Esther Dale
Born
November 10, 1885 (age 75)
Died
July 23, 1961
Birthplace
Beaufort, South Carolina, USA

Esther Dale

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Esther Dale (November 10, 1885 – July 23, 1961) was an American actress, best known perhaps for her role as Aunt Genevieve in the 1935 Shirley Temple vehicle, Curly Top.

On the stage, Dale starred in Carrie Nation on Broadway in 1933. Her other Broadway credits include Harvest of Years (1947), And Be My Love (1944), and Another Language (1932).

Dale's first film was Crime Without Passion (1934) in an uncredited role. She was a familiar face in films of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, frequently playing stern, authoritarian characters such as prison matrons and head nurses, although she was equally adept at playing grande dames and ladies of the aristocracy.

Dale played many roles in television over the years. In the 1958-1959 season of The Donna Reed Show, Dale played a job-seeking housekeeper who is frightened from the Stone home by Jeff Stone's pet mouse, and she appeared in the 1957 Maverick episode "According to Hoyle" opposite James Garner.

Movies

North to Alaska
North to Alaska
1960 ★ 6.5
Woman at Picnic
The Sound and the Fury
The Sound and the Fury
1959 ★ 6.6
Mrs. Maud Mansfield
The Oklahoman
The Oklahoman
1957 ★ 5.6
Mrs. Fitzgerald
Betrayed Women
Betrayed Women
1955 ★ 4.7
Head Matron Ballard
Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki
Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki
1955 ★ 6.8
Birdie Hicks
A Tale of Two Cities
A Tale of Two Cities
1953
Pross
Monkey Business
Monkey Business
1952 ★ 6.7
Mrs. Rhinelander
Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair
Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair
1952 ★ 5.9
Birdie Hicks
Too Young to Kiss
Too Young to Kiss
1951 ★ 4.8
Mrs. Boykin
On Moonlight Bay
On Moonlight Bay
1951 ★ 6.3
Walk Softly, Stranger
Walk Softly, Stranger
1950 ★ 5.0
Miss Thompson
Surrender
Surrender
1950 ★ 4.4
Aunt May
No Man of Her Own
No Man of Her Own
1950 ★ 6.8
Josie
Holiday Affair
Holiday Affair
1949 ★ 6.8
Mrs. Ennis
Ma and Pa Kettle
Ma and Pa Kettle
1949 ★ 6.9
Mrs. Birdie Hicks
A Song Is Born
A Song Is Born
1948 ★ 6.3
Miss Bragg
The Unfinished Dance
The Unfinished Dance
1947 ★ 6.0
Olga
The Egg and I
The Egg and I
1947 ★ 7.0
Birdie Hicks
Margie
Margie
1946 ★ 6.9
Grandma McSweeney
Smoky
Smoky
1946 ★ 5.2
Mrs. 'Gram' Richards
A Stolen Life
A Stolen Life
1946 ★ 6.3
Mrs. Johnson
My Reputation
My Reputation
1946 ★ 7.1
Anna
Behind City Lights
Behind City Lights
1945
Sarah Lowell
On Stage Everybody
On Stage Everybody
1945
Ma Cassidy
Bedside Manner
Bedside Manner
1945 ★ 5.7
Martha Gravitt
Old Acquaintance
Old Acquaintance
1943 ★ 7.0
Harriet
The North Star
The North Star
1943 ★ 6.1
Anna Kurin
Swing Your Partner
Swing Your Partner
1943
Caroline Bird, aka Anna Robbins
Murder in Times Square
Murder in Times Square
1943 ★ 4.3
Longacre Lil
The Amazing Mrs. Holliday
The Amazing Mrs. Holliday
1943 ★ 6.7
Wrecking Crew
Wrecking Crew
1942 ★ 5.5
Mike O'Glendy
A Letter From Bataan
A Letter From Bataan
1942 ★ 4.5
Mrs. Jackson
Ten Gentlemen from West Point
Ten Gentlemen from West Point
1942 ★ 5.8
Mrs. Thompson
Maisie Gets Her Man
Maisie Gets Her Man
1942 ★ 6.5
Mrs. McIntyre (Uncredited)
You're Telling Me
You're Telling Me
1942
Aunt Fannie Handley
What's Cookin'?
What's Cookin'?
1942 ★ 5.5
Mrs. Murphy (uncredited)
Blondie Goes to College
Blondie Goes to College
1942 ★ 6.4
Mrs. Carrie Dill, the Landlady
