Jeanne de Casalis (22 May 1897 – 19 August 1966) was a Basutoland-born British actress of stage, radio, TV and film. Born in

Basutoland Basutoland was a British Crown colony that existed from 1884 to 1966 in present-day Lesotho. Though the Basotho (then known as Basuto) and their territory had been under British control starting in 1868 (and ruled by Cape Colony from 1871), t ...

as Jeanne Casalis de Pury, she was educated in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, where her businessman father was the proprietor of one of that country's largest corset retailers, ''Charneaux''. She initiated her career in music first, only later beginning to work onstage in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. She appeared on stage in ''The Mask of Virtue'' with

Vivien Leigh Vivien Leigh ( ; 5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967; born Vivian Mary Hartley), styled as Lady Olivier after 1947, was a British actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice, for her definitive performances as Scarlett O'Hara in '' Go ...

(1935), and in

Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fiction ...

's '' The Hollow'' (1951). On radio, she created the popular comic character 'Mrs. Feather' and also authored ''Mrs Feather's Diary'' (1936) based on her monologues. Her best-known films were '' Cottage to Let'' (1941) and '' Jamaica Inn'' (1939). She married English actor Colin Clive, best remembered for ''

Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific ...

'' (1931), in June 1929, though they were estranged for several years before his death on 25 June 1937 from

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, ...

. Her second husband, whom she married around 1938, was RAF Wing Commander Cowan Douglas Stephenson; they lived at Hunger Hatch near

Ashford, Kent Ashford is a town in the county of Kent, England. It lies on the River Great Stour at the southern or scarp edge of the North Downs, about southeast of central London and northwest of Folkestone by road. In the 2011 census, it had a populati ...

. Jeanne de Casalis died on 19 August 1966, aged 69.

Partial filmography

*'' Settled Out of Court'' (1925) .... The Wife *'' The Glad Eye'' (1927) .... Lucienne *'' The Arcadians'' (1927) .... Mrs. Smith *''Zero'' (1928) .... Julia Norton *'' Knowing Men'' (1930) .... Delphine *''Infatuation'' (1930, Short) .... Georgette *'' Nine Till Six'' (1932) .... Yvonne *'' Radio Parade'' (1933) .... Mrs. Feather *''

Mixed Doubles Mixed doubles or mixed pairs is a form of mixed-sex sports that consists of teams of one man and one woman. This variation of competition is prominent in curling and racket sports, such as tennis, table tennis and badminton (where it is known ...

'' (1933) .... Betty Irvine *'' Nell Gwynn'' (1934) .... Duchess of Portsmouth *''

Just like a Woman "Just Like a Woman" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan first released on his seventh studio album, ''Blonde on Blonde'' on June 20, 1966. It was written by Dylan and produced by Bob Johnston. A shorter edit was released as a sin ...

'' (1938) .... Poppy Mayne *'' Jamaica Inn'' (1939) .... Sir Humphrey's friend *''

The Girl Who Forgot ''The Girl Who Forgot'' is a 1940 British comedy film directed by Adrian Brunel and starring Elizabeth Allan, Ralph Michael and Enid Stamp-Taylor. It was made at the Nettlefold Studios in Walton-on-Thames, based on a play ''The Young Lady in Pi ...

'' (1940) .... Mrs. Barradine *''

Charley's (Big-Hearted) Aunt ''Charley's (Big-Hearted) Aunt'' is a 1940 British comedy film directed by Walter Forde, starring Arthur Askey and Richard Murdoch as Oxford 'scholars'. The film is one of many to be based on the 1892 Victorian farce ''Charley's Aunt'' by Brand ...

'' (1940) .... Lady Lucy Blessington-Smythe (Aunt Lucy) *'' Sailors Three'' (1940) .... Mrs Pilkington *'' Cottage to Let'' (1941) .... Mrs. Barrington *''

Those Kids from Town ''Those Kids from Town'' is a 1942 British, black-and-white, comedy-drama propaganda film war film, directed by Lance Comfort and starring George Cole, Harry Fowler, Percy Marmont, Ronald Shiner as Mr. Bert Burns and Charles Victor as Harry, ...

'' (1942) .... Sheila *''

They Met in the Dark ''They Met in the Dark'' is a 1943 British comedy thriller film directed by Karel Lamač and starring James Mason, Joyce Howard and Edward Rigby. The screenplay concerns a cashiered Royal Naval officer and a young woman who join forces to solve ...

'' (1943) .... Lady with Dog *'' Medal for the General'' (1944) .... Lady Frome *'' This Man Is Mine'' (1946) .... Mrs. Ferguson *''

The Turners of Prospect Road ''The Turners of Prospect Road '' is a 1947 British drama film directed by Maurice J. Wilson and starring Wilfrid Lawson, Helena Pickard and Maureen Glynne. A pet greyhound wins a major race meeting.Gillett p.6 It was shot at Walton Studios. As ...

'' (1947) .... Mrs. Webster *'' Woman Hater'' (1948) .... Clair

References

External links

* * 1897 births 1966 deaths British film actresses British radio actresses British stage actresses 20th-century British actresses British people of French descent British expatriates in Lesotho British expatriates in France {{UK-stage-actor-stub