Bonita Gloria Granville Wrather (February 2, 1923 – October 11, 1988) was an American actress and producer. The daughter of vaudevillians, Granville began her career on the stage at age three. She initially began as a

child actress The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage or in movies or television. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associated ...

, making her film debut in ''

Westward Passage ''Westward Passage'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by Robert Milton and starring Ann Harding, Laurence Olivier, ZaSu Pitts and Irving Pichel. The screenplay concerns a woman who falls in love and marries, but soon discovers ho ...

'' (1932). She rose to prominence for her role in ''

These Three ''These Three'' is a 1936 American drama film directed by William Wyler and starring Miriam Hopkins, Merle Oberon, Joel McCrea, and Bonita Granville. The screenplay by Lillian Hellman is based on her 1934 play '' The Children's Hour''. A 1961 re ...

'' (1936), which earned her an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

nomination at age fourteen. Her prominence continued with the ''

Nancy Drew Nancy Drew is a Fictional character, fictional character appearing in several Mystery fiction, mystery book series, movies, and a TV show as a teenage amateur sleuth. The books are ghostwriter, ghostwritten by a number of authors and published ...

'' film series, and roles in ''

Now, Voyager ''Now, Voyager'' is a 1942 American drama film starring Bette Davis, Paul Henreid, and Claude Rains, and directed by Irving Rapper. The screenplay by Casey Robinson is based on the 1941 novel of the same name by Olive Higgins Prouty. Prouty ...

'' (1942) and '' Hitler's Children'' (1943). After marrying

Jack Wrather John Devereaux Wrather Jr. (May 24, 1918 – November 12, 1984), was an entrepreneur and petroleum businessman who became a television producer and later diversified by investing in broadcast stations and resort properties. He is best known for p ...

in 1947, Granville transitioned into producing with her husband on series such as '' Lassie'' (1959–1973). She also worked as a

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

and a businesswoman, most notably owning and operating the Disneyland Hotel and the in

Long Beach Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

, with her husband. She was appointed to the John F. Kennedy Center Board of Trustees by president

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

in 1972 and for another term by president

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

in 1982. In addition to her Oscar nomination, Granville received a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...

in 1960 for her contributions to the film industry. She and her husband were posthumously named Disney Legends in 2011.

Early life

Granville was born on February 2, 1923, in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, the daughter of Rosina (née Timponi; 1892–1984) and Bernard Granville (1888–1936). Both of her parents were stage performers. She was raised

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

Career

1932–1941: Child actress

She made her film debut at the age of nine in ''

'' (1932), and appeared in a credited but nearly wordless supporting role as the young dancer Fanny Bridges in ''

Cavalcade A cavalcade is a procession or parade on horseback, or a mass trail ride by a company of riders. The focus of a cavalcade is participation rather than display. Often, the participants do not wear costumes or ride in formation. Often, a cava ...

'' (1933), which won the

Academy Award for Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only category ...

. Over the next few years, she played uncredited supporting roles in such films as '' Little Women'' (1933) and '' Anne of Green Gables'' (1934). She next played the role of Mary Tilford in the 1936 film adaptation of

Lillian Hellman Lillian Florence Hellman (June 20, 1905 – June 30, 1984) was an American playwright, prose writer, memoirist and screenwriter known for her success on Broadway, as well as her communist sympathies and political activism. She was blacklisted aft ...

's 1934 stage play '' The Children's Hour''. Renamed ''

'', the film told the story of three adults (played by

Miriam Hopkins Ellen Miriam Hopkins (October 18, 1902 – October 9, 1972) was an American actress known for her versatility. She first signed with Paramount Pictures in 1930. Her best-known roles included a pickpocket in Ernst Lubitsch's romantic comedy '' T ...

Merle Oberon Merle Oberon (born Estelle Merle O'Brien Thompson; 19 February 191123 November 1979) was a British actress who began her film career in British films as Anne Boleyn in ''The Private Life of Henry VIII'' (1933). After her success in ''The Scarle ...

, and

Joel McCrea Joel Albert McCrea (November 5, 1905 – October 20, 1990) was an American actor whose career spanned a wide variety of genres over almost five decades, including comedy, drama, romance, thrillers, adventures, and Westerns, for which he bec ...

