Bessie Love | |
Image Upright: | 1 |
Film: | 123 |
Television Series: | 39 |
Theatre: | 36 |
Bessie Love (1898–1986) was an actress whose career began in silent films, and continued into sound films, radio, and television. She was also active in the theatre. Her early career was exclusively in American film; after she moved to England in 1935, she performed in productions made only in the U.K., and British productions made in Europe.
Love began her career at Triangle Fine Arts, having been discovered by D. W. Griffith.
Release date | Title | Role | Director | Studio(s) / Distributor(s) | Preservation status | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
February 6, 1916 | Acquitted | Helen Carter | Paul Powell | Fine Arts / Triangle | Lost | |
March 12, 1916 | Hulda | John B. O'Brien, Christy Cabanne | Fine Arts / Triangle | Lost | ||
April 9, 1916 | Mary Jane Garth | William S. Hart, Reginald Barker, Clifford Smith | Triangle | Incomplete | ||
April 21, 1916 | Amy | Allan Dwan | Fine Arts / Triangle | Survives | ||
June 11, 1916 | Reggie Mixes In | Agnes | Christy Cabanne | Fine Arts / Triangle | Survives | |
June 11, 1916 | The Little Fish Blower | John Emerson, Christy Cabanne | Triangle | Survives | Short film | |
July 23, 1916 | Stranded | The Girl | Lloyd Ingraham | Fine Arts / Triangle | Lost | |
August 20, 1916 | Hell-to-Pay Austin | Briar Rose "Nettles" Dawson | Paul Powell | Fine Arts / Triangle | Lost | |
September 5, 1916 | Intolerance | The Bride | D. W. Griffith | Triangle | Survives | |
October 29, 1916 | Prudence | Chester M. Franklin, Sidney Franklin | Fine Arts / Triangle | Incomplete | ||
December 1916 | The Heiress at Coffee Dan's | Waffles | Edward Dillon | Fine Arts / Triangle | Lost | |
January 21, 1917 | Nina, the Flower Girl | Nina | Lloyd Ingraham | Fine Arts / Triangle | Lost | |
March 18, 1917 | Rose Eastman | Edward Dillon | Fine Arts / Triangle | Incomplete | ||
April 15, 1917 | Cheerful Givers | Judy | Paul Powell | Fine Arts / Triangle | Lost | |
July 15, 1917 | Janet Magie | Charles Miller, Paul Powell | New York Motion Picture Corporation / Triangle | Survives | ||
August 19, 1917 | Wee Lady Betty | Wee Lady Betty | Charles Miller, Frank Borzage (uncredited) | Triangle | Lost | |
September 9, 1917 | Polly Ann | Polly Ann | Charles Miller | Triangle | Lost | |
In 1918, Pathé Exchange was looking for a new star, and convinced Love to leave Triangle Fine Arts for a salary of $2000/week[1] . The contract empowered her to choose her own cameraman; she selected future Academy Award-winner Clyde De Vinna.[2]
Love made four films with Pathé. They received mixed-to-negative reviews, although Love's performances were consistently praised. Originally released in 1918 and 1919 as 5-reel films, three of the films were edited down to 3 reels, and re-released in 1922 as "Pathé Playlets".[3] [4] [5]
Carolyn of the Corners, Love's final film with Pathé, was released after the first films of her subsequent Vitagraph contract were released, as were the Pathé Playlets.
Release dates | Title | Role | Director | Studio(s) / Distributor(s) | Preservation status | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Original | Re-release | ||||||
March 10, 1918 | August 6, 1922 | Rags | Alice Guy-Blaché | Pathé Exchange | Survives | ||
May 5, 1918 | Not re-released | How Could You, Caroline? | Caroline Rogers | Frederick A. Thomson | Pathé Exchange | Lost | |
June 30, 1918 | August 6, 1922 | Celeste Janvier | Robert Thornby | Anderson-Brunton / Pathé Exchange | Lost | ||
March 9, 1919 | June 11, 1922 | Carolyn of the Corners | Carolyn May Cameron | Robert Thornby | Pathé Exchange | Lost | |
In 1918, Love signed a nine-film contract with Vitagraph,[6] all of which were made, and all of which were directed by David Smith.
