Dorothy Burgess
Dorothy Burgess (born March 4, 1907 in Los Angeles , California - † August 21, 1961 in Riverside , California) was an American actress . She gained fame primarily through her film debut in the western In Old Arizona from 1928.
Life
Dorothy Burgess grew up in the city of her birth, Los Angeles. Her father HA Burgess was active in the then still young aircraft industry and became a consultant to Harris M. Hanshue, the later founder of Western Airlines . Dorothy Burgess studied art at a school in Briarcliff Manor before moving to Malibu with her mother Grace in 1932 .
Burgess made her stage debut alongside her aunt Fay Bainter as a dancer in The Music Box Revue . In August 1926 she made her debut in New York at the 49th Street Theater with a role in the comedy The Adorable Liar . There she was discovered by George Cukor , who gave her several appearances at the Lyceum Theater in Rochester in the summer of 1928 . Her acting partners there included Henry Hull . This was followed by appearances on Broadway and in various theaters in Los Angeles, where Burgess had now resettled.
Because of her theater successes, Burgess was signed by Fox Film Corporation . Her first film role in the 1928 western In Old Arizona as partner of Warner Baxter was her breakthrough in Hollywood. In the years that followed, Burgess appeared in nearly 50 films, including several leading roles. In addition to Fox Film, she has also worked in productions for Pathé , First National and Universal Pictures . Her best-known films include Love Without Thread and A Modern Hero by Georg Wilhelm Pabst .
In 1943 Dorothy Burgess ended her acting career. In 1932 she became engaged to the film director Clarence Brown , but was never married. In December 1932, she was charged with manslaughter after ramming an oncoming vehicle with her car one night in San Francisco . A 17-year-old occupant of the oncoming car was killed and two others were injured. Burgess was sentenced to pay pain and suffering to the two survivors and the parents of the deceased youth.
In May 1961, Dorothy Burgess was taken from her Palm Springs estate to Riverside Hospital after her health deteriorated. There was tuberculosis diagnosed. Burgess' condition continued to worsen and she could not leave the clinic until her death. Dorothy Burgess died three months later at the age of 54 of complications from her illness. She was buried in Olivewood Cemetery in Riverside.
Filmography (selection)
- 1928: In Old Arizona
- 1929: A Song of Kentucky
- 1932: Taxi!
- 1933: Ladies They Talk About
- 1933: Hold Your Man
- 1933: It's Great to Be Alive
- 1933: Ladies Must Love
- 1933: Night Flight (Night Flight)
- 1934: Where is Madeleine F.'s child? (Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen)
- 1934: Orient Express
- 1934: Love without thread and thread (Fashions of 1934)
- 1934: A Modern Hero
- 1934: Affairs of a Gentleman
- 1934: Black Moon
- 1934: Hat, Coat, and Glove
- 1935: Village Tale
- 1940: The Lady in Question
- 1942: Lady for a Night
- 1943: Girls in Chains
Web links
- Dorothy Burgess in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Dorothy Burgess in the Internet Broadway Database (English)
- Dorothy Burgess in the database of Find a Grave (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Dorothy Burgess. In: Find a Grave . November 2, 2015, accessed October 1, 2019 .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Burgess, Dorothy |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | US-american actress |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 4, 1907 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Los Angeles , California , United States |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 21, 1961 |
| Place of death | Riverside , California , United States |