I have always been fascinated by the career of actress Bessie Love. She
was born in Texas. Her name was Juanita Horton. Her family moved to
Los Angeles and she went to Los Angeles High School. Looking for work,
she met director DW Griffith and got a small part in Intolerance.
She appeared in movies with William S Hart and Douglas Fairbanks. She
was a 1922 WAMPAS (Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers)
Baby Star. She played many leading roles, most famously in The Lost World, but never broke through until the talkies came, when she starred in The Broadway Melody.
Her career was hot for a few years, but then tailed off. She continued
to appear in small parts in movies until the early 1980s.
This item, from the September, 1930 New Movie Magazine, is an add for Good News, which Bessie starred in with Cliff Edwards, Penny Singleton and "a campus-full of cute co-eds and capering collegians." I have seen "The Varsity Drag." It was a good number.
The large drawing in the center is not signed, but it is either the work of John Held, Jr or an imitator. I first saw his drawings in a book about the 1920s when I was very young and I have always enjoyed them.
No comments:
Post a Comment