Release date | Title | Role | Director | Studio(s) / Distributor(s) | Preservation status | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
December 2, 1918 | Sue Prescott | David Smith | Vitagraph | Lost | ||
January 27, 1919 | Shirley Hollister | David Smith | Vitagraph | Lost | ||
March 10, 1919 | Joy Havenith | David Smith | Vitagraph | Lost | ||
April 21, 1919 | Patsy O'Reilly | David Smith | Vitagraph | Lost | Love also wrote the scenario | |
June 2, 1919 | Peggy Winston, the little boss | David Smith | Vitagraph | Lost | ||
July 12, 1919 | Cupid Forecloses | Geraldine Farleigh | David Smith | Vitagraph | Survives | |
September 21, 1919 | Over the Garden Wall | Peggy Gordon | David Smith | Vitagraph | Lost | |
November 16, 1919 | Alannah Malone | David Smith | Vitagraph | Lost | ||
January 11, 1920 | Pegeen | Pegeen O'Neill | David Smith | Vitagraph | Lost | |
All were box-office failures.
Release date | Title | Role | Director | Studio(s) / Distributor(s) | Preservation status | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
October 17, 1920 | Bonnie May | Bonnie May | Joseph De Grasse, Ida May Park | Andrew J. Callaghan Productions / Federated Film Exchanges | Lost | |
December 1920 | Aurelie Lindstrom | Joseph De Grasse, Ida May Park | Andrew J. Callaghan Productions / Federated Film Exchanges | Incomplete | ||
May 7, 1921 | Penny of Top Hill Trail | Penny | Arthur Berthelet | Andrew J. Callaghan Productions / Federated Film Exchanges | Lost | |
After the failures of her Callaghan-produced films, Love fired her manager, and became a free agent.
She appeared in two series of short films headlined by other actors: The Santschi Series (Tom Santschi) and The Strange Adventures of Prince Courageous (Arthur Trimble).
Release date | Title | Role | Director | Studio(s) / Distributor(s) | Preservation status | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
October 16, 1921 | The Geologist's Wife | Robert North Bradbury | Pathé Exchange | Lost | ||
October 30, 1921 | Robert North Bradbury | Pathé Exchange | Lost | |||
October 30, 1921 | Mary | Colin Campbell | Robertson–Cole | Survives | ||
December 5, 1921 | Blossom Nelson | Rowland V. Lee | Associated Producers | Survives | ||
March 19, 1922 | Hyacinth | Norman Dawn | Robertson–Cole | Lost | ||
July 23, 1922 | Forget Me Not | Ann, the girl | W. S. Van Dyke | Metro Pictures | Lost | |
August 1922 | Bulldog Courage | Gloria Phillips | Edward A. Kull | Russell Productions / State Rights | Survives | |
November 2, 1922 | Rosemary Martin, the daughter | John Ford | Fox Film | Incomplete | ||
November 15, 1922 | Night Life in Hollywood | Herself | Fred Caldwell | A.B. Maescher Productions / Arrow Film Corporation | Incomplete | |
December 1, 1922 | Deserted at the Altar | Anna Moore, the country girl | William K. Howard | Phil Goldstone | Survives | |
January 7, 1923 | Three Who Paid | John Caspar / Virginia Cartwright | Colin Campbell | Fox Film | Lost | |
January 21, 1923 | Effie Kugler | Nat Ross | Universal Pictures | Lost | ||
March 27, 1923 | Souls for Sale | Herself | Rupert Hughes | Goldwyn Pictures | Survives | |
April 7, 1923 | Bernice | Frederick G. Becker | Arthur Trimble Productions / Anchor | Survives | ||
1923 | Bernice | Frederick G. Becker | Arthur Trimble Productions / Anchor | Unknown | ||
