Selena Royle Movies and Career Information

Selena Royle (November 6, 1904 — April 23, 1983) was an American stage, television and film actress. Born in New York City, Royle's parents were playwright Edwin Milton Royle and actress Selena Fetter (April 12, 1860 - May 10, 1955). She had an older sister Josephine Fetter Royle (1901–1992). She turned to acting despite the objections of her parents. Nonetheless, her first professional role was as Guinevere in her father's play Lancelot and Elaine. Eventually she landed a part on her own in the 1923 Theatre Guild production of Peer Gynt with Joseph Schildkraut and became a respected Broadway actress. She made one film in the 1930s, Misleading Lady, but otherwise worked on the stage and on radio, starring on the shows Hilda Hope, M.D. and Kate Hopkins. In the 1940s, she returned to film and had a successful run, mainly playing maternal characters such as Ingrid Bergman's mother in Joan of Arc (1948). She also made several appearances on early television. However, in 1951, when she refused to testify about her alleged Communist sympathies before the House Un-American Activities Committee, her acting career came to a sudden standstill. She appeared in only two more films afterwards,