Bessie Love
Known for Acting · 134 credits
- Born
- 1898-09-09
- Died
- 1986-04-26
- Place of birth
- Midland, Texas, USA
- Also known as
- Juanita Horton
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.
Known For
ITV Play of the Week
1955
as Mrs Strong
International Detective
1959
as Marta Steibel / Mrs. Morgan
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
1969
as Baccarat Player (uncredited)
Story Parade
1964
as Mrs. Arquette
Man of the World
1962
as Mrs Van Kempson
Hollywood
1980
as Self
TV Shows (7)
ITV Play of the Week
1955
as Mrs Strong
International Detective
1959
as Marta Steibel / Mrs. Morgan
Story Parade
1964
as Mrs. Arquette
Man of the World
1962
as Mrs Van Kempson
Hollywood
1980
as Self
Edward and Mrs Simpson
1978
as Lady Cunard
The Sentimental Agent
1963
as Mamie
Movies (127)
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
1969
as Baccarat Player (uncredited)
The Hunger
1983
as Lillybelle
Ragtime
1981
as Old Lady - T.O.C.
Reds
1981
as Mrs. Partlow
Lady Chatterley's Lover
1981
as Flora
Vampyres
1974
as American Lady
The Barefoot Contessa
1954
as Mrs. Eubanks
Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché
2018
as Self (archive footage)
Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages
1916
as The Bride of Cana (Judean Story)
Dynamite Smith
1924
as Violet
The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone
1961
as Bunny
Lovey Mary
1926
as Lovey Mary
The Lost World
1925
as Paula White
Bonnie May
1920
as Bonnie May
The Swamp
1921
as Mary
Catlow
1971
as Mrs. Frost
New Brooms
1925
I'll Never Forget What's'isname
1967
as American tourist (uncredited)
Sunday Bloody Sunday
1971
as Answering Service Lady
Children of the Damned
1964
as Mrs. Robbin
The Magic Box
1952
as Bride's Mother in Wedding Group
Pegeen
1920
as Pegeen O'Neill
No Highway in the Sky
1951
as Plane Passenger (uncredited)
Cupid Forecloses
1919
as Geraldine Farleigh
Polly Ann
1917
as Polly Ann
The Broadway Melody
1929
as Harriet 'Hank' Mahoney
The Ritz
1976
as Maurine
Gulliver's Travels
1977
as (voice)
Isadora
1968
as Mrs. Duncan
Conspiracy
1930
as Margaret Holt
Touch and Go
1955
as Mrs Baxter
Gentle Julia
1923
as Julia
Souls for Sale
1923
as Self - Celebrity Actress (uncredited)
Mousey
1974
as Mrs. Richardson
Nowhere to Go
1958
as Harriet P. Jefferson
The Story of Esther Costello
1957
as Art Gallery Customer
The Hollywood Revue of 1929
1929
as Self
The Aryan
1916
as Mary Jane Garth
The Wild Affair
1965
as Marjorie's Mother
Too Young to Love
1960
as Mrs. Busch
Promise Her Anything
1966
as Pet Shop Customer
The Village Blacksmith
1922
as Rosemary Martin
Soul-Fire
1925
as Teita
The Weak and the Wicked
1954
as Prisoner
Good News
1930
as Babe
Next to No Time
1958
as Becky Wiener
The Idle Rich
1929
as Helen Thayer
See America Thirst
1930
as Ellen
Dress Parade
1927
as Janet Cleghorne
The Good Bad-Man
1916
as Amy
Battle Beneath the Earth
1967
as Matron
Chasing Rainbows
1930
as Carlie Seymour
Round About Hollywood
1931
as Self
A Daughter of the Poor
1917
as Rose Eastman
Rubber Tires
1927
as Mary Ellen Stack
The Pistol
1965
as Martha Burroughs
Morals for Women
1931
as Helen Hutson
They Learned About Women
1930
as Mary
The Matinee Idol
1928
as Ginger Bolivar
Deserted at the Altar
1922
as Anna Moore (The Country Girl)
The Heiress at Coffee Dan's
1916
as Waffles
Mary of the Movies
1923
as Herself (uncredited)
Stranded
1916
as The Girl
The Midlanders
1920
as Aurelie Lindstrom
Edward & Mrs. Simpson
1978
as Lady Cunard
The Mystery of the Leaping Fish
1916
as The Little Fish Blower
Torment
1924
as Marie
The American
1927
as Jane Wilton
Going Crooked
1926
as Marie
Night Life in Hollywood
1922
as Self
Atlantic Ferry
1941
as Begonia Baggot
A Son of His Father
1925
as Nora Shea
The Eternal Three
1923
as Hilda Gray
Three Who Paid
1923
as John Caspar / Virginia Cartwright
The Dawn of Understanding
1918
as Sue Prescott
The Wishing Ring Man
1919
as Joy Havenith
Anybody Here Seen Kelly?
