Bess Flowers
About
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Birth Place
Sherman, Texas, USA
Born
March 23, 1898
Died
July 28, 1984
Cause of Death
Natural Causes
Biography
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A tall, poised actor who began in silent films in the early 1920s, Flowers played the female lead in minor films ranging from a version of the children's perennial "Laddie" to a number of Westerns including "Glenister of the Mounted" and "Hands Across the Border" (all 1926). She regularly played supporting roles as well, and by the time sound fully took over she was working entirely in t...
Filmography
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Move Over, Darling
(1963)
Woman
The Facts of Life
(1960)
Woman in airport
G.I. Blues
(1960)
Café Europa patron
The Young Philadelphians
(1959)
Carla Henry, party guest
The Buccaneer
(1959)
Townswoman
A Private's Affair
(1959)
Surgeon's General's wife
Family & Companions
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Cullen Tate
Husband
Director. Divorced.
William Holman
Husband
Studio manager. Worked for Columbia; divorced.
Biography
A tall, poised actor who began in silent films in the early 1920s, Flowers played the female lead in minor films ranging from a version of the children's perennial "Laddie" to a number of Westerns including "Glenister of the Mounted" and "Hands Across the Border" (all 1926). She regularly played supporting roles as well, and by the time sound fully took over she was working entirely in this capacity. Flowers soon was reduced to bit player and extra but, ironically, what seemed like a decline proved to bring her lasting fame.
Bess Flowers continued to appear in small roles until the mid-60s. In a wide variety of hairstyles, hair colors and costumes, the gracious, classy, amazingly prolific Flowers was instantly recognizable to thousands of movie fans. Spotting her appearances in scenes became a pleasure for countless filmgoers, entirely separate from how the plot of the movie was unfolding, and Flowers became affectionately known as 'Hollywood's Best-Dressed Extra' and 'The Queen of the Hollywood Extras'. Most typically cast as a party guest, Flowers also played secretaries in "It Happened One Night" (1934) and "Double Indemnity" (1944), and decorated other films from "Holiday" (1938) to "Good Neighbor Sam" (1964).
Although many of her roles included no dialogue, many film fans remember Flowers as the award ceremony attendee who, near the end of "All About Eve" (1950), congratulates anti-heroine Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter) with the single line, "I'm so happy for you, Eve." She is even more memorable in a somewhat larger part in Douglas Sirk's legendary weeper, "Imitation of Life" (1959), as the female star of the play in which supporting player Lora Meredith (Lana Turner) first garners acclaim. Appearing in several scenes, making the most of her dialogue, Flowers, here playing a star, was finally treated as such, an accolade her silent throng of fans knew she had deserved all along.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Move Over, Darling
(1963)
Woman
The Facts of Life
(1960)
Woman in airport
G.I. Blues
(1960)
Café Europa patron
The Young Philadelphians
(1959)
Carla Henry, party guest
The Buccaneer
(1959)
Townswoman
A Private's Affair
(1959)
Surgeon's General's wife
Imitation of Life
(1959)
Geraldine Moore
I Married a Monster from Outer Space
(1958)
Wedding guest
Vertigo
(1958)
Diner at Ernie's
Too Much, Too Soon
(1958)
Guest at Michael's
Pal Joey
(1957)
Witness for the Prosecution
(1957)
Courtoom spectator
Autumn Leaves
(1956)
Hot Shots
(1956)
Guest at Taylor party
The She-Creature
(1956)
Party guest
The Eddy Duchin Story
(1956)
Woman in nightclub
Runaway Daughters
(1956)
Woman dancing at party
The Birds and the Bees
