Isabel Jeans (16 September 1891 – 4 September 1985) was an English stage and film actress known for her roles in several

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

films and her portrayal of Aunt Alicia in the 1958 musical film '' Gigi''.

Early life and career

Born in London, Jeans was the daughter of an art critic.Harrison, Paul
"Charming British Girl Arrives in Hollywood"
''The Sunday Spartanburg Herald-Journal'' (South Carolina), 29 August 1937, front page of Sec. 2 She planned to become a singer but began her career on the London stage in 1908 at age 15, at the invitation of

Herbert Beerbohm Tree Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree (17 December 1852 – 2 July 1917) was an English actor and theatre manager. Tree began performing in the 1870s. By 1887, he was managing the Haymarket Theatre in the West End, winning praise for adventurous progr ...

. An early appearance on Broadway was in ''The Man Who Married a Dumb Wife'' in January 1915 and as Titania in ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amon ...

'' in February 1915.Isabel Jeans
at the IBDB database She played Lady Mercia Merivale in the London musical hit ''

Kissing Time ''Kissing Time'', and an earlier version titled ''The Girl Behind the Gun'', are musical comedies with music by Ivan Caryll, book and lyrics by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse, and additional lyrics by Clifford Grey. The story is based on the 19 ...

'' (1919). She appeared in a production of

James Elroy Flecker James Elroy Flecker (5 November 1884 – 3 January 1915) was a British novelist and playwright. As a poet, he was most influenced by the Parnassian poets. Biography Herman Elroy Flecker was born on 5 November 1884 in Lewisham, London, to Willi ...

's ''Hassan'' at His Majesty's Theatre in London in 1923. Incidental music for the play was by

Frederick Delius Delius, photographed in 1907 Frederick Theodore Albert Delius ( 29 January 1862 – 10 June 1934), originally Fritz Delius, was an English composer. Born in Bradford in the north of England to a prosperous mercantile family, he resisted atte ...

, and the ballet in the House-of-the-Moving Walls was created by Fokine. In 1924, she appeared in Ivor Novello's play '' The Rat'' at the

Prince of Wales's Theatre The Scala Theatre was a theatre in Charlotte Street, London, off Tottenham Court Road. The first theatre on the site opened in 1772, and the theatre was demolished in 1969, after being destroyed by fire. From 1865 to 1882, the theatre was kn ...

in London. The following year, she was in

Richard Brinsley Sheridan Richard Brinsley Butler Sheridan (30 October 17517 July 1816) was an Irish satirist, a politician, a playwright, poet, and long-term owner of the London Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. He is known for his plays such as ''The Rivals'', ''The Sc ...

's play ''

The Rivals ''The Rivals'' is a comedy of manners by Richard Brinsley Sheridan in five acts which was first performed at Covent Garden Theatre on 17 January 1775. The story has been updated frequently, including a 1935 musical and a 1958 List of Maverick ...

'' at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, together with her ex-husband Claude Rains, his ex-wife Marie Hemingway, and his then-current wife

Beatrix Thomson Beatrix Thomson (1900–1986) was a British stage actress. She also made a handful of appearances in film and television. A graduate of RADA, she made her West End debut in John Galsworthy's '' Loyalties'' in 1922. She was married to the actor ...

Films and later years

She appeared in major roles in two

silent films A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, whe ...

, ''

Downhill Downhill may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Downhill'' (1927 film), a British film by Alfred Hitchcock * ''Downhill'' (2014 film), a British comedy directed by James Rouse * ''Downhill'' (2016 film), a Chilean thriller directed by Patrici ...

'' (1927) and '' Easy Virtue'' (1928) and various other British films, then played a number of grande dames in Hollywood films, such as ''

Suspicion Suspicion is a feeling of mistrust. Suspicion(s), The Suspicion, or Suspicious may also refer to: Film and television Film * ''Suspicion'' (1918 film), an American silent film directed by John M. Stahl * ''Suspicion'' (1941 film), an American ...

'' (1941), '' Banana Ridge'' (1942), ''Gigi'' (1958) and ''

A Breath of Scandal ''A Breath of Scandal'' (released as ''Olympia'' in Italy) is a 1960 American/Italian international co-production romantic comedy-drama film directed by Michael Curtiz, based on the stage play ''Olympia'' by Ferenc Molnár. It stars Sophia Lore ...

'' (1960). Later stage roles included ''

The Beggar's Opera ''The Beggar's Opera'' is a ballad opera in three acts written in 1728 by John Gay with music arranged by Johann Christoph Pepusch. It is one of the watershed plays in Augustan drama and is the only example of the once thriving genre of satiri ...

'' at the Comedy Theatre, London in 1935, a revival of ''

The Happy Hypocrite ''The Happy Hypocrite: A Fairy Tale for Tired Men'' is a short story with moral implications, first published in a separate volume by Max Beerbohm in 1897. His earliest short story, "The Happy Hypocrite" first appeared in Volume XI of ''The Y ...

