Born Today May 5: Ursula Jeans

1906-1973

Born in what was then "British India" to English parents, actress Ursula Jeans was born on this day in Simla (Shimla)--now the capital of Himachal Pradesh. She was educated in London and was the youngest of three children, all of which went into acting. She was, in fact, the younger sister of actress Isabel Jeans. Like her older sister, she made her stage debut in her middle teens--in her case, the year 1922 as the age of just 16.  She also apparently made her film debut the same year in a minor uncredited role in A Gipsy Cavalier, directed by J. Stuart Blackton during a brief time that he was working in the U.K. It would not be until 1926 that she got her first credited film role (having appeared in another uncredited role in yet another Blackton film in 1923: The Virgin Queen).  She was the star of the short drama Silence made at Oxford University by two film students there (she also appeared in a credited role in another short in 1927 False Colours directed by Miles Mander); while her first credited role in a feature was in The Fake (1927)--a melodrama based on a Frederick Lonsdale play.  She appeared in three more films in the 1920's: Quinney's (1927) directed by Maurice Elvey, The Passing of Mr. Quin (1928) based on an Agatha Christie story, and S.O.S. (1928) based on a Walter Ellis play.  She did not appear in another film until 1931, a comedy called The Love Habit starring Seymour Hicks (who was also one of two screenwriters on the project).  She made her American stage debut in New York in the year 1933, and also made he first appearance in an American film production released that same year in Cavalcade.  She immediately went back to the UK film industry after this, taking three years off from film appearances following the untimely death of her first husband, actor Robin Irvine.  After returning to film acting, she had roles for the rest of her career; though, due to her primary job as a stage actress, her film roles not numerous. In all, she acted in less than 40 films during her long career, with The Battle of the Villa Fiorita (1965) being her last feature. Having made her television series debut in 1956, her last acting role came on the series The Root of All Evil? in the 1968 episode Money For Change.  She then retired, dying at the age of 66 on the 21st of April after battling cancer for about a year and half.  Her second husband was Welsh born actor (with whom she sometimes shared the stage) Roger Livesey. For their shared contribution to acting, they also share a memorial plaque at "The Actor's Church" St. Paul's Church, Covent Garden (at least one source say that their remains, possibly ashes?, were interred in the churchyard there).  

[Source: Find A Grave]

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