Bessie Love
Actor
Biography
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.
Filmography
The Hunger
as Lillybelle 1983
Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages
as The Bride of Cana (Judean Story) 1916
Reds
as Mrs. Partlow 1981
The Barefoot Contessa
as Mrs. Eubanks 1954
Ragtime
as Old Lady - T.O.C. 1981
The Lost World
as Paula White 1925
The Broadway Melody
as Harriet 'Hank' Mahoney 1929
Vampyres
as American Lady 1974
Sunday Bloody Sunday
as Answering Service Lady 1971
Children of the Damned
as Mrs. Robbin 1964
Lady Chatterley's Lover
as Flora 1981
No Highway in the Sky
as Plane Passenger (uncredited) 1951
The Ritz
as Maurine 1976
Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché
as Self (archive footage) 2018
The Mystery of the Leaping Fish
as The Little Fish Blower 1916
Isadora
as Mrs. Duncan 1968