ACTOR · BORN 1912 · DIED 2003
Martha Scott
- Born
- 22 September 1912, Jamesport, Missouri, USA
- Died
- 28 May 2003
- Known for
- Ben-Hur (1959), The Bionic Woman (1976), The Bob Newhart Show (1972), Airport 1975 (1974)
17 archived facts 4 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
Martha Scott (22 September 1912 – 28 May 2003) was an actor best known for Ben-Hur, The Bionic Woman and The Bob Newhart Show.
17 Interesting Facts About Martha Scott
Interesting Facts (3)
- #001
Martha Scott had previously played Charlton Heston's wife in the lesser-known period drama "Design for a Stained-Glass Window." When the original actress was fired, Scott was hired for Ben-Hur (1959) on Heston's recommendation. A similar situation arose a few years later when Heston was to appear in the play "The Tumbler": the actress hired to play his wife was fired, and Heston again recommended Scott. "I could vouch for her absolutely, both as actress and pro," he said in his memoirs.
- #002
After her death, Martha Scott was buried beside her husband Mel Powell in Mason Cemetery in Jamesport, Missouri.
- #003
She was a member of the Delta Gamma women's fraternity (Xi-Michigan chapter).
Characters & Cast (2)
- #004
Was offered the role of Mary Hatch Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life (1946) after Jean Arthur turned it down, but she also turned down the role. Donna Reed was cast instead and this went on to be one of her most famous performances.
- #005
After Emily died in childbirth, Martha Scott did not make a difficult transition in the role, so she became the second actress in the Broadway role of "Emily Webb" after producer/director Jed Harris dropped the first cast. The role made Martha a theatre star. Ironically, when she took on her own role in the film, the final act was rewritten to include a happier ending in which Emily does not die. This was a very bad decision on the producers' part, and because of this almost disrespectful flaw, the film version of Our Town (1940), beautifully crafted and interpreted as it is, is not regarded as the classic it should be.
Career & Awards (3)
- #006
Unusually, although she was an Academy member and had been a nominee in 1940, Martha Scott was not part of the Memorial Tribute at the 76th Annual Academy Awards (2004).
- #007
In 1968, Martha Scott formed a partnership with actors Robert Ryan and Henry Fonda. In New York they founded the Plumstead Playhouse theatre production company, later known as the Plumstead Theatre Society. They co-produced the Broadway production of "First Monday in October," starring Fonda and Jane Alexander, as well as its film version (First Monday in October (1981)) with Walter Matthau and Jill Clayburgh. They also produced an L.A. production of "Twelve Angry Men" in 1985.
- #008
Martha Scott appeared in six Oscar Best Picture nominees: Our Town (1940), One Foot in Heaven (1941), The Ten Commandments (1956), Sayonara (1957), Ben-Hur (1959) and The Turning Point (1977). Ben-Hur was the only winner.
Life & Family (9)
- #009
Martha Scott played Charlton Heston's mother twice, in Ben-Hur (1959) and The Ten Commandments (1956), and also played his wife twice on stage.
- #010
Although Martha Scott played John Carradine's mother in The Ten Commandments (1956), in real life she was six years younger than he was.
- #011
Martha Scott's mother, Letha McKinley Scott, was a second cousin of President William McKinley.
- #012
Martha Scott was a very active member of both the Hollywood Democratic Committee and the Hollywood Anti-Nazi League, and throughout her life she gave her time and money to many liberal causes (such as the founding of the United Nations and the Civil Rights Movement) and to political candidates (including Franklin D. Roosevelt, Henry Wallace, Adlai Stevenson, John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Al Gore).
- #013
After graduating from the University of Michigan with a bachelor's degree in drama in 1934, Martha Scott appeared in William Shakespeare's plays at the 1933-1934 Chicago World's Fair before coming to New York.
- #014
Martha Scott was under the protection of her second husband, Benny Goodman, and the singer Peggy Lee was the godmother of their first daughter.
- #015
Martha Scott was survived by her brother Charles Scott, her son Carleton Scott Alsop and her two daughters Mary Powell Harper and Kathleen Powell.
- #016
Although Martha Scott played Charlton Heston's mother in The Ten Commandments (1956) and Ben-Hur (1959), in real life she was only eleven years older than he was.
- #017
Although Olive Deering's mother played in The Ten Commandments (1956), in real life she was only six years older than her.
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- Wikipedia
- IMDb
Information from external sources is independently selected, consolidated and edited by Arka Evren. Sources are listed for verification and further reading. Encyclopedia text is used under its licence (CC BY-SA). How we work