Nancy Kelly facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nancy Kelly
Publicity photograph
Born	(1921-03-25)March 25, 1921 Lowell, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	January 2, 1995(1995-01-02) (aged 73) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1926–1977
Notable work	Jesse James One Night In The Tropics Tarzan's Desert Mystery The Bad Seed Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Studio One
Spouse(s)	Edmond O'Brien ​ ​ (m. 1941; div. 1942)​ Fred Jackman, Jr. ​ ​ (m. 1946; div. 1950)​ Warren Caro ​ ​ (m. 1955; div. 1968)​
Children	1
Family	Jack Kelly (brother)

Nancy Kelly (born March 25, 1921 – died January 2, 1995) was an American actress. She starred in movies, plays, and TV shows. Nancy started acting and modeling when she was a child.

She was part of the cast for CBS Radio's The March of Time show. She also appeared in several films in the late 1920s. As a teenager, she became a main actress in movies. Between 1938 and 1946, she made two dozen films. She played the love interest of Tyrone Power in the classic movie Jesse James (1939). This film also featured Henry Fonda. She also acted with Spencer Tracy in Stanley and Livingstone in the same year.

In the late 1940s, Nancy began working on stage. Her biggest success was in the play The Bad Seed. She played a worried mother. For this role, she won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play in 1955. She also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for the 1956 film version. This was her last movie role. After that, Kelly worked regularly in television until 1963. She then took over the role of Martha in the original Broadway play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? for several months. She returned to TV for a few appearances in the mid-1970s.

Who Was Nancy Kelly?

Nancy Kelly in a studio photo around 1940

Nancy Kelly on set for Betrayal from the East (1945)

Nancy Kelly onstage in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1963)

Nancy Kelly was born in Lowell, Massachusetts. Her family had Irish roots and was involved in theater. Her mother, Nan Kelly, was a silent film actress. She helped Nancy with her acting career.

By the age of 17, Nancy had appeared in 52 films made on the East Coast. Her younger brother was actor Jack Kelly. He was famous for playing Bart Maverick in the TV series Maverick. Nancy and Jack looked alike.

Nancy went to Bentley School for Girls, Immaculate Conception Academy, and Saint Lawrence Academy.

Nancy as a Child Model

When Nancy was a child, her picture was in many advertisements. By the time she was nine, a newspaper called Film Daily said she was "the most photographed child in America." This was because she posed for so many commercials.

Nancy's Radio Work

Nancy Kelly worked a lot in radio when she was a teenager. She played Dorothy Gale in an NBC Radio Network show called The Wizard of Oz. This show was based on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Nancy was the first young female actress on CBS Radio's The March of Time series. She could change her voice very well. This allowed her to play both male and female characters. She even played Eleanor Roosevelt.

Nancy's Acting Career

As an adult, Nancy Kelly was a main actress in 27 movies during the 1930s and 1940s.

Movies and Plays

Some of her films include:

• Submarine Patrol (1938) directed by John Ford.
• Frontier Marshal (1939) with Randolph Scott.
• Jesse James (1939) with Tyrone Power and Henry Fonda.
• Stanley and Livingstone (1939) with Spencer Tracy.
• The comedy He Married His Wife (1940) with Joel McCrea.
• Parachute Battalion (1941) with Robert Preston.
• Tarzan's Desert Mystery (1943) with Johnny Weissmuller.

In 1949, she starred in the Broadway play The Big Knife. She won the Sarah Siddons Award twice for her work in Chicago plays. She also won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her role in The Bad Seed. She then starred in the 1956 movie version and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.

Television Roles

Nancy also starred on television. She had leading roles in episodes like "The Storm" (1961) from Thriller. She also appeared in "The Lonely Hours" (1963) from The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. In 1957, she was nominated for an Emmy Award for her role in the "The Pilot" episode of Studio One.

Nancy's Family Life

Nancy Kelly was married three times.

• She was married to actor Edmond O'Brien from 1941 to 1942. They divorced.
• She then married Fred Jackman, Jr. from 1946 to 1950. He was the son of a Hollywood cameraman. They also divorced.
• Her third marriage was to theater director Warren Caro from 1955 to 1968. They had a daughter named Kelly Caro in 1957.

Later Life and Legacy

Nancy Kelly passed away at her home in Bel Air, California, on January 2, 1995. She was 73 years old. She had complications from diabetes. She was survived by her daughter and three granddaughters. She is buried in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.

For her work in movies, Nancy Kelly has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It is located at 7021 Hollywood Blvd. She received her star on February 8, 1960.

Selected Filmography

Radio Appearances

The Suspense episode 169, called "A Week Ago Wednesday," aired on November 29, 1945.

See also

In Spanish: Nancy Kelly para niños