1898-09-09 Midland, Texas, USA
Bessie Love (born Juanita Horton, September 10, 1898 - April 26, 1986) became one of the most recognizable faces of early American cinema. After her family moved to Los Angeles, she was sent to Biograph Studios, where legendary director D.W. Griffith noticed her talent and cast her in several films, including Intolerance (1916). During the silent era, she gained popularity for her lively, wholesome screen presence and worked with major stars such as Douglas Fairbanks. Her career soared in the 1920s, and she was named a WAMPAS Baby Star in 1922, marking her as one of Hollywood’s most promising young actresses. Love made a successful transition to sound films—something many silent stars struggled with. Her performance as Hank Mahoney in The Broadway Melody (1929) earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, cementing her place in film history. In the 1930s, she moved to the United Kingdom, where she continued acting in film, theatre, radio, and later television. Her career ultimately spanned from 1915 to 1983, making her one of the longest‑working performers of her generation. She died on April 26, 1986, in London at age 87.
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Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché | Self (archive footage) | 2018-12-07 |
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Gareth Hughes | Self (archive footage) | 2000-01-01 |
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Alice Guy-Blaché | Self | 1997-02-20 |
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The Hunger | Lillybelle | 1983-04-29 |
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Reds | Mrs. Partlow | 1981-12-25 |
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Ragtime | Old Lady - T.O.C. | 1981-11-20 |
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Lady Chatterley's Lover | Flora | 1981-06-29 |
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Edward & Mrs. Simpson | Lady Cunard | 1978-11-06 |
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Gulliver's Travels | (voice) | 1977-05-06 |
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The Ritz | Maurine | 1976-08-12 |
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Vampyres | American Lady | 1974-07-06 |
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Mousey | Mrs. Richardson | 1974-05-24 |
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Catlow | Mrs. Frost | 1971-10-01 |
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Sunday Bloody Sunday | Answering Service Lady | 1971-09-21 |
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On Her Majesty's Secret Service | Baccarat Player (uncredited) | 1969-12-18 |
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Isadora | Mrs. Duncan | 1968-09-14 |
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I'll Never Forget What's'isname | American tourist (uncredited) | 1967-12-18 |
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Battle Beneath the Earth | Matron | 1967-10-01 |
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Promise Her Anything | Pet Shop Customer | 1966-02-22 |
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The Wild Affair | Marjorie's Mother | 1965-12-05 |
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The Pistol | Martha Burroughs | 1965-06-16 |
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I Think They Call Him John | Narrator (voice) | 1964-06-01 |
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Children of the Damned | Mrs. Robbin | 1964-01-10 |
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The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone | Bunny | 1961-12-28 |
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Too Young to Love | Mrs. Busch | 1960-03-08 |
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Nowhere to Go | Harriet P. Jefferson | 1958-12-02 |
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Next to No Time | Becky Wiener | 1958-08-04 |
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The Story of Esther Costello | Art Gallery Customer | 1957-11-06 |
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Touch and Go | Mrs Baxter | 1955-10-02 |
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The Barefoot Contessa | Mrs. Eubanks | 1954-09-29 |
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The Weak and the Wicked | Prisoner | 1954-02-02 |
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The Magic Box | Bride's Mother in Wedding Group | 1952-01-01 |
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No Highway in the Sky | Plane Passenger (uncredited) | 1951-06-28 |
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Journey Together | Mrs. Mary McWilliams | 1945-10-01 |
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London Scrapbook | Herself | 1942-09-30 |
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Atlantic Ferry | Begonia Baggot | 1941-09-06 |
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Round About Hollywood | Self | 1931-05-22 |
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Morals for Women | Helen Hutson | 1931-10-24 |
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Chasing Rainbows | Carlie Seymour | 1930-01-10 |
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Conspiracy | Margaret Holt | 1930-08-10 |
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See America Thirst | Ellen | 1930-11-23 |
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Good News | Babe | 1930-08-22 |
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They Learned About Women | Mary | 1930-01-30 |
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The Idle Rich | Helen Thayer | 1929-06-15 |
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The Hollywood Revue of 1929 | Self | 1929-11-23 |
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The Broadway Melody | Harriet 'Hank' Mahoney | 1929-02-08 |
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The Girl in the Show | Hattie Hartley | 1929-08-30 |
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Sally of the Scandals | Sally Rand | 1928-07-15 |
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The Swell Head | 1928-07-14 | |
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Anybody Here Seen Kelly? | Mitzi Lavelle | 1928-09-09 |
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The Matinee Idol | Ginger Bolivar | 1928-03-14 |
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A Harp in Hock | Nora Banks | 1927-10-10 |
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The American | Jane Wilton | 1927-01-01 |
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Rubber Tires | Mary Ellen Stack | 1927-02-07 |
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Dress Parade | Janet Cleghorne | 1927-10-26 |
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Young April | Victoria | 1926-10-11 |
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Lovey Mary | Lovey Mary | 1926-06-20 |
