Isobel Elsom

Isobel Elsom (March 16 1893 - January 12 1981) was an English screen, stage, and television actress.

Born Isobel Jeannette Reed in Cambridge, England, Elsom usually was cast as an aristocratic lady of the upper class. Over the couse of three decades she appeared in 17 Broadway productions, beginning with "The Ghost Train" in 1926. Her best known stage role was the wealthy murder victim in "Ladies in Retirement" (1939), a role she repeated in the 1941 film version. Her other theatre credits included "The Innocents" and "Romeo and Juliet".

Elsom made her first screen appearance during the silent film era (she frequently co-starred with Owen Nares) and appeared in nearly 100 films throughout her career. She met her first husband, director Maurice Elvey, when he cast her in his 1919 film "Quinneys". He went on to direct her in eight more films before they divorced. Elsom's other screen credits included "The White Cliffs of Dover" (1944), "Of Human Bondage" (1946), "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir", "Monsieur Verdoux", "The Paradine Case", and "The Two Mrs. Carrolls", (all in 1947), "The Secret Garden" (1949), "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing" (1955), "Lust for Life" and "23 Paces to Baker Street" (both in 1956), and "The Pleasure Seekers" and "My Fair Lady" (both in 1964). She appeared opposite Jerry Lewis in four of his late 1950s/early 1960s films.

Elsom's television credits included "Armstrong Circle Theatre", "Hallmark Hall of Fame", "Lux Video Theatre", "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (at least 4 appearances), "Playhouse 90", "Hawaiian Eye", and "Dr. Kildare".

Five portraits of Elsom are included in the Photographs Collection of the National Portrait Gallery in London [ [http://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/person.asp?LinkID=mp66765 National Portraits Gallery website] ] .

Elsom's second husband was actor Carl Harbord. She died in Woodland Hills, California.

References

External links

*ibdb name|id=39532
* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0255695/ Isobel Elsom at the Internet Movie Database]