Selby was a character actress who played minor roles for the most part – usually a town gossip, maiden aunt, or teacher. Beginning her career as a radio actress, she made her screen debut voicing one of the elephants in Disney's Dumbo (1941). She was best known for her recurring role as Ma Smalley, the owner of a boarding house on TV's Gunsmoke (1955).^[1] She had recurring roles on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, initially as Gracie's friend Mamie Kelly, and then a recurring role as Lucille Vanderlip the society hostess wife of banker Chester Vanderlip. In 1964, she appeared with Jackie Cooper in an episode of the Twilight Zone (S5E32 - “Caesar & Me”).

She starred in numerous films from 1941 to 1978. In her first role, she voiced^[2] the elephant Prissy in the movie Dumbo.^[3] Selby was an actress, known for Tower of London (1962), Beyond the Forest (1949) and a recurring role as Aunt Gertrude in The Mickey Mouse Club television series The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Applegate Treasure (1956). Among her radio program appearances, she played various roles on 1947 Escape drama anthology series, and was a regular cast member as Grace in the 1948-50 Junior Miss radio sitcom.^[4]

Selby was married to Holger Yngvar Harthern-Jakobsen, and to Stanley Robert Wuliger. She died from cancer at the age of 74, on Monday, January 7, 1980, in Los Angeles California.^[5]

1943

• The Seventh Victim - Min Gottschalk ^[6]

1944

• San Diego, I Love You - Mrs. Lovelace ^[7]
• The Curse of the Cat People - Miss Plunkett ^[8]

1945

• The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry - Alice ^[9]
• Earl Carroll Vanities - Mrs. Thayer ^[10]
• The Beautiful Cheat - Athena [Haven] ^[11]
• Wonder Man - Woman in library ^[12]
• The Naughty Nineties - Mrs. Hawkins ^[13]

1946

• One Exciting Week - Committee Woman ^[14]
• Ideal Girl - Esmeralda ^[15]
• Little Iodine - Mrs. Bigdome ^[16]

1947

• Swell Guy - Lorraine ^[17]
• Stork Bites Man - Mrs. Greene ^[18]
• The Fabulous Texan - Unknown ^[19]
• That's My Man - Unknown ^[20]

1948

• A Double Life - Anna ^[21]
• Trapped by Boston Blackie - Mrs. Carter ^[22]
• Train to Alcatraz - Widow's friend ^[23]

1949

• Beyond the Forest - Mildred Sorren ^[24]
• Prison Warden - Vivian Markham ^[25]
• Side Street - Nurse Williams ^[26]

1950

• Perfect Strangers - Mrs. Wilson ^[27]

1951

• Jim Thorpe – All-American - Miss Benton ^[28]

1952

• The Sniper - (unknown character role) ^[29]
• The Iron Mistress - Mrs. Bowie ^[30]

1953

• Battle Circus - Capt. Dobbs ^[31]
• Mister Scoutmaster - Mrs. Weber ^[32]
• The System - Liz Allen ^[33]

1954

• Men of the Fighting Lady - Mrs. Syzmanski ^[34]

1955

• Good Morning, Miss Dove - Teacher ^[35]
• Battle Cry - Mrs. Forrester ^[36]
• The McConnell Story - Mom Brown ^[37]

1957

• An Affair to Remember - Miss Lane ^[38]
• Short Cut to Hell - Adam's secretary ^[39]
• Gunfire at Indian Gap - Bessie Moran ^[40]
• Stopover Tokyo - Wife of High Commissioner ^[41]
• No Time to Be Young - Helen Root ^[42]

1962

• Moon Pilot - Mrs. Celia Talbot ^[43]
• Tower of London - The Queen ^[44]

1964

• Taggart - Maude Taggart ^[45]

1967

• Don't Make Waves - Ethyl ^[46]

1973

• The World's Greatest Athlete - Woman in jeep who points out cheetah ^[47]

• Dunning, John (1998). On the Air : The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. New York : Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3.

• Sarah Selby at AllMovie
• Sarah Selby at the American Film Institute Catalog
• Sarah Selby at IMDb
• Sarah Selby at the TCM Movie Database
• Sarah Selby at UCLA Film & Television Archive catalog