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Nancy Kelly

Biography

Nancy Kelly was an American actress who worked in film, theater, and television and began as a child actress and model. Born in Lowell, Massachusetts, she came from a theatrical family, and her mother, the silent film actress Nan Kelly, coached and managed her; she appeared in many films before she turned 17. She also worked in radio, including on CBS's The March of Time, and became a leading lady after returning to movies in the late 1930s. Her two dozen films included Jesse James (1939), with Tyrone Power and Henry Fonda, Stanley and Livingstone (1939), opposite Spencer Tracy, Frontier Marshal (1939), and Tarzan's Desert Mystery (1943). She turned to the stage and won a Tony Award for the 1955 production of The Bad Seed, then was nominated for an Academy Award for the 1956 film version, her last film role. She later acted in television and theater, and received a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

73years old at death

  • Born Lowell
  • Died Bel Air
  • Star sign: AriesThe sign runs March 21 to April 19

Movie Career

Films
7
Career span
27 years1929 to 1956

Genres

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  1. A first

    On CBS Radio's The March of Time series, Kelly became the first ingenue. Her vocal versatility allowed her to take on male parts in addition to female ones.

  2. A first

    By the time she was nine, Kelly had posed for so many advertisements as a child model that Film Daily noted she had been called "the most photographed child in America."

Nancy Kelly movies on Netflix

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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  1. The Bad Seed1956 Drama, Horror, Thrilleras Christine Penmark

    IMDb rating 7.418K votes

  2. Jesse James1939as Zerelda - aka Zee

    IMDb rating 7.05.6K votes

  3. Tarzan's Desert Mystery1943as Connie Bryce

    IMDb rating 6.12.4K votes

  4. Stanley and Livingstone1939as Eve Kingsley

    IMDb rating 7.01.7K votes

  5. Frontier Marshal1939as Sarah Allen

    IMDb rating 6.61.2K votes

  6. Gambler's Choice1944as Mary Hayes…

    IMDb rating 5.9217 votes

  7. Glorifying the American Girl1929as Child

    IMDb rating 5.7889 votes

Most often with

Henry King directed two of these films. Five actors appear in two of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Films together

Awards

Two awards and honors, one of them major.

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Nancy Kelly's awards and nominations, grouped by award
YearAwardFilmResult
Tony Awards
1955Best Actress in a PlayWon
Other honors
Star on Hollywood Walk of FameHonored

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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