Sarah Elizabeth Selby (born August 30, 1905 – January 7, 1980) was an American actress.
Career
Selby was a character actress who played minor roles for the most part – usually a town gossip, maiden aunt, or teacher. Beginning her career as a radio actress, she made her screen debut voicing one of the elephants in Disney's ''Dumbo'' (1941). She was best known for her recurring role as Ma Smalley, the owner of a boarding house on TV's '' Gunsmoke'' (1955). She had recurring roles on ''
The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show
''The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show'', sometimes called ''The Burns and Allen Show'', was a half-hour television situation comedy broadcast from 1950 to 1958 on CBS. It starred George Burns and Gracie Allen, one of the most enduring acts in ...
'', initially as Gracie's friend Mamie Kelly, and then a recurring role as Lucille Vanderlip the society hostess wife of banker Chester Vanderlip. In 1964, she appeared with Jackie Cooper in an episode of the '' Twilight Zone'' (S5E32 - “Caesar & Me”).
She starred in numerous films from 1941 to 1978. In her first role, she voiced the elephant Prissy in the movie ''
Dumbo
''Dumbo'' is a 1941 American animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The fourth Disney animated feature film, it is based upon the storyline written by Helen Aberson and Harold Pearl, ...
''. Selby was an actress, known for ''
Tower of London
The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is sep ...
(1962)'', ''
Beyond the Forest
''Beyond the Forest'' is a 1949 American film noir directed by King Vidor, and featuring Bette Davis, Joseph Cotten, David Brian, and Ruth Roman. The screenplay is written by Lenore Coffee based on a novel by Stuart Engstrand.
The film marks Dav ...
'' (1949) and a recurring role as Aunt Gertrude in ''
The Mickey Mouse Club
''The Mickey Mouse Club'' is an American variety television show that aired intermittently from 1955 to 1996 and returned to social media in 2017. Created by Walt Disney and produced by Walt Disney Productions, the program was first televised ...
'' television series '' The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Applegate Treasure'' (1956). Among her radio program appearances, she played various roles on 1947 ''Escape'' drama anthology series, and was a regular cast member as Grace in the 1948-50 ''Junior Miss'' radio sitcom.
Personal life and death
Selby was married to Holger Yngvar Harthern-Jakobsen, and to Stanley Robert Wuliger. She died from
cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
at the age of 74, on Monday, January 7, 1980, in Los Angeles California.
Feature-length films
1943
*''
The Seventh Victim
''The Seventh Victim'' is a 1943 American horror film noir directed by Mark Robson and starring Tom Conway, Jean Brooks, Isabel Jewell, Kim Hunter, and Hugh Beaumont. Written by DeWitt Bodeen and Charles O'Neal, and produced by Val Lewton f ...
'' - Min Gottschalk
1944
*''
San Diego, I Love You
''San Diego, I Love You'' is a 1944 American comedy film directed by Reginald Le Borg and starring Jon Hall, Louise Allbritton and Edward Everett Horton.McLaughlin p.249
Synopsis
Philip McCooley, a widowed high school teacher in small-town Cali ...
'' - Mrs. Lovelace
*''
The Curse of the Cat People
''The Curse of the Cat People'' is a 1944 American psychological fantasy thriller filmEggert, Brian (October 22, 2017)"The Curse of the Cat People" Deep Focus Review. Retrieved 2019-03-16. directed by Gunther von Fritsch and Robert Wise, produce ...
'' - Miss Plunkett
1945
*''
The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry
''The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry'' is a 1945 American film noir drama film directed by Robert Siodmak and starring George Sanders as an aging bachelor who looks after his two sisters, one of whom tries to sabotage his romance with his co-worker ...
'' - Alice
*''
Earl Carroll Vanities
''Earl Carroll Vanities'' is a 1945 American musical film directed by Joseph Santley and written by Frank Gill Jr. The film stars Dennis O'Keefe, Constance Moore, Eve Arden, Otto Kruger, Alan Mowbray and Stephanie Bachelor. It was released on Ap ...
Wonder Man
Wonder Man (Simon Williams) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, he first appeared in '' The Avengers'' #9 (October 1964). The c ...
'' - Woman in library
*''
The Naughty Nineties
''The Naughty Nineties'' is a 1945 American film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. The film is noteworthy for containing a filmed version of the duo's famous " Who's on First?" routine. This version is shown at the National Baseba ...
'' - Mrs. Hawkins
1946
*''
One Exciting Week
''One Exciting Week'' is a 1946 American comedy film directed by William Beaudine and written by Jack Townley and John K. Butler. The film stars Al Pearce, Pinky Lee, Jerome Cowan, Shemp Howard, Arlene Harris and Mary Treen. It was released on ...
Little Iodine
''Little Iodine'' is an American Sunday comic strip, created by Jimmy Hatlo, which was syndicated by King Features and ran from August 15, 1943 until August 14, 1983. The strip was a spin-off of '' They'll Do It Every Time'', an earlier Hatlo c ...
