| Helene Whitney | |
| Birthname: | Kenyon Fortescue |
| Birth Date: | 4 July 1914 |
| Birth Place: | Brussels, Belgium |
| Death Place: | Atlantis, Florida, U.S. |
| Years Active: | 1939–1948 |
| Alias: | Helen Fortescue Joyce Gardner Helene Reynolds |
| Spouse: | J. Louis Reynolds (1936–1939; divorced) |
| Parents: | Granville Roland Fortescue Grace Fortescue |
Helene Whitney (born Kenyon Fortescue, July 4, 1914 - March 28, 1990) was an American actress who appeared in films in the late 1930s and 1940s. She was known as Helene Reynolds after her marriage.
Whitney was born Kenyon Fortescue in 1914, but was known as Helene.[1] [2] Through her mother, Grace Fortescue, she was a grandniece (and cousin twice removed) of Alexander Graham Bell, who invented the telephone. Through her father Granville Roland Fortescue, she was a first cousin once removed of US President Theodore Roosevelt.
She grew up in Washington D.C. where she attended the National Cathedral School for Girls.[3] She married Julian Louis Reynolds, son of Richard S. Reynolds, Sr.[4] and heir to the Reynolds aluminum and tobacco fortunes, on July 15, 1936, in Washington, becoming Helene Fortescue Reynolds.[5] After three years of marriage, they divorced in May 1939.[5] [6] [7]
She became an actress, using the stage names of Joyce Gardner, Helene Whitney and Helene Reynolds, appeared in films in the late 1930s and 1940s and later in stage productions.[3] After her acting career ended, she became a Manhattan art gallery proprietor and artist in the 1960s.[1] She died of pneumonia at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Atlantis, Florida aged 75 on March 28, 1990.[3]
As Helene Whitney/Helen Whitney
| Year | Title | Role | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Hunchback of Notre Dame | Fleur de Lys | NYT | |
| The Saint's Double Trouble | Anne Bitts | IMDb | |
| Millionaire Playboy aka Glamour Boy (UK) | uncredited | IMDb | |
| The Philadelphia Story | Main Line Society Woman | IMDb | |
| City of Missing Girls | Katherine Crawford | IMDb | |
As Helene Reynolds
| Year | Title | Role | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confirm or Deny | Dorothy | IMDb | |
| Blue, White and Perfect | Helen Shaw | NYT | |
| Girl Trouble | Helen Martin | IMDb | |
| Roxie Hart | IMDb | ||
| Tales of Manhattan | Actress | IMDb | |
| Moontide | Woman in boat | IMDb | |
| The Man Who Wouldn't Die | Anna Wolff | NYT | |
| Dixie Dugan | Jean Patterson | IMDb | |
| Heaven Can Wait | Peggy Nash | IMdb | |
| Wintertime | Marian Daly (uncredited) | NYT | |
| The Meanest Man in the World | Wife (Park Ave. Neighbor) | IMDb | |
| Bermuda Mystery | Angela | IMDb | |
As Helene Reynolds
| Year | Title | Role | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Front Page | Mollie Malloy | IMDb | |
| Mirage in Manhattan (Chevrolet Tele-Theatre) | IMDb | ||