Betty Stockfeld

Betty Stockfeld (15 January 1905 – 27 January 1966) was an Australian actress whose career spanned stage and screen, with work concentrated primarily in British and French film productions. Her surname was frequently misspelled as "Stockfield" throughout her career.

Born in Australia, Stockfeld was the daughter of Sydney businessman Harry Hooper Stockfeld and Susan Elizabeth Stockfeld, née Evans. Her family connections extended to notable figures in exploration history: she was a niece of commander F. Pryce Evans, who served on Shackleton's Nimrod expedition. When war broke out in 1914, the Stockfeld family was in London and was consequently unable to return to Australia.

Stockfeld appeared on Broadway in 1925, with her credited stage work including the Charlot Revue. Her screen career developed largely within the British and French film industries.

Beyond her performing work, Stockfeld was the subject of notable portraiture. The Hungarian National Gallery in Budapest holds a 1930 oil on canvas by Philip de László depicting her as Mary Magdalen. The work, measuring 93 by 72 centimeters, shows her in a standing half-length pose turned to the right, her face directed upward, dressed in a flowing purple gown beneath a large white wrap, with long red hair loose and hands raised to her face in a gesture of grief, set against a grey-blue background. The National Portrait Gallery in London also holds six portraits of Stockfeld in its collection, four of which are accessible through the gallery's website.