Frances Bavier was truly one of television’s great women, and her role as “Aunt Bee” on the venerable comedy series “The Andy Griffith Show” cemented her place in history.
In my perspective, Bavier performed a fantastic job in one of the most morally upstanding TV show series ever produced.But the actress, who received classical training in New York, was actually very dissimilar from the rustic role she played. She occasionally disagrees with the “kids” on the set due to her sophistication and age.
Many tales about the endearing “Aunt Bee” began to spread after “The Andy Griffith Show” ended; it was claimed that Frances Bavier was quite unpleasant to her coworkers and that she detested her part. Some claim that the actress disapproved of the swearing and joking that took on behind the scenes.
Her dying days have been characterized as tragic, but was that entirely accurate? It turns out that the perception of Bavier is a lot more nuanced and complex than most people realized.In Manhattan, New York, Frances Bavier was born in the year 1902. Frances’s mother was a stay-at-home mother, while her father worked as a stationary engineer. Bavier first attended Columbia University with the goal of becoming a teacher while still a teen. But for the young woman, her time at university quickly became a nightmare.
“I was bad there,” Bavier told The Charlotte News, continuing:
“Very bad. Actually, I was terrified. That’s probably the reason I enrolled at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.”
Frances, who had a passion for acting and the theater, first tried to make a fortune in vaudeville before taking a chance on the Broadway stage. However, the talented actress wanted to improve her performance, so she enrolled at the American Academy of the Arts and graduated in 1925.
Her big break came when she was cast in “On Borrowed Time” on Broadway. When the US entered World War II, Bavier went to the Pacific with the USO to amuse American troops and provide some entertainment in a difficult situation...CONTINUE READING