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Photo of Selena Royle

Selena Royle

Actor
Born November 6, 1904Died April 23, 1983 (78 years)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Selena Royle (November 6, 1904 – April 23, 1983) was an American actress (of stage, radio, television and film), and later, an author. Royle was born in New York City to playwright Edwin Milton Royle and actress Selena Fetter (April 12, 1860 - May 10, 1955). She had an older sister, Josephine Fetter Royle (1901–1992).

Her mother recounted in a newspaper article that she used to take Selena along with her to her rehearsals and performances. One night, then seven-year-old Selena went missing. While the mother frantically searched for her, holding up act two, the audience became restless. The youngster finally turned up - she had gone on stage dressed in her mother's second-act costume; she made a bow, much to the audience's amusement. She later remarked, "And that is the first time I was ever on stage, and I liked it so well I stayed."

Her father wrote the 1921 Broadway play Lancelot and Elaine to provide both her and sister Josephine with their first professional roles, as Guinevere and Elaine respectively. Eventually, she landed a part on her own in the 1923 Theatre Guild production of Peer Gynt, with Joseph Schildkraut, and became a respected Broadway actress. She made one film in the 1930s, Misleading Lady, but otherwise worked on the stage and on radio.

Royle began her radio career in 1926 or 1927 and performed "almost continuously since", according to a 1939 newspaper item.

Her body of work includes playing the title role in Hilda Hope, M.D. She also played Martha Jackson in Woman of Courage, Mrs. Allen in Against the Storm, Joan in The O'Neills, and Mrs. Gardner in Betty and Bob, and appeared in Kate Hopkins.

In the 1940s, she returned to film and had a successful run, mainly playing maternal characters such as the bereaved mother of The Fighting Sullivans (1944), mother to Jane Powell in the big screen adaptation of A Date with Judy (1948) and the title character's mother opposite Ingrid Bergman as Joan of Arc (1948).

She made several appearances on early television. However, in 1951, when she refused to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee. She sued the American Legion, which had published Red Channels, in which her name was listed, and won but her acting career ended. She made only three more roles, the last being Murder Is My Beat (1955).

She also wrote several books, including Guadalajara: as I Know It, Live It, Love It (which went through several editions) and a couple of cookbooks, and some magazine articles. She was the "radio editor" of the short-lived New York periodical Swank.

Movies & Shows on Plex

  • Joan of Arc
  • Moonrise

Known For

  • The Heiress
  • Robot Monster
  • The Fighting Sullivans
  • He Ran All the Way
  • The Damned Don't Cry
  • The Harvey Girls
  • Courage of Lassie
  • Moonrise
  • Joan of Arc
  • My Dream Is Yours
  • Murder Is My Beat
  • The Green Years
  • A Date with Judy
  • The Romance of Rosy Ridge
  • Branded
  • Come Fill the Cup
  • The Big Hangover
  • Bad Boy

Filmography

1974
That's Entertainment! · as (archive Footage) (uncredited)
1956
As The World Turns (TV Series) · as Grace Baker #1 (1956-1959)
1955
Matinee Theater (TV Series) · as Cast
1955
Murder Is My Beat · as Beatrice Abbott
1953
Robot Monster · as Mother
1951
Hallmark Hall Of Fame (TV Series) · as Cast Member
1951
Come Fill the Cup · as Mrs. Dolly Copeland
1951
Gruen Guild Theater (TV Series) · as Cast
1951
He Ran All the Way · as Mrs. Dobbs
1950
Branded · as Mrs. Lavery
1950
The Web (1950) (TV Series) · as Cast
1950
The Big Hangover · as Kate Mahoney
1950
The Damned Don't Cry · as Patricia Longworth
1949
The Heiress · as Elizabeth Almond
1949
You're My Everything · as Mrs. Adams
1949
My Dream Is Yours · as Freda Hofer
1949
Bad Boy · as Judge Florence Prentiss
1948
Joan of Arc · as Isabelle D'arc, Joan's Mother
1948
Moonrise · as Aunt Jessie
1948
A Date with Judy · as Mrs. Foster
1948
Smart Woman · as Mrs. Wayne
1948
Summer Holiday · as Mrs. Essie Miller
1948
You Were Meant for Me · as Cora Mayhew
1947
Cass Timberlane · as Louise Wargate
1947
The Romance of Rosy Ridge · as Sairy Macbean
1946
No Leave, No Love · as Mrs. Hanlon
1946
Gallant Journey · as Mrs. Zachary Montgomery
1946
Courage of Lassie · as Mrs. Merrick
1946
Night and Day · as Kate Porter
1946
Till the End of Time · as Mrs. Kincheloe
1946
The Green Years · as Mama Leckie
1946
The Harvey Girls · as Miss Bliss
1945
Main Street After Dark · as 'ma' Abby Dibson
1945
This Man's Navy · as Maude Weaver
1944
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo · as Mrs. Reynolds
1944
Mrs. Parkington · as Mattie Trounson
1944
The Fighting Sullivans · as Mrs. Alleta Sullivan
1932
The Misleading Lady · as Alice Connell

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