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Nanette Fabray

Nanette Fabray

Actor · Died February 22, 2018, aged 97 · San Diego, California, USA

Nanette Fabray (born Ruby Bernadette Nanette Theresa Fabares; October 27, 1920 – February 22, 2018) was an American actress, singer, and dancer. She began her career performing in vaudeville as a child and became a musical-theatre actress during the 1940s and 1950s, acclaimed for her role in High Button Shoes (1947) and winning a Tony Award in 1949 for her performance in Love Life.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 27, 1920
Died
February 22, 2018 (aged 97)
From
San Diego, California, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
20 on MovieCove · 40 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26

What are Nanette Fabray's films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 50th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 58th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
32%
Self
30%
Society
14%
Morality
11%
Ideas
8%
Power
5%
Identity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 10 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 7 · Serious 2 · Dark 1

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 7 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 5 · Charged 4 · Intense 1

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 6 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 3

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 7 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 9 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

8 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 5 of 8 analyzed roles.

Ally
5 of 8
Mentor
1 of 8
Shapeshifter
1 of 8
Trickster
1 of 8
Show the 8 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
7
Warm
6
Melancholic
4
Tense
2
Romantic
2
Other
3

How their films linger

Feel-good9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCozy2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy9
  • Bittersweet2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Nanette Fabray's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 7 of their 20 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Nanette Fabray's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

40 credits, 20 with a MovieCove page; 28 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • That's Entertainment! III(1994)

    as (archive footage) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Teresa's Tattoo(1994)

    as Martha Mae

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • The Golden Palace(1992)

    Show 1 episode · as Fern

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • Personal Exemptions (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Actor

  • Coach(1989)

    Show 2 episodes · as Christine's Mom · as Mildred Armstrong

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • Murder, She Wrote(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Emmaline Bristow

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Hotel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Harriet Gold

  • Amy(1981)

    as Malvina

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Aloha Paradise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Man in the Santa Claus Suit(1979)

    as Dora Dayton

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • All Star Secrets (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Harper Valley P.T.A.(1978)

    as Alice Finely

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Love Boat(1977)

    Show 1 episode · as Maggie O'Brien · as Mitzy Monroe · as Shirley Simpson

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all shows

  • That's Entertainment, Part II(1976)

    as (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • One Day at a Time(1975)

    Show 51 episodes · as Katherine Romano

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all shows

  • Happy Anniversary and Goodbye(1974)

    as Fay

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • The Couple Takes a Wife (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Marion Randolph

  • Magic Carpet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Virginia Wolfe

  • But I Don't Want to Get Married! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as Mrs. Vale

  • The Mary Tyler Moore Show(1970)

    Show 2 episodes · as Dottie Richards

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • George M! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as Nellie Cohan

  • The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County(1970)

    as Sadie

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • The Happy Ending(1969)

    as Agnes

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Love, American Style (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 1 episode · as Casey · as Cindy · as Phyllis

  • Fame Is the Name of the Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    as Pat

  • Alice Through the Looking Glass(1966)

    as The White Queen

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.(1966)

    Show 1 episode · as Desiree

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all shows

  • Burke's Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Amanda Tribble · as Rowena Coolidge

  • Westinghouse Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 26 episodes · as Nan McGovern

  • The Subterraneans (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Society Woman (uncredited)

  • Startime (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Sally · as Self

  • Laramie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Family Nobody Wanted (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Helen Doss

  • The Band Wagon(1953)

    as Lily Marton

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Omnibus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Show 1 episode · as Raina Petkoff

  • Your Show of Shows (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • A Child Is Born(1939)

    as Gladys Norton

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex(1939)

    as Mistress Margaret Radcliffe

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Monroe Doctrine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Rosita De La Torre

  • Animal Catchers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Girl wearing overalls

Career shape

Star power in the 81st percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 40 titles from 1927 to 1994; peak year 1978.

Biggest box office

The Band Wagon (1953)

$15K worldwide

Highest rated

The Band Wagon (1953)

Midcredits 90th

Most popular right now

One Day at a Time (1975)

Film career

19271994

Peak 1978 · steadily prominent in film for years. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting40 of 40: 40 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score53rd

By decade

1920s1 · acting1930s3 · acting1950s6 · acting1960s8 · acting1970s13 · acting1980s6 · acting1990s3 · acting

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Nanette Fabray's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 56th percentile, the median of all 13; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 55th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

55thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Approval · how many liked their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Reach · how many have seen their films

44thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Midcredits score across 20 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 20 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser11
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · actor

Teresa's Tattoo (1994)

80th percentile spread · 52% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Band Wagon (1953)

Midcredits 90th · 76% liked

Reviewers score the acting 71/100 in their films, across 9 reviewed titles; fans 83, detractors 47. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Nanette Fabray work with?

People who share at least 2 of Nanette Fabray's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Cyd Charisse shares the most, 2.

Actors

Composers

Mixed roles