Ursula Jeans
Encyclopedia
Ursula Jean McMinn was a British actress on film
, stage
, and television
.
Ursula Jeans was born in Shimla
, British India
, to British
parents, and brought up and educated in London
. She was the youngest of three siblings. Her brother Desmond Jeans
was a boxer and actor, and her elder sister, Isabel
, was also an actress.
Ursula Jeans made her stage debut in London in 1925, and in New York
in 1933. Her second marriage was to the actor Roger Livesey
from 1937 until her death. (Livesey's sister Maggie was already married to Desmond Jeans.) She appeared in one film with her husband, 1943's The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
. She entertained troops with ENSA
during World War II
, sometimes working with her husband. After the war she continued acting, including a stage tour in Australia
and New Zealand
in 1956–1958.
in 1973, aged 66, some 18 months after her diagnosis.
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, stage
Stage (theatre)
In theatre or performance arts, the stage is a designated space for the performance productions. The stage serves as a space for actors or performers and a focal point for the members of the audience...
, and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
.
Ursula Jeans was born in Shimla
Shimla
Shimla , formerly known as Simla, is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of the British Raj in India. A popular tourist destination, Shimla is often referred to as the "Queen of Hills," a term coined by the British...
, British India
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
, to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
parents, and brought up and educated in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. She was the youngest of three siblings. Her brother Desmond Jeans
Desmond Jeans
Desmond Jeans was a British film actor. He was the brother of Isabel Jeans and Ursula Jeans.-Selected filmography:* The Blue Danube * Diamond Cut Diamond * The Girl from Maxim's * Colonel Blood...
was a boxer and actor, and her elder sister, Isabel
Isabel Jeans
Isabel Jeans was an English stage and film actress known for her roles in several Alfred Hitchcock films, among others.-Career:...
, was also an actress.
Ursula Jeans made her stage debut in London in 1925, and in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1933. Her second marriage was to the actor Roger Livesey
Roger Livesey
Roger Livesey was a British stage and film actor. He is most often remembered for the three Powell & Pressburger films in which he starred: The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, I Know Where I'm Going! and A Matter of Life and Death...
from 1937 until her death. (Livesey's sister Maggie was already married to Desmond Jeans.) She appeared in one film with her husband, 1943's The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp is a 1943 film by the British film making team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger under the production banner of The Archers. It stars Roger Livesey, Deborah Kerr and Anton Walbrook. The title derives from the satirical Colonel Blimp comic strip by David...
. She entertained troops with ENSA
Entertainments National Service Association
The Entertainments National Service Association or ENSA was an organisation set up in 1939 by Basil Dean and Leslie Henson to provide entertainment for British armed forces personnel during World War II. ENSA operated as part of the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, sometimes working with her husband. After the war she continued acting, including a stage tour in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in 1956–1958.
Last years and death
She continued to act into the 1970s, and died of cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in 1973, aged 66, some 18 months after her diagnosis.
Selected filmography
- The Passing of Mr. QuinnThe Passing of Mr. QuinnThe Passing of Mr. Quin is a 1928 British mystery film which was co-directed by Leslie S. Hiscott and Julius Hagen, starring Clifford Heatherley, Mary Brough and Ursula Jeans. The film was based on the short story The Coming of Mr. Quin, part of the collection The Mysterious Mr. Quin, which was...
(1928) - S.O.S.S.O.S. (film)S.O.S. is a 1928 British silent-era adventure film directed by Leslie S. Hiscott and starring Robert Loraine, Bramwell Fletcher and Ursula Jeans. The film takes its title from the morse code distress signal S.O.S.....
(1928) - The Crooked LadyThe Crooked LadyThe Crooked Lady is a 1932 British drama film directed by Leslie S. Hiscott and starring George Graves, Isobel Elsom, Ursula Jeans and Austin Trevor. It was filmed at Twickenham Studios....
