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Esther Dale

Esther Dale

Actor · Died July 23, 1961, aged 75 · Beaufort, South Carolina, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Esther Dale (November 10, 1885 – July 23, 1961) was an American actress, best known perhaps for her role as Aunt Genevieve in the 1935 Shirley Temple vehicle, Curly Top. On the stage, Dale starred in Carrie Nation on Broadway in 1933. Her other Broadway credits include Harvest of Years (1947), And Be My Love (1944), and Another Language (1932). Dale's first film was Crime Without Passion (1934) in an uncredited role. She was a familiar face in films of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, frequently playing stern, authoritarian characters such as prison matrons and head nurses, although she was equally adept at playing grande dames and ladies of the aristocracy. Dale played many roles in television over the years. In the 1958-1959 season of The Donna Reed Show, Dale played a job-seeking housekeeper who is frightened from the Stone home by Jeff Stone's pet mouse, and she appeared in the 1957 Maverick episode "According to Hoyle" opposite James Garner.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 10, 1885
Died
July 23, 1961 (aged 75)
From
Beaufort, South Carolina, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
50 on MovieCove · 105 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 11% in 30 days

What are Esther Dale's films like?

Across their 27 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Comedy12 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 66th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 76th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Crime4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 52nd percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 48th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
50%
Morality
23%
Self
15%
Power
9%
Society
3%
Survival
1%
Romantic love14 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds7 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage4 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception4 titles, browse their movies with this themeGuilt2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 27 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 14 · Serious 9 · Dark 4

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 12 · Stylized 15 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 13 · Charged 13 · Intense 1

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 14 · Shifting 12 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 12 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 8

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 15 · Even-paced 11 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 16 · Engaged 11 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 23 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

3 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 3 of 3 analyzed roles.

Shadow
3 of 3

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
13
Joyful
11
Romantic
15
Warm
9
Melancholic
7
Other
19

How their films linger

Feel-good17 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy18
  • Bittersweet6
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Esther Dale's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 13 of their 50 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (11).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Esther Dale's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

105 credits, 50 with a MovieCove page.

  • North to Alaska(1960)

    as Woman at Picnic

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Thriller (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 1 episode · as Ellen the Maid

  • The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis(1959)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • Lock-Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs. Raymond

  • The Sound and the Fury(1959)

    as Mrs. Maud Mansfield

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • The Donna Reed Show(1958)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows

  • Maverick(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Ma Braus

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • M Squad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Julia Sheldon

  • The Oklahoman(1957)

    as Mrs. Fitzgerald

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Betrayed Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Head Matron Ballard

  • Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Birdie Hicks

  • December Bride (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • A Tale of Two Cities (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Pross

  • Mr. & Mrs. North(1952)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all shows

  • Cavalcade of America (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Show 1 episode · as Aunt Tabitha

  • Four Star Playhouse(1952)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs. Weston

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • Monkey Business(1952)

    as Mrs. Rhinelander

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair(1952)

    as Birdie Hicks

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Too Young to Kiss(1951)

    as Mrs. Boykin

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • On Moonlight Bay(1951)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Walk Softly, Stranger(1950)

    as Miss Thompson

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Surrender (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Aunt May

  • No Man of Her Own(1950)

    as Josie

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Holiday Affair(1949)

    as Mrs. Ennis

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Ma and Pa Kettle(1949)

    as Mrs. Birdie Hicks

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • A Song Is Born(1948)

    as Miss Bragg

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Unfinished Dance(1947)

    as Olga

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • The Egg and I(1947)

    as Birdie Hicks

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Margie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Grandma McSweeney

  • Smoky (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Mrs. Richards

  • A Stolen Life(1946)

    as Mrs. Johnson

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • My Reputation(1946)

    as Anna

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Behind City Lights (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Sarah Lowell

  • On Stage Everybody (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Ma Cassidy

  • Bedside Manner(1945)

    as Martha Gravitt

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Old Acquaintance(1943)

    as Harriet

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The North Star(1943)

    as Anna Kurin

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Swing Your Partner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Caroline Bird, aka Anna Robbins

  • Murder in Times Square(1943)

    as Longacre Lil

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • The Amazing Mrs. Holliday(1943)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Wrecking Crew (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Mike O'Glendy

  • A Letter From Bataan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Mrs. Jackson

  • Ten Gentlemen from West Point(1942)

    as Mrs. Thompson

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Maisie Gets Her Man(1942)

    as Mrs. McIntyre (Uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • You're Telling Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Aunt Fannie Handley