) who find their lives almost destroyed by the malicious lies of an evil, attention-seeking child. For her role as that child, Granville was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, then the youngest person to be nominated for an Oscar. In 1938, Granville was cast by

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

to play the role of girl detective

in a series of

B movies A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feature ...

based on the novels. The films were meant to resemble the popular

Torchy Blane Torchy Blane is a fictional female reporter, the main character of nine films produced by Warner Bros. between 1937 and 1939. The Torchy Blane series were popular second features during the later 1930s and were mixtures of mystery, action, adve ...

film series starring

Glenda Farrell Glenda Farrell (June 30, 1904 – May 1, 1971) was an American actress. Farrell personified the smart and sassy, wisecracking blonde of the Classical Hollywood films. Farrell's career spanned more than 50 years, appearing in numerous Broadwa ...

. Granville co-starred in the films with

John Litel John Beach Litel (December 30, 1892 – February 3, 1972) was an American film and television actor. Early life Litel was born in Albany, Wisconsin. During World War I, he enlisted in the French Army and was twice decorated for bravery. Ba ...

as her father Carson Drew, and Frankie Thomas, Jr. as Ted Nickerson. All four films — '' Nancy Drew... Detective'' (1938), '' Nancy Drew... Reporter'' (1939), '' Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter'' (1939), and '' Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase'' (1939) — would play continuously in theaters over the next several years. Also in 1938, Granville appeared as the saucy, mischievous daughter in the multiple Academy Award-nominated hit comedy film ''

Merrily We Live ''Merrily We Live'' is a 1938 comedy film directed by Norman Z. McLeod and written by Eddie Moran and Jack Jevne. It stars Constance Bennett and Brian Aherne and features Ann Dvorak, Bonita Granville, Billie Burke, Tom Brown, Alan Mowbray, ...

'', and starred as the title character in '' The Beloved Brat''. She also had ''

Angels Wash Their Faces ''The Angels Wash Their Faces'' is a 1939 Warner Bros. film directed by Ray Enright and starring Ann Sheridan, Ronald Reagan and the Dead End Kids. Plot Gabe Ryan is released from reform school and is taken to a new house by his sister Joy to ...

'' (1939) alongside

, who would become a lifelong friend of hers. In late 1939, Granville left Warner Bros. and signed a contract with

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

. However, she continued to be relegated to supporting roles in ''

The Mortal Storm ''The Mortal Storm'' is a 1940 American drama film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.''Harrison's Reports'' film review; June 22, 1940, page 98. It was directed by Frank Borzage and stars Margaret Sullavan and James Stewart. The film shows the ...

'' (1940) and '' H. M. Pulham, Esq.'' (1941), and less substantial leading roles in '' Those Were the Days!'' (1940) and ''

Down in San Diego ''Down in San Diego'' is a 1941 American adventure film directed by Robert B. Sinclair and written by Franz Schulz and Harry Clork. The black-and-white movie was filmed in San Diego and stars Bonita Granville, Ray McDonald, Dan Dailey, Leo Gor ...

'' (1941). She and MGM soon parted ways.

1942–1947: Stardom

In 1941, Granville signed with

RKO Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orphe ...

and immediately found more substantial supporting roles in ''

The Glass Key ''The Glass Key'' is a novel by American writer Dashiell Hammett. First published as a serial in '' Black Mask'' magazine in 1930, it then was collected in 1931 (in London; the American edition followed 3 months later). It tells the story of a ga ...

'' (1942) and ''

'' (1942), for which she was loaned out to

Paramount Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. The following busin ...

and Warner Bros. Following her leading role in '' Seven Miles from Alcatraz'' (1942), director

Edward Dmytryk Edward Dmytryk (September 4, 1908 – July 1, 1999) was an American film director. He was known for his 1940s noir films and received an Oscar nomination for Best Director for '' Crossfire'' (1947). In 1947, he was named as one of the Hollywoo ...

, soon cast her in

RKO RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheu ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

anti-Nazism film '' Hitler's Children'' (1943). The film was a commercial and critical success, becoming one of the studio's highest-grossing films of the year, and one of the highest-grossing for both RKO and 1943; it was also reportedly Granville's favorite film of hers. However, the studio relegated her to B-films such as ''

Youth Runs Wild ''Youth Runs Wild'' is a 1944 B movie directed by Mark Robson and starring Bonita Granville, Kent Smith, Jean Brooks, Glen Vernon and Vanessa Brown. The plot concerns inattentive parents and juvenile delinquency. The film was produced by Val Lewt ...

'' (1944) and ''

The Truth About Murder ''The Truth About Murder'' is a 1946 American mystery film directed by Lew Landers, written by Lawrence Kimble, Hilda Gordon and Eric Taylor, and starring Bonita Granville, Morgan Conway, Rita Corday, Don Douglas and June Clayworth. It was rel ...

