Evelyn Brent


Evelyn Brent was an American film and stage actress.

Early life

Born in Tampa and known as Betty, Brent was a child of 10 when her mother Eleanor died, leaving her father Arthur to raise her alone.
After moving to New York City as a teenager, her good looks brought modeling jobs that led to an opportunity to become involved in the still relatively new business of making motion pictures.
She originally studied to be a teacher. While attending a normal school in New York she visited the World Film Studio in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Two days later she was working there as an extra making $3 a day.

Career

She began her film career working under her own name at a New Jersey film studio then made her major debut in the 1915 silent film production of the Robert W. Service poem, The Shooting of Dan McGrew.
As Evelyn Brent, she continued to work in film, developing into a young woman whose sultry looks were much sought after. After World War I, she went to London for a vacation.
She met American playwright Oliver Cromwell, who urged her to accept an important role in The Ruined Lady. The production was presented on the London stage and the actress remained in England for four years performing on stage and in films produced by British companies before going to Hollywood in 1922.
Her career received a major boost the following year when she was chosen as one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars. Douglas Fairbanks Sr. then signed her but failed to find a story for her; she left his company to join Associated Authors.
, later acquired by RKO Brent went on to make more than two dozen silent films including three for the noted Austrian director Josef von Sternberg, such as The Last Command, an epic war drama for which Emil Jannings won the first Academy Award for Best Actor and featured a pivotal supporting performance for William Powell.
Later that same year, she starred opposite William Powell in Paramount Pictures' first talkie. One film, Interference, did not live up to expectations at the box office. Despite that, Brent played major roles in several more features, most notably The Silver Horde and the Paramount Pictures all-star revue Paramount on Parade.
By the early part of the 1930s, she was busy working in secondary roles in a variety of films as well as touring with vaudeville shows.
By 1941 her screen career was at its least prestigious point. Having become too mature for ingenue roles, and no longer in demand by major studios, she found plenty of work at the smaller, low-budget studios in "B" films.
She photographed attractively opposite leading men who were also at advanced ages and later stages in their careers: Neil Hamilton in Producers Releasing Corporation's production Dangerous Lady, Lee Tracy in the same studio's The Payoff, and Jack Holt in the serial Holt of the Secret Service, produced by Larry Darmour for Columbia Pictures. Her performances were still persuasive, and her name was still recognizable to moviegoers that when marketing films theater owners often put her name on their marquees. In the early 1940s she worked in Pine-Thomas "B" action features for Paramount Pictures releases. Veteran director William Beaudine cast her in many such productions as well, including Emergency Landing, Bowery Champs, The Golden Eye, and Again Pioneers. After performing in more than 120 films, she retired from acting in 1950 and worked for a number of years as an actor's agent.
Evelyn returned to acting in television's Wagon Train for one episode in 1960, The Lita Foladaire Story starring Ward Bond and Diane Brewster; Brent played a housekeeper.

Personal life and death

Evelyn Brent was married three times: to movie executive Bernard P. Fineman, to producer Harry D. Edwards, and finally to the vaudeville actor Harry Fox for whom the foxtrot dance was named. They were still married when he died in 1959.
Brent died of a heart attack in 1975 at her Los Angeles home. She was cremated and interred in the San Fernando Mission Cemetery in Mission Hills, California.

Legacy

In 1960, Brent was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame with a motion pictures star for her contributions to the film industry. Her star is located at 6548 Hollywood Boulevard.

Filmography

Silent Films

YearTitleRoleNotes
1914A Gentleman from MississippiHope Langdon
1915The Heart of a Painted WomanLost film
1915The Shooting of Dan McGrewNell Lost film
1915When Love LaughsBessieShort film
Lost film
1916The Lure of Heart's DesireLittle SnowbirdLost film
1916The Iron WillUncredited
Short film
Lost film
1916The Soul MarketVivian AustinLost film
1916Playing with FireLucille VaneLost film
1916The Spell of the YukonDorothy TempleLost film
1916The Weakness of StrengthBessie AldenLost film
1916The Iron WomanNannie MaitlandLost film
1917The Millionaire's DoubleConstance BrentLost film
1917To the DeathRosaLost film
1917Who's Your Neighbor?Betty HamlinLost film
1917Raffles, the Amateur CracksmanEthel - Lord Amersteth's Daughter
1918DaybreakDet. Alma PetersonLost film
1919Border RiverMarie DubuqueShort film
1919Help! Help! Police!Marian TrevorLost film
1919Fool's GoldNancy Smith
1919The Other Man's WifeBecky SimonLost film
1919The Glorious LadyLady Eileen
1920The Shuttle of LifeMiriam GreyLost film
1920The Law DivineDaphne GreyLost film
1921DemosEmma VineLost film
1921The Door That Has No KeyViolet MeltonLost film
1921SybilSybil GerardLost film
1921SoniaSonia DaintonLost film
1921Laughter and TearsPierette
1922Trapped by the MormonsNora Prescott
1922The Spanish JadeMañuelaLost film
1922Married to a MormonBeryl FaneLost film
1922The ExperimentDoris FieldingLost film
1922Pages of LifeMitzi / DoloresLost film
1923Held to AnswerBessie BurbeckLost film
1924Loving LiesEllen CraigLost film
1924The Shadow of the DesertLolaireLost film
1924Arizona ExpressLola Nichols
1924The PlundererThe LilyLost film
1924The Lone ChanceMargaret WestLost film
1924The Desert OutlawMay Halloway
1924The Cyclone RiderWeeping Wanda
1924The Dangerous FlirtSheila FairfaxLost film
1924My Husband's WivesMarie WynnLost film
1924Silk Stocking Sal'Stormy' MartinLost film
1925Midnight MollyMargaret Warren / Midnight Molly
1925Forbidden CargoPolly O'DayLost film
1925Alias Mary FlynnMary FlynnLost film
1925Smooth as SatinGertie JonesLost film
1925Lady RobinhoodSeñorita Catalina / La OrtigaLost film
1925Three Wise CrooksMollyLost film
1925Broadway LadyRosalie Ryan
1926Queen o'DiamondsJeanette Durant / Jerry LyonLost film
1926Secret OrdersJanet GraahamLost film
1926The ImpostorJudith GilbertLost film
1926The Jade CupPeggy AllenLost film
1926Flame of the ArgentineInez RemírezLost film
1926Love 'Em and Leave 'EmMame Walsh
1927Love's Greatest MistakeJaneLost film
1927Blind AlleysSally RayLost film
1927Underworld'Feathers' McCoy
1927Women's WaresDolly Morton
1928Beau SabreurMary VanbrughLost film
1928The Last CommandNatalie Dabrova
1928The ShowdownSibyl Shelton
1928A Night of MysteryGilberte Boismartel
1928His Tiger LadyTiger LadyLost film
1928The Drag NetThe MagpieLost film
1928The Mating CallRose Henderson

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