(1956)
Mother
The View from Pompey's Head
(1955)
Miss Mabry
Interrupted Melody
(1955)
Casanova's Big Night
(1954)
Marquesa
Rear Window
(1954)
Woman with poodle
The French Line
(1954)
Saleslady
Bad for Each Other
(1954)
Athena
(1954)
Mrs. Grenville
The Bad and the Beautiful
(1953)
Woman at party
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms
(1953)
Member of the audience at the ballet
No Escape
(1953)
Mrs. Diamond, customer at Pinker's Department Store
The Band Wagon
(1953)
Backer
Angel Face
(1953)
Shirley, Barrett's secretary
Torch Song
(1953)
Audience member
Never Wave at a WAC
(1953)
Katherine, party guest
Three Sailors and a Girl
(1953)
Indignant patron
The Greatest Show on Earth
(1952)
Sally and Saint Anne
(1952)
Woman at country club dance
Something to Live For
(1952)
Wife
Just for You
(1952)
Mrs. Lord
Don't Bother to Knock
(1952)
Washington Story
(1952)
party guest
Dear Brat
(1951)
Laura Millikan
People Will Talk
(1951)
Woman seated behind Deborah at concert
Little Egypt
(1951)
The Mating Season
(1951)
Friend at wedding
Here Comes the Groom
(1951)
Guest
The Great Caruso
(1951)
The Unknown Man
(1951)
Guest
No Questions Asked
(1951)
The Law and the Lady
(1951)
Mrs. Bruno Thayar
I Can Get It for You Wholesale
(1951)
Saleswoman
Texas Carnival
(1951)
Person in lobby
Sunny Side of the Street
(1951)
Queen
Royal Wedding
(1951)
Guest
All About Eve
(1950)
The Big Hangover
(1950)
Mrs. Hughes
Mary Ryan, Detective
(1950)
Mrs. Morse
Please Believe Me
(1950)
Guest in dining room
Nancy Goes to Rio
(1950)
Guest at party
Let's Dance
(1950)
Guest
Dear Wife
(1950)
Mrs. Grindle
Born to Be Bad
(1950)
Mrs. Worthington
The Woman on Pier 13
(1950)
Secretary
Sky Liner
(1949)
Mother
The Great Gatsby
(1949)
New York woman
The Barkleys of Broadway
(1949)
Guest in lobby
Father Was a Fullback
(1949)
Alias Nick Beal
(1949)
Pedestrian
The Accused
(1949)
Deputy
Tell It to the Judge
(1949)
Guest
Red, Hot and Blue
(1949)
The Noose Hangs High
(1948)
Patient
Dream Girl
(1948)
Social secretary
The Countess of Monte Cristo
(1948)
The Big Clock
(1948)
Customer at Van Barth's/Stylist in conference room
The Velvet Touch
(1948)
Partygoer
Cass Timberlane
(1948)
Mary Ann Milligan
Good Sam
(1948)
Parent
The Bride Goes Wild
(1948)
Wedding guest
Ivy
(1947)
Set rehearsal
The Farmer's Daughter
(1947)
The Perils of Pauline
(1947)
Reporter
Smash Up--The Story of a Woman
(1947)
Newspaper woman
That's My Man
(1947)
Party guest
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
(1947)
Illustrator
Song of the Thin Man
(1947)
Jessica Thayar
Blondie in the Dough
(1947)
Mrs. Dixon
Adventure
(1946)
Modiste
The Razor's Edge
(1946)
Matron
The Walls Came Tumbling Down
(1946)
Two Smart People
(1946)
Policewoman
Undercurrent
(1946)
Guest
Deception
(1946)
Wedding guest
Let's Go Steady
(1945)
Her Highness and the Bellboy
(1945)
Week-End at the Waldorf
(1945)
Guest
It's a Pleasure!
(1945)
Salesgirl
Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe
(1945)
Duchess of Duke
The Mummy's Ghost
(1944)
Townswoman
Strange Affair
(1944)
Fashionable woman
Mr. Skeffington
(1944)
Mrs. Thatcher
Ladies of Washington
(1944)
Double Indemnity
(1944)
Secretary
Ghost Catchers
(1944)
What a Woman!
(1943)
Dawson
Mister Big
(1943)
Best Foot Forward
(1943)
Mrs. Bradd
Idaho
(1943)
Nice matron
Girl Crazy
(1943)
Committee woman
The Amazing Mrs. Holliday
(1943)
Reporter
Dixie Dugan
(1943)
Dangerous Blondes
(1943)
Madge Lawrence
Thunder Birds
(1942)
Nurse
Laugh Your Blues Away
(1942)
Mrs. Larkin
Springtime in the Rockies
(1942)
Mrs. Jeepers
This Time for Keeps
(1942)
Saleslady
The Mad Doctor of Market Street
(1942)
Lady
The Major and the Minor
(1942)
Woman at cadet ball
Pittsburgh
(1942)
Lady in a Jam
(1942)
Nurse
Free and Easy
(1941)
Married Bachelor
(1941)
Salesgirl
Three Girls About Town
(1941)
Mortician's wife
Adventure in Washington
(1941)
Mrs. Arno
