# Hope Summers

Sarah Hope Summers (June 7, 1902 – June 22, 1977) was an American actress known for her work on The Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry R.F.D., portraying Clara Edwards.

## Early life

Hope Summers was born in Mattoon, Illinois, the daughter of the town doctor, and future U.S. Representative John W. Summers and Jennie (née Burks). She was raised in Illinois and later in Walla Walla, Washington, where her father was elected to the House. Summers attended Northwestern University, graduating in 1923 from its Northwestern School of Speech. She stayed in Evanston, teaching speech and diction, then moved to Peoria, Illinois in 1926 when she became the head of the Speech Department at Bradley University. While in Peoria, Summers started giving private acting lessons and became involved as a volunteer, and soon a director, in local theatre.

## Acting career

Summers was a regional actress, who often performed in one-woman shows starting in the 1930s. In radio, she had parts in the anthology Destination Freedom, a series written by Richard Durham, dedicated to the retelling the lives of notable Negros in the Americas. Summers did not break into network television until her late 40s when she made her debut in 1951 on the soap opera Hawkins Falls, broadcast from Chicago. While she had a few uncredited background roles in short films, she did not make her first Hollywood feature film until 1957, with a small credited role in Zero Hour!. She continued in films as a character player.
Summers first attracted attention in 1958 in the semi-regular role as Hattie Denton on the western series The Rifleman, starring Chuck Connors. She guest-starred on dozens of series, including Maverick, Wagon Train, State Trooper, Rescue 8, Peter Gunn, Dennis the Menace, It's a Man's World, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Hazel, Gunsmoke, The Danny Thomas Show, M*A*S*H, My Three Sons, Petticoat Junction, Love on a Rooftop, The Pruitts of Southampton, The Second Hundred Years, Adam-12 and The Paul Lynde Show, and was a regular in the cast of the short-lived 1978 Another Day. She made 36 appearances on The Andy Griffith Show, playing Aunt Bee's best friend, during the 1960s, and made five appearances on the post-Griffith spinoff Mayberry R.F.D..
While her film work usually was in small parts, often unbilled, she had a credited part as Mrs. Gilmore, one of the members of the witches' coven at the heart of Roman Polanski's 1968 film Rosemary's Baby.
For nearly 20 years, from 1961 until her death, Summers was the voice of Mrs. Butterworth in commercials for Mrs. Butterworth's.

## Personal life

Summers met local businessman Claude James Witherell in 1926, the year she moved to Peoria to teach; the couple married in 1927 and had two children.

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1951–1952 | Hawkins Falls | Belinda Catherwood | Unknown episodes |
| 1956 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Marie Tallendier | Season 1 Episode 24: "The Perfect Murder" |
| 1957 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Mrs. Gillespie's Housekeeper / Maid | Season 2 Episode 22: "The End of Indian Summer" |
| 1957 | Private Secretary | Della Loganbury | Episode: "Not Quite Paradise" |
| 1957 | Zero Hour! | Mrs. Summers | |
| 1957 | Wagon Train | Unnamed passenger | Episode: "The Ruth Owens Story" |
| 1958 | Gunsmoke | Ellen Cade | Episode: "Gypsum Hills Feud” |
| 1958 | Wagon Train | Mae O'Malley | Episode: "The Luke O'Malley Story" |
| 1958 | I Want to Live! | Ethel, Policewoman on bus | Uncredited |
| 1958–1960 | The Rifleman | Hattie Denton | 16 episodes |
| 1959 | Maverick | Martha Abbott | Episode: "Brasada Spur" |
| 1959 | Rescue 8 | Dora | Episode: "If the Bough Breaks" |
| 1959 | Hound-Dog Man | Jewell Crouch | |
| 1959 | Edge of Eternity | Motel Attendant | Uncredited |
| 1960 | Inherit the Wind | Mrs. Krebs - Righteous Townswoman |
| 1960 | Gunsmoke | Della Bass | Episode: “Old Fool” |
| 1961 | Parrish | Mary | Uncredited |
| 1961 | Angel Baby | Woman at Revival Meeting | Uncredited |
| 1961 | Homicidal | Mrs. Martha Adrims | Uncredited |
| 1961 | Claudelle Inglish | Ernestine Peasley | Uncredited |
| 1961 | The Children's Hour | Agatha (Tilford's maid) | Alternative title: The Loudest Whisper |
| 1961–1968 | The Andy Griffith Show | Clara Edwards/Clara Johnson/Bertha Edwards | 32 episodes |
| 1962 | The Couch | Mrs. Quimby | |
| 1962 | Rome Adventure | Mrs. St. Uwell | Uncredited Alternative title: Lovers Must Learn |
| 1962 | It's a Man's World | The Salvation Army Woman | Episode: "Drive over to Exeter" |
| 1963 | Spencer's Mountain | Mother Ida | |
| 1964 | My Living Doll | Edwina | Episode: "I'll Leave It to You" |
| 1964 | One Man's Way | Mrs. Elwood Thompson | |
| 1964 | Hazel | Edna | Episode: "Hot Potato a la Hazel" |
| 1965 | The Hallelujah Trail | Mrs. Hasselrad | |
| 1965 | Petticoat Junction | Mabel Denton | Episode: "The Crowded Wedding Ring" |
| 1966 | The Ghost and Mr. Chicken | Suzanna Blush | Uncredited |
| 1966 | Penelope | Shop Lady | Uncredited |
| 1968–1970 | Mayberry R.F.D. | Clara Edwards | 5 episodes |
| 1968 | Rosemary's Baby | Mrs. Gilmore | |
| 1968 | The Shakiest Gun in the West | Celia | |
| 1968 | 5 Card Stud | Female customer in general store | Uncredited |
| 1969 | The Learning Tree | Mrs. Kiner | |
| 1970 | Marcus Welby, M.D. | Mrs. Whittaker | Episode: "Epidemic" |
| 1970 | Bewitched | Carolyn | Episode: "Samantha's Old Man" |
| 1971 | Hawaii Five-O | Minnie Leona Moroney | Episode: "The Bomber and Mrs. Moroney" |
| 1972 | Get to Know Your Rabbit | Mrs. Beeman | |
| 1972 | Where Does It Hurt? | Nurse Throttle | |
| 1973 | Ace Eli and Rodger of the Skies | Laura | |
| 1973 | M*A*S*H | Nurse Meg Cratty | Episode: "The Trial of Henry Blake" |
| 1973 | Charley Varrick | Mess Vesta | Alternative title: Kill Charley Varrick |
| 1974 | Our Time | Biology Teacher | Starsky and Hutch |
| 1975 | Chico and the Man | Lucille Nelson | Episode: "Garage Sale" |
| 1975 | Welcome Back, Kotter | Ms. Riley | Episode: "Mr. Kotter, Teacher" |
| 1975 | Starsky and Hutch | Sarah Wilson | Episode: "Savage Sunday" |
| 1976 | Little House on the Prairie | Addie Bjornesen | Episode: "The Collection" |
| 1977 | Evil Town | Alice Wylie | |
| 1978 | Another Day | Olive Gardner | Regular cast member (4 episodes) |
| 1978 | Foul Play | Ethel | |
| 1978 | Smokey and the Good Time Outlaws | Marcie | (final film role) |
* Biography portal
* Illinois portal
* United States portal
* Los Angeles portal
* California portal
* Film portal
* Television portal