Skip to content
MovieCove
Jane Wyatt

Jane Wyatt

Actor · Died October 20, 2006, aged 96 · Campgaw, New Jersey, USA

From Wikipedia Jane Wyatt (August 12, 1910 – October 20, 2006) was an American actress best known for her role as the housewife and mother on the NBC and CBS television comedy series, Father Knows Best, and as Amanda Grayson, the human mother of Spock on the science fiction television series Star Trek. Wyatt was a three-time Emmy Award-winner. Jane Waddington Wyatt was born on August 12, 1910 in Mahwah, New Jersey, but raised in Manhattan. Her father, Christopher Billopp Wyatt, Jr., was a Wall Street investment banker, and her mother, the former Euphemia Van Rensselaer Waddington, was a drama critic for the Catholic World. Both of her parents were Roman Catholic converts. She made her film debut in 1934 in One More River. In arguably her most famous role, she co-starred as Ronald Colman's character's love interest in Frank Capra's Columbia Pictures film Lost Horizon (1937). Other film appearances included Gentleman's Agreement with Gregory Peck, None but the Lonely Heart with Cary Grant, Boomerang with Dana Andrews, and Our Very Own. Her film career suffered because of her outspoken opposition to Senator Joseph McCarthy, the chief figure in the anti-Communist investigations of that era, and was temporarily derailed for having assisted in hosting a performance by the Bolshoi Ballet during the Second World War, even though it was at the request of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Wyatt returned to her roots on the New York stage for a time and appeared in such plays as Lillian Hellman's The Autumn Garden, opposite Fredric March. For many people, Wyatt is best remembered as Margaret Anderson on Father Knows Best, which aired from 1954 to 1960. She played opposite Robert Young as the devoted wife and mother of the Anderson family in the Midwestern town of Springfield. This role won Wyatt three Emmy Awards for best actress in a comedy series. After Father Knows Best, Wyatt guest starred in several other series. On June 13, 1962, she was cast in the lead in "The Heather Mahoney Story" on NBC's Wagon Train. In 1963, she portrayed Kitty McMullen in "Don't Forget to Say Goodbye" on the ABC drama, Going My Way, with Gene Kelly and Leo G. Carroll, a series about the Catholic priesthood in New York City. In 1965, Wyatt was cast as Anne White in "The Monkey's Paw – A Retelling" on CBS's The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. Wyatt was married to investment broker Edgar Bethune Ward from November 9, 1935, until his death on November 8, 2000, just one day short of the couple's 65th wedding anniversary. The couple reportedly met in the late 1920s when both were weekend houseguests of Franklin D. Roosevelt at Hyde Park, New York. Ward later converted to the Catholic faith of his wife. Wyatt suffered a mild stroke in the 1990s, but recovered well. She remained in relatively good health for the rest of her life Jane Wyatt died on October 20, 2006 of natural causes at her home in Bel-Air, California, aged 96. She was interred at San Fernando Mission Cemetery, next to her husband.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 12, 1910
Died
October 20, 2006 (aged 96)
From
Campgaw, New Jersey, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
33 on MovieCove · 69 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 34% in 30 days

What are Jane Wyatt's films like?

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

Genres

Drama9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 58th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Crime6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Adventure4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 82nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 42nd percentile
: browse their Comedy 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
Morality
29%
Bonds
26%
Self
13%
Power
9%
Society
8%
Survival
8%
Ideas
7%
Family bonds7 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice8 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption3 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal3 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass3 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 26 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 10 · Serious 9 · Dark 7

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

Grounded 18 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 5 · Charged 15 · Intense 6

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

Steady 12 · Shifting 14 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 19 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 3

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

Slow burn 11 · Even-paced 14 · 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 14 · Engaged 11 · Full focus 1

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 9 · Affecting 12 · Heavy 5

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

Resolved 22 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

13 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 6 of 13 analyzed roles.

Ally
6 of 13
Hero
2 of 13
Threshold guardian
2 of 13
Herald
1 of 13
Shapeshifter
1 of 13
Mentor
1 of 13
Show the 13 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
17
Warm
9
Joyful
7
Melancholic
8
Hopeful
7
Other
19

How their films linger

Hopeful10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy12
  • Bittersweet9
  • Tragic3
  • 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 Jane Wyatt's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 17 of their 33 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (11).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Jane Wyatt'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

69 credits, 33 with a MovieCove page; 4 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Silent Feminists: America's First Women Directors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • Amityville Horror: The Evil Escapes(1989)

    as Alice Leacock

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home(1986)

    as Amanda

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Missing Children: A Mother's Story(1982)

    as Judge Eloise Walker

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • St. Elsewhere (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 7 episodes · as Katherine Auschlander

  • Hotel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Agnes Simpson

  • The Millionaire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Mrs. Mathews

