Jane Wyatt (August 12, 1910 - October 20, 2006)

To me there will always be only three women who absolutely defined the image of the television mother. Barbara Billingsley as June Cleaver on "Leave it to Beaver", Donna Reed as Donna Stone on "The Donna Reed Show" and of course Jane Wyatt as Margaret Anderson on "Father Knows Best." Jane Wyatt started her career in the early 1930's. She appeared in 31 films between 1934 and 1986. Her notability however came from her extensive body of television work. Her television credits include but are not limited to "What's My Line?", "Toast of the Town", "The Steve Allen Show", "The Dinah Shore Chevy Show", "The Bell Telephone Hour", "Password", "Your Show of Shows", "Schlitz Playhouse of Stars", "The Ford Television Theatre", "Fireside Theatre", "Robert Montgomery Presents", "Studio One", "General Electric Theater", "The United States Steel Hour", "Wagon Train", "Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theare", "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour", "CBS Playhouse", "Love, American Style", "The Virginian", "Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law", "Marcus Welby, M.D.", "Medical Center", "Quincy M.E.", "Happy Days", "The Love Boat", "Hotel", "Baby Boom" and "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles." In 1954 Wyatt stepped into the role that would earn her a place in television history not to mention a few Emmy awards. The domestic sitcom "Father Knows Best" began on CBS radio in 1949 and starred former film star Robert Young as insurance salesperson Jim Anderson. June Whitley and later Jean Vander Pyl provided the voice of his wife Margaret. Neither Whitley or Vander Pyl stepped into the role when the series moved to television in 1954 and Jane Wyatt was cast to appear along side Young. The series ran until 1960 and produced 203 episodes. Young and Wyatt became poster people for the classic conservative 1950's happily married couple. Jim was a hard working man and Margaret was a dedicated and proud housewife. In 1967, Wyatt made a guest appearance on the science fiction cult classic "Star Trek" as Amanda Grayson, the human mother of Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy). She would later reprise the role in the 1986 motion picture Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. This would prove to be her final film role. During the mid to late 1980's Wyatt enjoyed a recurring role as Katherine Auschlander on the NBC medical drama "St. Elsewhere." Her character was the wife of Dr. Daniel Auschlander played by actor Norman Lloyd. Wyatt's final acting role was in 1996 on the television series "Ruth Rendall Mysteries." She was 86 years old at the time. Jane Wyatt was one of the finest ladies that ever graced the screen and when she left this life at the age of 96 she left behind an incredible body of work and many many loyal fans.

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