Birth nameFrances Elizabeth Bavier Birth information14 December 1902, New York City, New York, USA BioFrances Bavier was born in New York City on December 14, 1902. Her first Broadway appearance was in April 1925 in "The Poor Nut", the start of a successful Broadway career. She traveled with the USO to entertain the U.S. troops in the Pacific during World War II. Her last appearance on Broadway was in the 1951 play, "Point of No Return" starring Henry Fonda. It ran for 356 performances.Her first movie was the 1951 sci-fi classic The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951). The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) was the first time Frances appeared with Olan Soule (Mayberry's choir director, John Masters). They were both boarders in the rooming house where the alien stayed. She made many movies during the 50s and appeared on TV as featured characters on shows like "It's a Great Life" (1954) and "The Eve Arden Show" (1957).