Gail Bonney (born Goldie Bonowitz; December 15, 1901 – December 7, 1984) was an American actress whose career encompassed radio, stage, film and television. She began her professional career in radio and became known for her ability to perform dialects. By the 1940s she was working as a freelance radio actress in Chicago and was also teaching dialects at dramatic schools. She later worked extensively in Hollywood, appearing in supporting and uncredited roles in numerous films and television programs.

Among her better-known screen appearances were The Fountainhead (1949), Beyond the Forest (1949), The Fuller Brush Girl (1950), People Will Talk (1951), Bell, Book and Candle (1958), The Tingler (1959), Days of Wine and Roses (1962), The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969), and Herbie Rides Again (1974). On television, she appeared in numerous series, including I Love Lucy, Perry Mason, The Beverly Hillbillies, Star Trek, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Six Million Dollar Man, Barnaby Jones, and Emergency!.

Early life and education

Bonney was born Goldie Bonowitz in Columbus, Ohio, on December 15, 1901. She majored in languages at Ohio State University, were she had she had perfected 46 dialects. Bonney also attended the NBC's radio school at Northwestern University.

Career

Bonney established herself as a radio actress in Chicago. Her radio credits included Bachelor's Children, Ma Perkins, Sweet River, and American Women. In Bachelor's Children, she played a nurse during a storyline involving Ruth Ann, while on Sweet River she played Mrs. Skogland, a Norwegian character.

Bonney's principal specialty in dialect work made her being called upon by producers when specialized dialect work was required for daytime serials or radio presentations. She also performed dialect work for commercial transcriptions and taught dialects at several Chicago dramatic schools.

Bonney described the preparation she undertook for dialect roles. For her role as the Norwegian Mrs. Skogland, she said that she consulted books and other sources and eventually went to the Norwegian consul in Chicago to find someone with whom she could practice the dialect.

Her vocal range allowed her to portray characters of widely different ages, as she played in radio both a three-year-old child and a 75-year-old woman.

Bonney continued to work in radio after moving into film and television. In 1951, she appeared as Aunt Emma in a Screen Directors' Playhouse radio production of I Remember the Night, broadcast on KFI and starring William Holden.

Bonney also appeared on Hedda Hopper's radio program for three weeks.

Bonney also worked in live theatre. In 1950 she appeared at the Pasadena Playhouse in One Foot in Heaven, based on the 1941 film of the same name.

In 1958, Bonney appeared at the Biltmore Theatre in Los Angeles in the stage production of Auntie Mame, playing Fan Burnside, a cousin by marriage of Eve Arden's character.

Bonney began appearing in films in the late 1940s, generally in supporting or uncredited roles. Her early screen appearances included The Fountainhead (1949), Beyond the Forest (1949), and Adventure in Baltimore (1949).

Her 1950 film work included The Fuller Brush Girl, in which she played a babysitter, as well as Caged, A Woman of Distinction, The Secret Fury, Whirlpool, and 711 Ocean Drive.

In 1951, she appeared as the dean's secretary in the film People Will Talk, starred by Cary Grant.

Her later film appearances included Magnificent Obsession (1954), Deep in My Heart (1954), Written on the Wind (1956), Bell, Book and Candle (1958), Too Much, Too Soon (1958), The Tingler (1959), Please Don't Eat the Daisies (1960), Inherit the Wind (1960), Days of Wine and Roses (1962), Mary, Mary (1963), Cat Ballou (1965), A Fine Madness (1966), Rosemary's Baby (1968), The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969), Pieces of Dreams (1970), and Herbie Rides Again (1974).

In 1962, She appeared in Days of Wine and Roses, directed by Blake Edwards and starring Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick, she played Gladys, the cleaning lady, in an uncredited role.

She appearanced on Life with Elizabeth, in which she played Alvin's former schoolteacher, appearing opposite Del Moore and Betty White.

Bonney appeared on other television programs including December Bride, Our Miss Brooks, The Colgate Comedy Hour, and I Love Lucy.

Her later television credits included Perry Mason, The Beverly Hillbillies, Bonanza, The Lucy Show, Petticoat Junction, That Girl, The Addams Family, Green Acres, The Big Valley, Mannix, Ironside, Dragnet, The Mod Squad, It Takes a Thief, Barnaby Jones, Emergency!, Planet of the Apes, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, and The Six Million Dollar Man.

In 1967, Bonney appeared in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Catspaw" as the Second Witch.

Her later television work included productions such as The Late Liz, Kingston: Confidential, Project U.F.O., and Delta House.

Bonney's final known film appearance was in Herbie Rides Again (1974), in which she played a rich woman in a mansion.