'' (1946). She continued to be loaned out to other studios, such as MGM loaned for two Andy Hardy films with Mickey Rooney, '' Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble'' (1944) and ''

Love Laughs at Andy Hardy ''Love Laughs at Andy Hardy'' is a 1946 American film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, directed by Willis Goldbeck and starring Mickey Rooney and Lewis Stone. The film is also known under its American promotional title ''Uncle Andy Hardy''. Th ...

'' (1946), as well as a leading role in ''

Song of the Open Road ''Song of the Open Road'' is a 1944 Musical film, musical comedy film directed by S. Sylvan Simon, from a screenplay by Irving Phillips and Edward Verdier. It was the debut film of teenage singer Jane Powell. Powell's real name was Suzanne Burce ...

'' (1944);

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a ...

for '' The Beautiful Cheat'' and ''

Senorita from the West ''Senorita from the West'' is a 1945 American comedy-drama film directed by Frank Strayer from an original screenplay by Howard Dimsdale. The picture stars Allan Jones and Bonita Granville, and was released by Universal Pictures on October 12, ...

'' (both 1945); and

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the studi ...

for ''

Breakfast in Hollywood ''Breakfast in Hollywood'' is a morning radio show created and hosted by Tom Breneman broadcast from 1941 to 1948 on three different radio networks: NBC, ABC and Mutual. These unscripted shows were spontaneous and involved much audience partici ...

''. Following being loaned out to

Monogram Pictures Monogram Pictures Corporation was an American film studio that produced mostly low-budget films between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram was among the smaller studios i ...

for '' Suspense'' (1946) and '' The Guilty'' (1947), Granville informally retired from films, only appearing in '' Strike It Rich'' (1948) and ''

Guilty of Treason ''Guilty of Treason'' is a 1950 American drama film directed by Felix E. Feist and starring Charles Bickford, Bonita Granville and Paul Kelly. Also known by the alternative title ''Treason'', it is an anti-communist and anti-Soviet film about th ...

'' (1950).

1948–1988: Later career

On February 5, 1947, Granville married

at the Bel-Air Hotel, having met him while he produced ''The Guilty''. He formed the Wrather Corporation, and bought the rights to the characters from both ''

The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in ...

'' and '' Lassie''. Granville worked as a producer for several film and television productions featuring these characters, including the 1954 TV series '' Lassie''. She appeared in the film version of ''

'' in 1956, and made her final screen appearance in a cameo role in ''

The Legend of the Lone Ranger ''The Legend of the Lone Ranger'' is a 1981 American Western film that was directed by William A. Fraker and stars Klinton Spilsbury, Michael Horse and Christopher Lloyd. It is based on the story of The Lone Ranger, a Western character create ...

'' (1981). Their children are daughters Molly and Linda, and sons Jack and Christopher. Jack and Molly were from Wrather's previous marriage to Mollie O'Daniel, a daughter of

Governor of Texas The governor of Texas heads the state government of Texas. The governor is the leader of the executive and legislative branch of the state government and is the commander in chief of the Texas Military. The current governor is Greg Abbott, who ...

and

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

W. Lee O'Daniel Wilbert Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel (March 11, 1890May 11, 1969) was an American Democratic Party politician from Texas, who came to prominence by hosting a popular radio program. Known for his populist appeal and support of Texas's business commun ...

. The marriage lasted until Wrather's death in 1984, shortly after release of the movie ''

The Magic of Lassie ''The Magic of Lassie'' is a 1978 American musical drama film directed by Don Chaffey, and starring Lassie, James Stewart (in his final appearance in a domestically-released live action feature film), Stephanie Zimbalist, Pernell Roberts and Mich ...

'', a movie co-produced by Granville and starring Wrather's friend

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality h ...

. In 1949, she appeared with Rod Cameron in the comedy film ''Strike It Rich,'' filmed about

Tyler Tyler may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tyler (name), an English name; with lists of people with the surname or given name * Tyler, the Creator (born 1991), American rap artist and producer * John Tyler, 10th president of the United ...

Kilgore Kilgore may refer to: Fictional characters * Kilgore Trout, a recurring character in the novels of Kurt Vonnegut * Lt. Colonel Bill Kilgore, a character in the Francis Ford Coppola movie ''Apocalypse Now'' * Teddybear Kilgore (AKA Kilgour), a cha ...

, and Lindale in

East Texas East Texas is a broadly defined cultural, geographic, and ecological region in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Texas that comprises most of 41 counties. It is primarily divided into Northeast and Southeast Texas. Most of the region cons ...

Death

Granville died on October 11, 1988, of

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissue (biology), tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from tran ...

