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Betty Blythe
Actor

Betty Blythe

31 Aug 1893Born
7 Apr 1972Died
78Age at death
111Credits

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Betty Blythe (born Elizabeth Blythe Slaughter, September 1, 1893 – April 7, 1972) was an American actress best known for her dramatic roles in exotic silent films such as The Queen of Sheba (1921).

Read the full biography

She appeared in 63 silent films and 56 talking pictures (known as talkies) over the course of her career.

She is famous for being one of the first actresses to appear on film in the nude, or nearly so, during the Roaring Twenties.

She is reported to have said, "A director is the only man besides your husband who can tell you how much of your clothes to take off."

Blythe began her stage work in such theatrical pieces as So Long Letty and The Peacock Princess. She worked in vaudeville as the "California Nightingale" singing songs such as "Love Tales from Hoffman".

After touring Europe and the States, she entered films in 1918 at the Vitagraph Studios in Brooklyn, then she was brought to Hollywood's Fox studio as a replacement for actress Theda Bara.

As famous for her revealing costumes as for her dramatic skills, she became a star in such exotic films as The Queen of Sheba (1921) (in which she wore nothing above the waist except a string of beads), Chu-Chin-Chow (made in 1923; released by MGM in the US 1925) and She (1925).

She was also seen to good advantage in less revealing films like Nomads of the North (1920) with Lon Chaney and In Hollywood with Potash and Perlmutter (1924), produced by Samuel Goldwyn.

Other roles were as an opera star, unbilled in Garbo's The Mysterious Lady. She continued to work as a character actress. One of her last roles was a small uncredited role in a crowd scene in 1964's My Fair Lady.

Betty Blythe's name lives on through the Betty Blythe Vintage TeaRoom in West Kensington.

Known for

Filmography

The 80 most recent of 111 credits.

  1. 1964My Fair LadyFilm: Lady at Ball (uncredited)
  2. 1956Runaway DaughtersFilm: Party Guest (uncredited)
  3. 1950RebeccaFilm: Mrs. Danvers
  4. 1948Luxury LinerFilm: Miss Fenmoor (uncredited)
  5. 1948Shed No TearsFilm: Mrs. Peet (Uncredited)
  6. 1948Letter from an Unknown WomanFilm: Frau Kohner (uncredited)
  7. 1948Madonna of the DesertFilm: Mrs. Brown
  8. 1947Jiggs and Maggie in SocietyFilm: Mrs. Vacuum
  9. 1947The Secret Life of Walter MittyFilm: Floor Manager (uncredited)
  10. 1947Something in the WindFilm: Society Matron (uncredited)
  11. 1946UndercurrentFilm: Saleslady (uncredited)
  12. 1946Joe Palooka, ChampFilm: Mrs. Stafford
  13. 1946The Postman Always Rings TwiceFilm: Customer (uncredited)
  14. 1946The Undercover WomanFilm: Cissy Van Horn
  15. 1945AdventureFilm: Mrs. Buckley (uncredited)
  16. 1945They Were ExpendableFilm: Officer's Wife (uncredited)
  17. 1945Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in HollywoodFilm: Mrs. Murdock (uncredited)
  18. 1945Docks of New YorkFilm: Mrs. Darcy
  19. 1944A Fig Leaf for EveFilm: Lavinia Sardham
  20. 1944Charlie Chan in The Chinese CatFilm: Mrs. Manning
  21. 1943Mr. Muggs Steps OutFilm
  22. 1943Bar 20Film: Mrs. Stevens
  23. 1943Spotlight ScandalsFilm: Mrs. Baker
  24. 1943Crime DoctorFilm: Mrs. Harrington
  25. 1943Sarong GirlFilm: Miss Ellsworth
  26. 1943Girls in ChainsFilm: Mrs. Grey
  27. 1943Presenting Lily MarsFilm: Dowager
  28. 1942Dawn on the Great DivideFilm: Mrs. Elmira Corkle
  29. 1942Piano MoonerFilm: Society Woman
  30. 1942House of ErrorsFilm: Mrs. Martha Randall
  31. 1942Freckles Comes HomeFilm: Minerva Potter
  32. 1942InflationFilm: Next Door Neighbor Who Begins Hoarding (uncredited)
  33. 1941Tuxedo JunctionFilm: Miss Hornblower
  34. 1941The Miracle KidFilm: Madame Gloria
  35. 1941Top Sergeant MulliganFilm: Mrs. Lewis
  36. 1941Honky TonkFilm: Mrs. Wilson
  37. 1941Our WifeFilm: Minor Role (uncredited)
  38. 1941Puddin' HeadFilm: Mrs. Bowser
  39. 1941Sis HopkinsFilm: Mrs. Farnsworth
  40. 1941Federal FugitivesFilm: Marcia
  41. 1940Misbehaving HusbandsFilm: Effie Butler
  42. 1940Earl of PuddlestoneFilm: Millicent Potter-Potter
  43. 1939The WomenFilm: Mrs. South (uncredited)
  44. 1938Gangster's BoyFilm: Mrs. Davis
  45. 1938Delinquent ParentsFilm: Mrs. Wharton
  46. 1938Romance of the LimberlostFilm: Mrs. Parker
  47. 1938Hold That KissFilm: Wedding Guest at Piermont's
  48. 1938Life in Sometown, U.S.A.Film: Mrs. Himber (uncredited)
  49. 1937What Do You Think? (Number Two)Film
  50. 1937TopperFilm: Mrs. Goodrich (uncredited)
  51. 1937EspionageFilm: Train Passenger
  52. 1936Rainbow on the RiverFilm: Flower Buyer (uncredited)
  53. 1936The Gorgeous HussyFilm: Mrs. Wainwright
  54. 1936Yours for the AskingFilm: May (uncredited)
  55. 1936Murder at Glen AtholFilm: Ann Randel
  56. 1935Western CourageFilm: Mrs. Hanley
  57. 1935The Spanish Cape MysteryFilm: Mrs. Godfrey
  58. 1935Cheers of the CrowdFilm: Lil Langdon Walton
  59. 1935The Perfect ClueFilm: Ursula Chesebrough
  60. 1935I've Been AroundFilm: Betty
  61. 1934Night AlarmFilm: Mrs. Elizabeth Van Dusen
  62. 1934A Girl of the LimberlostFilm: Mrs. Parker
  63. 1934Two Heads on a PillowFilm: Mrs. Agnes Walker
  64. 1934The Scarlet LetterFilm: Innkeeper
  65. 1934Money Means NothingFilm: Mrs. Ferris
  66. 1934Badge of HonorFilm: Mrs. Claire van Alstyne
  67. 1934Ever Since EveFilm: Mrs. Vandergrift
  68. 1933Before MidnightFilm: Mavis Fry
  69. 1933Only YesterdayFilm: Mrs. Vincent (Uncredited)
  70. 1933PilgrimageFilm: Janet Prescot
  71. 1932Back StreetFilm: Gossip (uncredited)
  72. 1932Tom Brown of CulverFilm: Dolores Delight
  73. 1932Lena RiversFilm: Mathilda Nichols
  74. 1928Stolen LoveFilm: Modiste
  75. 1928Sisters of EveFilm: Mrs. Wenham Gardner
  76. 1928Into No Man's LandFilm: The Countess
  77. 1928Glorious BetsyFilm: Princess Fredericka
  78. 1928Domestic TroublesFilm: Carrie
  79. 1927The Girl from Gay PareeFilm: Mademoiselle Fanchon
  80. 1927A Million BidFilm: Mrs. Gordon

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.