Ann Doran

Biography

Ann Doran was an American actress whose long screen career centered on supporting and character roles. Born in Amarillo, Texas, she began in movies as a stand-in and bit player before moving into featured parts at Chesterfield Pictures in 1936. A contract at Columbia Pictures followed, and she appeared throughout the studio's serials, B pictures, and short comedies. Frank Capra cast her in You Can't Take It with You (1938), and she worked often with The Three Stooges and Charley Chase in Columbia's two-reel comedies. Also among her notable films was The Man They Could Not Hang (1939), a Boris Karloff thriller. After Columbia she freelanced, playing sensible, down-to-earth supporting characters. Her maternal roles in the Rusty boy-and-dog series led to her casting as James Dean's mother in Rebel Without a Cause (1955). On television she appeared in Perry Mason, The Lone Ranger, Leave It to Beaver, and National Velvet, among many series.

89years old at death

Born July 28, 1911Amarillo
Died September 19, 2000Carmichael
Star sign: LeoThe sign runs July 23 to August 22
Also credited as Ann Lee Doran

Movie Career

Films: 41
Career span: 49 years1937 to 1986

Genres

Drama56%, 23 films
Comedy29%, 12 films
Romance29%, 12 films
Crime20%, 8 films
Thriller20%, 8 films

First and latest

Did you know?!

First role
Doran started in motion pictures as a stand-in, moved on to bit player, and then became an incidental supporting player.
Big break
Doran first worked with Charley Chase playing a gangster's moll in Time Out for Trouble (1938). Chase liked her comic timing and cast her as an ingenue lead in his later shorts.

Ann Doran movies on Netflix

Wildcats1986IMDb rating 6.1as Mrs. Chatham
All Night Long1981IMDb rating 5.5as Grandmother Gibbons
First Monday in October1981IMDb rating 6.4as Storekeeper
The Hired Hand1971IMDb rating 6.9as Mrs. Sorenson
Kitten with a Whip1964IMDb rating 5.3as Mavis Varden
The Brass Bottle1964IMDb rating 6.3as Martha Kenton
Where Love Has Gone1964IMDb rating 6.1as Mrs. Geraghty
A Summer Place1959IMDb rating 6.9as Mrs. Talbert
It! The Terror from Beyond Space1958IMDb rating 6.0as Mary Royce
Bombers B-521957IMDb rating 5.9as Sylvia Slater
The Man Who Turned to Stone1957IMDb rating 5.3as Mrs. Ford
Rebel Without a Cause1955IMDb rating 7.6as Mrs. Carol Stark
The Desperate Hours1955IMDb rating 7.5as Mrs. Walling
The High and the Mighty1954IMDb rating 6.6as Clara Joseph
Love Is Better Than Ever1952IMDb rating 5.6as Mrs. Levoy
The Painted Hills1951IMDb rating 4.3as Martha Blake
The People Against O'Hara1951IMDb rating 6.8as Betty Clark, Policewoman
Tomahawk1951IMDb rating 6.4as Mrs. Carrington
Beyond the Forest1949IMDb rating 6.8as Edith Williams
He Walked by Night1949IMDb rating 7.0as Dispatcher
One Last Fling1949IMDb rating 5.2as Vera Thompson
The Accused1949IMDb rating 6.8as Miss Rice
The Clay Pigeon1949IMDb rating 6.5as Nurse
Pitfall1948IMDb rating 7.1as Maggie
The Snake Pit1948IMDb rating 7.5as Valerie
Magic Town1947IMDb rating 6.4as Mrs. Weaver
My Favorite Brunette1947IMDb rating 6.7as Miss Rogers
Seven Were Saved1947IMDb rating 5.8as Mrs. Rollin Hartley
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers1946IMDb rating 7.4as Bobbi St. John
The Story of Dr. Wassell1944IMDb rating 6.6as Praying Woman
Old Acquaintance1943IMDb rating 7.4as Music Store Saleslady
The Hard Way1943IMDb rating 7.1as Dorshka
Blue, White, and Perfect1942IMDb rating 6.6as Miss Hoffman
Street of Chance1942IMDb rating 6.3as Miss Peabody
Penny Serenade1941IMDb rating 7.1as Dotty
Sun Valley Serenade1941IMDb rating 7.1as Waitress
The Man They Could Not Hang1939IMDb rating 6.8as Betty Crawford
Holiday1938IMDb rating 7.7as Kitchen Maid
You Can't Take It with You1938IMDb rating 7.8as Maggie O'Neill
Nothing Sacred1937IMDb rating 6.8as Telephone Girl
Stella Dallas1937IMDb rating 7.4as Undetermined Secondary Role

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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Rebel Without a Cause1955 Dramaas Mrs. Carol Stark
IMDb rating 7.6104K votes
Penny Serenade1941 Drama, Romanceas Dotty
IMDb rating 7.19.0K votes
It! The Terror from Beyond Space1958as Mary Royce
IMDb rating 6.06.7K votes
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers1946as Bobbi St. John
IMDb rating 7.413K votes
The Hired Hand1971as Mrs. Sorenson
IMDb rating 6.94.2K votes
Pitfall1948as Maggie
IMDb rating 7.15.3K votes
The Man They Could Not Hang1939as Betty Crawford
IMDb rating 6.82.3K votes
The Painted Hills1951as Martha Blake
IMDb rating 4.31.4K votes