1923 | Bernice | Frederick G. Becker | Arthur Trimble Productions / Anchor | Unknown | ||
May 10, 1923 | Mui Far | Charles R. Seeling | Aywon / State Rights | Lost | ||
May 22, 1923 | Mary of the Movies | Herself | John McDermott | Columbia / Robertson–Cole / Film Booking Offices | Incomplete | |
June 17, 1923 | Human Wreckage | Mary Finnegan | John Griffith Wray | Thomas H. Ince Corporation / Film Booking Offices | Lost | |
September 23, 1923 | Hilda Gray | Marshall Neilan, Frank Urson | Goldwyn Pictures | Lost | ||
September 30, 1923 | St. Elmo | Edna Earle | Jerome Storm | Fox Film | Lost | |
October 14, 1923 | Slave of Desire | Pauline Gaudin | George D. Baker | Goldwyn Pictures | Survives | |
December 24, 1923 | Gentle Julia | Julia | Rowland V. Lee | Fox Film | Lost | |
February 11, 1924 | Torment | Marie | Maurice Tourneur | Tourneur / Associated First National | Lost | |
April 20, 1924 | Grace Pierce | Harry O. Hoyt | Associated First National | Lost | ||
April 28, 1924 | Those Who Dance | Veda Carney | Lambert Hillyer | Thomas H. Ince Corporation / Associated First National | Lost | |
October 5, 1924 | Mary Roberts | Frank Lloyd | First National Pictures | Lost | ||
October 12, 1924 | Dynamite Smith | Violet | Ralph Ince | Thomas H. Ince Corporation / Pathé Exchange | Survives | |
November 30, 1924 | Sundown | Ellen Crawley | Laurence Trimble, Harry O. Hoyt | First National Pictures | Lost | |
December 15, 1924 | Tongues of Flame | Lahleet | Joseph Henabery | Famous Players–Lasky / Paramount Pictures | Lost | |
February 2, 1925 | Paula White | Harry O. Hoyt | First National Pictures | Survives | ||
May 3, 1925 | Soul-Fire | Teita | John S. Robertson | Inspiration Pictures / First National Pictures | Survives | |
September 28, 1925 | Nora Shea | Victor Fleming | Famous Players–Lasky / Paramount Pictures | Lost | ||
October 12, 1925 | New Brooms | Geraldine Marsh | William C. deMille | Famous Players–Lasky / Paramount Pictures | Lost | |
October 25, 1925 | Gladys Humphreys | Monta Bell | Famous Players–Lasky / Paramount Pictures | Survives | ||
February 28, 1926 | Leola Lane | Herbert Brenon | Famous Players–Lasky / Paramount Pictures | Incomplete | ||
June 26, 1926 | Lovey Mary | Lovey Mary | King Baggot | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | Incomplete | |
October 11, 1926 | Young April | Victoria | Donald Crisp | Producers Distributing Corporation | Survives | |
December 12, 1926 | Going Crooked | Marie Farley | George Melford | Fox Film | Survives | |
Not released (filmed in 1927) | Jane Wilton | J. Stuart Blackton | Natural Vision Pictures | Lost | Never released theatrically | |
February 7, 1927 | Rubber Tires | Mary Ellen Stack | Alan Hale, Sr. | Producers Distributing Corporation | Survives | |
October 10, 1927 | Nora Banks | Renaud Hoffman | DeMille Pictures / Pathé Exchange | Lost | ||
November 11, 1927 | Dress Parade | Janet Cleghorne | Donald Crisp | Pathé Exchange | Survives | |
March 14, 1928 | Ginger Bolivar | Frank Capra | Columbia Pictures | Survives | ||
July 15, 1928 | Sally of the Scandals | Sally Rand | Lynn Shores | Film Booking Offices | Survives | |
September 9, 1928 | Anybody Here Seen Kelly? | Mitzi Lavelle | William Wyler | Universal Pictures | Lost | |
All of Love's sound films are extant.
