Isobel Elsom

The epitome of opulent, grande dame pomposity, British character actress 'Isobel Elsom' (qv) was born Isabelle Reed in Cambridge, England on March 16, 1893. She began on the stage in 1911 and went on to grace a number of silent and sound pictures in England, marrying and divorcing director 'Maurice Elvey' (qv) in the interim.Isobel made an elegant entry into British feature films as Lady Monkhurst in the drama _Milestones (1916)_ (qv) and continued in leading roles with the silent films _Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor (1918)_ (qv), _Onward Christian Soldiers (1918)_ (qv), _A Member of Tattersall's (1919)_ (qv), _For Her Father's Sake (1921)_ (qv), _Dick Turpin's Ride to York (1922)_ (qv), the title role in _The Love Story of Aliette Brunton (1924)_ (qv), _The Last Witness (1925)_ (qv) and _Human Law (1927)_ (qv). Her voice suitable for sound pictures, she continued her leading status with such early British talkies as _The Other Woman (1931)_ (qv), _Stranglehold (1931)_ (qv), _The Crooked Lady (1932)_ (qv), _The Thirteenth Candle (1933)_ (qv), and _The Primrose Path (1934)_ (qv).In the late 1920s, she made a transatlantic visit to the American stage, taking her first Broadway curtain all in "The Ghost Train" in 1926. She continued on the New York stage with such plays as "The Mulberry Bush" (1927), "People Don't Do Such Things" (1927), "The Silver Box" (1928), "The Behavior of Mrs. Crane" (1928) and "The Outsider" (1928).Settling in America in the 1930's, Isobel achieved great character success in the role of retired actress "Leonora Fiske" in the 1940 play "Ladies in Retirement," which she also took to film (_Ladies in Retirement (1941)_ (qv)) starring 'Ida Lupino' (qv)). She would alternate between film and the Broadway stage for the next two decades. Broadway shows included "Hand in Glove" (1944), "The Innocents" (1950), "Romeo and Juliet" (as Lady Capulet) (1951), "The Climate in Eden" (1952), "The Burning Glass" (1954) and "The First Gentleman" (1957).What the tiny-framed Elsom lacked in stature, she certainly made up for in pure chutzpah. The matronly actress remained in Hollywood and played a number of huffy blue-bloods in both comedies and drama for over two decades, including _The War Against Mrs. Hadley (1942)_ (qv), _You Were Never Lovelier (1942)_ (qv), _Between Two Worlds (1944)_ (qv), _Of Human Bondage (1946)_ (qv), _The Two Mrs. Carrolls (1947)_ (qv), _The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)_ (qv), _Ivy (1947)_ (qv), _Smart Woman (1948)_ (qv), _The Secret Garden (1949)_ (qv), _Lust for Life (1956)_ (qv), _The Miracle (1959)_ (qv) and _The Second Time Around (1961)_ (qv). One standout blue-blooded part was as one of 'Charles Chaplin' (qv)'s intended victims in the black comedy _Monsieur Verdoux (1947)_ (qv).In later years Isobel served as a frequent foil to 'Jerry Lewis' (qv) in a few of his solo pictures (_Rock-a-Bye Baby (1958)_ (qv), _The Bellboy (1960)_ (qv), _The Errand Boy (1961)_ (qv), _Who's Minding the Store? (1963)_ (qv)). She ended her film career playing Mrs. Eynsford-Hill in _My Fair Lady (1964)_ (qv). Isabel remarried in 1942 and was the widow of actor 'Carl Harbord' (qv) in 1958. The couple both met when they appeared in the film _Eagle Squadron (1942)_ (qv). She had no children.::Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net