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Sara Haden

Sara Haden

Actor · Died September 15, 1981, aged 82 · Galveston, Texas, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Sara Haden (born Catherine Haden, November 17, 1898 – September 15, 1981) was a character actress in Hollywood films of the 1930s through the 1950s and in television into the mid-1960s. She may be best remembered for appearing as Aunt Milly Forrest in thirteen entries in MGM's Andy Hardy film series. Haden first appeared on the stage in the early 1920s. As early as October 1920, she was appearing with Walter Hampden's acting troupe. Her Broadway debut came in Trigger (1927). She made her film debut in 1934 (one year after her mother's retirement) in the Katharine Hepburn vehicle Spitfire. Haden later became a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player in the late 1930s and had smallish roles in many of the studio's films, most notably in the Andy Hardy series starring Mickey Rooney, cast as the spinsterish Aunt Milly Forrest. Haden made her last film, Andy Hardy Comes Home, in 1958, but was active on television until a 1965 guest spot on Dr. Kildare. She was most notable for her stern, humorless characterisations such as a truant officer in Shirley Temple's Captain January (1936), but she also played the much-loved teacher Miss Pipps, who is unjustly fired in the Our Gang comedy Come Back, Miss Pipps (1941). Other films in which she appeared include Poor Little Rich Girl (1936), The Shop Around the Corner (1940), Woman of the Year (1942), and The Bishop's Wife (1947). Her television appearances include episodes of Climax!, Bourbon Street Beat, and Bonanza. She had a guest appearance on Perry Mason as Florence Harvey in the 1959 episode, "The Case of the Romantic Rogue". Haden played Dora Darling in My Favorite Martian, season 2 episode 28, "Once Upon a Martian's Mother's Day" in 1965. She was married to film actor Richard Abbott (born Seamon Vandenberg; 1899-1986) from 1921 until their divorce in 1948. Sara Haden died on September 15, 1981 at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California, at age 82.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 16, 1898
Died
September 15, 1981 (aged 82)
From
Galveston, Texas, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
46 on MovieCove · 100 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 37 days to Oct 26Down 32% in 30 days

What are Sara Haden's films like?

Across their 30 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy16 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 64th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 50th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Adventure5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 65th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: 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
52%
Self
23%
Morality
13%
Society
6%
Survival
4%
Ideas
1%
Power
1%
Romantic love16 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds17 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age7 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 30 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 23 · Serious 4 · Dark 3

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

Grounded 24 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 22 · Charged 6 · Intense 2

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

Steady 24 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 1

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

Straight-faced 7 · Some laughs 16 · Funny 7

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 21 · Even-paced 9 · Relentless 0

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

Casual 24 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 29 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

4 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 2 of 4 analyzed roles.

Shadow
2 of 4
Ally
1 of 4
Herald
1 of 4

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Warm
20
Joyful
14
Hopeful
9
Melancholic
10
Tense
5
Other
20

How their films linger

Feel-good22 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy25
  • Bittersweet5

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 Sara Haden's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 16 of their 46 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (13).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Sara Haden'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

100 credits, 46 with a MovieCove page.

  • Breaking Point (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Vacation Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Emma Madison

  • Route 66(1960)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • Bourbon Street Beat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

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

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The DuPont Show with June Allyson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Mother Superior

  • Andy Hardy Comes Home(1958)

    as Milly Forrest

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Perry Mason(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Florence Harvey

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • State Trooper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Matinee Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

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

    as Head Guard Darcy

  • The Millionaire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Miss Kendis

  • The Outlaw's Daughter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Mrs. Merril

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

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • A Lion Is in the Streets(1953)

    as Lula May McManamee

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Abbott and Costello Show(1952)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs. Bronson

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows

  • Mr. & Mrs. North(1952)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all shows

  • Wagons West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Mrs. Cook

  • Rodeo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Agatha Cartwright

  • As We Forgive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Actor

  • Hallmark Hall of Fame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Wife

  • A Life of Her Own(1950)

    as Smitty

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Great Rupert(1950)

    as Mrs. Katie Dingle

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Roughshod (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Ma Wyatt

  • The Big Cat(1949)

    as Mrs. Mary Cooper

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Rachel and the Stranger(1948)

    as Mrs. Jackson

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Bishop's Wife(1947)

    as Mildred Cassaway

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Love Laughs at Andy Hardy(1946)

    as Aunt Milly

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Mr. Ace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Alma Rhodes

  • Our Hearts Were Growing Up(1946)

    as Miss Dill

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Bad Bascomb (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Tillie Lovejoy

  • She-Wolf of London(1946)

    as Martha Winthrop

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Strictly Personal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Helen Matthews

  • She Wouldn't Say Yes(1945)

    as Laura Pitts

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Our Vines Have Tender Grapes(1945)

    as Mrs. Bjornson

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble(1944)

    as Milly Forrest

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Broadway Rhythm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Miss Wynn (uncredited)

