Nancy Kelly

Nancy Kelly Profile Photo

Characters played by Nancy Kelly

Christine Penmark — The Bad Seed (1956)

Mother who discovers her daughter's psychopathy and her own killer lineage.

Connie Bryce — Tarzan's Desert Mystery (1943)

Traveling magician with secret government mission.

Valerie — He Married His Wife (1940)

Randy's ex-wife. Initially resistant to matchmaking, she grows attracted to Freddie. After accepting Randy's proposal, she rejects him upon learning of his alimony-avoiding scheme, only to reconcile with him by the end.

Helene Hunt — To the Shores of Tripoli (1942)

Chris Winters's society girlfriend, who wants him to leave military life for a comfortable civilian job in Washington, D.C. She uses her uncle's power and her influence on the base commander to try to secure that outcome. Chris is with her when they hear the news of the Pearl Harbor attack.

Nancy Gaye — Show Business (1944)

Nancy is the woman George left behind, and she is upset about his relationship with Constance. The quartet eventually helps pay for an emergency operation she needs. When Constance is expecting a baby, Nancy offers to drive George to the hospital but takes him in the opposite direction and tries to proposition him; the resulting delay precedes the loss of the baby.

Jane Bullerton — Private Affairs (1940)

Amos Bullerton's young daughter, Jane travels to New York seeking his approval to leave her aristocratic fiancé, Herbert Stanley. She is determined to marry Jimmy Nolan instead, and ultimately marries him, bringing her relationship with her father into the family reconciliation.

Sally Gilroy — Sailor's Lady (1940)

Sally is Danny Malone’s fiancée, eagerly awaiting his arrival with the Navy fleet and expecting to marry him. She adopts an orphaned baby, Skipper, and tries to build a family with Danny while navigating his arrest, their conflicts, and juvenile-court supervision. After a brief engagement to Rodney, she reconciles with Danny, and they ultimately marry.

Eve Kingsley — Stanley and Livingstone (1939)

The daughter of John Kingsley and a passenger encountered by Henry M. Stanley on the voyage to Zanzibar. She warns Stanley about Africa's dangers and becomes the woman he loves, but after his expedition she returns to England married to Gareth Tyce, leaving Stanley disappointed.

Nancy Boone — Follow That Woman (1945)

Nancy first meets Sam when she hits him with a champagne bottle, believing he is a gunman, and later marries him. A determined investigator, she works with Butch to pursue Marge Andrews's disappearance while Sam is away, questions Nick, searches Marge's apartment, and investigates Henderson and John Evans.

Cynthia Merrick — One Night in the Tropics (1940)

Steve Harper's fiancée, Cynthia greets him warmly and accepts his explanation that Mickey Fitzgerald is only a friend. During a trip to the tropics, she also shops and visits the native quarter with Jim, sharing a tender moonlit conversation with him. The supplied events leave the outcome of her relationships unresolved.

Mary Hayes / Vi Parker — Gambler's Choice (1944)

Known as Vi Parker, Mary is a singer hired by Chappie Wilson to compete with Ross Hadley's new gambling business. Hadley recognizes her as Mary Rogers, the girl he knew as a child, and takes her to a police station, where she is reunited with Mike McGlennon. She initially refuses Hadley's job offer but ends up working for him after Wilson comes to retrieve her.

Rita Morgan — Murder in the Music Hall (1946)

A former chorus girl who worked for Carl Lang, Rita is married to newspaper columnist George Morgan and is being blackmailed by Lang. Her glove is found in Lang's apartment, making her a suspect. She tells Don and Lila that a blind man named Mr. Winters can clear her, but George later admits he impersonated Winters to steal Lang's letters.

Career Overview

Nancy Kelly has 43 screen credits in a career dating back to 1926. Their work spans 3 cinematic universes — most prominently The Bad Seed - Collection with 1 titles. Signature works include The Bad Seed, Tarzan's Desert Mystery, Private Affairs. Explore the interactive character relationship maps on each title page to trace how their roles connect across franchises.

Personal Facts

Known For
Acting
Gender
female
Known Credits
43
Birth Date
1921-03-25
Birth Place
Lowell, Massachusetts, USA

Known For

Associated Universes

Universe traveler — spans 3 universes

Frequent Collaborators

Credits

Content sources

Related entry on Wikidata (Q251634), public domain (CC0).