Most often with

William A. Wellman directed three of these films, King Vidor two and Vincent Sherman two. Bess Flowers appears in five of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Bess Flowers

Bette Davis

Whit Bissell

Beulah Bondi

Richard Loo

Paul Kelly

William A. WellmanDirector, 3 films King VidorDirector, 2 films

Vincent ShermanDirector, 2 films

Films together

Bess Flowers5 films together, 1937 to 1949
Bess Flowers's page
- Beyond the Forest1949IMDb rating 6.8Doran as Edith WilliamsFlowers as Secretary
- Old Acquaintance1943IMDb rating 7.4Doran as Music Store SalesladyFlowers as Club Patron
- Penny Serenade1941IMDb rating 7.1Doran as DottyFlowers as Mother
- Holiday1938IMDb rating 7.7Doran as Kitchen MaidFlowers as Party Guest
- Nothing Sacred1937IMDb rating 6.8Doran as Telephone GirlFlowers as Nightclub Extra
Bette Davis3 films together, 1943 to 1964
Bette Davis's page
- Where Love Has Gone1964IMDb rating 6.1Doran as Mrs. GeraghtyDavis as Mrs. Gerald Hayden
- Beyond the Forest1949IMDb rating 6.8Doran as Edith WilliamsDavis as Rosa Moline
- Old Acquaintance1943IMDb rating 7.4Doran as Music Store SalesladyDavis as Kit Marlowe
Whit Bissell3 films together, 1949 to 1964
Whit Bissell's page
- Where Love Has Gone1964IMDb rating 6.1Doran as Mrs. GeraghtyBissell as Professor Bell
- The Desperate Hours1955IMDb rating 7.5Doran as Mrs. WallingBissell as FBI Agent Carson
- He Walked by Night1949IMDb rating 7.0Doran as DispatcherBissell as Paul Reeves
Beulah Bondi3 films together, 1941 to 1959
Beulah Bondi's page
- A Summer Place1959IMDb rating 6.9Doran as Mrs. TalbertBondi as Mrs. Emily Hamilton Hamble
- The Snake Pit1948IMDb rating 7.5Doran as ValerieBondi as Mrs. Greer
- Penny Serenade1941IMDb rating 7.1Doran as DottyBondi as Miss Oliver
Richard Loo3 films together, 1944 to 1949
Richard Loo's page
- The Clay Pigeon1949IMDb rating 6.5Doran as NurseLoo as Ken Tokoyama
- Seven Were Saved1947IMDb rating 5.8Doran as Mrs. Rollin HartleyLoo as Col. Yamura
- The Story of Dr. Wassell1944IMDb rating 6.6Doran as Praying WomanLoo as Chinese Doctor on Train
Paul Kelly3 films together, 1944 to 1954
Paul Kelly's page
- The High and the Mighty1954IMDb rating 6.6Doran as Clara JosephKelly as Donald Flaherty
- The Painted Hills1951IMDb rating 4.3Doran as Martha BlakeKelly as Jonathan Harvey
- The Story of Dr. Wassell1944IMDb rating 6.6Doran as Praying WomanKelly as Murdock
William A. WellmanDirector, 3 films, 1937 to 1954
All films by William A. Wellman
- The High and the Mighty1954IMDb rating 6.6Doran as Clara Joseph
- Magic Town1947IMDb rating 6.4Doran as Mrs. Weaver
- Nothing Sacred1937IMDb rating 6.8Doran as Telephone Girl
King VidorDirector, 2 films, 1937 to 1949
All films by King Vidor
- Beyond the Forest1949IMDb rating 6.8Doran as Edith Williams
- Stella Dallas1937IMDb rating 7.4Doran as Undetermined Secondary Role
Vincent ShermanDirector, 2 films, 1943
All films by Vincent Sherman
- Old Acquaintance1943IMDb rating 7.4Doran as Music Store Saleslady
- The Hard Way1943IMDb rating 7.1Doran as Dorshka
Also three films together2 more actors
- Laraine DayThe High and the Mighty (1954), The Story of Dr. Wassell (1944) and Stella Dallas (1937)
- Ray MontgomeryBombers B-52 (1957), Tomahawk (1951) and The Hard Way (1943)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Box office

What Ann Doran's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$70.2 million

10 of the 41 films have a worldwide figure.

10Worldwide figure
2US gross only
29Figure not found

Top grosser

Wildcats1986Mrs. Chatham$26.3 million

Highest grossing

The eight biggest films earned 97% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

1
Wildcats1986as Mrs. Chatham
$26M37.4% of the total
2
First Monday in October1981as Storekeeper
$12M17.8% of the total
3
All Night Long1981as Grandmother Gibbons
$10M14.2% of the total
4
You Can't Take It with You1938as Maggie O'Neill
$7.4M10.6% of the total
5
Rebel Without a Cause1955as Mrs. Carol Stark
$4.5M6.4% of the total
6
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers1946as Bobbi St. John
$3.2M4.6% of the total
7
The Desperate Hours1955as Mrs. Walling
$2.5M3.6% of the total
8
Beyond the Forest1949as Edith Williams
$1.7M2.5% of the total