Classic Movie Travels: Beverly Bayne
Pearl Beverly Bain was born on November
11, 1893, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Augustus and Jessie Bain. When she was
six years old, her family moved briefly to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, before
settling in Chicago, Illinois. There, she attended Hyde Park High School.
At the age of 16, she visited Chicago’s
Essanay Studios where she was discovered by a director and encouraged to work
at the studio because she had a “camera face” and brown eyes, preferable for
photography of the period. She ultimately adopted the stage name Beverly Bayne.
Her salary at the studio gradually increased, as did her popularity among
audiences.
Bayne made initial film appearances in The Rivals (1912) and The Loan Shark (1912). While Bayne was
under Essanay’s employ, so were actors Gloria Swanson and Francis X. Bushman.
Bushman often demanded that Bayne play alongside him as his leading lady. Soon
enough, they were a recognized romantic duo. The two stars appeared in Romeo and Juliet (1916) and married in
1918, three days after Bushman divorced his wife, Josephine Duval.
Bayne and Bushman’s marriage was largely
kept secret to prevent their popularity from diminishing. Nonetheless, they are
often credited as the first romantic team in films. The duo left Essanay
Chicago for Metro Pictures in Jacksonville, Florida. They appeared in Man and His Soul (1916), now considered
a lost film. Additionally, they starred in a play called The Master Thief from 1919-20. The couple had a son named Richard
before divorcing in 1925.
Bayne appeared in a silent adaptation of The Age of Innocence (1924) in a
starring role, but the film is also considered lost. Bayne’s final silent film
was Passionate Youth (1925).
After Bayne and Bushman divorced, Bayne’s
popularity declined sharply. Before long, both of them were no longer appearing
in films.
In 1937, Bayne married Charles Hvass and
the couple lived on a farm in Piscataway, New Jersey. They divorced in 1944.
At this point, Bayne turned to appearing
in stage productions throughout the 1930s and 1940s, in addition to performing
on radio. She also became involved in raising funds for British War Relief
during World War II.
Bayne’s sole sound feature film, The Naked City (1948), would also be her
last. She is uncredited for this performance.
Bayne retired from performing altogether
in 1950, and moved to Scottsdale, Arizona. She lived there with her son,
Richard, until his suicide in 1967. Bayne passed away from a heart attack on
August 18, 1982, at age 87. She was buried in Paradise Memorial Gardens, 9300
E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, Arizona.
Today, there are some remaining points of
relevance in relation to Bayne’s life and career.
The
former Chicago Essanay Studio is located at 1345 W. Argyle St., Chicago,
Illinois.
In 1920, Bayne resided at 435 Riverside
Dr., New York, New York with Francis X. Bushman. The building stands today.
In 1922, she resided at the Majestic
Hotel, New York, New York. In 1930, she resided at 400 149th Pl.,
Queens, New York. Both locations no longer remain.
In 1940, she resided with Charles Hvass
at 414 E. 52nd St., New York, New York. This location remains today.
In 1946, she lived at 127 E. 55th
St., New York, New York. In 1960, she resided at 2025 Watsonia Ter., Los
Angeles, California. Both of these locations no longer stand.
In 1967, Bayne and her son resided at
4917 N. 73rd St., Scottsdale, Arizona. The apartment building
remains.
Bayne has a star on the Hollywood Walk of
Fame honoring her work in motion pictures. It is located at 1752 Vine St., Los
Angeles, California.
The documentary The Beautiful Lady (1977) celebrates her career and features Bayne
herself as a narrator.
Bayne’s papers are housed at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.
…
–Annette Bochenek for Classic Movie Hub
Annette Bochenek pens our monthly Classic Movie Travels column. You can read all of Annette’s Classic Movie Travel articles here.
Annette Bochenek of Chicago, Illinois, is a PhD student at Dominican University and an independent scholar of Hollywood’s Golden Age. She manages the Hometowns to Hollywood blog, in which she writes about her trips exploring the legacies and hometowns of Golden Age stars. Annette also hosts the “Hometowns to Hollywood” film series throughout the Chicago area. She has been featured on Turner Classic Movies and is the president of TCM Backlot’s Chicago chapter. In addition to writing for Classic Movie Hub, she also writes for Silent Film Quarterly, Nostalgia Digest, and Chicago Art Deco SocietyMagazine.
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