Olive Blakeney on AllMovie

Though born just across the river from Cincinnati, actress Olive Blakeney achieved stardom on the London stage. Among Blakeney's many West End credits was The Gay Divorce, in which she co-starred with Fred Astaire. She made her film bow in 1934 as the title character in Leave It to Blanche. When her American-born actor husband Bernard Nedell, likewise a fixture of British films, decided to try his luck in Hollywood in 1938, Blakeney joined him. A familiar presence in many a 1940s production, Blakeney is best known for her appearances as James Lydon's mother in Paramount's Henry Aldrich series. Their on-screen relationship spilled over into real life when Lydon married Blakeney's daughter. Olive Blakeney continued accepting featured roles in films until her death in 1959, and was also a regular on the syndicated TV series Dr. Hudson's Secret Journal (1955-56).