  • What's Cookin'? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Mrs. Murphy (uncredited)

  • Blondie Goes to College (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Mrs. Carrie Dill, the Landlady

  • Dangerously They Live (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Dawson, Goodwin's Housekeeper

  • All-American Co-Ed(1941)

    as Aunt Matilda Collinge

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Aloma of the South Seas(1941)

    as Tarusa

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Unfinished Business (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Aunt Mathilda

  • Back Street(1941)

    as Mrs. Smith

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Mr. & Mrs. Smith(1941)

    as Mrs. Krausheimer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Arise, My Love(1940)

    as Susie

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Blondie Has Servant Trouble (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Anna Vaughn

  • Untamed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Mrs. Smith

  • Cross-Country Romance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Mrs. McGillicuddy

  • The Mortal Storm(1940)

    as Marta

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Opened by Mistake (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Mrs. Anthony DeBorest

  • Forty Little Mothers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Mrs. Mason the Landlady

  • And One Was Beautiful(1940)

    as Margaret

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Women Without Names (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Head Matron Ingles

  • Abe Lincoln in Illinois(1940)

    as Lincoln's Cook (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Convicted Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Chief Matron Brackett

  • Village Barn Dance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Minerva Withers

  • Laddie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Sarah, the Housekeeper

  • Swanee River (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Temperance Woman

  • A Child Is Born(1939)

    as Prison Matron (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Bad Little Angel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Miss Brown, Orphanage Secretary (uncredited)

  • Blackmail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Sarah

  • The Women(1939)

    as Ingrid (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Tell No Tales (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Mrs. Haskins

  • 6,000 Enemies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Prison Matron

  • Big Town Czar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Ma Daley

  • Broadway Serenade(1939)

    as Mrs. Olsen, the Landlady

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Sergeant Madden (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Mrs. McGillivray

  • Made for Each Other(1939)

    as Annie (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • How to Sub-Let (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Mrs. Mustavas

  • The Great Man Votes(1939)

    as Mrs. Markham

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Girls on Probation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Mrs. Engstrom

  • Prison Farm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Cora Waxley

  • Stolen Heaven (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Lieschen

  • Condemned Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Mrs. Clara Glover, Head Matron

  • The Awful Truth(1937)

    as Mrs. Leeson

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Dead End(1937)

    as Mrs. Fenner

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • On Such a Night(1937)

    as Miss Belinda Fentridge

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Easy Living(1937)

    as Lillian

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Wild Money (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Jenny Hawkins

  • Damaged Goods (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Mrs. Dupont

  • Outcast (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Hattie Simmerson

  • Hollywood Boulevard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Martha

  • Fury(1936)

    as Mrs. Whipple

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Case Against Mrs. Ames(1936)

    as Matilda

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • The Farmer in the Dell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Ma Boyer

  • Lady of Secrets (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Miss Eccles

  • Timothy's Quest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Hitty Tarbox

  • The Great Impersonation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Mrs. Unthank

  • I Dream Too Much (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Mrs. Dilley (uncredited)

  • In Old Kentucky (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Dolly Breckenridge

  • Mary Burns, Fugitive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Kate

  • I Live My Life(1935)

    as Brumbaugh, Mrs. Gage's Housekeeper

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Curly Top(1935)

    as Genevieve Graham

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Private Worlds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Matron

  • The Wedding Night(1935)

    as Mrs. Kaise Novak

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Crime Without Passion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Miss Keeley (uncredited)

Career shape

Star power in the 95th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 105 titles from 1934 to 1960.

Biggest box office

Monkey Business (1952)

$3.3K worldwide

Highest rated

The Awful Truth (1937)

Midcredits 95th

Most popular right now

Monkey Business (1952)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting105 of 105: 105 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score66th

By decade

1930s39 · acting1940s43 · acting1950s21 · acting1960s2 · acting

Billing

usually 10th · top billed in 0% of 21 roles
343944

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Esther Dale's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 67th percentile, the median of all 45; across their 27 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 66th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

66thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Approval · how many liked their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Reach · how many have seen their films

44thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Midcredits score across 50 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up18
  • 50th to 74th21
  • 25th to 49th8
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

31 of their 50 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved7
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser31
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · actor

On Such a Night (1937)

90th percentile spread · 41% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Fury (1936)

Midcredits 97th · 87% liked

Reviewers score the acting 74/100 in their films, across 26 reviewed titles; fans 81, detractors 50. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Esther Dale work with?

People who share at least 2 of Esther Dale's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Mitchell Leisen shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers