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Ellen Corby

Biography

Ellen Corby was an American actress and screenwriter whose career in film and television spanned the 1930s to the 1990s. Born in Racine, Wisconsin, and raised in Philadelphia, she got into amateur theater in high school, spent time in Atlantic City in 1932, and then moved to Hollywood, where she worked as a script girl at RKO and Hal Roach while taking acting lessons. She had bit parts in many films before her first credited role in Cornered (1945). For I Remember Mama (1948) she earned an Academy Award nomination and won a Golden Globe. Corby often played maids, secretaries, waitresses, gossips, spinsters, and prim neighbors, and she had a recurring part on Trackdown. Her best-known role was Grandma Esther Walton, first in The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (1971) and then on The Waltons, which brought her three Emmys and a Golden Globe. She also appeared in five Waltons reunion movies.

87years old at death

  • Born Racine
  • Died Woodland Hills
  • Star sign: GeminiThe sign runs May 21 to June 20
  • Also credited as Ellen Hansen Corby and Ellen Hansen

Movie Career

Films
51
Career span
39 years1933 to 1972

Genres

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  1. A change of course

    Corby started out as a writer at Paramount studios, where she worked on the Western Twilight on the Trail in 1941.

  2. First role

    Ellen Corby played a maid in RKO's Cornered, which came out in 1945. That part was the first acting role for which she received credit.

Ellen Corby movies on Netflix

Best known for

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

Top of the page, the section list
  1. Vertigo1958 Mystery, Romance, Thrilleras Manager of McKittrick Hotel

    IMDb rating 8.2463K votes

  2. Sabrina1954 Comedy, Drama, Romanceas Miss McCardie

    IMDb rating 7.677K votes

  3. Caged1950as Emma Barber

    IMDb rating 7.65.7K votes

  4. Shane1953as Mrs. Liz Torrey

    IMDb rating 7.648K votes

  5. The Gunfighter1950as Mrs. Devlin

    IMDb rating 7.715K votes

  6. The Homecoming: A Christmas Story1971as Esther Walton

    IMDb rating 8.22.4K votes

  7. Macabre1958as Miss Kushins

    IMDb rating 5.61.7K votes

  8. I Remember Mama1948as Aunt Trina

    IMDb rating 7.86.7K votes

Most often with

George Stevens directed two of these films, Frank Tashlin two and Mark Robson two. Three actors appear in four of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Films together

