Kitty Gordon
| Kitty Gordon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
22 April 1878 Folkestone, Kent, U.K. |
| Died |
26 May 1974 (aged 96) Brentwood, New York, U.S. |
| Other names | Constance Minnie Blades |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Spouse(s) |
Maxwell James Michael Levenston (Dec 10, 1903–Mar 29, 1904) (his death) Captain Henry Beresford (Oct. 1904 – 1924. his death) Ralph Ranlet (1932 – ?) |
Kitty Gordon (22 April 1878 – 26 May 1974) was an English stage and silent film actress.
Career
Her first professional stage appearance was at the Princes Theatre in Bristol in 1901 in the touring production of San Toy.[1] She appeared in The Duchess of Dantzic in 1903 and the operetta Véronique in 1904. In 1909, she moved to New York City, where she became a regular on the New York stage.
She made her first film appearance in 1916 in As in a Looking Glass. During the next three years she made twenty-one films. On 19 October 1911, she starred in the debut of composer Victor Herbert's musical The Enchantress at the New York Theatre.[2] She continued her stage work from 1919 onwards. She also made television appearances.
On 25 June 1920, during a Vaudeville performance in Chicago with her husband, Jack Wilson, and her daughter, Vera Beresford, Gordon's stage gun discharged a live round and shot Joseph A. Hack, an offstage acrobat.[3]
Personal life
Her first and never mentioned husband was Maxwell James with whom she had a child, Vera. [4]After his death, she married theatre manager Michael Levenston on December 10, 1903. Michael died on March 29, 1904 less than four months later. In October 1904, Kitty married Captain Henry Beresford (Born 1876, Died 28 January 1924. See The Times 29 January 1924.) Kitty's child became Cynthia Vera Beresford, who became an actress. In 1932 Kitty married Ralph Ranlet.[5]
She died in a nursing home in New York City in 1974.
Filmography
- As in a Looking Glass 1916
- Her Maternal Right (1916)
- The Crucial Test (1916)
- Vera, the Medium (1917)
- Forget-Me-Not (1917)
- Beloved Adventuress (1917)
- Her Hour (1917)
- National Red Cross Pageant (1917)
- The Divine Sacrifice (1918)
- The Wasp (1918)
- The Purple Lily (1918)
- Stolen Orders (1918)
- The Interloper (1918)
- Tinsel (1918) (*her only surviving film)
- Merely Players (1918)
- Adele (1919)
- Mandarin's Gold (1919)
- The Unveiling Hand (1919)
- The Scar (1919)
- Playthings of Passion (1919)
The Crucial Test (1916)
Vera the Medium (1916)
Advertisement (1916)
Mandarin's Gold (1919)
References
- ↑ "Don Gillan (www.stagebeauty.net)"
- ↑ Music that charms by Victor Herbert. New York Times, 20 October 1911
- ↑ Actor is shot by Kitty Gordon. New York Times, 26 June 1920
- ↑ Kitty Gordon: Actress 1878-1974. By Michael Levenston. Ebook. 2015.
- ↑ Mrs. Beresford wed to Ralph Ranlet. New York Times, 16 September 1932
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kitty Gordon. |
- Kitty Gordon at the Internet Movie Database
- Kitty Gordon at the Internet Broadway Database
- Kitty Gordon photo gallery NY Public Library Billy Rose Collection
- portrait of Kitty Gordon
- portraits of Kitty and daughter Vera:1, ..2
- Kitty Gordon: Actress 1878-1974. By Michael Levenston. Ebook. 2015