'' in 1936. Later Broadway roles were Crystal Wetherby in ''The Man in Possession'' in 1930 and Mrs. Emmeline Lucas in ''Make Way for Lucia'' in 1948. English productions included

Anton Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860 Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904 Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career ...

's play ''

The Seagull ''The Seagull'' ( rus, Ча́йка, r=Cháyka, links=no) is a play by Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov, written in 1895 and first produced in 1896. ''The Seagull'' is generally considered to be the first of his four major plays. It dramatises t ...

'' (1949 at the

Lyric Theatre, London The Lyric Theatre is a West End theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster. It was built for the producer Henry Leslie, who financed it from the profits of the light opera hit, '' Dorothy'', which he transferred from its origina ...

and

St. James's Theatre The St James's Theatre was in King Street, St James's, London. It opened in 1835 and was demolished in 1957. The theatre was conceived by and built for a popular singer, John Braham; it lost money and after three seasons he retired. A suc ...

Jean Anouilh Jean Marie Lucien Pierre Anouilh (; 23 June 1910 – 3 October 1987) was a French dramatist whose career spanned five decades. Though his work ranged from high drama to absurdist farce, Anouilh is best known for his 1944 play ''Antigone'', an a ...

's play, "Ardele" (1951 at the

Vaudeville Theatre The Vaudeville Theatre is a West End theatre on the Strand in the City of Westminster. As the name suggests, the theatre held mostly vaudeville shows and musical revues in its early days. It opened in 1870 and was rebuilt twice, although each ...

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...

's play, ''

The Vortex ''The Vortex'' is a play in three acts by the English writer and actor Noël Coward. The play depicts the sexual vanity of a rich, ageing beauty, her troubled relationship with her adult son, and drug abuse in British society circles after the ...

'' (1952 at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith), T. S. Eliot's play ''

The Confidential Clerk First edition cover ( Faber and Faber) ''The Confidential Clerk'' is a comic verse play by T. S. Eliot. Synopsis Sir Claude Mulhammer, a wealthy entrepreneur, decides to smuggle his illegitimate son Colby into the household by employing him ...

'' (1953 at the Lyric Theatre),

William Congreve William Congreve (24 January 1670 – 19 January 1729) was an English playwright and poet of the Restoration period. He is known for his clever, satirical dialogue and influence on the comedy of manners style of that period. He was also a mi ...

's play ''The Double Dealer'' (1959 at the

Old Vic Theatre The Old Vic is a 1,000-seat, not-for-profit producing theatre in Waterloo, London, England. Established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, and renamed in 1833 the Royal Victoria Theatre. In 1871 it was rebuilt and reopened as the Royal ...

, and other plays there that season. She also acted in West End productions of plays by

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

, including ''

Lady Windermere's Fan ''Lady Windermere's Fan, A Play About a Good Woman'' is a four-act comedy by Oscar Wilde, first performed on Saturday, 20 February 1892, at the St James's Theatre in London. The story concerns Lady Windermere, who suspects that her husband is ...

'' (1945 at the Haymarket Theatre, directed by

John Gielgud Sir Arthur John Gielgud, (; 14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000) was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the Briti ...

and 1966 at the

Phoenix Theatre (London) The Phoenix Theatre is a West End theatre in the London Borough of Camden, located in Charing Cross Road (on the corner of Flitcroft Street). The entrances are on Phoenix Street and Charing Cross Road. The Phoenix Theatre was built on the ...

), ''

A Woman of No Importance ''A Woman of No Importance'' by Oscar Wilde is "a new and original play of modern life", in four acts, first given on 19 April 1893 at the Haymarket Theatre, London. Like Wilde's other society plays, it satirises English upper-class society. It ...

'' (1953 at the

Savoy Theatre The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre was designed by C. J. Phipps for Richard D'Oyly Carte and opened on 10 October 1881 on a site previously occupied by the Savoy P ...

) and as Lady Bracknell in ''

The Importance of Being Earnest ''The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People'' is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious ...

'' (1968 at the Haymarket Theatre).

Family and personal life

Jeans' brother Desmond was an actor and boxer, and her sister Ursula became a respected character actress. She was married twice: first to the actor Claude Rains, from 1913 to 1915, and then to the barrister and playwright Gilbert Edward "Gilley" Wakefield from 1920 until his death in 1963.

Partial filmography

* ''The Profligate'' (1917) - Janet Preece * '' Tilly of Bloomsbury'' (1921) - Sylvia Mainwaring * '' The Rat'' (1925) - Zelie de Chaumet * ''Windsor Castle'' (1926) * ''

The Triumph of the Rat ''The Triumph of the Rat'' is a 1926 British silent film drama, directed by Graham Cutts for Gainsborough Pictures and starring Ivor Novello, Isabel Jeans and Nina Vanna. Background The film is the second in a trilogy featuring Novello as Pier ...

