PBoxOpening PBox

PBoxLoading your next world

Everything you’re watching, reading and playing.

Explore

Home Discover Movies TV Shows Anime Reels Search Library Calendar

Your space

Collections Rankings Episode Ratings Stats Community Messages Notifications

More

Open the Box Games Trailer Feed Comics Books Providers What's New Settings Help

Find something new

Movies Discover Lists Library Help

Track your stories and discover where to watch. Pandora’s Box does not host movies or episodes. Artwork and catalogue data belong to their respective providers.

Privacy Cookies Terms Contact

© 2026 Pandora’s Box · Data by TMDB, AniList & more

Home Discover Search Library

Esther Dale

Cast & creator

Esther Dale

1885-11-10 (died at 75) Beaufort, South Carolina, USAIMDb

Best known for Maverick, Four Star Playhouse, The Donna Reed Show

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.

Also known as: Ester Dale

Movies

95

film credits

Series

10

television credits

Career

105

1934–1960 · acting roles

Credit score

6.5

average across scored titles

Signature credits

Known for

Ordered by popularity

Maverick

Maverick

Ma Braus · 1957

Four Star Playhouse

Four Star Playhouse

Mrs. Weston · 1952

The Donna Reed Show

The Donna Reed Show

Acting · 1958

Thriller

Thriller

Ellen the Maid · 1960

The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis

The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis

Acting · 1959

Across film & television

Filmography (105)

Search filmography

Showing 105 of 105 credits

Maverick

Maverick

Ma Braus

Four Star Playhouse

Four Star Playhouse

Mrs. Weston

The Donna Reed Show

The Donna Reed Show

Thriller

Thriller

Ellen the Maid

The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis

The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis

M Squad

M Squad

Julia Sheldon

December Bride

December Bride

Lock-Up

Lock-Up

Mrs. Raymond

Cavalcade of America

Cavalcade of America

Aunt Tabitha

Mr. & Mrs. North

Mr. & Mrs. North

North to Alaska

North to Alaska

Woman at Picnic

Monkey Business

Monkey Business

Mrs. Rhinelander

The Women

The Women

Ingrid (uncredited)

The Awful Truth

The Awful Truth

Mrs. Leeson

Abe Lincoln in Illinois

Abe Lincoln in Illinois

Lincoln's Cook (uncredited)

The Oklahoman

The Oklahoman

Mrs. Fitzgerald

The Egg and I

The Egg and I

Birdie Hicks

A Song Is Born

A Song Is Born

Miss Bragg

Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Mrs. Krausheimer

No Man of Her Own

No Man of Her Own

Josie

Fury

Fury

Mrs. Whipple

Made for Each Other

Made for Each Other

Annie (uncredited)

Dead End

Dead End

Mrs. Fenner

The Sound and the Fury

The Sound and the Fury

Mrs. Maud Mansfield

The Case Against Mrs. Ames

The Case Against Mrs. Ames

Matilda

A Child is Born

A Child is Born

Prison Matron (uncredited)

