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Bonita Granville‌

Gender

Female

Birthday

calendar1923-02-02

Popularity

star8.1

Bonita Granville

New York City, New York, USA

Bonita Granville

New York City, New York, USA

Gender

Female

Birthday

calendar1923-02-02

Popularity

star8.1

Biography

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).

Movie Credits

The Mortal Storm

The Mortal Storm‌
star7.2
calendar 1940

Nancy Drew... Reporter

Nancy Drew... Reporter‌
star6.2
calendar 1939

Suspense

Suspense‌
star6.3
calendar 1946

Now, Voyager

Now, Voyager‌
star7.3
calendar 1942

The Guilty

The Guilty‌
star5.3
calendar 1947

Love Laughs at Andy Hardy

Love Laughs at Andy Hardy‌
star5.3
calendar 1946

The Glass Key

The Glass Key‌
star6.6
calendar 1942

Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase

Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase‌
star6.7
calendar 1939

Nancy Drew… Detective

Nancy Drew… Detective‌
star6.3
calendar 1938

Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter

Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter‌
star6.0
calendar 1939

Little Women

Little Women‌
star6.7
calendar 1933

Third Finger, Left Hand

Third Finger, Left Hand‌
star6.8
calendar 1940

These Three

These Three‌
star7.2
calendar 1936

Cavalcade

Cavalcade‌
star5.5
calendar 1933

Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble

Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble‌
star5.7
calendar 1944

Youth Runs Wild

Youth Runs Wild‌
star4.2
calendar 1944

H.M. Pulham, Esq.

H.M. Pulham, Esq.‌
star6.8
calendar 1941

Syncopation

Syncopation‌
star6.8
calendar 1942

Hitler's Children

Hitler's Children‌
star5.8
calendar 1943

It's Love I'm After

It's Love I'm After‌
star7.0
calendar 1937

Forty Little Mothers

Forty Little Mothers‌
star6.2
calendar 1940

The Lone Ranger

The Lone Ranger‌
star6.1
calendar 1956

Angels Wash Their Faces

Angels Wash Their Faces‌
star6.4
calendar 1939

White Banners

White Banners‌
star5.8
calendar 1938

Escape

Escape‌
star7.4
calendar 1940

Seven Miles from Alcatraz

Seven Miles from Alcatraz‌
star4.5
calendar 1942

Merrily We Live

Merrily We Live‌
star7.2
calendar 1938

The People Vs. Dr. Kildare

The People Vs. Dr. Kildare‌
star7.0
calendar 1941

Breakfast in Hollywood

Breakfast in Hollywood‌
star5.0
calendar 1946

Call It a Day

Call It a Day‌
star5.0
calendar 1937

Song of the Saddle

Song of the Saddle‌
star7.0
calendar 1936

The Wild Man of Borneo

The Wild Man of Borneo‌
star6.5
calendar 1941

Screen Snapshots Series 21 No. 1

Screen Snapshots Series 21 No. 1‌
star0.0
calendar 1941

Those Were the Days!

Those Were the Days!‌
star0.0
calendar 1940

The Beloved Brat

The Beloved Brat‌
star6.4
calendar 1938

Gallant Sons

Gallant Sons‌
star7.2
calendar 1940

Song of the Open Road

Song of the Open Road‌
star0.0
calendar 1944

The Truth About Murder

The Truth About Murder‌
star5.0
calendar 1946

Hard to Get

Hard to Get‌
star6.0
calendar 1938

Westward Passage

Westward Passage‌
star5.8
calendar 1932

My Bill

My Bill‌
star6.2
calendar 1938

Guilty of Treason

Guilty of Treason‌
star6.0
calendar 1950

The Life of Vergie Winters

The Life of Vergie Winters‌
star5.9
calendar 1934

Maid of Salem

Maid of Salem‌
star5.9
calendar 1937

The Beautiful Cheat

The Beautiful Cheat‌
star0.0
calendar 1945

Soaring Stars

Soaring Stars‌
star0.0
calendar 1942

The Plough and the Stars

The Plough and the Stars‌
star5.6
calendar 1936

Strike It Rich

Strike It Rich‌
star0.0
calendar 1948

Ah, Wilderness!

Ah, Wilderness!‌
star6.3
calendar 1935

Quality Street

Quality Street‌
star5.9
calendar 1937

Senorita from the West

Senorita from the West‌
star5.0
calendar 1945

Down in San Diego

Down in San Diego‌
star5.5
calendar 1941

The Legend of the Lone Ranger

The Legend of the Lone Ranger‌
star5.1
calendar 1981

Cradle Song

Cradle Song‌
star0.0
calendar 1933

The Garden of Allah

The Garden of Allah‌
star5.7
calendar 1936

Silver Dollar

Silver Dollar‌
star5.7
calendar 1932

The Velvet Alley

The Velvet Alley‌
star0.0
calendar 1959

Breakdowns of 1938

Breakdowns of 1938‌
star5.0
calendar 1938

Hollywood’s Children

Hollywood’s Children‌
star0.0
calendar 1982

Tv Credits

Studio One

Studio One‌
star4.7
calendar 1948

Lassie

Lassie‌
star6.1
calendar 1954

Lux Video Theatre

Lux Video Theatre‌
star6.0
calendar 1950

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars‌
star7.0
calendar 1951

Climax!

Climax!‌
star3.0
calendar 1954

Lux Video Theatre

Lux Video Theatre‌
star6.0
calendar 1950

V.I.P. Schaukel

V.I.P. Schaukel‌
star6.0
calendar 1971

The Mike Douglas Show

The Mike Douglas Show‌
star5.1
calendar 1961

Climax!

Climax!‌
star3.0
calendar 1954