Year | Title | Role | Studio(s) / Distributor(s) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1928 | Warner Vitaphone | Short film | ||
1929 | Hank Mahoney | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actress | |
Helen Thayer | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | |||
Herself | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | |||
Hattie Hartley | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | |||
1930 | Chasing Rainbows | Carlie Seymour | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | |
They Learned About Women | Mary Collins | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | ||
Conspiracy | Margaret Holt | RKO Pictures | ||
Good News | Babe | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | Missing Technicolor ending | |
See America Thirst | Ellen | Universal Pictures | ||
1931 | Morals for Women | Helen Huston | Tiffany Pictures | |
1936 | I Live Again | Kathleen Vernon | G.B. Morgan Productions / National Provincial Film Distributors | |
1941 | Atlantic Ferry | Begonia Baggot | Warner Brothers | |
1945 | London Scrapbook | Herself | Spectator Short Films | Short film |
Journey Together | Mrs. Mary McWilliams | RKO Pictures | ||
1951 | No Highway in the Sky | Aircraft passenger | Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp. | Uncredited |
Wedding group member | British Lion Films | |||
1954 | Prisoner | |||
Mrs. Eubanks | Figaro / United Artists | |||
Beau Brummell | Maid | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | Uncredited | |
1955 | Touch and Go | Mrs. Baxter | Ealing Studios / J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors / Universal Pictures | |
1957 | Matron in art gallery | Romulus Films / Columbia Pictures | ||
1958 | Next to No Time | Becky Wiener | Montpelier / British Lion Film Corporation | |
Nowhere to Go | Harriet P. Jefferson | Ealing Studios / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | ||
1959 | Too Young to Love | Mrs. Busch | Welbeck Films Ltd. / J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors | |
1961 | American tourist | PKL Productions / Victor Saville-Edward Small Productions / Columbia Pictures | ||
Bunny | Warner Bros. / Seven Arts / Warner-Pathé Distributors / Warner Bros. Pictures | Costar Warren Beatty later directed Love in Reds | ||
1963 | Marjorie's mother | Bryanston Films / British Lion Films | ||
Children of the Damned | Mrs. Robbins, Mark's grandmother | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | ||
1964 | I Think They Call Him John | Narrator | Samaritan Films | Short film |
1965 | Promise Her Anything | Pet shop customer | Seven Arts Productions / Paramount Pictures | |
1967 | Battle Beneath the Earth | Matron | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | |
I'll Never Forget What's'isname | American tourist | J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors | ||
1968 | Isadora | Mrs. Duncan | Universal Pictures | |
1969 | On Her Majesty's Secret Service | Baccarat player | Eon-Danilag Productions | Uncredited |
1971 | Sunday Bloody Sunday | Answering service lady | Vectia / United Artists | |
Catlow | Mrs. Frost | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | ||
1974 | Vampyres | American lady | Cambist Films / Cinépix Film Properties Inc. | |
1976 | Maurine | Warner Bros. | ||
1977 | Gulliver's Travels | Arrow Films / Sunn Classic Pictures | Voice | |
1981 | Reds | Mrs. Partlow | Barclays Mercantile / Industrial Finance / JRS Productions / Paramount Pictures | Director Warren Beatty was Love's costar in The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone |
Ragtime | Old lady (T.O.C.) | Paramount Pictures | ||
Lady Chatterley's Lover | Flora | Cannon Films / Columbia Pictures | ||
