Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysHalloween PicksScary Good HorrorHispanic Heritage MonthMAMISTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Biography
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Sidney Fox(1907-1942)

  • Actress
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Sidney Fox
A mad scientist seeks to mingle human blood with that of an ape, and resorts to kidnapping women for his experiments.
Play trailer1:32
Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
1 Video
69 Photos
This tiny (4' 11"), appealing, coquettish-looking Hollywood actress had only a few active years in early talkies before her career took a bad hit. A few years after that she joined other shattered 1930s hopefuls (Peg Entwistle, Gwili Andre, Peggy Shannon) as tragic symbols of unrequited stardom.

Sidney Fox was born Sidney Liefer in New York City on December 10, 1907 (many resources inaccurately give 1910 as her birth date), the daughter of Joseph Liefer. Sidney began contributing to her family income as a teenager in a variety of ways - as a model on Fifth Avenue and a lovelorn columnist to, name two. At one point she entertained the thought of a law career, but her acting desires soon took over. She joined a stock company in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, where she performed in such shows as "The Big Pond," "Wedding Bells," "The Ghost Train" and "Gregory's Woman."

Back in New York she made her Broadway debut in 1929 with the popular comedy "It Never Rains" at the Republic Theatre, then garnered more attention the next year with another comedy role in "Lost Sheep", which served as her breakthrough into films. Discovered by Universal mogul Carl Laemmle Jr., she was placed directly into a starring role opposite Bette Davis (in her film debut as well) in Bad Sister (1931). In an odd bit of casting, it was innocent-eyed Sidney who played the scheming, vixenish sister and the formidable Bette playing the timid, sympathetic one in a movie that also co-starred up-and-comer Humphrey Bogart.

Guided by Laemle, Jr., Universal continued their buildup of the pert and girlish brunette starlet with appearances in more pictures. Named one of 13 "Wampas Baby Stars" of 1931, she also began making the covers of such movie magazines as "Modern Screen" and "Movie Mirror". Sidney continued making strides in film comedy co-starring with Spencer Tracy in 6 Cylinder Love (1931) and, more importantly, Paul Lukas in Strictly Dishonorable (1931), the latter arguably the best role of her career as the Southern girl who attracts the attention of an Italian opera star (Lukas). Amazingly, she received top billing over Universal horror icon Bela Lugosi in her best-remembered film, Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932), but Lugosi easily stole the proceedings from the rather overly dramatic ingénue.

Sidney's performances in film tended toward the saccharine and obviousness and this one-dimensional aspect hurt a number of her films, including the dramatic "soapers," Nice Women (1931), Afraid to Talk (1932) and, notably, Syyllinen (1934), in which she ineffectively re-teamed with Bogart. Sweet and simple in style, she seemed better suited towards lighter comedy and one of her better films at the time was Kerran elämässä (1932) co-starring funny guy Jack Oakie. Targeted by gossip-mongers as to her "professional relationship" with Laemmle, Jr., she avoided the Hollywood limelight for a time and tried her luck appearing in such European features as Don Quijote (1933), directed by Georg Wilhelm Pabst, and Die Abenteuer des Königs Pausole (1933) [The Adventures of King Pausole], but to little avail.

A stormy marriage to Universal Studios editor Charles Beahan (they married in December of 1932) did not help matters as she became more famous for her tabloid-feeding off-camera life than for the films she was making. They had no children. Her last three pictures -- Syyllinen (1934), Down to Their Last Yacht (1934) a School for Girls (1934) -- did nothing to reverse her downhill fortunes in Hollywood, although she remained a romantic leading lady throughout her career and was never reduced to bit parts. The following years included some work here and there on the Orpheum Theatre circuit, on radio and a brief return to Broadway in a replacement role. Then there was nothing.