Saint John's Health Center Providence Saint John's Health Center, formerly St. Johns Hospital and Health Center, is a private not-for-profit, Roman Catholic hospital in Santa Monica, California, United States. The hospital was founded in 1942 by the Sisters of Charity of ...

Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

, at the age of 65. She was buried at the Holy Cross Cemetery in

Culver City, California Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. Founded in 1917 as a "whites only" sundown town, it is now an ethnically diverse city with what was called the "third-most d ...

Legacy

Granville has a star on the

, at 6607

Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood Boulevard is a major east–west street in Los Angeles, California. It begins in the east at Sunset Boulevard in the Los Feliz district and proceeds to the west as a major thoroughfare through Little Armenia and Thai Town, Hollywoo ...

, for her contributions to motion pictures. She was honored at the Disneyland Hotel, which she and her husband owned until The Wrather Company was sold to the Walt Disney Company after Granville's death. The Bonita Tower and the Granville's Steak House were named in her honor. In 2011, Disney honored the Wrathers posthumously by inducting them into the Disney Legends. In 1942, Granville's image was used as the heroine of the novel ''Bonita Granville and the Mystery of Star Island''. The story, written by Kathryn Heisenfelt, was published by Whitman Publishing Company in 1942. The story was written for a young teenaged audience, and is reminiscent of the adventures of Nancy Drew. It is part of a series known as "Whitman Authorized Editions", 16 books published between 1941 and 1947 that featured a film actress as heroine.Whitman Authorized Editions for Girls
/ref>

Partial filmography

(As actress, unless otherwise specified) * ''

'' (1932) as Little Olivia Allen (age 10) * '' Silver Dollar'' (1932) as Liddy (uncredited) * ''

'' (1933) as Young Fanny * ''

Beauty for Sale ''Beauty for Sale'' is a 1933 American pre-Code film about the romantic entanglements of three beauty salon employees. Based on the 1933 novel ''Beauty'' by Faith Baldwin, it stars Madge Evans, Alice Brady, Otto Kruger and Una Merkel. Plot Smal ...

'' (1933) as Little Girl at Madame Sonia's (uncredited) * '' Little Women'' (1933) as Amy's Classmate (uncredited) * '' Cradle Song'' (1933) as Carmen * ''

The Life of Vergie Winters ''The Life of Vergie Winters'' is a 1934 American Pre-Code film, starring Ann Harding and John Boles. Plot From her Parkville jail cell, Vergie Winters watches the funeral procession of Senator John Shadwell and remembers her twenty-year past ...

'' (1934) as Joan Winters as a Child (uncredited) * '' Anne of Green Gables'' (1934) as School Girl (uncredited) * ''

Ah, Wilderness! ''Ah, Wilderness!'' is a comedy by American playwright Eugene O'Neill that premiered on Broadway at the Guild Theatre on October 2, 1933. It differs from a typical O'Neill play in its happy ending for the central character, and depiction of a ...

'' (1935) as Mildred Miller * ''

Song of the Saddle '' Song of the Saddle '' is a 1936 American Western film starring Dick Foran, Alma Lloyd, Charles Middleton, and featuring an uncredited Sons of the Pioneers with Roy Rogers. Cast *Dick Foran - Frank Wilson Jr. as The Singing Kid * Alma Lloy ...

'' (1936) as Jen as a Child * ''

'' (1936) as Mary Tilford * '' The Garden of Allah'' (1936) as Convent Girl (uncredited) * ''

The Plough and the Stars ''The Plough and the Stars'' is a four-act play by the Irish writer Seán O'Casey that was first performed on 8 February 1926 at the Abbey Theatre. It is set in Dublin and addresses the 1916 Easter Rising. The play's title references the Sta ...

'' (1936) as Mollser * ''

Maid of Salem ''Maid of Salem'' is a 1937 film made by Paramount Pictures, directed by Frank Lloyd, and starring Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray. Plot It tells the story of a young girl in Salem, Massachusetts, 1692, who has an affair with an adventurer. ...

'' (1937) as Ann – Their Daughter * '' Quality Street'' (1937) as Isabella (uncredited) * ''

Call It a Day ''Call It a Day'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Archie Mayo and starring Olivia de Havilland, Ian Hunter, Anita Louise, Alice Brady, Roland Young, and Frieda Inescort. Based on the 1935 play '' Call It a Day'' by Dodie Smith, the ...

'' (1937) as Ann Hilton * ''

It's Love I'm After ''It's Love I'm After'' is a 1937 American screwball comedy film directed by Archie Mayo and starring Leslie Howard, Bette Davis, and Olivia de Havilland. Based on the story "Gentlemen After Midnight" by Maurice Hanline, with a screenplay by Casey ...

