Bonanza Boomers

Posted: **Wed Feb 20, 2013 11:30 am**

Teresa Wright

We all remember her as Katherine Saunders in the episode My Son My Son (1964).

thank you Tracy

But long before Bonanza, Teresa Wright was a well known movie, Broadway and television actress. Let's take a look.

Born in Harlem in 1918, Ms. Wright developed the acting bug after seeing Helen Hayes perform on Broadway in 1936. After earning a scholarship to the Wharf Theater in Massachusetts, she graduated from high school and returned to New York and Broadway theater where she understudied then took over the role of Emily in Thornton Wilder's production of Our Town. After that, she starred as Mary Skinner in the Broadway play, Life with Father.

It was during her two year run in Life with Father, that she was paid a visit backstage by Samuel Goldwyn. Of his first impression of Teresa Wright, Samuel Goldwyn said:

"Miss Wright was seated at her dressing table, and looked for all the world like a little girl experimenting with her mother's cosmetics. I had discovered in her from the first sight, you might say, an unaffected genuineness and appeal."

Goldwyn, is said to have hired her on the spot to play Bette Davis's daughter in the 1941 film, Little Foxes and was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance.

The following year, she was nominated two times: Best Actress for her role as Lou Gehrig's Wife and Best Supporting Actress for her role in Mrs. Miniver.

Pride of the Yankees

Mrs. Miniver

Teresa Wright would take home the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in Mrs. Miniver.

Her career included nearly 100 credits on stage, screen and television. Including The Best Years of Our Lives, The Capture, 20th Century Fox Theater and many others.

From The Capture (1951)

Her final appearance in film came in 1997, when she played Miss Birdie in the film, The Rainmaker (Matt Damon)

Teresa Wright was married twice, first to Nevin Busch from 1942 till they divorced in 1952 and had two children with him. Her second marriage was to playwright Robert Anderson from 1959-1978. She has two granchildren, one of whom is a producer in Hollywood, Jonah Smith and he is known for Producing Requiem for a Dream and Pi.

Teresa Wright passed away in March of 2005 from a heart attack.

Of special note, after her appearance in Pride of the Yankees, Ms. Wright became a huge fan of baseball and the Yankees. In fact, when each Yankee season begins, they read a roll call of former Yankee players that had passed away and that year, Ms. Wright's name was read on the roll call.

Bonanza Boomers

Teresa Wright Bio

Teresa Wright Bio