1983 | Lillybelle | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer / MGM/UA Entertainment Co | ||
Year | Title | Role | Venue / Location | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1928 | Burlesque | Bonny | San Francisco | [7] | |
Merry Ann Idea | Touring production | A one-woman, Fanchon and Marco stage revue | [8] [9] [10] | ||
1930 | Whispering Friends | El Capitan Theatre, Hollywood | [11] [12] | ||
1931 | Vaudeville show | ||||
1936 | Stop and Go | Touring production | A C. B. Cochran revue | ||
1936 | Lucky Stars | Touring production | [13] [14] | ||
1938 | Lyric Theatre, London | Understudy | |||
1944 | Love in Idleness | Replaced Peggy Dear | [15] [16] | ||
1945 | Zenobia | Granville Theatre, Walham Green | [17] | ||
Say It With Flowers | Julie | Granville Theatre, Walham Green | |||
1947 | Born Yesterday | Garrick Theatre, London | |||
1948 | Native Son | Bolton's Theatre Club, London | [18] | ||
1949 | Death of a Salesman | Laughing Woman | Phoenix Theatre, London | ||
New Wimbledon Theatre, London | Also performed the role on television in 1956 | [19] | |||
1951 | Touring production | [20] | |||
1953 | Q Theatre, London | ||||
1954 | Phoenix Theatre, London | [21] | |||
Mother Is a Darling | New Theatre, Bromley | [22] | |||
1955 | Arts Theatre, London | ||||
South | Arts Theatre, London | Performed the role again in 1961 | [23] | ||
Piccadilly Theatre, London | |||||
1956 | Someone to Talk To | Duchess Theatre, London | |||
1958 | Perth Theatre, Perth, Scotland | Written by Love | [24] [25] | ||
1959 | Orpheus Descending | Royal Court Theatre, London | [26] | ||
1960 | Visit to a Small Planet | Westminster Theatre, London | [27] | ||
1961 | South | Criterion Theatre, London | Had previously performed the role in 1955 | ||
1962 | Gentlemen Prefer Blondes | Playwright Anita Loos had attended Love's wedding in 1929 | [28] [29] | ||
1963 | Never Too Late | Prince of Wales Theatre, London | |||
1964 | Saint Joan of the Stockyards | Queen's Theatre, London | [30] | ||
In White America | Arts Theatre, London | [31] | |||
1966 | Hampstead Theatre Club, London | ||||
1968 | Sweet Bird of Youth | Aunt Nonnie | Palace Theatre, Watford | [32] | |
1970 | Harvey | Touring production | [33] | ||
1971 | Touring production | [34] | |||
1971 | West of Suez | Royal Court Theatre, London | [35] [36] [37] | ||
1972 | Gone with the Wind | Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London | [38] | ||
1979 | Touring production | [39] | |||
Year(s) | Title | Role | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1946 | Mr. Know-All | [40] | ||
1947 | You Can't Take It with You | Penelope Sycamore | Television film | [41] |
1948 | Mrs. Grant | Television film | [42] | |
1952 | Mystery Story | Grace Jones | [43] [44] | |
1953 | Harriet Quinn | [45] | ||
1954, 1957, 1958 | BBC Sunday-Night Theatre | Various | 7 episodes | [46] [47] [48] [49] |
1954 | Queen's Folly | Mrs. Temple | [50] | |
1955 | London Playhouse | Mrs. Goren | Episode: "The Glorification of Al Toolum" | [51] |
1956 | Myrtle Keller | |||
1957, 1960 | ITV Television Playhouse | Various | 3 episodes | |
1957, 1959 | ITV Play of the Week | Various | 3 episodes | |
1958 | Long Distance | Mrs. MacLean | Television short | [52] [53] |
1959 | Saturday Playhouse | Mrs. Stykeley-Mosher | Episode: "Golden Rain" | [54] |
1960 | Emergency – Ward 10 | Mrs. Broom | Episode: "Mrs. Broom" | |
Don't Do It, Dempsey! | Mrs. Glenton | Episode: "Visiting Firemen" | [55] | |
International Detective | Various | 2 episodes | [56] | |
1961 | Harpers West One | Customer | 1 episode | |
1962 | Zero One | Mrs. Glorny | Episode: "Gunpoint to Shannon" | [57] [58] |
Man of the World | Mrs. Van Kempson | Episode: "Portrait of a Girl" | ||