(1932) - Once BittenOnce Bitten (1932 film)Once Bitten is a 1932 British comedy film directed by Leslie S. Hiscott and starring Richard Cooper, Ursula Jeans and Frank Pettingell....
(1932) - Friday the ThirteenthFriday the Thirteenth (1933 film)Friday the Thirteenth is a 1933 British drama film directed by Victor Saville and starring Jessie Matthews, Sonnie Hale and Muriel Aked. The film depicts the lives of several passengers in the hours before they are involved in a bus crash.-Cast:...
(1933) - I Lived with YouI Lived with YouI Lived with You is a 1933 British romantic comedy film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Ivor Novello, Ursula Jeans and Ida Lupino. It is based on the play I Lived With You by Novello.-Cast:* Ivor Novello - Prince Felix Lenieff...
(1933) - Cavalcade (1933)
- Man in the MirrorMan in the Mirror (film)Man in the Mirror is a 1936 British comedy film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Edward Everett Horton, Genevieve Tobin and Ursula Jeans. A withdrawn, mild mannered man is surprised when his reflection in the mirror comes to life. The reflection then begins to live the wild life that the man...
(1936) - Dark JourneyDark Journey (film)Dark Journey is a 1937 British spy film directed by Victor Saville set in the First World War. Its plot concerns two secret agents on opposite sides, played by Conrad Veidt and Vivien Leigh, who fall in love.-Cast:* Conrad Veidt as Baron Karl von Marwitz...
(1937) - Storm in a TeacupStorm in a Teacup (film)Storm in a Teacup is a 1937 British romantic comedy film starring Vivien Leigh, Rex Harrison, Cecil Parker, and Sara Allgood. It is based on the German play Sturm im Wasserglas by Bruno Frank. A reporter writes an article that embarrasses a politician...
(1937) - Over the MoonOver the Moon (film)Over the Moon is a 1939 British comedy film directed by Thornton Freeland and starring Merle Oberon, Rex Harrison, Ursula Jeans and Herbert Lomas. A wealthy heiress becomes involved with a penniless doctor....
(1939) - The Life and Death of Colonel BlimpThe Life and Death of Colonel BlimpThe Life and Death of Colonel Blimp is a 1943 film by the British film making team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger under the production banner of The Archers. It stars Roger Livesey, Deborah Kerr and Anton Walbrook. The title derives from the satirical Colonel Blimp comic strip by David...
(1943) - The Woman in the HallThe Woman in the HallThe Woman in the Hall is a 1947 British drama film, directed by Jack Lee, with a screenplay by Jack Lee, Ian Dalrymple and Gladys Bronwyn Stern, from Stern's novel. It was released in 1947...
(1947) - The Dam BustersThe Dam Busters (film)The Dam Busters is a 1955 British Second World War war film starring Michael Redgrave and Richard Todd and directed by Michael Anderson. The film recreates the true story of Operation Chastise when in 1943 the RAF's 617 Squadron attacked the Möhne, Eder and Sorpe dams in Germany with Wallis's...
(1955) - The Night My Number Came UpThe Night My Number Came UpThe Night My Number Came Up is a film, directed by Les Norman at Ealing Studios. The screenplay was written by R. C. Sherriff based on a real incident in the life of British Air Marshal Sir Victor Goddard.-Plot summary:...
(1955) - North West Frontier (1959)
- The Green HelmetThe Green HelmetThe Green Helmet is a 1961 British film starring Bill Travers, Ed Begley and Sid James. The film is centred around a British motor racing team. It is based on a novel by Australian author Jon Cleary.-Cast:* Bill Travers as Rafferty...
(1961) - The Queen's GuardsThe Queen's GuardsThe Queen's Guards is a 1961 military drama film directed by Michael Powell from a script by Simon Harcourt-Smith and Roger Milner. It stars Daniel Massey, Raymond Massey, Robert Stephens, and Ursula Jeans.-Plot:...
(1961)