Betty Francisco

Betty Francisco (born Elizabeth Barton; September 26, 1900 – November 25, 1950) was an American silent-film actress, appearing primarily in supporting roles. Her sisters Evelyn and Margaret were also actresses.[1][2]

Betty Francisco
Betty Francisco in 1922
Born
Elizabeth Barton

(1900-09-26)September 26, 1900
Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.
DiedNovember 25, 1950(1950-11-25) (aged 50)
El Cerrito, Riverside, California, U.S.
Burial placeForest Lawn Memorial Park
OccupationActress
Years active1920–1934
Spouse
Fred Spradling
​
(m. 1930)​
RelativesEvelyn Francisco (sister)

Early years

Francisco was born in Little Rock, Arkansas.[3] As a child, she acted in stock theater companies. When she was older, she became an artists' model.[4]

Career

Francisco is credited in more than 50 films from 1920 to 1934, after which it appears she retired from motion picture acting. Her first film credit was in the 1920 film A Broadway Cowboy.[5]

Selected as one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars in 1923,[6] she nevertheless continued to be cast in secondary roles and rarely played the lead. She was often cast as the "other woman", as in Across the Continent (1922), Fair Play (1925), and The Spirit of Youth (1929). Her work included a wide range of genres;[6] in 1923, for example, she was cast in the costume drama Ashes of Vengeance, the contemporary melodrama Flaming Youth, and the western Double Dealing. She is seen in the Harry Langdon comedy Long Pants (1927).

Her career continued into the sound era. She appears in some of the earliest movie musicals: Broadway (1929), Smiling Irish Eyes (1929), and Cecil B. DeMille's Madam Satan (1930).[7] Her last film was Romance in the Rain (1934).

Personal life

In 1930, Francisco married Fred Spradling, a stock broker.[8]

She died at her Corona ranch on November 25, 1950 at 50 years old[3] and was interred at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park cemetery in Glendale, California.

Partial filmography
Betty Francisco with Wallace Reid, c. 1921

References
  1. The three Francisco sisters are all well started on screen careers. Left to right, they are Margaret, Betty, and Evelyn
  2. Cochran, Robert; McCray, Suzanne (2015). Lights! Camera! Arkansas!: From Broncho Billy to Billy Bob Thornton. Arkansas UP. p. 13. ISBN 978-1557286727.
  3. "Betty Francisco". The New York Times. Associated Press. November 27, 1950. p. 24. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  4. "America's Most Perfect Blonde, Betty Francisco". News-Democrat. Kentucky, Paducah. March 18, 1923. p. 17. Retrieved January 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. Wollstein, Hans J. "Betty Francisco biography". Allmovie.com. Retrieved October 12, 2015.
  6. Katchmer, George A. (2002). A Biographical Dictionary of Silent Film Western Actors and Actresses. McFarland. p. 305. ISBN 978-0-7864-4693-3.
  7. Bradley, Edwin M. (2004). The First Hollywood Musicals: A Critical Filmography of 171 Features, 1927 through 1932. McFarland. pp. 43, 49, 141. ISBN 978-0-7864-2029-2.
  8. "Silent Film Actress Betty Francisco Died". Albuquerque Journal. November 27, 1950. Archived from the original on March 5, 2019.
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