Martha Scott entered films in the early 1940s, following an initial appearance in stock. Her first film appearance was Our Town, playing the same character as she played on the stage. She won an Academy Award nomination for her superb performance in the film. Martha Scott is remembered as a highly talented actress, however her work is often forgotten today as she was never seen as a truly bankable star by the major studios.

A recent memorable performance for Martha was as Sister Beatrice in the camp disaster movie Airport 1975. She played a dominant experienced nun with Helen Reddy, in a cast of major stars facing disaster on the stricken Boeing 747 jetliner.

She continued to work consistently throughout the 1970s and 1980s, often appearing in television movies and on the stage. She died at the age of 90 in May 2003 and is buried with her husband Mel Powell.



Her second husband was a protege of Benny Goodman, and singer Peggy Lee is godmother to their first daughter. Her mother - Letha McKinley Scott - was a second cousin to President William McKinley. She is survived by her son, Scott Alsopp, and two daughters, Mary Powell Harpel and Kathleen Powell. She had previously played Charlton Heston's wife in a rather less celebrated period drama, a play called "Design for a Stained-Glass Window". She was hired for Ben-Hur (1959), at Heston's suggestion, when the original actress was sacked. A couple of years later a similar situation occurred when Heston was due to appear in the play "The Tumbler". The actress hired to play his wife was sacked and Heston again suggested Scott. "I could vouch for her absolutely, both as actress and pro," he said in his memoirs. After graduating with a degree in drama from the University of Michigan in 1934, she appeared in plays by William Shakespeare at the 1933-1934 Chicago World's Fair before coming to New York. Formed a partnership with actors Robert Ryan and Henry Fonda in 1968. They co-founded the theatrical production company Plumstead Playhouse in New York, later called the Plumstead Theatre Society. They co-produced the Broadway production of "First Monday in October" starring Fonda and Jane Alexander, as well as the movie version (First Monday in October (1981)) with Walter Matthau and Jill Clayburgh. She also produced an L.A. production of "Twelve Angry Men" in 1985. Unusually she was not a part of the Memorial Tribute at The 76th Annual Academy Awards (2004) (TV), even though she was a member of the Academy and was also a previous nominee in 1940. She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Live Theatre at 6126 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California. Was offered the role of Mary Hatch Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life (1946) after Jean Arthur turned it down, but she also turned down the part. Donna Reed was cast instead and it went on to be one of her most famous performances.