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Betty Balfour


1903 - 1977

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The actress Betty Balfour was regarded as one of few real international silent movie stars of the British film and she was the most popular world star in England at the end of the 20's.

She began her professional career as an actress in 1913 at the Alhambra Theater where she appeared in Medora. There she was spotted by the producer George Pearson who engaged her for her first movie.
She made her film debut with "Nothing Else Matter" (20) and afterwards followed some movies with the figure "Squibs". To these movies belong "Squibs" (21), "Squibs Wins the Calcutta Sweeb" (22) and "Squib's Honeymoon" (23).

Beside it she also wan convincing with serious character roles in "Love, Life and Laughter" (23), "Reveille" (24) and finally "Blinkeyes" (26). Eventually her cooperation with George Pearson came to an end when he offered her to leave his wife and to marry her instead. But Betty Balfour refused his offer.

In the next years she was successful both in England as well as in France and Germany.
She took part in productions like "Die sieben Töchter der Frau Gyurkovics" (26), "Croquette" (28), "Le diable au coeur" (28), Alfred Hitchcock's "Champagne" (28) and "Die Regimentstochter" (29).

Her popularity diminished in the 30's, new stars were asked. To her few talkies belong "The Vagabond Queen" (30), "Evergreen" (34), "Brown on Resoluton" (35) and "Eliza Comes to Stay" (36).
For "29 Acacia Avenue" (45) she finally acted a last time in front of the camera.

Betty Balfour who was named England's "Queen of Happiness" or also the British Mary Pickford of the silver screen had less fortune in her private life. Her marriage with composer Jimmy Campbell went on the rocks in 1941 after ten years, a try of a comeback at the theater failed in 1952 and she experienced the low with an attempted suicide.

Afterwards she withdrew from the public life and lived as a hermit till her death in 1977.
 

Other movies with Betty Balfour: 
Mary-Find-the-Gold (21) Wee MacGregor's Sweetheart (22) Mord Em'ly (22) Squibs M.P. (23) Somebody's Darling (25) Satan's Sister (25) Pearl of Love (25) The Sea Urchin (26) La petite bone du palace (26) Cinders (26) Monte Carlo (26) A Little Bit of Fluff (28) Champagner (29) Paradise (29) Raise the Roof (30) The Nipper (30) My Old Dutch (34) Squibs (35) Forever England (35)


 
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