Easy Living

Easy Living

Lillian

I Live My Life

I Live My Life

Brumbaugh, Mrs. Gage's Housekeeper

Stolen Heaven

Stolen Heaven

Lieschen

Aloma of the South Seas

Aloma of the South Seas

Tarusa

On Moonlight Bay

On Moonlight Bay

The Mortal Storm

The Mortal Storm

Marta

A Stolen Life

A Stolen Life

Mrs. Johnson

Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki

Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki

Birdie Hicks

Ma and Pa Kettle

Ma and Pa Kettle

Mrs. Birdie Hicks

The Amazing Mrs. Holliday

The Amazing Mrs. Holliday

Holiday Affair

Holiday Affair

Mrs. Ennis

Too Young to Kiss

Too Young to Kiss

Mrs. Boykin

All-American Co-Ed

All-American Co-Ed

Aunt Matilda Collinge

Back Street

Back Street

Mrs. Smith

Arise, My Love

Arise, My Love

Susie

The North Star

Anna Kurin

My Reputation

My Reputation

Anna

Curly Top

Curly Top

Genevieve Graham

And One Was Beautiful

And One Was Beautiful

Margaret

The Wedding Night

The Wedding Night

Mrs. Kaise Novak

Blondie Has Servant Trouble

Blondie Has Servant Trouble

Anna Vaughn

Outcast

Outcast

Hattie Simmerson

Murder in Times Square

Murder in Times Square

Longacre Lil

A Tale of Two Cities

A Tale of Two Cities

Pross

Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair

Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair

Birdie Hicks

Ten Gentlemen from West Point

Ten Gentlemen from West Point

Mrs. Thompson

The Great Man Votes

The Great Man Votes

Mrs. Markham

The Farmer in the Dell

The Farmer in the Dell

Ma Boyer

Blondie Goes to College

Blondie Goes to College

Mrs. Carrie Dill, the Landlady

Forty Little Mothers

Forty Little Mothers

Mrs. Mason the Landlady

On Such a Night

On Such a Night

Miss Belinda Fentridge

Margie

Margie

Grandma McSweeney

Old Acquaintance

Old Acquaintance

Harriet

Walk Softly, Stranger

Walk Softly, Stranger

Miss Thompson

Maisie Gets Her Man

Maisie Gets Her Man

Mrs. McIntyre (Uncredited)

I Dream Too Much

I Dream Too Much

Mrs. Dilley (uncredited)

Swanee River

Swanee River

Temperance Woman

Untamed

Untamed

Mrs. Smith

Broadway Serenade

Broadway Serenade

Mrs. Olsen, the Landlady

You're Telling Me

You're Telling Me

Aunt Fannie Handley

Sergeant Madden

Sergeant Madden

Mrs. McGillivray

Hollywood Boulevard

Hollywood Boulevard

Martha

On Stage Everybody

On Stage Everybody

Ma Cassidy

A Letter From Bataan

A Letter From Bataan

Mrs. Jackson

Mary Burns, Fugitive

Mary Burns, Fugitive

Kate

Tell No Tales

Tell No Tales

Mrs. Haskins

The Unfinished Dance

The Unfinished Dance

Olga

Convicted Woman

Convicted Woman

Chief Matron Brackett

Dangerously They Live

Dangerously They Live

Dawson, Goodwin's Housekeeper

Girls on Probation

Girls on Probation

Mrs. Engstrom

The Great Impersonation

The Great Impersonation

Mrs. Unthank

Blackmail

Blackmail

Sarah

Bad Little Angel

Bad Little Angel

Miss Brown, Orphanage Secretary (uncredited)

Timothy's Quest

Timothy's Quest

Hitty Tarbox

Crime Without Passion

Crime Without Passion

Miss Keeley (uncredited)

Condemned Women

Condemned Women

Mrs. Clara Glover, Head Matron

Opened by Mistake

Opened by Mistake

Mrs. Anthony DeBorest

How to Sub-Let

How to Sub-Let

Mrs. Mustavas

In Old Kentucky

In Old Kentucky

Dolly Breckenridge

Private Worlds

Private Worlds

Matron

Prison Farm

Prison Farm

Cora Waxley

Smoky

Smoky

Mrs. Richards

Women Without Names

Women Without Names

Head Matron Ingles

Surrender

Surrender

Aunt May

Unfinished Business

Unfinished Business

Aunt Mathilda

Village Barn Dance

Village Barn Dance

Minerva Withers

Lady of Secrets

Lady of Secrets

Miss Eccles

Bedside Manner

Bedside Manner

Martha Gravitt

Laddie

Laddie

Sarah, the Housekeeper

Swing Your Partner

Swing Your Partner

Caroline Bird, aka Anna Robbins

6,000 Enemies

6,000 Enemies

Prison Matron

Cross-Country Romance

Cross-Country Romance

Mrs. McGillicuddy

Betrayed Women

Betrayed Women

Head Matron Ballard

Big Town Czar

Big Town Czar

Ma Daley

Wild Money

Wild Money

Jenny Hawkins

What's Cookin'?

What's Cookin'?

Mrs. Murphy (uncredited)

Behind City Lights

Behind City Lights

Sarah Lowell

Damaged Goods

Damaged Goods

Mrs. Dupont

Wrecking Crew

Wrecking Crew

Mike O'Glendy