Kitty Gordon
Kitty Gordon (born Constance Minnie Blades; 22 April 1878 – 26 May 1974) was an English stage and silent film actress.
Kitty Gordon | |
|---|---|
 Gordon, early 1900s | |
| Born | Constance Minnie Blades 22 April 1878 Folkestone, Kent, U.K. |
| Died | 26 May 1974 (aged 96) Brentwood, New York, U.S. |
| 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 – ?) |
Career
Constance Minnie Blades was born in Folkestone, Kent, to Col. Blades of the Royal Artillery.[1][2] Her first professional stage appearance was at the Princes Theatre in Bristol in 1901 in the touring production of San Toy.[3] She appeared in The Duchess of Dantzic in 1903, the operetta Véronique in 1904 and The Three Kisses in 1907. 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.[4] She continued her stage work from 1919 onwards. She also made television appearances.
Personal life
Her first husband was Maxwell James with whom she had a child, Vera.[5] After his death, she married theatre manager Michael Levenston on 10 December 1903. He died on 29 March 1904 , and in October 1904, Kitty married Captain Henry "Harry" Horsley-Beresford (1876– 1924), a son of the 3rd Baron Decies.[6] Kitty's child became Cynthia Vera Beresford, who became an actress. In 1932 Kitty married Ralph Ranlet.[7] Kitty's daughter Vera died in 1945.[8]
Kitty Gordon died in a nursing home in Brentwood, New York in 1974.[9]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1916 | As in a Looking Glass | Lila Despard | |
| 1916 | Her Maternal Right | Nina Seabury | |
| 1916 | The Crucial Test | Thanya | |
| 1917 | Vera, the Medium | Vera | |
| 1917 | Forget Me Not | Stefanie Paoli | |
| 1917 | The Beloved Adventuress | Juliette La Monde | |
| 1917 | Her Hour | Rita Castle | |
| 1917 | National Red Cross Pageant | Bruges | Flemish episode |
| 1917 | Diamonds and Pearls | Violetta D'Arcy | |
| 1917 | The Volunteer | Herself, Cameo Appearance | |
| 1918 | The Divine Sacrifice | Madeline Spencer | |
| 1918 | The Wasp | Grace Culver | |
| 1918 | The Purple Lily | Marie Burguet | |
| 1918 | Stolen Orders | Felicia Gaveston | |
| 1918 | The Interloper | Jane Cameron | |
| 1918 | Tinsel | Princess Sylvia Carzoni | *her only surviving film |
| 1918 | Merely Players | Nadine Trent | |
| 1919 | Adele | Adele Bleneau | |
| 1919 | Mandarin's Gold | Betty Cardon | |
| 1919 | The Unveiling Hand | Margaret Ellis | |
| 1919 | The Scar | Cora | |
| 1919 | Playthings of Passion | Helen Rowland | (final film role) |
The Crucial Test (1916)
Vera the Medium (1916)
Advertisement (1916)
Mandarin's Gold (1919)
References
- Metcalfe, Cranstoun (1913). Peeresses of the Stage. London: A. Melrose. p. 227.
- Gänzl, Kurt (2001). The Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre (2nd ed.). New York: Schirmer Books. p. 792. ISBN 9780028649702.
- Gillan, Don. "Kitty Gordon (1878-1974)". www.stagebeauty.net.
- Music that charms by Victor Herbert. New York Times, 20 October 1911
- Kitty Gordon: Actress 1878-1974. By Michael Levenston. Ebook. 2015.
- The Times 29 January 1924.
- Mrs. Beresford wed to Ralph Ranlet. New York Times, 16 September 1932
- “Deaths.” The New York Times, 8 Oct. 1945, p. 15.
- “Kitty Gordon, Star of 1911 'Enchantress,' Is Dead.” The New York Times, 29 May 1974, p. 44.
External links
