Bebe Daniels Movies
American actress Bebe Daniels and the motion picture industry virtually grew up together. After touring with her stage-actor parents, Daniels made her film debut at age seven in the silent one-reeler A Common Enemy (1908). After unsuccessfully applying for a job as a Mack Sennett bathing beauty (she was well under the age of consent), Daniels secured a job at Hal Roach's comedy studio in 1915, co-featured with Roach's biggest (and only) star Harold Lloyd in a series of zany slapstick comedies. In 1919, Daniels was signed by producer-director Cecil B. DeMille to star in a group of slick, sophisticated feature films in the company of DeMille regulars Gloria Swanson and Thomas Meighan. Though successful in these glamorous ventures, Daniels found herself more at home in fast-moving comedy roles, in which she specialized while contracted with Paramount Pictures in the mid-1920s; the actress played everything from a female Zorro type in Senorita (1927) to a "lady Valentino" in She's a Sheik (1927). When talking pictures came around, Paramount dropped Daniels' contract, worried that she wouldn't be able to make the transition to sound. But Daniels surprised everyone by scoring a hit in RKO's expensive musical feature Rio Rita (1929), managing to keep her career in high gear until her last American film, Music is Magic (1935). Upon her retirement from Hollywood, Daniels moved to England with her actor husband Ben Lyon in 1935. Enormously popular with London audiences, Daniels and Lyon starred in stage plays and films, and in the 1940s, headlined the successful radio series Life with the Lyons, which graduated to an even more successful TV program in the 1950s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1924
This Paramount drama was based on the novel Face, by Lucy Stone Terrill. It was a change of pace for light comedienne Bebe Daniels. In a battle during the World War, Douglas Albright (Richard Dix) has a moment of cowardice which causes the death of his friend, Captain Banning (Joe King). When Albright comes back from the war, his fiancée, Helen Castle (Mary Astor), and her father, George (Frank Losee), can see that something is bothering him. So Castle sends him to take care of business in China -- and to pull himself together. While in China, Albright runs across Bannings' widow, Breta (Daniels), who has buried her sorrows behind a mask of revelry and fast living. Because he feels responsible for what she has become, Albright attempts to regenerate her and proposes marriage. When Breta discovers that he is sacrificing his relationship with Helen on her behalf, she kills herself so that the couple can reunite. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bebe Daniels, Richard Dix, (more)
- 1924
Argentine Love is based on a novel by Vincent Blasco-Ibanez, whose Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse made a star of Rudolph Valentino. Not surprisingly, leading man Ricardo Cortez plays a Valentino clone: a headstrong Argentinian in love with fetching senorita Bebe Daniels. But Daniels prefers the company of American engineer James Rennie. Argentine Love is kept moving at a fast clip by Allan Dwan, who was far less lugubriously self-indulgent than Four Horsemen helmsman Rex Ingram. In retrospect, it is understandable that Paramount wanted to make a Valentino film without Valentino: he had recently ankled the studio in a bitter (and well-publicized) dispute over story material. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bebe Daniels, Ricardo Cortez, (more)
- 1924
Bebe Daniels never let her public or her studio down. In Daring Youth, Daniels delivers her usual sprightly performance as the free-thinking wife of Norman Kerry. Entering into marriage on the understanding that she will be given unbridled freedom to do what she wants with whom she wants, Daniels sorely taxes the patience of poor Kerry. But he's certain that she'll get over her hubris and settle down to become a proper housewife-which, after several comic escapades, she does. Daring Youth was directed by William Beaudine, long before he became entrenched as the King of Poverty Row. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lillian Langdon, Bebe Daniels, (more)
- 1924
