Actress. She is best remembered for her portrayal of the straightlaced Molly Allen in "Jezebel" (1938). Born Ellen Stuart, she was raised within a prominent theatrical family, the daughter of stockbroker and producer Philip Windsor Clancy and the niece of stage actress Olive May. Upon completing her public education at the historic Beverly Hills High School, she began her career as a leading lady on the stage in stock companies. While appearing in a stage production of "Dinner at Eight," she was discovered by a talent scout who brought her out to several major studios for screen and vocal tests. Upon being reviewed by director Gregory La Cava, he was so impressed by her blonde good looks, hourglass figure, and petite voice, that he took notice of her potential and arranged for her to begin a career in the film industry beginning with her appearing under his supervision per a supporting role in "She Married Her Boss" (1935). From there, she would go on to flourish as a recognizable character actress appearing in over 50 features; often typecast as wives, mothers, relatives, torch singers, chorines, gold diggers, beauticians, telephone operators, educators, ingenuines, faithful friends, love interests, neighbors, nannies, secretaries, retail clerks, businesswomen, white-collared workers, nurses, historical or literary figures, waitresses, reporters, southern belles, exotics, femme fatales, foreigners, wallflowers, playgirls, gangster molls, debutantes, receptionists, busybodies, snobs, and aristocrats. She appeared in such feature films as "Confession" (1937), "It's Love I'm After" (1937), "Alcatraz Island" (1937), "Sergeant Murphy" (1938), "Accidents Will Happen" (1938), "Broadway Musketeers" (1938), "The Old Maid" (1939), "Torchy Blaine in Chinatown" (1939), "King of the Underworld" (1939), "Blondie on a Budget" (1940), "Escape" (1940), "Hired Wife" (1940), "You're Out of Luck" (1941), "Blossoms in the Dust" (1941), "Johnny Eager" (1941), "Night Monster" (1942), "Shadow of a Doubt" (1942), "The Mummy's Tomb" (1942), "Bad Men of Thunder Gap" (1943), "Hers to Hold" (1943), "Arizona Trail" (1943), "Ladies Courageous" (1944), "It Happened Tomorrow" (1944), "Follow the Boys" (1944), "I'll Tell the World" (1945), "Jungle Raiders" (1945), "Sensation Hunters" (1945), "House of Horrors" (1946), "Dark Alibi" (1946), "Inside Job" (1946), "Nocturne" (1946), "Time Out of Mind" (1947), "They Won't Believe Me" (1947), and "Prehistoric Women" (1950). During her career, she was a member of the Screen Actors Guild, had been a regular parishioner of the Episcopal church, was a member of the Hollywood Democratic Committee, had been the official stand-in for actresses Kay Francis and Bette Davis, was a commercial model for the Forbes Agency, had been accoladed as a 1938 Max Factor Star of the Year, was romantically linked to such notable leading men as Clark Gable and Robert Taylor, presided as a chairwoman for her local charters of the American Red Cross and the Humane Society, served on the board of directors for the Gateway Little Theatre, had been the celebrity spokeswoman for Revlon Lipstick and Lux Soap, and she was married to former actor turned decorated army air force lieutenant Willard Ilefeldt from 1944 to 1945 (their union dissolved in divorce and produced no children). Upon her withdrawal from acting in 1950, she spent the remainder of her life living in luxury dividing time between her homes in California and Nebraska, was a notable fixture in political and social circles, and was involved in charitable and religious causes until her death.