rooftop
TV • 1966
My Three Sons
TV • 1960
Starsky & Hutch
TV • 1975
Little House on the Prairie
TV • 1974
Addie Bjornesen
Hawaii Five-O
TV • 1968
Minnie Leona Moroney
The Dick Van Dyke Show
TV • 1961
That Girl
TV • 1966
The Beverly Hillbillies
TV • 1962
Chico and the Man
TV • 1974
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
TV • 1964
The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters
TV • 1963
Mrs. Rutledge
Petticoat Junction
TV • 1963
Mabel Denton
Gunsmoke
TV • 1955
Ellen Cade
Night Gallery
TV • 1970
Bewitched
TV • 1964
General Electric Theater
TV • 1953
Elizabeth
Glynis
TV • 1963
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
TV • 1955
Marie Tallendier
Peter Gunn
TV • 1958
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
TV • 1951
The Thin Man
TV • 1957
Private Secretary
TV • 1953
The Pruitts of Southampton
TV • 1966
The Rifleman
TV • 1958
Law of the Plainsman
TV • 1959
Mrs. Dodge
The New Breed
TV • 1961
Mrs. McCurtin
Dr. Kildare
TV • 1961
Madge
Letter to Loretta
TV • 1953
Nurse O'Brien
Another Day
TV • 1978
Maverick
TV • 1957
Snip
TV • 1976
Aunt Polly
Gunsmoke
TV • 1955
Della
Gunsmoke
TV • 1955
Jen
Mayberry R.F.D.
TV • 1968
Clara Edwards
General Electric Theater
TV • 1953
Mrs. Wagner
General Electric Theater
TV • 1953
Aunt
Adam-12
TV • 1968
Clara Fisher
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
TV • 1951
Old Lady
Mayberry R.F.D.
TV • 1968
Clara
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
TV • 1955
Maid
The Rifleman
TV • 1958
Hattie Denton
The Second Hundred Years
TV • 1967
Mrs. Hansen
The Third Man
TV • 1959
Irate woman
Dennis the Menace
TV • 1959
Mrs. Burns