The still photographs of this costume picture, showing Rudolph Valentino wearing foppish 18th century finery, are actually misleading when it comes to Monsieur Beaucaire's actual content. For much of the film, Valentino actually views his wardrobe -- and his matinee idol persona -- with sly humor. This film may have been based on a popular story by Booth Tarkington, but it belongs to Valentino all the way through, and his star quality dominates an impressive cast, which includes the likes of Bebe Daniels, Doris Kenyon, and Lois Wilson, none of them slouches in the star department. Valentino is the Duke of Chartres who can no longer stand the snipes thrown his way by Princess Henriette (Daniels). When King Louis IV (Lowell Sherman) commands that he marry her, the duke runs away. He accompanies the French Ambassador to England, disguised as his barber under the name Monsieur Beaucaire. In Bath, he becomes entranced by Lady Mary (Kenyon). He forces the Duke of Winterset (Ian MacLaren) to introduce him to her as a nobleman, but Winterset exposes him as a barber and Lady Mary snubs him. The French Ambassador arrives and reveals that Beaucaire really is a nobleman, but by then, he is no longer interested in Lady Mary. Instead, he returns to France and to Princess Henriette. Valentino's wife, Natacha Rambova, was responsible for both the art direction and set design of this picture. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rudolph Valentino, Bebe Daniels, (more)
- 1924
There is a dispute over the ownership of some valuable Long Island farmland -- the Clarks and the Sullivans both claim it. It is ultimately awarded to Adele (Bebe Daniels), the last of the Clarks. Although Adele is in love with Tim (Tom Moore), the son of Sheamus Sullivan (Edward O'Connor), their romance is stalled when her trustees send her away to finishing school. The headmistress takes her to Europe where she meets Arnolfo, an impoverished prince (William Powell, who generally played villainous types before talkies came in). Adele has become extravagant, and when Tim travels to Europe to straighten her out, he fails. She marries the prince, but then she's called home and informed by O'Hara (Charles Slattery) that he has found a will giving the land to Sheamus. He offers to sell it to her but she refuses. The prince, however, is not so noble, and he steals her jewelry and buys it himself. Adele manages to get it from him and lets Tim know about it. A fire breaks out because of Arnolfo's carelessness. Tim rescues Adele, but the prince dies while trying to make his escape. With his death, Adele and Tim are finally reunited. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bebe Daniels, Tom Moore, (more)
- 1923
The normally low-key William C. deMille veers into the territory of his younger brother, Cecil B. DeMille, with this highly dramatic feature. Actress Corinne d'Alys (Bebe Daniels) is thrilled by her newfound success and aches for more publicity and fame. Although she is loved by her manager, John Elliot (Lewis Stone), she begins an affair with a portrait painter, Robert Townsend (Adolphe Menjou, who was earning quite a reputation -- on film at least -- as a seducer). Townsend is married to Elliot's sister Elsa (Kathlyn Williams), and she's furious over the affair. When she slashes at the painting of Corinne, she winds up accidentally killing her husband. Elliot, however, is the one arrested for the crime. When Elsa sees that her brother is in love with Corinne, she commits suicide, but first leaves a note confessing that it was she who stabbed Townsend. Corinne is thoroughly chastened by these events and reconciles with the ever-faithful Elliot. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bebe Daniels, Lewis Stone, (more)
- 1923
The Exciters is the old one about a footloose heiress who must marry by the age of 21 or forfeit her fortune. The girl (Bebe Daniels), an inveterate thrill-seeker, chooses as her mate a handsome gangster (Antonio Moreno). Lots of thrills and laughs occur as a result of this shaky union. The gangster eventually reveals that he's an undercover cop, and the girl finally agrees to curb her craving for excitement. Veteran scenarists Sonya Levien and John Colton adapted The Exciters from a novel by Martin Brown. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bebe Daniels, Antonio Moreno, (more)
- 1923