Illness and depression set in, not helped by her unhappy, abusive marriage. On the morning of November 15, 1942, the 34-year-old actress was found dead in her Beverly Hills bedroom by her husband after consuming a fatal number of sleeping pills. A most probable suicide, she was buried in Mt. Lebanon Cemetery in Queens, New York. Little remembered today, lovely Sidney Fox remains a sad footnote in the Hollywood annals but her pictures still deserve a curious look.
BornDecember 10, 1907
DiedNovember 14, 1942(34)
BornDecember 10, 1907
DiedNovember 14, 1942(34)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank

Photos69

Leon Ames and Sidney Fox in Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
Betty Ross Clarke and Sidney Fox in Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
Sidney Fox in Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
Bela Lugosi, Leon Ames, Sidney Fox, and Noble Johnson in Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
Sidney Fox in Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
Sidney Fox and Eric Linden in Afraid to Talk (1932)
Sidney Fox and Eric Linden in Afraid to Talk (1932)
Bela Lugosi, Leon Ames, Agostino Borgato, Betty Ross Clarke, D'Arcy Corrigan, Sidney Fox, Arlene Francis, Charles Gemora, Charlotte Henry, Brandon Hurst, and Bert Roach in Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
Sidney Fox and Carmel Myers in Nice Women (1931)
Sidney Fox and Paul Lukas in Strictly Dishonorable (1931)
Sidney Fox and Paul Lukas in Strictly Dishonorable (1931)
Sidney Fox and Lewis Stone in Strictly Dishonorable (1931)

Known for:

Humphrey Bogart, Sidney Fox, O.P. Heggie, Henry Hull, and Lynne Overman in Syyllinen (1934)
Syyllinen
5.5
  • Stella Weldon
  • 1934
Lona Andre, Dorothy Appleby, Kathleen Burke, Helene Chadwick, Helen Foster, Sidney Fox, Paul Kelly, Lucille La Verne, Dorothy Lee, Anne Shirley, Barbara Weeks, Lois Wilson, and Toby Wing in School for Girls (1934)
School for Girls
7.4
  • Annette Edlridge
  • 1934
Louise Fazenda, Sidney Fox, Russell Hopton, Aline MacMahon, Jack Oakie, Zasu Pitts, and Gregory Ratoff in Kerran elämässä (1932)
Kerran elämässä
6.8
  • Susan Walker
  • 1932
The Mouthpiece (1932)
The Mouthpiece
7.2
  • Celia Farraday
  • 1932

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actress

  • Sidney Blackmer, Mary Boland, Sidney Fox, Polly Moran, and Ned Sparks in Down to Their Last Yacht (1934)
    Down to Their Last Yacht
    4.7
    • Linda Colt-Stratton
    • 1934
  • Lona Andre, Dorothy Appleby, Kathleen Burke, Helene Chadwick, Helen Foster, Sidney Fox, Paul Kelly, Lucille La Verne, Dorothy Lee, Anne Shirley, Barbara Weeks, Lois Wilson, and Toby Wing in School for Girls (1934)
    School for Girls
    7.4
    • Annette Edlridge
    • 1934
  • Humphrey Bogart, Sidney Fox, O.P. Heggie, Henry Hull, and Lynne Overman in Syyllinen (1934)
    Syyllinen
    5.5
    • Stella Weldon
    • 1934
  • Emil Jannings in Die Abenteuer des Königs Pausole (1933)
    Die Abenteuer des Königs Pausole
    • Diana
    • 1933
  • The Merry Monarch
    5.0
    • Queen of the Day
    • 1933
  • Don Quijote (1933)
    Don Quijote
    6.5
    • Maria, the niece
    • 1933
  • Edward Arnold, Louis Calhern, Sidney Fox, Eric Linden, and Tully Marshall in Afraid to Talk (1932)
    Afraid to Talk
    7.1
    • Peggy Martin
    • 1932
  • Louise Fazenda, Sidney Fox, Russell Hopton, Aline MacMahon, Jack Oakie, Zasu Pitts, and Gregory Ratoff in Kerran elämässä (1932)
    Kerran elämässä
    6.8
    • Susan Walker
    • 1932
  • Charles Murray and George Sidney in The Cohens and Kellys in Hollywood (1932)
    The Cohens and Kellys in Hollywood
    6.0
    • Sidney Fox
    • 1932
  • The Mouthpiece (1932)
    The Mouthpiece
    7.2
    • Celia Farraday
    • 1932
  • Bela Lugosi in Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
    Murders in the Rue Morgue
    6.3
    • Mlle. Camille L'Espanaye
    • 1932
  • Sidney Fox in Strictly Dishonorable (1931)
    Strictly Dishonorable
    5.9
    • Isabelle
    • 1931
  • Frances Dee and Sidney Fox in Nice Women (1931)
    Nice Women
    6.9
    • Beth Girard
    • 1931
  • Spencer Tracy, Sidney Fox, and Lorin Raker in 6 Cylinder Love (1931)
    6 Cylinder Love
    5.6
    • Marilyn Sterling
    • 1931
  • Bette Davis, Sidney Fox, and Conrad Nagel in Bad Sister (1931)
    Bad Sister
    6.1
    • Marianne Madison
    • 1931

