Barbara O'Neil papers, 1932-1977 (bulk 1937-1958)

Barbara O’Neil (1910-1980) was an actress best known for her film roles in “Stella Dallas” and “All This and Heaven Too” and her stage roles in “Affairs of State” and “The Searching Wind.” In addition, she was known for her role as Scarlett O'Hara's mother, Ellen O'Hara, in "Gone with the Wind" (1939). She started as a stage actress on Broadway and went to Hollywood in the late 1930s, where she appeared in numerous films in supporting roles. She played with Edward G. Robinson in "I Am the Law'"and with Basil Rathbone and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in "The Sun Never Sets" both in 1939. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri. She began acting with the Cape Cod Players in the 1930s and made her Broadway debut in “Carrie Nation” (1933). She died in Cos Cob, Connecticut in 1980.