Allan, Elizabeth (1908–1990)

English actress, best known for her performance in David Copperfield. Born in Skegness, England, on April 9, 1908; died in 1990; married W.J. O'Bryen (d. 1977, a theatrical agent and her manager), in 1932.

Selected filmography:

Alibi (1931); Michael and Mary (1931); Service for Ladies (Reserved for Ladies, 1932); The Lodger (1933); The Shadow (1933); David Copperfield (1934); Java Head (1934); Men in White (1934); Mark of the Vampire (1934); The Mystery of Mr. X (1936); A Tale of Two Cities (1936); A Woman Rebels (1936); Camille (1937); Michael Strogoff (1937); Slave Ship (1937); Inquest (1940); 48 Hours (1942); The Great Mr. Handel (1942); He Snoops to Conquer (1944); No Highway (No Highway in the Sky, 1951); Folly to be Wise (1952); The Heart of the Matter (1954); Front Page Story (1954); Grip of the Strangler (1958).

After making her stage debut with the Old Vic in 1927 and appearing in several British movies, Elizabeth Allan played the lead in more than a dozen Hollywood films. Her American career was cut short when she sued MGM for replacing her in the lead of The Citadel with Rosalind Russell . Rebellious actresses were rare and quickly stifled in the movie industry, and Allan was barred from further studio work. Best remembered as the mother of Freddie Bartholomew in George Cukor's 1934 film adaptation of David Copperfield, she returned to England in 1937 and continued her career in movies, theater, and television. Popular in British television from 1955 to 1960, Allan had her own program "Swap Shop." She retired in 1977.