1928
as Mitzi Lavelle
The Flying Torpedo
1916
as Hulda
Human Wreckage
1923
as Mary Finnegan
Journey Together
1945
as Mrs. Mary McWilliams
The King On Main Street
1925
as Mary Young
Screen Snapshots, Series 3, No. 12
1922
as Self
Carolyn of the Corners
1919
Wee Lady Betty
1917
as Wee Lady Betty
Slave of Desire
1923
as Pauline Gaudin
The Great Adventure
1918
as Rags
The Strange Adventures of Prince Courageous
1923
as Bernice
A Yankee Princess
1919
as Patsy O'Reilly
St. Elmo
1923
as Edna Earle
Those Who Dance
1924
as Veda Anargas
Sundown
1924
as Ellen Crawley
The Song and Dance Man
1926
as Leola Lane
How Could You, Caroline?
1918
as Caroline Rogers
The Wampas Baby Stars of 1922
1922
as Self
Bulldog Courage
1922
as Gloria Phillips
The Little Boss
1919
as Peggy Winston (The Little Boss)
The Girl in the Show
1929
as Hattie Hartley
The Sea Lion
1921
as Blossom Nelson
A Little Sister of Everybody
1918
as Celeste Janvier
Young April
1926
as Victoria
Reggie Mixes In
1916
as Agnes
Sally of the Scandals
1928
as Sally Rand
Forget Me Not
1922
as Ann, The Girl
The Purple Dawn
1923
as Mui Far
Acquitted
1916
as Helen Carter
Tongues of Flame
1924
as Lahleet
Hell-to-Pay Austin
1916
as Briar Rose Dawson
The Vermilion Pencil
1922
as Hyacinth
Cheerful Givers
1917
as Judy
The Woman on the Jury
1924
as Grace Pierce
The Sawdust Ring
1917
as Janet Magie
Nina, the Flower Girl
1917
as Nina
The Silent Watcher
1924
as Mary, his wife
London Scrapbook
1942
as Herself
The Enchanted Barn
1919
as Shirley Hollister
The Ghost Patrol
1923
as Effie Kugler
Over the Garden Wall
1919
as Peggy Gordon
The Honor of Rameriz
1921
as The Geologist's Wife
The Swell Head
1928
The Spirit of the Lake
1921
About Bessie Love
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… With 134 credits spanning from 1916 to 2018, Bessie Love has appeared in 127 films and 7 TV shows.
Fans searching for Bessie Love movies, Bessie Love filmography, or the latest projects starring Bessie Love can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Bessie Love Movies
- On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) — as Baccarat Player (uncredited)
- The Hunger (1983) — as Lillybelle
- Ragtime (1981) — as Old Lady - T.O.C.
- Reds (1981) — as Mrs. Partlow
- Lady Chatterley's Lover (1981) — as Flora
Where to Watch Bessie Love Films
Most Bessie Love movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Bessie Love, check our movies catalogue and browse page.