Personal life and death

Bonney was married to Joe Solomon. She died in Los Angeles, California, on 1984, at the age of 82 and was buried in Mount Sinai Memorial Park.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role 1947 Slippy McGee Gossipy Woman (uncredited) 1948 One Sunday Afternoon Vocalist (uncredited) 1949 The Fountainhead Woman (uncredited) 1949 Adventure in Baltimore Townswoman (uncredited) 1949 Beyond the Forest Woman (uncredited) 1949 Prison Warden Convict Wife (uncredited) 1949 Alias the Champ Autograph Seeker (uncredited) 1949 The Reckless Moment Woman (uncredited) 1949 The Doctor and the Girl Nurse (uncredited) 1949 Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff First Maid (uncredited) 1949 The Red Menace Woman Outside Real Estate Office (uncredited) 1949 Side Street Woman (voice, uncredited) 1950 The Killer That Stalked New York Observer in Crowd (uncredited) 1950 Sunset in the West Townswoman (uncredited) 1950 The Fuller Brush Girl Babysitter (uncredited) 1950 711 Ocean Drive Chippie's Date (uncredited) 1950 Love That Brute Woman on Ship with Necklace (uncredited) 1950 Caged Inmate (uncredited) 1950 A Woman of Distinction Margaret, Bicycler (uncredited) 1950 The Secret Fury Nurse (uncredited) 1950 Whirlpool Minor Role (uncredited) 1951 The Company She Keeps Nurse (uncredited) 1951 Rhubarb Woman with Dog (uncredited) 1951 People Will Talk Dean's Secretary (uncredited) 1951 Here Comes the Groom Telephone Operator (uncredited) 1951 Death of a Salesman Mother (uncredited) 1952 Love Is Better Than Ever Mrs. Gelschlager (uncredited) 1952 The Sniper Woman at Darr Murder Scene (uncredited) 1952 Flesh and Fury Teacher (uncredited) 1952 Singin' in the Rain Audience Member (uncredited) 1952 My Son John Jail Matron (scenes deleted) 1952 Gobs and Gals Undetermined Supporting Role (uncredited) 1952 Carrie Older Chorus Girl (uncredited) 1952 Assignment – Paris! Phone Operator (uncredited) 1952 Bonzo Goes to College Maid (uncredited) 1952 Million Dollar Mermaid Outraged Woman at Revere Beach (uncredited) 1952 Because of You Nurse (uncredited) 1952 The Member of the Wedding Townswoman (uncredited) 1953 Dream Wife Small Boy's Mother (uncredited) 1953 So You Want a Television Set Neighbor Wife (uncredited) 1953 It Happens Every Thursday Miss Newton (uncredited) 1953 The Lady Wants Mink Landlady (uncredited) 1953 The Blue Gardenia Policewoman (uncredited) 1954 Deep in My Heart Lodge Guest (uncredited) 1954 Magnificent Obsession Phyllis (uncredited) 1954 Tooting Tooters Andy's Wife 1955 The Glass Slipper Bit Role (uncredited) 1955 Not as a Stranger Mrs. Fields (uncredited) 1955 Ain't Misbehavin' Mr. Dullaby (uncredited) 1956 Crime of Passion Mrs. London 1956 The Opposite Sex Gossip (uncredited) 1956 Written on the Wind Hotel Floorlady (uncredited) 1956 The Best Things in Life Are Free Woman in Back Row (uncredited) 1956 Bigger Than Life Mother at PTA Meeting (uncredited) 1956 Red Sundown Mrs. Clore (uncredited) 1956 The Killer Is Loose Mrs. Andrews (uncredited) 1956 Come Next Spring Mrs. Totter (uncredited) 1957 The Female Animal Vanessa Windsor's Maid (uncredited) 1957 Pal Joey Heavyset Woman (uncredited) 1957 The Careless Years Saleslady (uncredited) 1958 The World Was His Jury Hysterical Woman Passenger (uncredited) 1958 Day of the Badman Townswoman (uncredited) 1958 The Perfect Furlough Spinster (uncredited) 1958 Home Before Dark Mental Hospital Clerk (uncredited) 1958 Bell, Book and Candle Betty, Merle's Maid (uncredited) 1958 The Last Hurrah Woman (uncredited) 1958 Flying Saucer Daffy Mother 1958 Too Much, Too Soon Nurse (uncredited) 1958 Going Steady Mrs. Vivny / Faculty Member (uncredited) 1959 The Tingler Member of Silent Movie Audience (uncredited) 1960 Please Don't Eat the Daisies Miss Bonney (uncredited) 1960 Inherit the Wind Fundamentalist Woman (uncredited) 1960 Bells Are Ringing Minor Role (uncredited) 1962 Days of Wine and Roses Gladys (uncredited) 1962 Gypsy Stage Mother (uncredited) 1962 Rome Adventure Dormitory Mistress at Briarcliff (uncredited) 1963 Mary, Mary Cleaning Woman (uncredited) 1965 Cat Ballou Mabel Bentley (uncredited) 1966 A Fine Madness Miss Buehler (uncredited) 1968 Rosemary's Baby Babysitter (voice, uncredited) 1969 The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes Winifred, Dean's Secretary (uncredited) 1970 Pieces of Dreams Mrs. Tietgens 1970 RPM Miss Vickers (uncredited) 1974 Herbie Rides Again Rich Woman in Mansion

Television