'' - Mrs. Bigdome
1947
*''
Swell Guy
''Swell Guy'' is a 1946 American drama film directed by Frank Tuttle and starring Sonny Tufts and Ann Blyth. The film's screenplay by Richard Brooks is based on the 1921 play ''The Hero'' by Gilbert Emery.
Plot
Almost no one in his Califor ...
The Fabulous Texan
''The Fabulous Texan'' is a 1947 American Western film directed by Edward Ludwig and written by Lawrence Hazard and Horace McCoy. The film stars Wild Bill Elliott, John Carroll, Catherine McLeod, Albert Dekker, Andy Devine and Patricia Knig ...
Trapped by Boston Blackie
''Trapped by Boston Blackie'' is a 1948 American crime drama directed by Seymour Friedman. It is the thirteenth of fourteen Columbia Pictures films starring Chester Morris as reformed crook Boston Blackie, and the final film with George E. Stone ...
'' - Mrs. Carter
*''
Train to Alcatraz
''Train to Alcatraz'' is a 1948 American prison film directed by Philip Ford and starring Don Barry, Janet Martin, William Phipps, Roy Barcroft, and June Storey.
Plot
Criminals on a train bound for an infamous supermax prison plan to escape, an ...
'' - Widow's friend
1949
*''
Beyond the Forest
''Beyond the Forest'' is a 1949 American film noir directed by King Vidor, and featuring Bette Davis, Joseph Cotten, David Brian, and Ruth Roman. The screenplay is written by Lenore Coffee based on a novel by Stuart Engstrand.
The film marks Dav ...
'' - Mildred Sorren
*''
Prison Warden
The warden ( US, Canada) or governor ( UK, Australia), also known as a superintendent (US, South Asia) or director (UK, New Zealand), is the official who is in charge of a prison.
Name
In the United States and Canada, warden is the most common ...
The Iron Mistress
''The Iron Mistress'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by Gordon Douglas and starring Alan Ladd and Virginia Mayo. It ends with Bowie's marriage to Ursula de Veramendi and does not deal with his death at the Battle of the Alamo in 1836.
...
Mister Scoutmaster
''Mister Scoutmaster'' is a 1953 comedy film about Boy Scouts, starring Clifton Webb. It is based on the book ''Be Prepared'' by Keith Monroe, writing under the pseudonym Rice E. Cochran.
Plot
An arrogant, aloof television personality gets mor ...
Good Morning, Miss Dove
''Good Morning, Miss Dove'' is a 1955 DeLuxe Color and CinemaScope film that tells the sentimental story of a beloved schoolteacher who reflects back on her life and former students when she is hospitalized. It stars Jennifer Jones, Robert Stack ...
The McConnell Story
''The McConnell Story'' is a 1955 dramatization of the life and career of United States Air Force (USAF) pilot Joseph C. McConnell (1922–1954) directed by Gordon Douglas. McConnell served as a navigator in World War II before becoming the ...
'' - Mom Brown
1957
*''
An Affair to Remember
''An Affair to Remember'' is a 1957 American romance film directed by Leo McCarey and starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. Filmed in CinemaScope, it was distributed by 20th Century Fox. It is considered among the most romantic films of all ti ...
Gunfire at Indian Gap
''Gunfire at Indian Gap'' is a 1957 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane and starring Vera Ralston, Anthony George and George Macready.Pitts p.138
The film's sets were designed by the art director Ralph Oberg.
Plot
Cast
* Vera Rals ...
'' - Bessie Moran
*'' Stopover Tokyo'' - Wife of High Commissioner
*''
No Time to Be Young
''No Time to Be Young'' is a 1957 American crime film noir directed by David Lowell Rich and starring Robert Vaughn.
Plot
The story follows the troubled lives of three young robbers. The first is a college dropout, and draft dodger, who plans to ...
'' - Helen Root
1962
*''
Moon Pilot
''Moon Pilot'' is a 1962 American Technicolor science fiction comedy film from Walt Disney Productions, released through Buena Vista Distribution, directed by James Neilson, and starring Tom Tryon, Brian Keith, Edmond O'Brien, Dany Saval, and ...
'' - Mrs. Celia Talbot
*''
Tower of London
The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is sep ...
'' - The Queen
1964
*''
Taggart
''Taggart'' is a Scottish detective fiction television programme created by Glenn Chandler, who wrote many of the episodes, and made by STV Studios for the ITV network. It originally ran as the miniseries "Killer" from 6 until 20 Septembe ...
'' - Maude Taggart
1967
*''
Don't Make Waves
''Don't Make Waves'' is a 1967 American sex comedy (with elements of the beach party genre) starring Tony Curtis, Claudia Cardinale, Dave Draper and Sharon Tate. Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the film was directed by Alexander Mackendric ...
'' - Ethyl
1973
*''
The World's Greatest Athlete
''The World's Greatest Athlete'' is a 1973 American sports comedy film directed by Robert Scheerer and starring John Amos, Roscoe Lee Browne, Tim Conway, Dayle Haddon, and Jan-Michael Vincent. Released by Walt Disney Productions, it is one of t ...