'' (1926) - Zelie de Chaumet * ''

'' (1927) - Julia * ''

Further Adventures of a Flag Officer ''The Further Adventures of the Flag Lieutenant'' is a 1927 British silent action film directed by W. P. Kellino and starring Henry Edwards, Isabel Jeans and Lilian Oldland. Production The film was made at Twickenham Studios by the German-bo ...

'' (1927) - Pauline * '' Easy Virtue'' (1928) - Larita Filton * ''

The Return of the Rat ''The Return of the Rat'' is a 1929 British silent drama film directed by Graham Cutts and starring Ivor Novello, Isabel Jeans and Mabel Poulton. It was made by Gainsborough Pictures at their Islington Studios. It was also released with a ...

'' (1929) - Zélia de Chaumet Boucheron * ''

Power Over Men ''Power Over Men'' is a 1929 British silent mystery film directed by George Banfield and starring Isabel Jeans, Jameson Thomas and Wyndham Standing. It was made at Walthamstow Studios in London. Cast * Isabel Jeans as Marion Delacour * James ...

'' (1929) - Marion Delacour * '' Sally Bishop'' (1932) - Dolly Durlacher * ''

Rolling in Money ''Rolling in Money'' is a 1934 British comedy film directed by Albert Parker and starring Isabel Jeans, Leslie Sarony and John Loder. It was made at Ealing Studios by the British subsidiary of Fox Film.Wood p.83 It was not a quota quickie l ...

'' (1934) - Duchess of Braceborough * '' The Dictator'' (1935) - Von Eyben * ''

The Crouching Beast ''The Crouching Beast'' is a 1935 British war thriller film directed by Victor Hanbury and starring Fritz Kortner, Wynne Gibson and Richard Bird. It was shot at Welwyn Studios with sets designed by the art director Duncan Sutherland.Wood p.85 B ...

'' (1935) - The Pellegrini * '' Tovarich'' (1937) - Fermonde Dupont * ''

Fools for Scandal ''Fools for Scandal'' is a 1938 screwball comedy film starring Carole Lombard and Fernand Gravet, featuring Ralph Bellamy, Allen Jenkins, Isabel Jeans, Marie Wilson and Marcia Ralston, and produced and directed by Mervyn LeRoy. It was writ ...

'' (1938) - Lady Paula Malverton * ''

Secrets of an Actress ''Secrets of an Actress'' is a romantic drama film directed by William Keighley, and starring Kay Francis, George Brent, and Ian Hunter in 1938. It is about a love triangle between a stage actress, her financial backer, and his friend. Plot sum ...

'' (1938) - Marian Plantagenet * ''

Youth Takes a Fling ''Youth Takes a Fling'' is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Archie Mayo and starring Joel McCrea. McCrea plays Joe Meadows, whose only ambition as a Kansas farm boy was a life at sea. He moves to New York to try to get a job as a sailo ...

'' (1938) - Mrs. Merrivale * '' Garden of the Moon'' (1938) - Mrs. Lornay * '' Hard to Get'' (1938) - Mrs. Richards * ''

Good Girls Go to Paris ''Good Girls Go to Paris'' is a 1939 American romantic comedy film starring Melvyn Douglas and Joan Blondell. Plot Jenny Swanson is a waitress in a small college town whose dream is to go to Paris by any means necessary. She confides her plan for ...

'' (1939) - Caroline Brand * '' Man About Town'' (1939) - Mme. Dubois * ''

'' (1941) - Mrs. Newsham * '' Banana Ridge'' (1942) - Sue Long * '' Great Day'' (1945) - Lady Mott * ''

Elizabeth of Ladymead ''Elizabeth of Ladymead'' is a 1948 British Technicolor drama film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Anna Neagle, Hugh Williams, Isabel Jeans and Bernard Lee. It charts the life of a British family between 1854 and 1945 and their involveme ...

'' (1948) - Mother in 1903 * '' Souvenir d'Italie'' (1957) - Cynthia * '' Gigi'' (1958) - Aunt Alicia * ''

'' (1960) - Princess Eugénie * ''

Heavens Above! ''Heavens Above!'' is a 1963 British satirical comedy film starring Peter Sellers, directed by John and Roy Boulting, who also co-wrote along with Frank Harvey, from an idea by Malcolm Muggeridge. It is in a similar vein to the earlier collab ...

'' (1963) - Lady Despard * '' The Magic Christian'' (1969) - Dame Agnes Grand

Selected stage credits

* '' Make Way for Lucia'' by

John Van Druten John William Van Druten (1 June 190119 December 1957) was an English playwright and theatre director. He began his career in London, and later moved to America, becoming a U.S. citizen. He was known for his plays of witty and urbane observation ...

(1948)

References

External links

* *
Isabel Jeans
at BritishPictures.com * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jeans, Isabel 1891 births 1985 deaths English film actresses English silent film actresses English stage actresses English television actresses Actresses from London 20th-century English actresses