Sunny
(1941)
Mrs. W. Wakefield
The People vs. Dr. Kildare
(1941)
Nurse
Meet John Doe
(1941)
Mattie
Flight from Destiny
(1941)
Life Begins for Andy Hardy
(1941)
Secretary
Tillie the Toiler
(1941)
Penny Serenade
(1941)
Mother
Five Little Peppers in Trouble
(1940)
Miss Roberts
The Boys from Syracuse
(1940)
Johnny Apollo
(1940)
Secretary
On Their Own
(1940)
Madame Suzanne
You'll Find Out
(1940)
Society Lawyer
(1939)
Mary
Sergeant Madden
(1939)
Reception nurse
It's a Wonderful World
(1939)
Guest
The Forgotten Woman
(1939)
Beauty shop operator
Ninotchka
(1939)
Gossip
Tell No Tales
(1939)
Teacher
Honolulu
(1939)
Guest
Love Affair
(1939)
Couple on deck
Young Dr. Kildare
(1938)
Nurse
The Main Event
(1938)
Telephone girl
Holiday
(1938)
Countess, woman on staircase
Extortion
(1938)
The Shining Hour
(1938)
Nurse
Penitentiary
(1938)
The Little Adventuress
(1938)
Hold That Co-Ed
(1938)
Miss Sward
Smashing the Spy Ring
(1938)
Mrs. Austin
I Am the Law
(1938)
Secretary
In Old Chicago
(1938)
Woman with Senator Colby
The Lady Objects
(1938)
Miriam Harper
Women in Prison
(1938)
Florence
The Lone Wolf in Paris
(1938)
Davna
Sweethearts
(1938)
Woman in theater
City Streets
(1938)
Miss Phillips
The Awful Truth
(1937)
Viola Heath
Green Light
(1937)
Mrs. Dexter's nurse
Girl Overboard
(1937)
Mrs. Stacey
Women of Glamour
(1937)
Marry the Girl
(1937)
Radway's secretary
Nobody's Baby
(1937)
Nurse at information desk
One in a Million
(1937)
Woman in box
Life Begins with Love
(1937)
The Last Train from Madrid
(1937)
Saleswoman
The Road Back
(1937)
Member of dinner party
The Shadow
(1937)
Marianne
Paid to Dance
(1937)
Suzy
When You're in Love
(1937)
Forgotten Faces
(1936)
Nurse
Mister Cinderella
(1936)
Nurse
The Golden Arrow
(1936)
Miss Hackett
The Golden Arrow
(1936)
Miss Hackett
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
(1936)
Anthony Adverse
(1936)
Nun
Two-Fisted Gentleman
(1936)
Adventure in Manhattan
(1936)
Attendant
Yours for the Asking
(1936)
Wanted! Jane Turner
(1936)
Silks and Saddles
(1936)
Thunder in the Night
(1935)
Guest
The Girl from 10th Avenue
(1935)
Guest
If You Could Only Cook
(1935)
Laura
She Couldn't Take It
(1935)
She Married Her Boss
(1935)
The Whole Town's Talking
(1935)
Secretary
Love Me Forever
(1935)
Guest
Shipmates Forever
(1935)
Nurse
Redheads on Parade
(1935)
Wardrobe designer
Ginger
(1935)
Society woman
Escapade
(1935)
Guest
Dames
(1934)
Stand Up and Cheer!
(1934)
Stenographer
The Defense Rests
(1934)
Receptionist
One Exciting Adventure
(1934)
The Personality Kid
(1934)
Nurse
I'll Fix It
(1934)
Teacher
I Believed in You
(1934)
Guest at party
Broadway Bill
(1934)
Secretary
Fugitive Lady
(1934)
Beauty operator
It Happened One Night
(1934)
Secretary
If I Had a Million
(1932)
Customer
Sin's Pay Day
(1932)
Jane Webb
Sinister Hands
(1932)
Bachelor Apartment
(1931)
Charlotte
Lightnin'
(1930)
Mrs. Weeks
The Ghost Talks
(1929)
Sylvia
Linda
(1929)
Annette Whittmore
Blondes by Choice
(1927)
Olga Flint
The Greater Glory
(1926)
Helga
Irene
(1926)
Jane Gilmour
Glenister of the Mounted
(1926)
Elizabeth Danrock
Lone Hand Saunders
(1926)
Alice Mills
Laddie
(1926)
Pamela Pryor
Hands Across the Border
(1926)
Ysabel Castro
The Silent Partner
(1923)
Mrs. Nesbit
Hollywood
(1923)
Hortense Towers
Cast (Short)
The Screen Director
(1951)
The Costume Designer
(1950)
So You Want to Be in Pictures
(1947)
Musical Movieland
(1944)
The Heckler
(1940)
Somewhat Secret
(1939)
Men in Fright
(1938)
How to Behave
(1936)
The Public Pays
(1936)
Twin Triplets
(1935)
Okay Toots!
(1935)
Thicker Than Water
(1935)
Handlebars
(1933)
Life Events
1926
Played the female lead in several films including "Glenister of the Mounted", "Laddie" and "Hands Across the Border"
Videos
Movie Clip
Trailer
Companions
Cullen Tate
Husband
Director. Divorced.
William Holman
Husband
Studio manager. Worked for Columbia; divorced.