Videos1

Trailer
Trailer 1:32
Trailer

Personal details

Edit
  • Alternative name
    • Sydney Fox
  • Height
    • 1.50 m
  • Born
    • December 10, 1907
    • New York City, New York, USA
  • Died
    • November 14, 1942
    • Beverly Hills, California, USA(overdose of sleeping pills)
  • Spouse
    • Charles BeahanDecember 16, 1932 - November 14, 1942 (her death)
  • Parents
      Jacob Liefer
  • Other works
    Stage: Appeared (as "Dorothy Donavan"; Broadway debut) in "It Never Rains" on Broadway. Comedy. Written by Aurania Rouverol. Directed by Paul Martin. Theatre Republic: 19 Nov 1929-Apr 1930 (closing date unknown/185 performances). Cast: Jack Bennett (as "Henry Rogers"), Fay Courtenay (as "Clara Donavan"), Ann Dere (as "Mabel Rogers"), Pauline Drake (as "Norleen Sears"), Abram Gillette (as "Dane Lawson"), Carl J. Julius (as "Jimmy Rogers"), Phil Kelly (as "Walter Donavan"), Marjorie Lytell (as "Margaret"), Tululah Westley (as "Savannah" / "Gale"), Audree Workman (as "Mary"). Produced by Hyman Productions.
  • Publicity listings
    • 2 Articles

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    In a full-length article on Sidney in "Classic Images", February 2009, by Greg Mank, Hollywood gossip had it that Sidney was having an affair with Carl Laemmle Jr., the Universal general manager who discovered her. Some implied that she also was having an affair with his father, mogul Carl Laemmle, at the same time. This sullied her reputation in Hollywood and her career was severely damaged by it.
  • Quotes
    My greatest cross is that my face and body don't match my mind and soul. People expect me to be an ingénue, a baby doll, and they're terribly disappointed when they find I'm not. At parties, I've seen men ask to be introduced to me, and I knew they thought I was attractive, but after talking to me a few minutes they'd turn away in dismay. Men, in Hollywood especially, don't like intelligent women.

Related news

Contribute to this page

Suggest an edit or add missing content
  • Learn more about contributing
Edit page

More to explore

Production art
Photos
Hollywood Power Couples
See the gallery
Production art
Photos
Radical On-Screen Transformations
See the gallery

Add demo reel with IMDbPro

Demo reel thumbnail
Make your IMDb page stand out by adding a demo reel
Upload your demo reel

Add demo reel with IMDbPro

Make your IMDb page stand out by adding a demo reel
Upload your demo reel
Demo reel thumbnail

How much have you seen?

Keep track of how much of Sidney Fox’s work you have seen. Go to your list.

Recently viewed

Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
Get the IMDb App
Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
  • Get the IMDb App
  • Help
  • Site Index
  • IMDbPro
  • Box Office Mojo
  • IMDb Developer
  • Press Room
  • Advertising
  • Jobs
  • Conditions of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your Ads Privacy Choices
IMDb, an Amazon company

© 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.