  • The Nativity (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Anna

  • Fantasy Island(1977)

    Show 1 episode · as Mildred Grayson

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all shows

  • A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story(1977)

    as Eleanor's Mother

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Superdome (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Fay Bonelli

  • Father Knows Best: Home for Christmas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as Margaret Anderson

  • The Love Boat(1977)

    Show 1 episode · as Laurette Ferot · as Marcy Banes · as Margaret Anderson · as Margaret Wallingford

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all shows

  • The Father Knows Best Reunion(1977)

    as Margaret Anderson

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Tom Sawyer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Aunt Polly

  • Amelia Earhart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Amy Earhart

  • Treasure of Matecumbe(1976)

    as Aunt Effie

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Katherine(1975)

    as Emily Alman

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • You'll Never See Me Again(1973)

    as Mary Alden

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Neighbors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Mary Robinson

  • Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · as Margaret Wilson

  • Weekend of Terror (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as Sister Frances

  • Love, American Style (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 1 episode · as Mother

  • Marcus Welby, M.D.(1969)

    Show 1 episode · as Edwina

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all shows

  • CBS Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Show 1 episode · as Ned's Mother

  • Star Trek(1966)

    Show 1 episode · as Amanda

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Never Too Late (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Grace Kimbrough

  • See How They Run(1964)

    as Augusta Flanders

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The Alfred Hitchcock Hour(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as Anne White

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • The Two Little Bears(1961)

    as Anne Davis

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Alcoa Premiere (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Play of the Week (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Bell Telephone Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • Interlude (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Pure Stubbins

  • Wagon Train(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Heather Mahoney

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • Father Knows Best(1954)

    Show 203 episodes · as Margaret Anderson

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • The Motorola Television Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • The United States Steel Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Criminal Lawyer(1951)

    as Maggie Powell

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Man Who Cheated Himself(1950)

    as Lois Frazer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • My Blue Heaven(1950)

    as Janet Pringle

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Our Very Own (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Lois Macaulay

  • House by the River(1950)

    as Marjorie Byrne

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Your Show of Shows (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Robert Montgomery Presents (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Task Force(1949)

    as Mary Morgan

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Canadian Pacific(1949)

    as Dr. Edith Cabot

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Bad Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Mrs. Maud Brown

  • No Minor Vices (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Miss Darlington

  • Studio One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • Pitfall(1948)

    as Sue Forbes

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Gentleman's Agreement(1947)

    as Jane

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Boomerang!(1947)

    as Madge Harvey

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Bachelor's Daughters(1946)

    as Marta Jordan

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Strange Conquest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Dr. Mary Palmer

  • None But the Lonely Heart(1944)

    as Aggie Hunter

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Kansan(1943)

    as Eleanor Sager

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Buckskin Frontier(1943)

    as Vinnie Marr

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Army Surgeon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Elizabeth Ainsley

  • The Navy Comes Through (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Myra Mallory

  • Weekend for Three (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Ellen 'Gretch' Craig

  • Hurricane Smith (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Joan Bradley

  • Kisses for Breakfast (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Laura Anders

  • Girl from God's Country (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Anne Webster

  • Lost Horizon(1937)

    as Sondra Bizet

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • The Luckiest Girl in the World(1936)

    as Pat Duncan

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • We're Only Human(1935)

    as Sally Rodgers

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Great Expectations (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Estella

  • One More River (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Dinny Cherrell

Career shape

Star power in the 96th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 69 titles from 1934 to 1993; peak year 1989.

Biggest box office

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

$110M worldwide

Highest rated

Lost Horizon (1937)

Midcredits 91st

Most popular right now

Father Knows Best (1954)

Film career

19341993

Peak 1989 · at the high point of their film career. Top draw in 4 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting69 of 69: 69 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score64th

By decade

1930s5 · acting1940s19 · acting1950s14 · acting1960s9 · acting1970s16 · acting1980s5 · acting1990s1 · acting

Billing

usually 2nd · 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 Jane Wyatt's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 67th percentile, the median of all 26; across their 26 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 63rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

63rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 26

Approval · how many liked their films

61stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 26

Reach · how many have seen their films

34thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 26

Midcredits score across 33 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up11
  • 50th to 74th11
  • 25th to 49th8
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

15 of their 33 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser15
  • Broadly Agreed6
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · actor

The Luckiest Girl in the World (1936)

82nd percentile spread · 35% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Lost Horizon (1937)

Midcredits 91st · 82% liked

Reviewers score the acting 69/100 in their films, across 24 reviewed titles; fans 77, detractors 47. 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.

Is Jane Wyatt's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 35 · mildMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 8 · minimalMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 26 · mildMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 29 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 13 · minimalMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Jane Wyatt work with?

People who share at least 2 of Jane Wyatt's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Lee J. Cobb shares the most, 3.

Directors

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers