Symona Boniface

Symona Ferner Boniface (March 5, 1894 – September 2, 1950) was an American film actress, most frequently seen in bit parts in comedy shorts, mostly at Columbia Pictures, particularly those of The Three Stooges. She appeared in 120 films between 1925 and 1950.

Symona Boniface
Boniface in c. 1917
Born
Symona Ferner Boniface

(1894-03-05)March 5, 1894
New York City, U.S.
DiedSeptember 2, 1950(1950-09-02) (aged 56)
Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California
OccupationActress
Years active1925–1950
SpouseFrank Pharr Simms

Early life

Boniface was born in New York City, the daughter of George C. Boniface, an actor, and his wife Norma (née Ferner) Boniface, an inventor. Symona's father was of English extraction and her mother of German heritage, though both were New York natives.[1]

Career

The young Boniface became interested in the theater, and both wrote and appeared in stage plays. In 1925 she broke into motion pictures at the Hal Roach studio, which specialized in short comedies. There she appeared with Roach's stars Charley Chase, Our Gang, Max Davidson, and Laurel and Hardy, sometimes in featured roles and sometimes playing incidental bit roles. Her frame and demeanor usually cast her as vamps, dowagers, or society matrons. She played these roles in feature films as well as in short subjects.

She first appeared in Columbia Pictures' two-reel comedies in 1935, and would work with the studio's short-subject comedians Andy Clyde, Monte Collins and Tom Kennedy, Buster Keaton, Hugh Herbert, Vera Vague, and especially The Three Stooges, whose broad slapstick antics upset the dowager's dignity. She dealt with a shrinking or torn skirt in No Census, No Feeling and Crash Goes the Hash, squirmed thanks to a mouse crawling down her back in Loco Boy Makes Good, and was flooded in both Spook Louder and her final appearance, Vagabond Loafers.

Half-Wits' Holiday

In Half-Wits Holiday opposite Moe Howard, mischievous Curly grabs a cream pie from a pastry table, and tries to eat it whole. Moe sees this, swipes the pie, and pushes Larry out of the way. Seeing the approaching Mrs. Smythe-Smythe (Boniface), Moe tosses the pie straight up, resulting in it sticking to the ceiling. Noticing his nervousness and frequent upward glances, Smythe-Smythe sympathetically comments, "Young man, you act as if the Sword of Damocles is hanging over your head." Moe tells her she must be psychic and leaves. Bewildered, Mrs. Smythe-Smythe says "I wonder what's wrong with that young man?" and looks up to see what had him so concerned. At that moment, the pie comes crashing down in the society matron's face. The footage would be recycled four more times over the next 13 years in the films Pest Man Wins, Scheming Schemers, Pies and Guys and Stop! Look! and Laugh!

Columbia writer-director Edward Bernds was especially pleased with Symona Boniface's work, and gave her larger character roles in his scripts. He first cast her in the famous Stooge short Micro-Phonies (1945). She went on to play dignified matrons and suspicious mothers-in-law alongside the Stooges, Gus Schilling and Richard Lane, and Harry Von Zell.

Boniface also appeared in the Stooges' 1949 television pilot Jerks of All Trades, which would be the last project she ever appeared in. Stock footage of her would appear in six ensuing Stooges shorts following her death.

Personal life and death

Boniface married Frank Pharr Simms, a salesman and real-estate broker from Decatur, Georgia.[2][3] Boniface was 56 years of age when she died of pancreatic cancer on September 2, 1950, in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California.

Selected filmography

References
  1. United States Census: Year: 1910; Census Place: Manhattan Ward 12, New York, New York; Roll: T624_1026; Page: 7B; Enumeration District: 0694; Image: 874; FHL Number: 1375039.
  2. United States Census: Year: 1930; Census Place: Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Roll: 137; Page: 16A; Image: 601.0; Family History Library Film: 2339872.
  3. United States, Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Registration Location: Buckingham County, Virginia; Roll: 1984264; Draft Board: 0.
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