Dangerously They Live
Dangerously They Live
1941 ★ 5.9
Dawson, Goodwin's Housekeeper
All-American Co-Ed
All-American Co-Ed
1941 ★ 4.2
Aunt Matilda Collinge
Aloma of the South Seas
Aloma of the South Seas
1941 ★ 6.2
Tarusa
Unfinished Business
Unfinished Business
1941 ★ 5.3
Aunt Mathilda
Back Street
Back Street
1941 ★ 7.2
Mrs. Smith
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
1941 ★ 6.0
Mrs. Krausheimer
Arise, My Love
Arise, My Love
1940 ★ 6.3
Susie
Blondie Has Servant Trouble
Blondie Has Servant Trouble
1940 ★ 7.2
Anna Vaughn
Untamed
Untamed
1940 ★ 4.2
Mrs. Smith
Cross-Country Romance
Cross-Country Romance
1940 ★ 6.4
Mrs. McGillicuddy
The Mortal Storm
The Mortal Storm
1940 ★ 7.3
Marta
Opened by Mistake
Opened by Mistake
1940
Mrs. Anthony DeBorest
Forty Little Mothers
Forty Little Mothers
1940 ★ 6.2
Mrs. Mason the Landlady
And One Was Beautiful
And One Was Beautiful
1940 ★ 6.2
Margaret
Women Without Names
Women Without Names
1940 ★ 4.1
Head Matron Ingles
Abe Lincoln in Illinois
Abe Lincoln in Illinois
1940 ★ 6.8
Lincoln's Cook (uncredited)
Convicted Woman
Convicted Woman
1940 ★ 3.0
Chief Matron Brackett
Village Barn Dance
Village Barn Dance
1940
Minerva Withers
Laddie
Laddie
1940 ★ 6.0
Sarah, the Housekeeper
Swanee River
Swanee River
1939 ★ 6.7
Temperance Woman
A Child Is Born
A Child Is Born
1939 ★ 6.5
Prison Matron (uncredited)
Bad Little Angel
Bad Little Angel
1939 ★ 4.9
Miss Brown, Orphanage Secretary (uncredited)
Blackmail
Blackmail
1939 ★ 6.4
Sarah
The Women
The Women
1939 ★ 7.1
Ingrid (uncredited)
Tell No Tales
Tell No Tales
1939 ★ 4.6
Mrs. Haskins
6,000 Enemies
6,000 Enemies
1939 ★ 6.0
Prison Matron
Big Town Czar
Big Town Czar
1939
Ma Daley
Broadway Serenade
Broadway Serenade
1939 ★ 6.2
Mrs. Olsen, the Landlady
Sergeant Madden
Sergeant Madden
1939 ★ 6.0
Mrs. McGillivray
Made for Each Other
Made for Each Other
1939 ★ 6.1
Annie (uncredited)
How to Sub-Let
How to Sub-Let
1939 ★ 3.5
Mrs. Mustavas
The Great Man Votes
The Great Man Votes
1939 ★ 6.1
Mrs. Markham
Girls on Probation
Girls on Probation
1938 ★ 5.9
Mrs. Engstrom
Prison Farm
Prison Farm
1938 ★ 5.7
Cora Waxley
Stolen Heaven
Stolen Heaven
1938
Lieschen
Condemned Women
Condemned Women
1938 ★ 6.3
Mrs. Clara Glover, Head Matron
The Awful Truth
The Awful Truth
1937 ★ 7.2
Mrs. Leeson
Dead End
Dead End
1937 ★ 7.0
Mrs. Fenner
On Such a Night
On Such a Night
1937
Miss Belinda Fentridge
Easy Living
Easy Living
1937 ★ 7.1
Lillian
Wild Money
Wild Money
1937
Jenny Hawkins
Damaged Goods
Damaged Goods
1937 ★ 3.0
Mrs. Dupont
Outcast
Outcast
1937
Hattie Simmerson
Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard
1936 ★ 2.7
Martha
Fury
Fury
1936 ★ 7.4
Mrs. Whipple
The Case Against Mrs. Ames
The Case Against Mrs. Ames
1936 ★ 3.0
Matilda
The Farmer in the Dell
The Farmer in the Dell
1936
Ma Boyer
Lady of Secrets
Lady of Secrets
1936 ★ 6.0
Miss Eccles
Timothy's Quest
Timothy's Quest
1936 ★ 3.0
Hitty Tarbox
The Great Impersonation
The Great Impersonation
1935 ★ 8.0
Mrs. Unthank
I Dream Too Much
I Dream Too Much
1935 ★ 5.1
Mrs. Dilley (uncredited)
In Old Kentucky
In Old Kentucky
1935
Dolly Breckenridge
Mary Burns, Fugitive
Mary Burns, Fugitive
1935
Kate
I Live My Life
I Live My Life
1935 ★ 6.4
Brumbaugh, Mrs. Gage's Housekeeper
Curly Top
Curly Top
1935 ★ 6.4
Genevieve Graham
Private Worlds
Private Worlds
1935 ★ 6.0
Matron
The Wedding Night
The Wedding Night
1935 ★ 5.8
Mrs. Kaise Novak
Crime Without Passion
Crime Without Passion
1934 ★ 5.8
Miss Keeley (uncredited)

TV Series