Cast & creator
Hope Summers
Best known for Hawaii Five-O, M*A*S*H, The Andy Griffith Show
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.
33
film credits
49
television credits
82
1950–1987 · acting roles
6.8
average across scored titles
Signature credits
Known for
Across film & television
Filmography (82)
Showing 82 of 82 credits
Hawaii Five-O
Minnie Leona Moroney
1969
M*A*S*H
Nurse Meg Cratty
1972
The Andy Griffith Show
Clara Edwards
1960
Adam-12
Clara Fisher
1968
Maverick
1957
Little House on the Prairie
Addie Bjornesen
1974
Bewitched
1964
The Rifleman
1958The Rifleman
Hattie Denton
1958
Dr. Kildare
Madge
1961
My Three Sons
1960
The Dick Van Dyke Show
1961
Petticoat Junction
Mabel Denton
1963
The Beverly Hillbillies
1962
Starsky & Hutch
1975
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
1964
Gunsmoke
Ellen Cade
1955Gunsmoke
Della
1955Gunsmoke
Jen
1955
Night Gallery
1970
Peter Gunn
1958
That Girl
1966
Dennis the Menace
Mrs. Burns
1959
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Marie Tallendier
1955Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Maid
1955
Mayberry R.F.D.
Clara Edwards
1968Mayberry R.F.D.
Clara
1968
The Third Man
Irate woman
1959
The Gale Storm Show
Angie Kirkham
1956
The New Breed
Mrs. McCurtin
1961
Rosemary's Baby
Mrs. Gilmore
1968
The Thin Man
1957
Law of the Plainsman
Mrs. Dodge
1959
Chico and the Man
1974
The Second Hundred Years
Mrs. Hansen
1967
Letter to Loretta
Nurse O'Brien
1953
Private Secretary
1953
The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters
Mrs. Rutledge
1963
U.S. Marshall
Mrs. Martin (uncredited)
1958
Welcome Back, Kotter
1975
The Pruitts of Southampton
1966
Love on a Rooftop
1966
General Electric Theater
Elizabeth
1953General Electric Theater
Aunt
1953General Electric Theater
Mrs. Wagner
1953
Foul Play
Ethel
1978
The Children's Hour
Agatha
1961
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Old Lady
1951
Inherit the Wind
Mrs. Krebs - Righteous Townswoman
1960
I Want to Live!
Ethel - Policewoman on Bus (uncredited)
1958
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken
Susanna Blush
1966
Charley Varrick
Mess Vesta
1973
5 Card Stud
Customer in General Store (uncredited)
1968
Ace Eli and Rodger of the Skies
Laura
1973
The Hallelujah Trail
Mrs. Hasselrad
1965
Glynis
1963
Homicidal
Martha Adrims (Uncredited)
1961
Spencer's Mountain
Mother Ida
1963
Penelope
Shop Lady (uncredited)
1966
The Shakiest Gun in the West
Celia
1968
Get to Know Your Rabbit
Mrs. Beeman
1972
Edge of Eternity
Motel Attendant
1959Another Day
1978
Smokey and the Good Time Outlaws
Marcie
1978
Where Does It Hurt?
Nurse Throttle
1972
Indict and Convict
Mrs. Potter
1974
Snip
Aunt Polly
1976
Death Sentence
Emily Boylan
1974
One Man's Way
Mrs. Elwood Thompson
1964
The Learning Tree
Mrs. Kiner
1969
The Couch
Mrs. Quimby
1962
Zero Hour!
Older Woman
1957
Parrish
Mary (uncredited)
1961
Hound-Dog Man
Jewell Crouch
1959
Evil Town
Alice Wylie (as Hope Summer)
1987
Claudelle Inglish
Ernestine Peasley (uncredited)
1961
Dr. Shagetz
Alice Wylie
1975
Angel Baby
Woman at Revival Meeting (uncredited)
1961
Our Time
Biology Teacher
1974
Son of Man
Miss Johnson
1954
Better Use of Leisure Time
Mrs. Michaels (uncredited)
1950