Kitty Gordon
Encyclopedia
Kitty Gordon was an actress both on stage and in silent film
.
Her first professional stage appearance was at the Princes Theatre in Bristol
in 1901 in the touring production of San Toy
.
She married theatre manager Michael Levenston in 1903 but he died less than four months later.
Kitty continued with her stage work appearing in the comic opera The Duchess of Dantzic
in 1903 and the operetta Véronique
in 1904. In October of that year she married Harry Beresford
. They had one child, Vera, who became an actress.
In 1909 she moved to New York
with her husband where she became a regular on the New York
stage.
She made her first film appearance in 1916 in As in a Looking Glass. During the next three years she made twenty-one films.
On October 19, 1911 she starred in the debut of composer Victor Herbert's new musical "The Enchantress" at the New York Theatre.
She continued her stage work from 1919 onwards and also made some television appearances.
On June 25, 1920 in Chicago during a Vaudeville performance with her then husband and fellow performer, Jack Wilson and her daughter Vera Beresford, the stage gun Kitty Gordon was firing discharged a live round and shot Joseph A. Hack, an offstage acrobat.
After Harry Beresford
's death in 1944 she married Ralph Ranlet.
She died in a nursing home in New York
in 1974.
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
.
Her first professional stage appearance was at the Princes Theatre in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
in 1901 in the touring production of San Toy
San Toy
San Toy, or The Emperor's Own is a "Chinese" musical comedy in two acts, first performed at Daly's Theatre, London, on 21 October 1899, and ran for 768 performances...
.
She married theatre manager Michael Levenston in 1903 but he died less than four months later.
Kitty continued with her stage work appearing in the comic opera The Duchess of Dantzic
The Duchess of Dantzic
The Duchess of Dantzic is a comic opera in three acts, set in Paris, with music by Ivan Caryll and a book and lyrics by Henry Hamilton, based on the play Madame Sans-Gêne by Victorien Sardou and Emile Moreau. Additional lyrics by Adrian Ross...
in 1903 and the operetta Véronique
Véronique (operetta)
Véronique is an opéra comique or operetta in three acts composed by André Messager. The French libretto was by Georges Duval and Albert Vanloo...
in 1904. In October of that year she married Harry Beresford
Harry Beresford
Harry Beresford was a stage actor in London and New York before going on the screen. He was also a screen writer and novelist.He was married to actress Kitty Gordon and their child was actress Vera Beresford....
. They had one child, Vera, who became an actress.
In 1909 she moved to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
with her husband where she became a regular on the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
stage.
She made her first film appearance in 1916 in As in a Looking Glass. During the next three years she made twenty-one films.
On October 19, 1911 she starred in the debut of composer Victor Herbert's new musical "The Enchantress" at the New York Theatre.
She continued her stage work from 1919 onwards and also made some television appearances.
On June 25, 1920 in Chicago during a Vaudeville performance with her then husband and fellow performer, Jack Wilson and her daughter Vera Beresford, the stage gun Kitty Gordon was firing discharged a live round and shot Joseph A. Hack, an offstage acrobat.
After Harry Beresford
Harry Beresford
Harry Beresford was a stage actor in London and New York before going on the screen. He was also a screen writer and novelist.He was married to actress Kitty Gordon and their child was actress Vera Beresford....
's death in 1944 she married Ralph Ranlet.
She died in a nursing home in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1974.
Selected filmography
- As in a Looking Glass 1916
- Her hour 1917
- The Wasp 1918
- Tinsel 1918
- Adele 1919
External links
- Kitty Gordon photo gallery NY Public Library Billy Rose Collection
- portrait of Kitty Gordon
