Eileen Beldon

Eileen Beldon (12 September 1901 – 3 August 1985) was an English stage and film actress born in Bradford, West Yorkshire to Albert Beldon and Bertha Nicholson. She attended Bradford Grammar School and the Hendon School before embarking on a career that encompassed Shakespearean performance, modern repertory theatre, and Broadway productions spanning more than a decade.

Beldon's first professional stage appearance came on 26 December 1917 at the Drury Lane Theatre, where she performed as a chorus member in a production of Aladdin. She subsequently built her early career at the Old Vic, taking on roles including Maria in Twelfth Night, Audrey in As You Like It, and Mopsa in The Winter's Tale. In 1920, she undertook two separate touring engagements across England, playing Jocelyn in Sacred and Profane Love and Kitty Cranford in The Great Day.

In March 1923, Beldon joined the Birmingham Repertory Theatre company, remaining with the ensemble through March 1924. She returned to the Birmingham company for their 1944–1945 season, during which she appeared as Paulina in The Winter's Tale and Juno in Juno and the Paycock, among other roles, and again performed with the company from 1961 through 1964.

Her Broadway career ran from 1927 to 1938 and included several productions. In 1927, she appeared in Yellow Sands at the Fulton Theatre and in Fallen Angels at the 49th Street Theatre. Her additional Broadway credits included I Have Been Here Before, Angels Fall, and The Fanatics. Beyond Broadway, Beldon performed at notable venues including the Garrick Theatre, the Winter Garden Theatre, the Guild Theatre, and the Edinburgh Festival.

Beldon also worked in film and television. Her screen career began with a role as a parlormaid in the 1938 film adaptation of Pygmalion. She died on 3 August 1985.