After Hollywood was rocked by several scandals, the specter of censorship reared its ugly head. To keep local community leaders from doing the censoring, the film industry opted to do the editing itself. Perhaps that's why pictures such as this Allan Dwan-directed society drama based on a novel by Edith Wharton seem a bit bloodless. Although Susan Branch (Bebe Daniels) has lost her money, she still manages to live off her society friends. While staying with Fred and Ursula Gillow (Maurice Costello and Nita Naldi), she falls in love with penniless writer Nick Lansing (David Powell). In spite of his financial situation, Susan and Lansing marry, and live for the next year on money given to them by friends, staying in lavish villas in Paris, Venice, and Monte Carlo. But when the money runs out, so does their happiness. After an argument, they separate, even consulting a lawyer about divorce; but when the lawyer sees that they still love each other, he convinces them to stay together. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bebe Daniels, Nita Naldi, (more)
- 1923
It was impossible for director Sam Wood to include all of Arthur Train's sprawling novel in this picture. Instead he seems to have turned it into a rather simplistic morality play about a flapper's redemption -- the sort of subject which was common in the 1920s. Old Peter B. Kayne (George Fawcett) has finally handed over the last of his fortune to his 55-year-old son, Rufus (Hale Hamilton). Although Rufus has entered society and is the respectable president of a trust company, he has a foolish side. While his three daughters -- Diana (Bebe Daniels), Claudia (Katheryn Lean, and Sheila (Dorothy Mackaill) -- carry on their frivolous lives, Rufus becomes involved with a young chorus girl, Mercedes (Mary Eaton). He gets involved in a theatrical venture which fails miserably, ruining the family's fortune. But Diana has finally seen the error of her ways and rescues her younger sister, Sheila, from making the same mistakes. She also marries Lloyd Maitland, a young lawyer (James Rennie). Rufus has a nervous breakdown and all of the Kayne's possessions are put up for auction. While coming down the stairs, he falls, taking down a tapestry with him. It reveals the saying, "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it" (it was common in the 1920s for books and motion pictures to make Biblical references to prove their points). ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bebe Daniels, Dorothy Mackaill, (more)
- 1922
Although director Cecil B. DeMille was known for his Biblical spectaculars and florid comedy-dramas about domestic relations, it was his older brother William C. DeMille who had taste and class. His pictures were smaller and more intimate, and they were also often more sophisticated. This picture, based on the stage play by Rachel Crothers, was very well cast, and while Wallace Reid gets top billing, he really has very little to do. Bebe Daniels is clearly the star. Jazz baby Teddy Glouster (Daniels) infuriates her father (Edward Martindel) with her wild ways, so she goes to stay at the family's country home. This does not slow her down one bit, and her entanglement with alcoholic fortune hunter Scotty Wilbur (the very hard-to-resist Conrad Nagel) gets her in a lot of trouble. One night he tries to force himself on her, and she is saved only by the sudden appearance of a stranger, who puts a halt to the assault. Since both men wind up staying the night, it causes a scandal. Mr. Glouster, however, forgives his daughter, and after she promises to settle down and lead a quiet life, the stranger, ex-soldier Billy Wade (Wallace Reid), agrees to marry her. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wallace Reid, Conrad Nagel, (more)
- 1922
What was Paramount thinking when it cast a capable comedienne like Bebe Daniels in this artificial tragedy? The funny moments here were all created inadvertently. Conrad Nagel, Adolphe Menjou and Ernest Torrence are among the other capable actors who are also wasted. Bonita (Daniels), a Spanish dancer, has a strange allegorical dream -- she is shot by an evil court jester when she gives a rose to her beloved prince. Her grandfather, Don Jose della Guerda (Robert Brower), explains that the dream shows her that she must avoid all lovers. So when Bonita meets handsome Peter Gordon (Nagel), she sends him away for fear that she will be killed by Emilio(Torrence), a strange but worshipful clown who is always near her. Instead she turns her attention to Peter's uncle, Bliss (Menjou). To win back his love, Bliss' wife, Eve (Mabel Trunelle) learns Bonita's dances and impersonates her at a masked ball. This is a fatal mistake, as the jealous clown mistakenly shoots her. In the end, Emilio kills himself, leaving Bonita free to reunite with Peter. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bebe Daniels, Conrad Nagel, (more)
