Blanche Yurka

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Blanche Yurka

Born June 18, 1887(1887-06-18)
St. Paul, Minnesota
Died June 6, 1974 (aged 86)
New York, New York
Spouse(s) Ian Keith (divorced)

Blanche Yurka (June 18, 1887June 6, 1974) was an American theatre and film actress.


Born in St Paul, Minnesota, Yurka was an opera star before she became an actress. She made her Broadway debut in 1910 and established herself as a character actor, also appearing in several films. In addition to her many stage roles, she was an occasional director and playwright. She remained active in theatre and film until the late 1960s. Her most famous film role is the vicious Madame Defarge in MGM's 1935 version of A Tale of Two Cities (1935 film), but she was also the compassionate aunt in The Song of Bernadette. Another memorable role was in The Southerner. Once married to actor Ian Keith, Yurka died in 1974 of arteriosclerosis.

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