'' (1937) as Gracie Kane * ''

White Banners ''White Banners'' is a 1938 Warner Bros. drama film directed by Edmund Goulding and starring Claude Rains, Fay Bainter, Jackie Cooper, Bonita Granville, Henry O'Neill, and Kay Johnson. Produced by Henry Blanke and Hal B. Wallis, the screenp ...

'' (1938) as Sally Ward * ''

'' (1938) as Marian Kilbourne * '' The Beloved Brat'' (1938) as Roberta Morgan * ''

My Bill ''My Bill'' is a 1938 drama film starring Kay Francis as a poor widow raising four children. It was based on the play ''Courage'' by Tom Barry. Plot In the late 1930s, Mary Colbrook is the widow of Reginald Colbrook, Sr. She has four children ...

'' (1938) as Gwen Colbrook * '' Hard to Get'' (1938) as Connie * '' Nancy Drew... Detective'' (1938) as Nancy Drew * '' Nancy Drew... Reporter'' (1939) as Nancy Drew * '' Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter'' (1939) as Nancy Drew * ''

The Angels Wash Their Faces ''The Angels Wash Their Faces'' is a 1939 Warner Bros. film directed by Ray Enright and starring Ann Sheridan, Ronald Reagan and the Dead End Kids. Plot Gabe Ryan is released from reform school and is taken to a new house by his sister Joy to s ...

'' (1939) as Peggy Finnegan * '' Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase'' (1939) as Nancy Drew * ''

Forty Little Mothers ''Forty Little Mothers'' is a 1940 American comedy-drama film directed by Busby Berkeley and starring Eddie Cantor. Plot Out-of-work professor Gilbert Jordan Thompson stops a suicidal stranger named Marian Edwards from jumping off a pier and he ...

'' (1940) as Doris * '' Those Were the Days!'' (1940) as Martha Scroggs * ''

'' (1940) as Elsa * '' Third Finger, Left Hand'' (1940) as Vicky Sherwood * ''

Escape Escape or Escaping may refer to: Computing * Escape character, in computing and telecommunication, a character which signifies that what follows takes an alternative interpretation ** Escape sequence, a series of characters used to trigger some so ...

'' (1940) as Ursula * ''

Gallant Sons ''Gallant Sons'' is a 1940 American mystery film directed by George B. Seitz and written by William R. Lipman and Marion Parsonnet. The film stars Jackie Cooper, Bonita Granville, Gail Patrick, Gene Reynolds, June Preisser, Ian Hunter, Leo Gorcey ...

'' (1940) as Kate Pendleton * '' The Wild Man of Borneo'' (1941) as Francine Diamond * ''

The People vs. Dr. Kildare ''The People vs. Dr. Kildare'' is a 1941 drama directed by Harold S. Bucquet, starring Lew Ayres, Lionel Barrymore, Bonita Granville, and Laraine Day. Dr. Kildare performs an emergency operation on a crash victim. Plot Ice skater Frances Marlo ...

'' (1941) as Frances Marlowe * ''

'' (1941) as Betty Haines * '' H.M. Pulham, Esq.'' (1941) as Mary Pulham * '' Syncopation'' (1942) as Kit Latimer * ''

'' (1942) as Opal Madvig * '' Seven Miles from Alcatraz'' (1942) as Anne Porter * ''

'' (1942) as June Vale * '' Hitler's Children'' (1943) as Anna Müller * '' Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble'' (1944) as Kay Wilson * ''

'' (1944) as Bonnie * ''

'' (1944) as Toddy Jones * '' The Beautiful Cheat'' (1945) as Alice * ''

'' (1945) as Jeannie Blake * ''

'' (1946) as Dorothy Larson * ''

'' (1946) as Christine Allen * '' Suspense'' (1946) as Ronnie * ''

'' (1946) as Kay Wilson * '' The Guilty'' (1947) as Estelle Mitchell / Linda Mitchell * '' Strike It Rich'' (1948) as Julie Ann Brady * ''

'' (1950) as Stephanie Varna * ''

'' (1956) as Welcome Kilgore * ''

'' (1978, producer) * ''

'' (1981) as Woman (uncredited) (final film role)

Radio appearances

References

External links

*
Nancy Drew – Movie Star at FilmBuffOnline
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Granville, Bonita 1923 births 1988 deaths American child actresses American film actresses American Roman Catholics Television producers from New York City American women television producers Deaths from lung cancer in California Actresses from Chicago Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City 20th-century American actresses Actresses from New York City 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American businesswomen Television producers from Illinois