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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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.
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
Napoleon and Samanthaas Gertrude
A Tattered Webas Mrs. Simmons
Support Your Local Gunfighteras Abigail
The Homecoming: A Christmas Storyas Esther Walton
The Legend of Lylah Clareas Script Girl
The Gnome-Mobileas Etta Pettibone
The Ghost and Mr. Chickenas Neva Tremaine
The Glass Bottom Boatas Anna Miller
The Night of the Grizzlyas Hazel Squires
The Family Jewelsas Airline Passenger
The Strangleras Mrs. Kroll
4 for Texasas Widow
Pocketful of Miraclesas Soho Sal
Visit to a Small Planetas Mrs. Mabel Mayberry
Macabreas Miss Kushins
Vertigoas Manager of McKittrick Hotel
All Mine to Giveas Mrs. Raiden
Night Passageas Mrs. Feeney
Slightly Scarletas Martha - June Lyons' Maid
Illegalas Miss Hinkel
Sabrinaas Miss McCardie
Susan Slept Hereas Coffee Shop Waitress
A Lion Is in the Streetsas Singing Woman
Shaneas Mrs. Liz Torrey
Woman They Almost Lynchedas First Townswoman
The Big Treesas Sister Blackburn
Angels in the Outfieldas Sister Veronica
On Moonlight Bayas Miss Mary Stevens
The Mating Seasonas Annie
Cagedas Emma Barber
Edge of Doomas Jeanette Moore
Harriet Craigas Lottie
The Gunfighteras Mrs. Devlin
A Woman's Secretas Nurse who reads paper to Susan
Little Womenas Sophie
Madame Bovaryas Félicité
Mighty Joe Youngas Orphanage matron
I Remember Mamaas Aunt Trina
The Dark Pastas Agnes
The Noose Hangs Highas Hilda - the Maid
Born to Killas Maid
Railroaded!as Mrs. Wills
The Long Nightas Observer in Crowd
The Unfaithfulas Courtroom Spectator
Bedlamas Betty, Queen of the Artichokes
Crack-Upas Reynold's Maid
The Dark Corneras Maid
The Spiral Staircaseas Neighbour
Corneredas Swiss Maid
Babes in Toylandas Townswoman at Tom-Tom's Trial
Sons of the Desertas Partygoer at Table Next to Charley's
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
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.








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 Support Your Local Gunfighter1971IMDb rating 6.8Corby as AbigailElam as Jug May
The Night of the Grizzly1966IMDb rating 6.5Corby as Hazel SquiresElam as Hank
4 for Texas1963IMDb rating 5.5Corby as WidowElam as Dobie
Night Passage1957IMDb rating 6.6Corby as Mrs. FeeneyElam as Shotgun
Jerome Cowan4 films together, 1947 to 1967
Jerome Cowan's page The Gnome-Mobile1967IMDb rating 6.5Corby as Etta PettiboneCowan as Dr. Ramsey
Pocketful of Miracles1961IMDb rating 7.1Corby as Soho SalCowan as Mayor
Visit to a Small Planet1960IMDb rating 5.9Corby as Mrs. Mabel MayberryCowan as George Abercrombie
The Unfaithful1947IMDb rating 6.8Corby as Courtroom SpectatorCowan as Prosecuting Attorney
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 The Glass Bottom Boat1966IMDb rating 6.5Corby as Anna Miller
Susan Slept Here1954IMDb rating 6.4Corby as Coffee Shop Waitress
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.
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
Top grosser

Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 97% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$20M33.1% of the total
- 2$10M16.5% of the total
- 3$7.8M12.9% of the total
- 4$5.9M9.8% of the total
- 5$5.0M8.3% of the total
- 6$5.0M8.3% of the total
- 7$2.8M4.6% of the total
- 8$2.0M3.3% of the total
Awards
Three awards and honors from 1973 to 1976, three of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emmy Awards | |||
| 1976 | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | The Waltons | Won |
| 1975 | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | The Waltons | Won |
| 1973 | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | The Waltons | Won |
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.










