Date of Birth

17 November 1906, Trenton, New Jersey, USA

Date of Death

19 October 1971, Pasadena, California, USA

Betty Bronson's discovery reads like a Hollywood dream. As a New Jersey teenage bit-player, she was rocketed from obscurity when she was chosen to play the part of Peter Pan in the 1924 movie of the same name. She was hand-selected by the author J.M. Barrie, and beat several Hollywood superstars to the part, most notably Gloria Swanson and Mary Pickford. Pickford, though nearly thirty, had built a career out of playing such parts, and faced the first serious threat to her status as `America's Sweetheart' Betty's beautifully expressive performance and unsophisticated looks earned her instant success. For the year following `Peter Pan's release, Bronson-mania easily equalled the sort of hysteria previously reserved only for Mary Pickford. However, her studio seemed unsure of how to exploit this talent, which was wasted in small or unchallenging roles. Peter Pan's 1925 follow-up, `A Kiss For Cinderella', seemed destined for the same success - but instead, was a flop. In only one year, the public taste had changed so much as to render the sentimental entertainment of yesteryear obsolete. Had Bronson emerged ten years earlier she would have been a worthy contender of Pickford; in 1925, audiences were suddenly more interested with the more adult charms of flappers such as Clara Bow and Colleen Moore. Betty too was re-launched as a flapper, sophisticate, and occasional period dame. Her career was moderately successful but her superstardom had subsided. She sparkled and demonstrated an excellent voice in her first sound appearance (`The Singing Fool' with Al Jolson) - but it became clear that her formidable skill as a pantomimist was wasted in the new form. She retired in 1933 to marry, and gave intermittent guest appearances thereafter.

Price:  £70.00