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.
Buried at Masonic Cemetery, Jamesport, Missouri, next to her husband, Mel Powell.
Earned a degree in drama from the University of Michigan in 1934.
First husband Carlton Alsop was a radio and film producer. She had one son, Scott Alsop, and later had two daughters with her second husband, composer Mel Powell -- Mary and Kathleen.
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.
Has played Charlton Heston's mother twice - in Ben-Hur (1959) and The Ten Commandments (1956) and his wife twice on stage.
Her mother - Letha McKinley Scott - was a second cousin to President William McKinley.
Her second husband was a protege of Benny Goodman, and singer Peggy Lee is godmother to their first daughter.
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.
She is survived by her son, Scott Alsopp, and two daughters, Mary Powell Harpel and Kathleen Powell.
She was a member of Delta Gamma women's fraternity (Xi-Michigan chapter).
She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Live Theatre at 6126 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
She was survived by her brother, Charles Scott.
She was the second actress cast in the Broadway role of "Emily Webb" after the actress initially cast was dropped by producer/director Jed Harris for not making the difficult transition in character after Emily dies in childbirth. The role made Martha a theatre star. Ironically, when she took her part to film, the last act was rewritten to include a happier ending wherein Emily does not die. It was a huge misjudgment on the part of the producers and for this almost sacrilegious flaw, the film version, Our Town (1940), is not considered the classic it should be, even though it is beautifully rendered and interpreted in every other way.
Son Carlton Scott Alsop was born in February, 1942.
Studied drama at the University of Michigan
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.
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.