- 1922
Although the spirited Bebe Daniels was sorely miscast as a long-suffering orphan in this comedy-drama, she somehow managed to pull it off. Nancy (Daniels) works for a cruel couple, the Kellys (James Gordon and Vera Lewis). Mrs. Kelly has turned her into a drudge, while the alcoholic Mr. Kelly tries to force himself on her. When she can take it no longer, she sneaks into a car owned by Jack Halliday ($Edward Sutherland), a wealthy young man she once met. When he arrives home and finds her, he lets her stay since his parents are gone and loans her his sister's clothes. But Jack's fiancee, Elizabeth Doane (Helen Holly) is not at all thrilled with the situation and wires his father. Jack's parents return and they convince Nancy that there is no place in their world -- or Jack's -- for her, and that she must return from where ever she came. She leaves while Jack is away, but when he discovers she is gone, he rushes after her just in time to save her from the drunken Mr. Kelly. After that he and Nancy quickly drum up a minister and wed. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bebe Daniels, Edward Sutherland, (more)
- 1922
This melodrama, based on the novel Pink Gods and Blue Demons by Cynthia Stockley, wasted the talents of James Kirkwood, Anna Q. Nilsson, Raymond Hatton, and especially Bebe Daniels, whose forte was comedy, not drama. Lorraine Temple (Daniels) lusts after diamonds, so while her husband, Colonel Pat Temple (George Cowl), is away, she goes after John Quelch (James Kirkwood), who owns a diamond mine. Quelch is a brutal boss who refuses to tolerate theft -- if any of his employees try to steal his diamonds by swallowing them, he has a doctor remove them surgically. Quelch's fiancee, Lady Margo Cork (Nilsson), can't tolerate his hateful acts, so he turns his attention to Lorraine. He courts her in his underground palace, but Jim Wingate (Hatton), a foreman who has undergone Quelch's cruel operation, vindictively dynamites it. The greedy Lorraine dies from injuries she receives in the explosion. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bebe Daniels, James Kirkwood, (more)
- 1922
A young cowboy turns vigilante after his father is killed in this fine silent Western filmed on location in blistering Southern Arizona. With revenge on his mind, Bob Haddington (Jack Holt) turns himself into Velantrie, the leader of a gang of outlaws. At a mission, he meets and falls for Val Hannon (Bebe Daniels), the daughter of John Hannon (Will R. Walling), a wealthy rancher. In a case of mistaken identity, Bob is accused of cattle rustling but discovers to his horror that the real culprit is his new girlfriend's father. Not only that, but Hannon, hiding under the nickname "Black Rustler," is also the villain who killed Bob's father. In an act of supreme sacrifice, the young man exchanges places with his father's killer and is about to be hanged when Val arrives with proof of his innocence. North of the Rio Grande was based on the 1921 novel Val of Paradise by Vingie E. Roe. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Holt, Bebe Daniels, (more)
- 1921
When Bebe Daniels spent a publicity-filled ten days in jail for speeding, her studio saw an even bigger way to cash in and produced this light comedy. Actress Betty Lee (Daniels) is fast in every way but in love. Tom Manley, a young naval officer (Theodore Von Eltz), is her sweetheart, but then a millionaire butts in and tries to make him look bad in her eyes. Betty's real trouble begins, however, when she flirtatiously makes Manley hang around until he is late for his ship. When she realizes he'll be court martialed if he doesn't reach San Diego on time, she rushes him down in her car. The millionaire has informed the authorities, and although Manley makes his boat, Betty is arrested for speeding -- and just like Bebe, Betty spends ten days in jail as a celebrity. She has just about decided to wed the millionaire when she finds another girl behind bars who had been a victim of the guy. So Betty dumps him and returns to Tom. Although this was far from one of Daniels' bet! ter vehicles, any picture based around her sparkling personality couldn't be all bad. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1921