  • Lost Angel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Rhoda Kitterick

  • Best Foot Forward(1943)

    as Miss Talbert

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Thousands Cheer(1943)

    as Nurse #2

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Above Suspicion(1943)

    as Aunt Hattie

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • The Youngest Profession(1943)

    as Sister Lassie

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Andy Hardy's Double Life(1942)

    as Milly Forrest

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Somewhere I'll Find You(1942)

    as Miss Coulter

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • The Affairs of Martha(1942)

    as Mrs. Justin I. Peacock

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Courtship of Andy Hardy(1942)

    as Milly Forrest

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Woman of the Year(1942)

    as Matron

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Flag of Mercy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Clara Barton

  • H.M. Pulham, Esq.(1941)

    as Miss Rollo, Harry's Secretary

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Come Back, Miss Pipps (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Miss Pipps (uncredited)

  • Life Begins for Andy Hardy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Milly Forrest

  • Love Crazy(1941)

    as Miss Cecilia Landis

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Washington Melodrama (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Harriet Harringan

  • Barnacle Bill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Aunt Letty

  • Andy Hardy's Private Secretary(1941)

    as Milly Forrest

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The Trial of Mary Dugan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Miss Matthews

  • Keeping Company (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Mrs. Foster

  • Hullabaloo(1940)

    as 'Sue' Merriweather

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Boom Town(1940)

    as Miss Barnes

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Andy Hardy Meets Debutante(1940)

    as Milly Forrest

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • The Shop Around the Corner(1940)

    as Flora

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Judge Hardy and Son(1939)

    as Milly Forrest

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Remember? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Miss Wilson

  • The Secret of Dr. Kildare(1939)

    as Nora

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Think First (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Policewoman

  • Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever(1939)

    as Milly Forrest

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

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

    as Miss Brendon

  • Angel of Mercy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Clara Barton (uncredited)

  • The Hardys Ride High (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Milly Forrest

  • Four Girls in White (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Miss Bennett

  • Loews Christmas Greeting (The Hardy Family) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Aunt Millie Forrest

  • Out West with the Hardys(1938)

    as Milly Forrest

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • The Barrier (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Mrs. John 'Alluna' Gale

  • You're Only Young Once(1937)

    as Milly Forrest

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • First Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Mrs. Mason

  • A Family Affair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Milly Forrest

  • The Last of Mrs. Cheyney(1937)

    as Anna

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Under Cover of Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Janet Griswald

  • Laughing at Trouble (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Mrs. Jennie Nevins

  • Reunion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Ellie

  • Can This Be Dixie? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Miss Beauregard Peachtree

  • Poor Little Rich Girl(1936)

    as Collins

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • The Crime of Dr. Forbes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Dr. Anna Burkhart

  • Little Miss Nobody (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Mrs. Lewis

  • Half Angel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Henrietta Hargraves

  • Captain January(1936)

    as Agatha Morgan

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Everybody's Old Man(1936)

    as Susan Franklin

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

  • Magnificent Obsession(1935)

    as Mrs. Nancy Ashford

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Way Down East (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Cordelia Peabody

  • O'Shaughnessy's Boy(1935)

    as Aunt Martha

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Mad Love(1935)

    as Marie

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Music in the Air(1934)

    as Martha

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Anne of Green Gables (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Mrs. Barry

  • The White Parade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Miss Harrington

  • The Fountain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Sophie Van Leyden

  • Hat, Coat and Glove (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as The Secretary

  • The Life of Vergie Winters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Winnie Belle

  • Finishing School (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Miss Fisher

  • Affairs of a Gentleman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Frances Bennett - Gresham's Secretary

  • Spitfire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Etta Dawson

Career shape

Star power in the 91st percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 100 titles from 1934 to 1963.

Biggest box office

The Shop Around the Corner (1940)

$44K worldwide

Highest rated

The Shop Around the Corner (1940)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

The Bishop's Wife (1947)

Film career

  • 1934Screen debut· Anne of Green Gables

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting100 of 100: 100 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score63rd

By decade

1930s39 · acting1940s38 · acting1950s20 · acting1960s3 · acting

Billing

usually 6th · top billed in 0% of 11 roles

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.

How do Sara Haden's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 61st percentile, the median of all 42; across their 30 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 59th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 30

Approval · how many liked their films

62ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 30

Reach · how many have seen their films

37thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 30

Midcredits score across 46 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up14
  • 50th to 74th20
  • 25th to 49th10
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

27 of their 46 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser27
  • Broadly Agreed7
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · actor

Everybody's Old Man (1936)

90th percentile spread · 38% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Shop Around the Corner (1940)

Midcredits 99th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the acting 71/100 in their films, across 29 reviewed titles; fans 78, detractors 51. 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 Sara Haden work with?

People who share at least 2 of Sara Haden's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Aurania Rouverol shares the most, 11.

Directors

  • George B. Seitz8 titles    See all 8 shared titles with George B. Seitz

Writers

Actors

  • Fay Holden11 titles    See all 11 shared titles with Fay Holden
  • Mickey Rooney11 titles    See all 11 shared titles with Mickey Rooney
  • Lewis Stone10 titles    See all 10 shared titles with Lewis Stone
  • Cecilia Parker8 titles    See all 8 shared titles with Cecilia Parker

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles