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
Share
Did you know?!
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.
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
The Bad Seedas Christine Penmark
Gambler's Choiceas Mary Hayes…
Tarzan's Desert Mysteryas Connie Bryce
Frontier Marshalas Sarah Allen
Jesse Jamesas Zerelda - aka Zee
Stanley and Livingstoneas Eve Kingsley
Glorifying the American Girlas Child
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
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.






Films together
John Carradine2 films together, 1939
John Carradine's page Frontier Marshal1939IMDb rating 6.6Kelly as Sarah AllenCarradine as Ben Carter
Jesse James1939IMDb rating 7.0Kelly as Zerelda - aka ZeeCarradine as Bob Ford
Randolph Scott2 films together, 1939
Randolph Scott's page Frontier Marshal1939IMDb rating 6.6Kelly as Sarah AllenScott as Wyatt Earp
Jesse James1939IMDb rating 7.0Kelly as Zerelda - aka ZeeScott as Will Wright
Joe Sawyer2 films together, 1939 to 1943
Joe Sawyer's page Tarzan's Desert Mystery1943IMDb rating 6.1Kelly as Connie BryceSawyer as Karl Straeder
Frontier Marshal1939IMDb rating 6.6Kelly as Sarah AllenSawyer as Curley Bill
Henry Hull2 films together, 1939
Henry Hull's page Jesse James1939IMDb rating 7.0Kelly as Zerelda - aka ZeeHull as Maj. Rufus Cobb
Stanley and Livingstone1939IMDb rating 7.0Kelly as Eve KingsleyHull as James Gordon Bennett, Jr.
Lloyd Corrigan2 films together, 1943 to 1944
Lloyd Corrigan's page Gambler's Choice1944IMDb rating 5.9Kelly as Mary Hayes…Corrigan as Ulysses Sylvester Rogers
Tarzan's Desert Mystery1943IMDb rating 6.1Kelly as Connie BryceCorrigan as Sheik Abdul El Khim
Henry KingDirector, 2 films, 1939
All films by Henry King Jesse James1939IMDb rating 7.0Kelly as Zerelda - aka Zee
Stanley and Livingstone1939IMDb rating 7.0Kelly as Eve Kingsley
Awards
Two awards and honors, one of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Awards | |||
| 1955 | Best Actress in a Play | Won | |
| Other honors | |||
| Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame | Honored | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.


