Marcelle Corday was an American actress best known for her roles in “Hands Across the Table,” “Dead End,” and “The Great Ziegfeld.” She was originally born in Brussels, Belgium, on January 8, 1890.
Personal and Family Life
Marcelle Corday was born to a French father and received her education in private schools located in Paris and Geneva. She started her acting career on stage in Brussels before moving to Paris to join Jacques Copeau’s Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier. In 1924, she made her film debut in California, potentially influenced by her connection with financier Otto Kahn, who admired Hollywood.
Career
Throughout her 24-year career, Marcelle appeared in numerous films, primarily in supporting roles as French governesses, maids, and nurses. By the mid-1930s, her film appearances became less frequent and mostly uncredited. Regardless, she continued to work as a freelance actress until her retirement in 1952.
Death and Legacy
Marcelle Corday passed away on June 25, 1971, in Newport Beach, California, at the age of 81. Her contributions to film and theater, especially during the 1920s and 1930s, are remembered fondly by those who appreciate classic cinema.
Filmography
| Title | Release Date | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Hands Across the Table | 1935-10-18 | Celeste (uncredited) |
| Blonde Venus | 1932-09-23 | Helen’s Maid in France (uncredited) |
| Dead End | 1937-08-27 | Governess |
| The Trespasser | 1929-11-11 | Blanche the Maid |
| The Scarlet Letter | 1927-01-08 | Mistress Hibbins |
| Always Goodbye | 1938-06-24 | Roddy’s Nurse |
| This Modern Age | 1931-08-29 | Alyce |
| The Barbarian | 1933-05-12 | Diana’s Maid Marthe |
| Happy Landing | 1938-01-23 | Gypsy |
| Careless Lady | 1932-04-02 | Marie – French Chambermaid |
| L’homme des Folies Bergère | 1935-05-09 | Josephine |
| Whistling in the Dark | 1933-01-21 | Hilda |
| I’ll Give a Million | 1938-07-27 | Mother (uncredited) |
| My Dear Miss Aldrich | 1937-09-17 | Madame Sada (uncredited) |
| They Had to See Paris | 1929-09-18 | Marquise De Brissac |
| Miss Fane’s Baby Is Stolen | 1934-01-12 | Baby’s Nurse |
| Quality Street | 1927-11-01 | Henrietta Tumbull |
| To the Victor | 1948-10-26 | Elise, Pablo’s housekeeper |
| Hat, Coat and Glove | 1934-07-26 | Hat Saleslady (uncredited) |
| Here’s to Romance | 1935-10-04 | Concierge |
| The House Across the Bay | 1940-03-01 | French Maid |
| Swamp Fire | 1946-09-06 | Grandmere Rousseau |
| Earthbound | 1940-06-06 | Louise – Linda’s Maid |
| Flesh and the Devil | 1926-12-25 | Minna |
| We Moderns | 1925-11-15 | Theodosia |
| What Price Hollywood? | 1932-06-24 | French Nursemaid (uncredited) |
| A Farewell to Arms | 1932-12-08 | Swiss Nurse (uncredited) |
| Mrs. Parkington | 1944-10-12 | Madame de Thebes (uncredited) |
| Above Suspicion | 1943-05-31 | Paris Hotel Maid (uncredited) |
| The Red Lily | 1924-09-08 | Harassed Woman in Bar (uncredited) |
| The Great Ziegfeld | 1936-04-08 | Marie |
| The Palm Beach Story | 1942-08-28 | Elderly Maid (uncredited) |
| Passage to Marseille | 1944-03-11 | Grocer’s Wife (uncredited) |
| The Great Impersonation | 1942-12-18 | French Woman |
| Suez | 1938-10-28 | Mme. Paquineau |
| The World Moves On | 1934-06-27 | Madame Girard II (1914) |
| The Greater Glory | 1926-05-02 | Maid |
| When a Man Loves | 1927-08-21 | Marie (uncredited) |
| Allotment Wives | 1945-11-08 | Madame Gaston |
| Into Her Kingdom | 1926-08-08 | Tatiana’s Maid |
| Pagan Love Song | 1950-12-26 | Countess Mariani (uncredited) |
| Soyons gais | 1931-04-17 | |
| Deception | 1946-10-26 | Hat Check Woman (uncredited) |
| Le Spectre vert | 1930-05-07 | La femme de chambre |
| Midnight Mystery | 1930-06-01 | Harriet Cooper |
| Seventh Heaven | 1937-03-25 | Frenchwoman (uncredited) |
| The Pied Piper | 1942-08-21 | Madame Bonne |
| Peter Ibbetson | 1935-11-07 | Maid (uncredited) |
| Café Metropole | 1937-04-28 | Secretary (uncredited) |