  • Bess Flowers4 films together, 1948 to 1958
    Bess Flowers's page
    • Vertigo1958IMDb rating 8.2Corby as Manager of McKittrick HotelFlowers as Diner at Ernie's
    • Illegal1955IMDb rating 7.0Corby as Miss HinkelFlowers as Diner at Bar of Justice Restaurant
    • Mighty Joe Young1949IMDb rating 7.0Corby as Orphanage matronFlowers as Nightclub patron
    • The Noose Hangs High1948IMDb rating 6.6Corby as Hilda - the MaidFlowers as Fainting Psychiatrist's Patient
  • Jack Elam4 films together, 1957 to 1971
    Jack Elam's page
  • Jerome Cowan4 films together, 1947 to 1967
    Jerome Cowan's page
  • Chet Brandenburg3 films together, 1933 to 1952
    Chet Brandenburg's page
    • The Big Trees1952IMDb rating 5.7Corby as Sister BlackburnBrandenburg as Lumberman
    • The Gunfighter1950IMDb rating 7.7Corby as Mrs. DevlinBrandenburg as Townsman at Funeral
    • Sons of the Desert1933IMDb rating 7.5Corby as Partygoer at Table Next to Charley'sBrandenburg as Son of the Desert
  • Fred Aldrich3 films together, 1949 to 1964
    Fred Aldrich's page
    • The Strangler1964IMDb rating 6.6Corby as Mrs. KrollAldrich as Apartment House Manager
    • Slightly Scarlet1956IMDb rating 6.5Corby as Martha - June Lyons' Maid
    • A Woman's Secret1949IMDb rating 6.0Corby as Nurse who reads paper to SusanAldrich as Policeman
  • Elisha Cook Jr.3 films together, 1947 to 1953
    Elisha Cook Jr.'s page
    • Shane1953IMDb rating 7.6Corby as Mrs. Liz TorreyCook as Stonewall Torrey
    • Born to Kill1947IMDb rating 7.2Corby as MaidCook as Marty
    • The Long Night1947IMDb rating 6.5Corby as Observer in CrowdCook as Frank Dunlap
  • George StevensDirector, 2 films, 1948 to 1953
    All films by George Stevens
    • Shane1953IMDb rating 7.6Corby as Mrs. Liz Torrey
    • I Remember Mama1948IMDb rating 7.8Corby as Aunt Trina
  • Frank TashlinDirector, 2 films, 1954 to 1966
    All films by Frank Tashlin
  • Mark RobsonDirector, 2 films, 1946 to 1950
    All films by Mark Robson
    • Edge of Doom1950IMDb rating 6.4Corby as Jeanette Moore
    • Bedlam1946IMDb rating 6.8Corby as Betty, Queen of the Artichokes
  • Also three films together10 more actors
    • James FlavinNight Passage (1957), Mighty Joe Young (1949) and The Noose Hangs High (1948)
    • Marjorie BennettThe Family Jewels (1965), 4 for Texas (1963) and Sabrina (1954)
    • Steven GerayThe Dark Past (1948), The Unfaithful (1947) and Cornered (1945)
    • Murray AlperSlightly Scarlet (1956), The Gunfighter (1950) and The Long Night (1947)
    • Fritz Feld4 for Texas (1963), Pocketful of Miracles (1961) and The Noose Hangs High (1948)
    • Henry JonesNapoleon and Samantha (1972), Support Your Local Gunfighter (1971) and Vertigo (1958)
    • Lee PatrickVisit to a Small Planet (1960), Vertigo (1958) and Caged (1950)
    • Kathryn CardHarriet Craig (1950), The Dark Past (1948) and Born to Kill (1947)
    • Jesslyn FaxThe Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966), The Family Jewels (1965) and 4 for Texas (1963)
    • Barbara Bel GeddesVertigo (1958), I Remember Mama (1948) and The Long Night (1947)

    When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Box office

What Ellen Corby's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$60.5 million

9 of the 51 films have a worldwide figure.

Of the 51 films: 9 worldwide figure; 5 us gross only; 2 never in cinemas; 35 figure not found.

  • 9Worldwide figure
  • 5US gross only
  • 2Never in cinemas
  • 35Figure not found

Highest grossing

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

  1. 1
    Shane1953as Mrs. Liz Torrey
    $20M33.1% of the total
  2. 2
    Sabrina1954as Miss McCardie
    $10M16.5% of the total
  3. 3
    Vertigo1958as Manager of McKittrick Hotel
    $7.8M12.9% of the total
  4. 4
    Little Women1949as Sophie
    $5.9M9.8% of the total
  5. 5
    Macabre1958as Miss Kushins
    $5.0M8.3% of the total
  6. 6
    Pocketful of Miracles1961as Soho Sal
    $5.0M8.3% of the total
  7. 7
    The Spiral Staircase1946as Neighbour
    $2.8M4.6% of the total
  8. 8
    Madame Bovary1949as Félicité
    $2.0M3.3% of the total
Mighty Joe Young (1949), $1.9 million

$1.9 millionfrom the other 1 film with a worldwide figure, 3% of the total

Awards

Three awards and honors from 1973 to 1976, three of them major.

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Ellen Corby's awards and nominations, grouped by award
YearAwardFilmResult
Emmy Awards
1976Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama SeriesThe WaltonsWon
1975Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama SeriesThe WaltonsWon
1973Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama SeriesThe WaltonsWon

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

Top of the page, the section list