1906-02-11 New York City, New York, USA
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Anita Garvin (February 11, 1907 – July 7, 1994) was an American actress and comedian who appeared in both silent and sound films. She is best known for her work with comedians Laurel and Hardy and Charley Chase. Garvin was born in New York City.] Her two sisters who danced in vaudeville encouraged her talents. At age 12, she lied to an agent saying she was "almost sixteen" and got a job being a bathing beauty for one of Mack Sennett's stage shows. The following year she joined the Ziegfeld Follies. She took pride in being the only woman allowed to touch Will Rogers's ropes. She also appeared in Earl Carroll Vanities. Garvin went on tour with the musical Sally staying with the show for two seasons, then decided to stay in California when the tour left that stop in 1924. In Hollywood, Garvin began working for Christie Film Company's comedies. She recalled her co-star Bobby Vernon dropping butter on the floor onto which she stepped and tumbled, cementing her career as a comedian. Charles Lamont brought her over to work for Educational Pictures. In 1926, Hal Roach took her under contract, where she appeared in many silent films with Charley Chase, James Finlayson, and Max Davidson as well as playing occasional supporting roles in feature films. Standing around 6 feet tall, "her regal countenance and deadpan expression" made her the perfect comic foil. Roach later considered her "one of his finest actresses." Reflecting upon her frequent co-star Stan Laurel, Garvin observed: "One thing about Stan--with apologies to a lot of directors--they thought they were directing him. And they thought they were directing the picture. But Stan was the one...He was very clever about it. The director was never cognizant of the fact that he was not doing all the directing. Stan's mind was going all the time, always thinking of gags and things to do. The script didn't mean a thing." Garvin appeared in a total of eleven Laurel and Hardy films. In 1928, she was teamed with Marion Byron as a short-lived female version of Laurel and Hardy. Along with Edgar Kennedy, Byron and Garvin appeared in A Pair of Tights, an "acknowledged masterpiece."
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Laurel & Hardy: Year Two | (archive footage) (uncredited) | 2024-10-29 |
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He Asked for It | 1940-09-27 | |
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Sunk by the Census | 1940-08-06 | |
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A Chump at Oxford | Mrs. Vandevere (uncredited) | 1940-01-25 |
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Bested by a Beard | Mrs. Vivian Errol | 1940-07-16 |
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Truth Aches | Mrs. Errol | 1939-11-03 |
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Home Boner | 1939-03-10 | |
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Swiss Miss | Tradesman's wife | 1938-05-20 |
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Topper | 1937-07-16 | |
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Sleepless Hollow | Harry's Wife | 1936-05-08 |
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While the Cat's Away | Emma | 1936-01-04 |
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Merry Wives of Reno | Male-Seeking Woman in Hotel Lobby (uncredited) | 1934-04-18 |
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His Silent Racket | Mrs. Finlayson | 1933-04-29 |
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Asleep in the Feet | Dance Hall Hostess | 1933-01-21 |
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The Millionaire Cat | Natalie | 1932-10-21 |
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Show Business | Anita Garvin | 1932-08-20 |
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Yoo-Hoo | Anita | 1932-10-04 |
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The Hollywood Handicap | 1932-08-10 | |
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Los calaveras | Señora Laurel | 1931-04-18 |
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Be Big! | Mrs. Laurel | 1931-02-07 |
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Murder at Midnight | Party Guest (uncredited) | 1931-09-01 |
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Les Carottiers | Mme. Laurel | 1931-02-07 |
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Whispering Whoopee | Miss Garvin | 1930-03-08 |
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Blotto | Mrs. Laurel | 1930-02-08 |
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Sally | Party Guest (uncredited) | 1930-01-12 |
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Going Ga-Ga | Anita | 1929-01-05 |
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Stepping Out | The Date | 1929-11-02 |
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Modern Love | Mrs. Weston - the Brunette | 1929-07-21 |
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A Pair of Tights | Anita | 1929-02-03 |
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Red Hot Rhythm | Mable | 1929-11-23 |
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Dynamite | Undetermined Role (uncredited) | 1929-12-13 |
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Off to Buffalo | Mrs. Brown | 1929-02-16 |
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The Charlatan | Mrs. Paynter | 1929-04-13 |
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On With the Show! | Chorine (uncredited) | 1929-07-13 |
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The Single Standard | Packy's Jealous Girlfriend at Art Exhibition (uncredited) | 1929-07-27 |
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Our Modern Maidens | Bridesmaid (uncredited) | 1929-09-08 |
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Movie Night | 1929-05-11 | |
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Hunting the Hunter | 1929-10-20 | |
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Trent's Last Case | Ottilie Dunois | 1929-03-31 |
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Imagine My Embarrassment | 1928-09-01 | |
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Feed 'em and Weep | 1928-12-08 | |
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Their Purple Moment | Oliver's Girlfriend | 1928-05-19 |
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Fandango | 1928-05-05 | |
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From Soup to Nuts | Mrs. Culpepper | 1928-03-24 |
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Roaming Romeo | The Princess | 1928-07-29 |
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The Play Girl | Millie | 1928-04-22 |
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Assistant Wives | Gwendolyn - the Flapjack Queen | 1927-12-04 |
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Fighting Fathers | Mrs. Sniffleblaster | 1927-12-10 |
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Never the Dames Shall Meet | Edna's Sister | 1927-12-24 |
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Forgotten Sweeties | 1927-04-10 | |
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Why Girls Love Sailors | Captain's Wife | 1927-07-17 |
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Many Scrappy Returns | Wellington's Wife | 1927-01-09 |
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Sailors, Beware! | Madame Ritz | 1927-09-25 |
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The Battle of the Century | Slips on pie (uncredited) | 1927-12-31 |
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Baby Brother | Amorous nursemaid | 1927-06-26 |
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Hats Off | Customer at top of stairs | 1927-11-05 |
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Two-Time Mama | Mrs. Dazzle | 1927-01-29 |
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Upstream | Theatre Audience Admirer at Stage Door | 1927-01-30 |
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The Motor Boat Demon | Colleen | 1927-01-02 |
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With Love and Hisses | Captain Bustle's 1st girlfriend | 1927-08-28 |
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Bertha the Sewing Machine Girl | Flo Mason | 1926-12-19 |
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Move Along | Rich girl with roses | 1926-07-24 |
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Creeps | 1926-05-30 | |
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Raggedy Rose | Janice | 1926-11-06 |
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For Sadie's Sake | 1926-01-24 | |
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The Sleuth | The other woman | 1925-06-30 |
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A Taxi War | 1925-11-11 | |
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Fair But Foolish | 1925-11-29 | |
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In the Grease | Physical Culture teacher | 1925-06-20 |
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Book Bozo | 1925-08-15 | |
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A Dangerous Peach | Mrs. Wilson | 1925-02-18 |
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My Swedie | Ethel Lorraine | 1925-12-13 |
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Bright Lights | 1924-09-14 | |
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The Last Man on Earth | A Millionairess (uncredited) | 1924-11-02 |
