Actress. Born Patti Woodard in Palmyra, Missouri, her father was a railroad executive who disapproved of her interest in theatre. Despite the disapproval, she continued working in theatre and made her film debut in 1912. It would be the first of over 200 film performances. Her first notable performances in talking pictures came in 1930 and 1931, when she played the part of the Widow Douglas in the films "Tom Sawyer" and "Huckleberry Finn." Throughout the 1930s she continued to play roles mostly as a governess or housekeeper. Among her credits were the Shirley Temple films "Bright Eyes," "Curly Top," and "Poor Little Rich Girl." Her career took a new path when she landed the role as the James Brothers' mother in the 1939 Tyrone Power/Henry Fonda film "Jesse James." It would be the first of several times she would play the mother of Henry Fonda on film. One of those times came in 1940 when she won an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her portrayal of Ma Joad in the classic film "The Grapes Of Wrath." She continued playing character parts into the late 1950s including television guest appearances on shows such as "The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin," "My Friend Flicka," "Maverick," "Wagon Train," and "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour." By the late 1950s, illness had forced her into retirement. Then in 1963, while living at the Motion Picture Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, she was personally sought out by Walt Disney who wanted her for a part in his new film. She tearfully accepted his offer. The small, but important role of the Bird Woman in the "Feed The Birds" sequence of "Mary Poppins" would be the final performance in her career.
Actress. Born Patti Woodard in Palmyra, Missouri, her father was a railroad executive who disapproved of her interest in theatre. Despite the disapproval, she continued working in theatre and made her film debut in 1912. It would be the first of over 200 film performances. Her first notable performances in talking pictures came in 1930 and 1931, when she played the part of the Widow Douglas in the films "Tom Sawyer" and "Huckleberry Finn." Throughout the 1930s she continued to play roles mostly as a governess or housekeeper. Among her credits were the Shirley Temple films "Bright Eyes," "Curly Top," and "Poor Little Rich Girl." Her career took a new path when she landed the role as the James Brothers' mother in the 1939 Tyrone Power/Henry Fonda film "Jesse James." It would be the first of several times she would play the mother of Henry Fonda on film. One of those times came in 1940 when she won an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her portrayal of Ma Joad in the classic film "The Grapes Of Wrath." She continued playing character parts into the late 1950s including television guest appearances on shows such as "The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin," "My Friend Flicka," "Maverick," "Wagon Train," and "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour." By the late 1950s, illness had forced her into retirement. Then in 1963, while living at the Motion Picture Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, she was personally sought out by Walt Disney who wanted her for a part in his new film. She tearfully accepted his offer. The small, but important role of the Bird Woman in the "Feed The Birds" sequence of "Mary Poppins" would be the final performance in her career.
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PATTI WOODARD
(JANE DARWELL)
1879 — 1967
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