Barbara Bel Geddes

American actress

Born: October 31, 1922 · Died: August 8, 2005

Famous Persons

Who was Barbara Bel Geddes?

Barbara Bel Geddes (October 31, 1922 – August 8, 2005) was an American stage and screen actress, artist, and children's author whose career spanned almost five decades. Barbara Bel Geddes was born in New York City, the daughter of Helen Belle (née Schneider; 1891–1938) and stage and industrial designer Norman Bel Geddes (1893–1958). Her father's birth name was Norman Melancton Geddes. Barbara Bel Geddes had a sister named Joan who was six years her senior. In 1916, when he married Helen Belle Schneider, they created the surname Bel Geddes by combining her middle name with Geddes. Bel Geddes married theatrical manager Carl Sawyer (né Schreuer) in 1944; they had one daughter, Susan.

Bel Geddes as Maggie in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955), photographed by Carl van Vechten

Historical significance

She received various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for an Academy Award and two Tony Awards. Bel Geddes was best known for her starring role as Miss Ellie Ewing in the television series Dallas, while her notable films included I Remember Mama (1948) and Vertigo (1958). In theatre, she is best remembered as Maggie in the original Broadway production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in 1955.

George Stevens with Barbara Bel Geddes on set of I Remember Mama (1948)

Sources and further reading

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MLA

“Barbara Bel Geddes.” thisDay, thisday.info/people/barbara-bel-geddes/. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

APA

Barbara Bel Geddes. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved November 9, 2026, from https://thisday.info/people/barbara-bel-geddes/

Chicago

“Barbara Bel Geddes.” thisDay. Accessed November 9, 2026. https://thisday.info/people/barbara-bel-geddes/.

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