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Betty Balfour

Betty Balfour

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Betty Balfour (27 March 1903 – 4 November 1977) was an English screen actress, popular during the silent era, and known as the "British Mary Pickford" and "Britain's Queen of Happiness". She was best known to audiences for her Squibs series of films. Balfour was the most popular actress in Britain in the 1920s, and in 1927 she was named by the Daily Mirror as the country's favourite world star. Her talent was most evident in the Squibs comedy series produced by George Pearson, while in his Love, Life and Laughter (1923) and Reveille (1924), rediscovered in 2014, she demonstrated a serious side to her character. Her role as a wealthy heiress in Somebody's Darling (1925) was an attempt to break out of her previous role as Squibs, to avoid typecasting. She made her stage debut in 1913, and was appearing in Medora at the Alhambra Theatre in Leicester Square when T. A. Welsh and Pearson saw and signed her for Nothing Else Matters in 1920. After replacing Gertrude Lawrence on stage in The Midnight Follies, Balfour was back with Pearson with her first starring role in Mary Find the Gold. In 1916 she starred in Fred Karno's all female revue, 'All Women,' notable at the time for its all female cast, including stage manager, musical director and advanced agent. Balfour made no attempt to break into Hollywood but like Ivor Novello she was able to export her talents to mainland Europe. She starred in the German films, Die sieben Töchter der Frau Gyurkovics and Die Regimentstochter; she also worked for Marcel L'Herbier in Le Diable au cœur, for Louis Mercanton in Croquette and La Petite Bonne du palace, and for Géza von Bolváry in Bright Eyes. Back in Britain, she also starred in Alfred Hitchcock's Champagne (1928). Balfour's sound debut, The Nipper (1930), based on the Squibs character, was only moderately successful. Her popularity diminished in the 1930s, though she played a supporting role to Jessie Matthews in Evergreen (1934), appeared with John Mills in Forever England (1935) and played the matriarch in 29 Acacia Avenue (1945). Balfour 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 theatre failed in 1952. She died at age 74 in Weybridge, Surrey.

Personal information

Birthday

1903-03-27

Birth Place

Londres, Angleterre

Movies and TV shows :

29 Acacia Avenue

29 Acacia Avenue

1945

5.7

Movie
A Little Bit of Fluff

A Little Bit of Fluff

1928

0.0

Movie
A Sister of Six

A Sister of Six

1926

0.0

Movie
Bright Eyes

Bright Eyes

1929

5.0

Movie
Brown on Resolution

Brown on Resolution

1935

5.8

Movie
Champagne

Champagne

1928

5.2

Movie
Daughter of the Regiment

Daughter of the Regiment

1929

0.0

Movie
Eliza Comes to Stay

Eliza Comes to Stay

1936

0.0

Movie
Evergreen

Evergreen

1934

6.2

Movie
Little Devil May Care

Little Devil May Care

1928

6.3

Movie
Love, Life and Laughter

Love, Life and Laughter

1923

0.0

Movie
My Old Dutch

My Old Dutch

1934

0.0

Movie
Paradise

Paradise

1928

0.0

Movie
Raise the Roof

Raise the Roof

1930

0.0

Movie
Réveille

Réveille

1924

0.0

Movie
Squibs

Squibs

1935

3.7

Movie
Squibs Wins the Calcutta Sweep

Squibs Wins the Calcutta Sweep

1922

0.0

Movie
The Cabaret Kid

The Cabaret Kid

1926

0.0

Movie
The Nipper

The Nipper

1930

0.0

Movie
The Vagabond Queen

The Vagabond Queen

1929

0.0

Movie