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The Song and Dance Man | Leola Lane | 1926-02-08 |
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Going Crooked | Marie | 1926-12-12 |
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A Son of His Father | Nora Shea | 1925-09-28 |
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The Lost World | Paula White | 1925-02-02 |
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New Brooms | 1925-10-12 | |
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Soul-Fire | Teita | 1925-05-30 |
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The King On Main Street | Mary Young | 1925-10-24 |
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Dynamite Smith | Violet | 1924-10-12 |
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The Silent Watcher | Mary, his wife | 1924-10-05 |
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Sundown | Ellen Crawley | 1924-11-30 |
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Those Who Dance | Veda Anargas | 1924-04-27 |
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The Woman on the Jury | Grace Pierce | 1924-04-20 |
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Torment | Marie | 1924-02-25 |
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Tongues of Flame | Lahleet | 1924-12-15 |
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Gentle Julia | Julia | 1923-12-24 |
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The Ghost Patrol | Effie Kugler | 1923-01-21 |
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Mary of the Movies | Herself (uncredited) | 1923-05-27 |
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The Eternal Three | Hilda Gray | 1923-09-22 |
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Human Wreckage | Mary Finnegan | 1923-06-17 |
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Slave of Desire | Pauline Gaudin | 1923-10-04 |
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St. Elmo | Edna Earle | 1923-09-30 |
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The Strange Adventures of Prince Courageous | Bernice | 1923-04-07 |
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Souls for Sale | Self - Celebrity Actress (uncredited) | 1923-04-22 |
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Three Who Paid | John Caspar / Virginia Cartwright | 1923-01-07 |
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The Purple Dawn | Mui Far | 1923-05-10 |
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Night Life in Hollywood | Self | 1922-11-15 |
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Deserted at the Altar | Anna Moore (The Country Girl) | 1922-12-01 |
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The Vermilion Pencil | Hyacinth | 1922-03-19 |
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Forget Me Not | Ann, The Girl | 1922-07-23 |
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The Village Blacksmith | Rosemary Martin | 1922-11-01 |
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The Wampas Baby Stars of 1922 | Self | 1922-03-15 |
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Screen Snapshots, Series 3, No. 12 | Self | 1922-11-05 |
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Bulldog Courage | Gloria Phillips | 1922-08-01 |
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The Sea Lion | Blossom Nelson | 1921-12-04 |
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The Honor of Rameriz | The Geologist's Wife | 1921-10-16 |
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Penny of Top Hill Trail | Penny | 1921-06-01 |
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The Spirit of the Lake | 1921-10-30 | |
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The Swamp | Mary | 1921-10-30 |
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The Midlanders | Aurelie Lindstrom | 1920-12-01 |
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Pegeen | Pegeen O'Neill | 1920-01-01 |
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Bonnie May | Bonnie May | 1920-06-10 |
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The Wishing Ring Man | Joy Havenith | 1919-03-10 |
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The Enchanted Barn | Shirley Hollister | 1919-01-27 |
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Carolyn of the Corners | 1919-03-09 | |
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A Yankee Princess | Patsy O'Reilly | 1919-04-21 |
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The Little Boss | Peggy Winston (The Little Boss) | 1919-06-02 |
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Over the Garden Wall | Peggy Gordon | 1919-09-21 |
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Cupid Forecloses | Geraldine Farleigh | 1919-07-12 |
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A Fighting Colleen | Alannah Malone | 1919-11-22 |
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The Great Adventure | Rags | 1918-03-10 |
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A Little Sister of Everybody | Celeste Janvier | 1918-06-30 |
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How Could You, Caroline? | Caroline Rogers | 1918-05-05 |
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The Dawn of Understanding | Sue Prescott | 1918-12-02 |
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Nina, the Flower Girl | Nina | 1917-01-21 |
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Cheerful Givers | Judy | 1917-04-21 |
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A Daughter of the Poor | Rose Eastman | 1917-03-17 |
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Wee Lady Betty | Wee Lady Betty | 1917-08-17 |
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The Sawdust Ring | Janet Magie | 1917-07-15 |
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Polly Ann | Polly Ann | 1917-09-09 |
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Reggie Mixes In | Agnes | 1916-06-10 |
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The Mystery of the Leaping Fish | The Little Fish Blower | 1916-06-11 |
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The Flying Torpedo | Hulda | 1916-03-12 |
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The Good Bad-Man | Amy | 1916-04-21 |
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Hell-to-Pay Austin | Briar Rose Dawson | 1916-08-20 |
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The Aryan | Mary Jane Garth | 1916-04-09 |
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Stranded | The Girl | 1916-07-23 |
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Acquitted | Helen Carter | 1916-02-06 |
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A Sister of Six | Prudence | 1916-10-29 |
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Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages | The Bride of Cana (Judean Story) | 1916-09-04 |
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The Heiress at Coffee Dan's | Waffles | 1916-12-23 |
