Bessie Love (born Juanita Horton; September , â€" April , ) was an
American-British actress who achieved prominence playing innocent,
young girls and wholesome leading ladies in silent and early sound
films. Her acting career spanned eight decadesâ€"from silent film to
sound film, including theatre, radio, and televisionâ€"and her
performance in The Broadway Melody () earned her a nomination for the
Academy Award for Best Actress.Love was born Juanita Horton in
Midland, Texas, to John Cross Horton and Emma Jane Horton (née
Savage). Her father was a cowboy and bartender, while her mother
worked in and managed restaurants. She attended school in Midland
until she was in the eighth grade, when her family moved to Arizona,
New Mexico, and then to California, where they settled in Hollywood.
When in Hollywood, her father became a chiropractor, and her mother
worked at the Jantzen's Knitwear and Bathing Suits factory.In June ,
while a student at Los Angeles High School, Horton went to the set of
a film to meet with actor Tom Mix, who had recommended that she visit
him if she wanted to "get into pictures". However, when Mix was
unavailable, she was advised to meet with pioneering film director D.
W. Griffith, who put her under personal contract. When it was decided
that her given name was too long for theater marquees and too
difficult to pronounce, Griffith's associate Frank Woods gave Horton
the stage name Bessie Love: "Bessie, because any child can pronounce
it. And Love, because we want everyone to love her!" Love dropped out
of high school to pursue her film career, but she completed her
diploma in .
American-British actress who achieved prominence playing innocent,
young girls and wholesome leading ladies in silent and early sound
films. Her acting career spanned eight decadesâ€"from silent film to
sound film, including theatre, radio, and televisionâ€"and her
performance in The Broadway Melody () earned her a nomination for the
Academy Award for Best Actress.Love was born Juanita Horton in
Midland, Texas, to John Cross Horton and Emma Jane Horton (née
Savage). Her father was a cowboy and bartender, while her mother
worked in and managed restaurants. She attended school in Midland
until she was in the eighth grade, when her family moved to Arizona,
New Mexico, and then to California, where they settled in Hollywood.
When in Hollywood, her father became a chiropractor, and her mother
worked at the Jantzen's Knitwear and Bathing Suits factory.In June ,
while a student at Los Angeles High School, Horton went to the set of
a film to meet with actor Tom Mix, who had recommended that she visit
him if she wanted to "get into pictures". However, when Mix was
unavailable, she was advised to meet with pioneering film director D.
W. Griffith, who put her under personal contract. When it was decided
that her given name was too long for theater marquees and too
difficult to pronounce, Griffith's associate Frank Woods gave Horton
the stage name Bessie Love: "Bessie, because any child can pronounce
it. And Love, because we want everyone to love her!" Love dropped out
of high school to pursue her film career, but she completed her
diploma in .
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