Pansy O'Donnel (Bebe Daniels), a salesgirl at a modiste's shop, has earned -- as the film's title says -- two weeks' vacation with pay. But her boss, Ginsberg (George Periolat) has given her something of a working vacation -- she's to go to a fashionable resort with a load of his clothes and parade around in them as sort of a walking advertisement. It's an eventful two weeks -- as she heads to the hotel, she gets in a car accident with handsome J. Livingston Smith (handsome leading man Jack Mulhall), who she assumes to be one of the local wealthy Smiths. Then, at the hotel, she is mistaken for lookalike actress Marie LaTour. Since she can't convince the guests that she isn't, she goes along with the ruse and agrees to appear for a benefit. Unfortunately, Miss LaTour is known as the "Diving Venus," which means she has to do a high dive. Ginsberg arrives to take orders and Pansy does a high dive. Smith comes to her rescue and pulls her out of the tank just as the real Marie LaTour (also played by Daniels) arrives. But the actress merely shrugs off the mistaken identity. It turns out that Smith is not rich, but instead owns a garage, and he and Pansy end the film together. This mildly amusing comedy was based on a Saturday Evening Post story by Nina Wilcox Putnam. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bebe Daniels, Jack Mulhall, (more)
Cecil B. DeMille's much-maligned cinemadaptation of Arthur Schnitzler's The Affairs of Anatol holds up better than its reputation suggests. Wallace Reid stars as New York socialite Anatol DeWitt Spencer, who after only a few day's marriage has become bored with his new bride Vivian (Gloria Swanson). In search of new romantic vistas, Anatole takes up his old flame Emilie (Wanda Hawley), who repays the "favor" by two-timing him. Briefly returning to his wife, Anatole attempts another extramarital adventure with Annie Elliot (Agnes Ayres), whose tear-stained tales of a tragic life are but a subterfuge to disguise her larcenous streak. Finally, Anatole dallies with Satan Synne (Bebe Daniels), "the wickedest woman in New York"-who turns out to be a virtuous housewife, hoping to raise money for her seriously ill husband. At long last, Anatole decides that he's better off with Vivian, who by now has grown tired of him. In reviewing The Affairs of Anatol, Photoplay magazine said laconically "Cecil B. DeMille, not Arthur Schnitzler. We leave it to you which gentleman has pleased our public more." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wallace Reid, Gloria Swanson, (more)
- 1921
Bebe Daniels breezes through the comic complications of Ducks and Drakes. Daniels plays Teddy Simpson, the flirtatious fiancee of sportsman Dick Chiltim (Edward Martindel). To teach her a lesson, Dick talks his pal Rob Winslow (Jack Holt) into posing as an escaped convict. At first thrilled at the prospect of being kidnapped by the handsome "fugitive," Teddy is scared silly when Winslow prepares to "have his way" with her. She skeedaddles back to the arms of her fiancé, vowing never to flirt again. More nonsense from the "pregnant-barefoot-kitchen" school of comedy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bebe Daniels, Jack Holt, (more)
- 1921
Bebe Daniels stars in this adaptation of the Miriam Michelson novel (and play), In the Bishop's Carriage. Thief Tom Dorgan (Wade Boteler) has trained an orphan, Nance Olden (Daniels) to be his accomplice. At a station she pretends to faint so that Dorgan can steal a diamond necklace from a man's pocket. She then hides in a carriage which turns out to belong to Bishop Van Wagenen (Herbert Standing). To cast off any suspicion she pretends to be crazy, so the Bishop feels sorry for her and takes her to his friend's home. Mr. Ramsey (Z. Well Covington) is the man Dorgan robbed, so Nance has to keep up her ruse. Later that night, Dorgan enters Nance's room and is caught. He's sent to prison for his deeds. Meanwhile, Nance has fallen for William Latimer (Emory Johnson), who is engaged to Nellie Ramsey (Ruth Renick). He's onto her, but he teaches her the meaning of right and wrong. When Nance has reformed, they marry. This was an odd, and not very satisfying vehicle for rising star Bebe Daniels -- it was primarily a drama, and as Harold Lloyd's former foil, she was already known for her comedic talents. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bebe Daniels, Emory Johnson, (more)
- 1921
