Blanche Yurka

Blanche Yurka
Born	(1887-06-18)June 18, 1887 St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
Died	June 6, 1974(1974-06-06) (aged 86) New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1910–67
Spouse(s)	Ian Keith (1922-26) (divorced)

Blanche Yurka (June 18, 1887 – June 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, including Queen Gertrude opposite John Barrymore's Hamlet, she was an occasional director and playwright. She remained active in theatre and film until the late 1960s.

Her most famous film role was as Madame Defarge in MGM's 1935 version of A Tale of Two Cities (1935), but she was also the compassionate aunt in The Song of Bernadette. Another memorable role was in The Southerner.

Death

Once married to actor Ian Keith, Yurka died in 1974 of arteriosclerosis. She is interred in the Actors Fund of America at Kensico Cemetery, Valhalla, NY. She is survived by her great-nephew Edward Starkins of Canada, author of the book "Who Killed Janet Smith?"

External links

• Blanche Yurka at the Internet Movie Database
• Blanche Yurka at the Internet Broadway Database
• Blanche Yurka at Find a Grave
• 'phrase' Blanche Yurka discography at Folkways Records
• Blanche Yurka diary

Authority control WorldCat VIAF: 9404163 LCCN: no90006112 GND: 116946679

Persondata
Name	Yurka, Blanche
Alternative names
Short description	American actress
Date of birth	June 18, 1887
Place of birth	St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
Date of death	June 6, 1974
Place of death	New York City, New York, U.S.