| Yan Yuexian | |
| Native Name: | 严月娴 |
| Native Name Lang: | zh |
| Birth Date: | 1911 |
| Birth Place: | Shanghai |
| Death Date: | 1985 |
| Occupation: | silent-film actress |
| Years Active: | 1925 - 1944 |
| Credits: | , which produces label "Notable credit(s)"; or by |
| Works: | , which produces label "Works"; or by |
| Label Name: | , which produces label "Label(s)" --> |
| Office: | may be used as an alternative when the label is better rendered as "Office" (e.g. public office or appointments) --> |
| Family: | She County, Anhui |
Yan Yuexian (Chinese: 严月娴), also romanised as Yang Yoo-yea, was a Chinese actress in the silent film industry in Shanghai in the mid 1920s and early 1930s and was the daughter of composer and actor Yan Gongshang 严工上 (1872~1953).[1] Her father made 103 films in addition to his writing and composing.[1] Under her father's influence, she found she enjoyed music and painting. She made her first movie in 1926 as a "child actor" of about 15-years-old, having joined the drama association earlier in 1925.[1]
In her career Yan Yuexian participated in almost 50 films.[2] However, her last big role was her 1941 film Spring Breeze Back to Dreams.[2] An article about her career, Yan Yuezhen: For the sake of the unrequited marriage of the Republic of China implied that a drug-use problem ended her career, as audiences turned away from her.[2] However, later in life, her fans assisted her.[2] In 1982, when she was 71 years old, her situation was hard; she was living alone in Shanghai with no income, relying on her sisters' help from overseas.[2] A fan of her last film, 49 years earlier, helped secure her a good job as a librarian at the Shanghai Literature and History Research Institute.[2]
Yan Yuexian participated in nearly 50 films. A selection follows with examples from across her career:[1] [3]