Mrs. Neilson | Episode: "Gale Warning" | [59] [60] | ||
BBC Sunday-Night Play | Mrs. Marshall | Episode: "Means to an End" | ||
1963 | This Is Your Life | Herself | Reality documentary | [61] [62] |
Mamie | Episode: "Never Play Cards with Strangers" | |||
1964 | Story Parade | Mrs. Arquette | Episode: "A Kiss Before Dying" | [63] |
1965 | Martha Burroughs | Episode: "The Pistol" | [64] | |
1966 | Television film; uncredited | |||
1968 | ITV Playhouse | Mrs. Teitelbaum | Episode: "Bon Voyage" | |
Late Night Line-Up | Herself | [65] [66] | ||
1969 | Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) | Mrs. Trotter | Episode: "When Did You Start to Stop Seeing Things?" | |
Omnibus | Episode: "Where Are You Going to My Pretty Maid?" | [67] [68] | ||
British Film Comedy | Becky | Episode: "Next to No Time" | [69] | |
1970 | W. Somerset Maugham | American lady | Episode: "Jane" | [70] |
Kate | Lady Hartford-Cape | Episode: "A Good Spec" | ||
1971 | Great Day | Herself | ||
Public Eye | Chrissy Husack | Episode: "The Beater and the Game" | ||
From a Bird's Eye View | Old Lady | Episode: "Family Tree" | ||
1973 | Pollyanna | Mrs. Snow | Miniseries | [71] |
1974 | Mousey | Mrs. Richardson | Television film | |
1975 | Shades of Greene | St. Louis Woman | Episode: "Cheap in August" | [72] |
1976 | Katy | Mrs. Finch | 3 episodes | [73] [74] [75] |
1977 | Good Afternoon! | Herself | ||
1978 | Edward & Mrs. Simpson | Maud Cunard | Miniseries | |
Herself | Documentary series | [76] | ||
1980 | Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film | Herself | Documentary series | [77] |
Nationwide | Herself | [78] | ||
Date | Title | Role | |
---|---|---|---|
August 31, 1942 | Ladies' Man | Anita | [79] |
October 30, 1942 | Paul Temple Intervenes "The October Hotel" | Maisie | [80] |
November 26, 1943 | Entertainment Annual | [81] | |
October 3, 1944 | News Headlines | Host | [82] |
October 8, 1944 | Variety Band-Box | Host | [83] |
January 30, 1946 | Vic Oliver Introduces... | [84] | |
January 19, 1947 | Scrapbook for 1925 | [85] | |
March 6, 1954 | Theatre Royal: "The Outcasts of Poker Flat" | [86] | |
December 4, 1954 | Saturday-Night Theatre "The Old Reliable" | Adela Cork | [87] [88] |
June 16, 1955 | Melville's Choice | [89] | |
July 30, 1955 | Saturday-Night Theatre | ||
April 18, 1957 | Woman's Hour | Narrator | [90] |
August 8, 1957 | Desert Island Discs | Herself | [91] |
December 29, 1961 | I Remember | Herself | [92] |
December 31, 1963 | Hollywood Memories | Herself | [93] |
March 21, 1966 | Illumination | Sister Constance Soulsby | [94] |
July 13, 1968 | Afternoon Theatre | [95] | |
March 28, 1970 | Saturday-Night Theatre: "Mrs. Gibbons' Boys" | Mrs. Gibbons | [96] [97] |
September 18, 1975 | Afternoon Theatre | ||
August 23, 1977 | Spoon River | [98] | |
September 12, 1977 | Star Sound | Herself | [99] |
February 27, 1978 | Virginia's mother | [100] | |
March 5, 1978 | Afternoon Theatre | ||
Love mistakenly has been identified as being in the cast of The Birth of a Nation (1915) as "a Piedmont girl", but she took steps in her later years to clarify that she was not in the film.[101]
The Internet Movie Database lists Love as appearing in a 1915 film entitled Georgia Pearce. "Georgia Pearce" was actually the stage name used by actress Constance Talmadge for one of her roles in Intolerance, and it is not the name of a film.[102]
Some sources include Love in the cast of Meet the Prince (1926).[103] However, no contemporaneous sources do, and some sources note this as an error.[104]
Love does not include any of the above films in her autobiography's filmography.
. Diaries: 1922–1939, The Wandering Years. Cecil Beaton. Little, Brown and Company. Boston. 62-8059. 1961. America 1929–1931.