Lilian Bond
Publicity photo of Bond, 1933
Born(1908-01-18)January 18, 1908
London, England, United Kingdom
DiedJanuary 25, 1991(1991-01-25) (aged 83)
Reseda, California, U.S.
Years active1922–1958
Spouse(s)
Sidney Smith
​
​
(m. 1935; div. 1944)​

Morton Lowry
​
​
(m. 1950; div. 1956)​

​
​
(m. 1961; died 1988)​
Children2

Lilian Bond (January 18, 1908 – January 25, 1991) was an English-American actress based in the United States.

Life and career

Bond was born in London and made her first professional stage appearance at the age of 14[1] in the pantomime Dick Whittington and His Cat. Later she joined the chorus of Piccadilly Revels and continued on the stage when she relocated to the United States, where her performances included roles in The Earl Carroll Vanities and in various productions of the Ziegfeld Follies.[2][3]

Bond began working in films in 1929, initially in the drama No More Children for Cliff Broughton Productions.[4] Between 1929 and 1931, she co-starred in eight additional films, most notably with Tom Tyler in the 1931 Western Rider of the Plains. In 1932, she was named a WAMPAS Baby Star, along with Gloria Stuart, Ginger Rogers, and other young actresses rising in popularity with theater audiences.[5]

From 1932 to 1953, she had roles in 39 more films, ranging from lead characters to uncredited performances. In James Whale's comedic thriller starring Boris Karloff titled The Old Dark House (1932), Bond plays Gladys DuCane, a chorus girl who falls in love with Roger Penderel (played by Melvyn Douglas). Perhaps her best-known film role is in the 1940 Western The Westerner starring Gary Cooper and Walter Brennan. In that production she portrays the British-American actress and socialite Lillie Langtry.[6] By the 1950s, her career had declined, with her having mostly TV appearances. She retired from acting at the age of 50 in 1958.

Personal life and death

Bond technically married four times, including marrying the same man twice. At the height of her career, on June 28, 1935, she wed Sidney Smith, a highly successful New York broker and celebrated big-game hunter; however, "a technical legal question" required the couple to remarry on September 3, 1936.[7] In 1943 they separated, with each accusing the other of cruelty.[7] Their divorce was finalized the next year.

In 1950, Bond married Morton Lowry; the union lasted six years. Finally, in 1961, she wed Michael Fessier, who was a screenwriter, film producer, and novelist. The two remained together until his death in 1988.[3] Three years later, at age 83, Bond suffered a heart attack and died at a convalescent hospital in Reseda, California.[3]

Selected filmography

References

  1. ↑ "Lilian Bond Forgets Work and Gets Jobs". Detroit Free Press. Michigan, Detroit. April 24, 1932. p. Part Four - 1. Retrieved June 10, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  2. ↑ "Lillian Bond, 83; Actress Played 'Other Woman' in 1930s Films". The Los Angeles Times. California, Los Angeles. January 28, 1991. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 "Lilian Bond, 83, Dies; Film Actress in 30's". The New York Times. January 29, 1991. Retrieved 2009-01-30.
  4. ↑ "No More Children (1929) 'health' exploitation film booklet", published supplement to film, including stills from the film No More Children, 54 pages. Internet Archive (IA), San Francisco, California. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  5. ↑ "Baby Stars at Get-Together Meeting". The Herald-Palladium. Michigan, Saint Joseph. December 17, 1932. p. 10. Retrieved June 10, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  6. ↑ Porter, Darwin (2005). Howard Hughes: Hell's Angel. Blood Moon Productions, Ltd. p. 281. ISBN 9780974811819. Retrieved 10 March 2017. Lilian Bond actress.
  7. 1 2 "Lilian Bond, filing suit of own, hits at mate". The Los Angeles Times. California, Los Angeles. November 27, 1943. p. 22. Retrieved June 10, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lilian Bond.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.