Helene Whitney(bornKenyon Fortescue,July 4, 1914 – March 28, 1990) was an Americanactresswho appeared in films in the late 1930s and 1940s. She was known asHelene Reynoldsafter her marriage.
Helene Whitney | |
|---|---|
 Whitney (as Fortescue Reynolds) in Los Angeles, 1930s | |
| Born | Kenyon Fortescue July 4, 1914 |
| Died | March 28, 1990(aged 75) Atlantis, Florida,U.S. |
| Other names | Helen Fortescue Joyce Gardner Helene Reynolds |
| Years active | 1939–1948 |
| Spouse | J. Louis Reynolds (1936–1939; divorced) |
| Parent(s) | Granville Roland Fortescue Grace Fortescue |
Biography
editWhitney was born Kenyon Fortescue in 1914, but was known as Helene.[1][2]Through her mother,Grace Fortescue,she was a grandniece (and cousin twice removed) ofAlexander Graham Bell,who invented the telephone. Through her fatherGranville Roland Fortescue,she was afirst cousin once removedof US PresidentTheodore Roosevelt.
She grew up inWashington D.C.where she attended theNational Cathedral School for Girls.[3]She married Julian Louis Reynolds,[2]son ofRichard S. Reynolds, Sr.[4]and heir to theReynoldsaluminum and tobacco fortunes, on July 15, 1936, in Washington, becoming Helene Fortescue Reynolds.[5]After three years of marriage, they divorced in May 1939.[5][6][7]
She became an actress, using the stage names of Joyce Gardner, Helene Whitney and Helene Reynolds, appeared in films in the late 1930s and 1940s and later in stage productions.[3]After her acting career ended, she became a Manhattan art gallery proprietor and artist in the 1960s.[1]She died of pneumonia at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center inAtlantis, Floridaaged 75 on March 28, 1990.[3]
Filmography
editAsHelene Whitney/Helen Whitney
| Year | Title | Role | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | The Hunchback of Notre Dame | Fleur de Lys | NYT |
| 1940 | The Saint's Double Trouble | Anne Bitts | IMDb |
| 1940 | Millionaire PlayboyakaGlamour Boy(UK) | uncredited | IMDb |
| 1940 | The Philadelphia Story | Main Line Society Woman | IMDb |
| 1941 | City of Missing Girls | Katherine Crawford | IMDb |
AsHelene Reynolds
| Year | Title | Role | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | Confirm or Deny | Dorothy | IMDb |
| 1941 | Blue, White and Perfect | Helen Shaw | NYT |
| 1942 | Girl Trouble | Helen Martin | IMDb |
| 1942 | Roxie Hart | Velma Wall | IMDb |
| 1942 | Tales of Manhattan | Actress | IMDb |
| 1942 | Moontide | Woman in boat | IMDb |
| 1942 | The Man Who Wouldn't Die | Anna Wolff | NYT |
| 1943 | Dixie Dugan | Jean Patterson | IMDb |
| 1943 | Heaven Can Wait | Peggy Nash | IMdb |
| 1943 | Wintertime | Marian Daly (uncredited) | NYT |
| 1943 | The Meanest Man in the World | Wife (Park Ave. Neighbor) | IMDb |
| 1944 | Bermuda Mystery | Angela | IMDb |
Television
editAsHelene Reynolds
| Year | Title | Role | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | The Front Page | Mollie Malloy | IMDb |
| 1948 | Mirage in Manhattan(Chevrolet Tele-Theatre) | IMDb |
Stage
edit- Oh, Captain!(February 4, 1958 – July 19, 1958)
- Happy Hunting(December 6, 1956 – November 30, 1957)
- Call Me Madam(October 12, 1950 – May 3, 1952)
- Miss Liberty(July 15, 1949 – April 8, 1950)
- High Button Shoes(October 9, 1947 – July 2, 1949)
- Yours Is My Heart(September 5, 1946 – October 5, 1946)
Family tree
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References
edit- ^abSpinzia, Raymond E."Those Other Roosevelts: The Fortescues".THE FREEHOLDER: Magazine Online.The Oyster Bay Historical Society. Archived fromthe originalon 2008-12-07.Retrieved2009-01-03.
- ^abAncestry.co Historical Person Overview: Kenyon "Helene" Fortescue,accessed May 2017.
- ^abc"Obituary: Helene Fortescue Reynolds".The Washington Post.Mar 31, 1990. p. B5. Archived fromthe originalon July 30, 2012.RetrievedOctober 15,2010.
- ^"Milestones".Time.July 27, 1936. Archived fromthe originalon December 15, 2008.RetrievedOctober 15,2010.
- ^ab"Helene Reyonlds To Seek Friendly Divorce in Reno".The Washington Post.Mar 26, 1939. Archived fromthe originalon January 31, 2013.Retrieved2009-01-03.
- ^Fine, Mary Jane (January 23, 1984)."Reliving a scandalous past".The Philadelphia Inquirer.Retrieved2009-01-03."The papers crowed about the wedding, when Helen Fortescue and Julian Reynolds married on July 15, 1936, in Washington, DC, where Helene had grown up. They gloated over the divorce a few years later in story after sparing nary a detail.... The divorce was granted in May of 1939."
- ^"Former Helen Fortesque at Reno to divorce Reynolds".The New York Times.March 28, 1939. p. 2.Retrieved2009-01-03."Mrs. Helen E. Fortesque Reynolds arrived here today by plane from New York, prepared to take up residence to divorce Julian Louis Reynolds, tobacco heir."
