Bessie Love

Love tied the nuptial knot with William Hawks on December 27, 1929 at St. James Episcopal Church in Pasadena, California. The couple was blessed with a daughter, Patricia Hawks on February 19, 1932, Los Angeles. In 1936, the couple divorced. Young Patricia adorned the big screen during the 1950s with small roles.

Love breathed her last on April 26, 1986 in London, England.

Bessie Love was born Juanita Hortonon September 10, 1898 in Midland, Texas.

At an early age, Love attended school until eighth grade in Midland. Thereafter, her family shifted base to Arizona, New Mexico and later to Hollywood. She later attended the Los Angeles High School

It was upon the suggestion of Tom Mix that Horton’s mother decided to make an actor out of her daughter. Taking on the proposal, she sent young Horton to Biograph Studios. She first met the dynamic film director, D.W. Griffith here.

Griffith gave Horton her screen name that the world knows her as, Bessie Love. He even introduced her to the world of acting and cinema. Love made her debut with a small role in Griffith’s film, ‘Intolerance’ released in 1916.

Following her debut in films, Love dropped out of school to establish her career in films. After playing the role of a bride in ‘Intolerance’, Love played her first significant role as Hulda in ‘The Flying Torpedo’ in 1916.

Love’s inherent acting skills won her roles in several films that year, starting from ‘The Aryan’, ‘The Good Bad Man’, ‘Reggie Mixes In’, ‘The Mystery of the Leaping Fish’, ‘Acquitted’, ‘Stranded’, ‘A Sister of Six’, ‘The Heiress at Coffee Dan’s’ and so on. She played opposite leading actors including William S. Hart and Douglas Fairbanks.

Following a series of films throughout the end of the 1910s decade, Love’s popularity as an actor soared. She worked with Vitagraph, starring in a number of comedy dramas.

Love’s first prominent work came for the silent film, ‘The Flying Torpedo’. Following this, she starred in a number of prominent silent movies including ‘Human Wreckage’, ‘The Lost World’, ‘The Song and Dance Man’, ‘The Matinee Idol’, ‘Anybody Here Seen Kelly?’

In 1929, she featured in the early talkies, ‘The Broadway Melody’. An American pre-code musical film, it was the first sound film to win an Academy for Best Picture. Love’s brilliant performance in the movie earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.