Lizbeth Ann Palmer (Bebe Daniels) is the daughter of a Los Angeles millionaire who is traveling to New York to visit her aunt. On their arrival, she and her chaperone dine at a restaurant and Lizbeth Ann discovers that after she pays the bill she will have less than a dollar left. She makes a bet with the chaperone that she will be able to last out the week on just 75 cents and sets out to prove it. After an unsuccessful attempt to be a flower girl almost ends in her arrest, she catches the attention of Tod Rollins, a wealthy young man (Harry Myers). He convinces his mother (Frances Raymond) to take Lizbeth home with them, but along the way, they just happen to stop at her aunt's home. There, Lizbeth finds someone wearing her clothes and pretending to be her. It's Susie (Helen Jerome Eddy), the associate of Meadows the butler (Sidney Bracey) -- they're both crooks out to get their hands on some of the Palmer fortune. Lizbeth has fun going along with it all and helping the crooks along, until she gets the opportunity to expose them. At the end of the week, she has won her bet and won Rollins. This comedy seems like it would be tailor-made for Bebe Daniels, but she doesn't quite get the same opportunity to glow as she did in some of her other pictures. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1921
This lively comedy was well suited for Bebe Daniels' talents. Daniels plays Pauline Hathaway, just turned 18 years old, who is informed by Oliver Tobin (Edwin Stevens), the family lawyer, that she will inherit half a million dollars -- that is, if she manages to live up to his high standards of behavior. If she's found not worthy, the money will go to her aunt, Emma Jessop (Maym Kelso). Of course, Pauline proceeds to get herself into trouble. While on the train to go visit a friend of her dead mother's named Mrs. Brewster (Frances Raymond), a thief hands Pauline a stolen wallet. As a result she is arrested and sent to a girls' reformatory. Bruce Reynolds (Frank Kingsley), who has seen her in court, convinces the judge to allow him to bring his invention into the reformatory. Pauline, meanwhile, breaks out of the prison with three other girls. There is a frantic search for her and she shows up at Mrs. Brewster's just before Tobin and Aunt Emma. When Pauline's name is cleared, she gets her money and wins Reynolds as a husband. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bebe Daniels, Frank Kingsley, (more)
- 1920
Reginald Jay (Wallace Reid) has taken to his bed to avoid testifying in a divorce case. He decides that feigning illness isn't such a bad thing when he gets Bebe Daniels as a nurse. The court figures out that he's faking, so they send a doctor to check him out, but with the help of his nurse (she kisses him while his heart is being checked), he proves to be as ill as he claims to be. The battling couple (John Steppling and Winifred Greenwood) eventually resolve their differences, so Jay is able to rise from his sickbed and wed his nurse. This farce was based on a Broadway play by Ethel W. Mumford. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1920
Sylvester Tibble (Wallace Reid) comes to New York City to work at the jug business run by his uncle, Enoch Jones (Raymond Hatton). He winds up supplementing his $6.00 a week when dancer Junie Budd (Bebe Daniels) discovers his slick footwork and takes him on as a dancing partner. His gig at one of the city's biggest jazz clubs wins him acclaim and enhances his uncle's modest business. This picture was based on a Saturday Evening Post story by Henry Payson Dowst. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1920
Bebe Daniels is charming in this light comedy, based on a Saturday Evening Post story by Grace Lovell Bryan. Rowena Jones (Daniels) is a coat-check girl who dreams of being wealthy like the patrons of the establishment where she works. She thinks she has her chance when rich William Vaughn (Edward Martindel) asks her out to dinner. She happily accepts, but before her date, she meets Prince (Jack Mulhall), a nice young man who she mistakes for a chauffeur. He's actually wearing an aviator's outfit and is at least as rich as Vaughn, but he lets her believe what she wants and drives her home in his limousine. They get along famously, but when he proposes marriage, Rowena's mother refuses to allow it, since she feels her daughter has a chance with Vaughn. The dinner with Vaughn, however, proves to be a disaster -- mainly because his wife (Helen Dunbar) shows up. So Rowena decides to accept Prince's proposal, and when she arrives at the mansion where she thinks he works, she is surprised to discover it actually belongs to him. A few years later, Mulhall would once again play a rich man who pretends to be one of his own employees, this time with Colleen Moore in Orchids and Ermine. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
