Beverly Bayne papers, 1931-2001

Beverly Bayne (1895-1982) was an American actress best known for her roles in silent films. Born Pearl Beverly Bayne in November of 1895, she became an actress in 1910, after being told she had a “camera face.” Her first films were in 1912, titled The Rivals and The Loan Shark. Later, Francis X. Bushman demanded Beverly as his female lead, and they appeared in 24 films together. Francis and Beverly were married in 1918 and divorced in 1925. In 1916, the couple made Romeo and Juliet, which generated a sizeable profit. Bayne and Bushman are credited as the first romantic team in film. In 1919 and 1920 they starred in the play "The Master Thief," based on a story by Richard Washburn Child. In 1924, Bayne starred in the silent-film adaptation of The Age of Innocence, playing Countess Olenska. After her divorce from Francis in 1925, her movie career declined. Her final silent film was Passionate Youth in 1925. Through the 1930s and 40s, unable to continue in film, Beverly worked on stage productions and on Broadway. Her only sound film was also her final film, titled The Naked City (1948) with Barry Fitzgerald and Howard Duff, and she does not even appear in the credits. In 1960, she received a motion pictures star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Beverly Bayne passed away in August of 1982, at 87 years old.