Background
Fox was born Sidney Leiffer in 1911 (some sources mistakenly cite 1907) in New York City to a Jewish family.
Fox was born Sidney Leiffer in 1911 (some sources mistakenly cite 1907) in New York City to a Jewish family.
Her parents had been wealthy until the October 1929 stock market crash. Young Sidney got a job as a dressmaker, and spent her spare time studying law. She spent her spare time writing fashion articles, which led to a job as a "mannequin" (or model) in a Fifth Avenue shop.
She began studying acting and pestering the movie moguls for a film role, unsuccessfully.
They told her that she was too young and should get some training in "stock" and then come back. She joined a touring theatrical company and within a year was playing on Broadway.
She was given a lead role in Lost Sheep at the age of 18. Fox made her film debut in the 1931 Hobart Henley drama, Bad Sister, opposite Conrad Nagel, Humphrey Bogart, Zasu Pitts and, also making her film debut, Bette Davis.
Fox also starred as "Madamoiselle Camille L"Espanaye" in the 1932 Robert Florey film, Murders in the Rue Morgue opposite Bela Lugosi.
In 1933 she played opposite renowned operatic bass Feodor Chaliapin in the English-language version of Don Quixote. Her last film appearance was in the 1934 musical comedy Down to Their Last Yacht opposite Mary Boland, Polly Moran and Ned Sparks. Sidney Fox died of an overdose of sleeping pills on November 15, 1942 in Hollywood at the age of 30.
Her death was officially ruled an accident.
She was interred at Mount Lebanon Cemetery, Glendale, Queens, New York City.