Hilda Plowright

Hilda Plowright (November 29, 1890 - October 9, 1973) was an actress born in Swaffham, Norfolk. Following a career on the stage in Britain she came to the United States and obtained work and a Social Security number in New York. She died in San Diego, California following a career in film, theater and television, primarily playing older women in assorted small roles. She had over 50 film and television appearances between 1938 and 1965. She also appeared in at least 13 theater productions on Broadway between 1925 and 1940.

Plowright had an extensive theatrical career in Britain from 1908 to 1921. The August 17, 1916 review from The Cornishman of her in the title role, Ann Annnington, of Lechmere Worrall's play "Ann" (later made into the film Her Winning Way) was favorable:

In the title role of "Ann," Miss Hilda Plowright pleased the audience immensely. The eccentricity, daring, winsomeness, and vivacity of Ann's character was most skilfully evolved, and the mastery obtained over the American accent and mannerism was most noticeable.

Plowright had a starring role in her first film, the 1938 Hopalong Cassidy B-movie Partners of the Plains where Gwen Gaze was the leading lady.

Plowright's role as a Quaker librarian in The Philadelphia Story has been noted as one of the first examples on film of a librarian saying "shush" to patrons, giving rise to and popularizing a "new dimension to the stereotype" of stern, straightlaced librarians in film. She also was cast in Wilson as Jeannette Rankin, one of the few film portrayals of the first woman to serve in the United States Congress. She auditioned for, but was not given, the role of Frau Schmidt in The Sound of Music.

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