Bessie Love
Known for
Long careers are rarer than they look, and Bessie Love has become a familiar face with the unglamorous consistency that long careers are made of. 'The Hunger' sits at the front of the filmography, where she plays Lillybelle. There is 'Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages' as well. The early stretch of the career is the part least seen today. She has been working on screen for more than 110 years.
Bessie Love
98 Movies
4 Series
Long careers are rarer than they look, and Bessie Love has become a familiar face with the unglamorous consistency that long careers are made of. 'The Hunger' sits at the front of the filmography, where she plays Lillybelle. There is 'Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages' as well. The early stretch of the career is the part least seen today. She has been working on screen for more than 110 years.
Movies
Plays Lillybelle
The Hunger
1983
Plays Flora
Lady Chatterley's Lover
1981
Plays Mrs. Partlow
Reds
1981
Plays The Bride of Cana (Judean Story)
Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages
1916
Plays Mrs. Eubanks
The Barefoot Contessa
1954
Plays American Lady
Vampyres
1974
Plays Old Lady - T.O.C.
Ragtime
1981
Plays Paula White
The Lost World
1925
Plays Answering Service Lady
Sunday Bloody Sunday
1971
Plays Maurine
The Ritz
1976
Plays Teita
Soul-Fire
1925
Plays Bunny
The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone
1961
Plays Harriet 'Hank' Mahoney
The Broadway Melody
1929
Plays Harriet P. Jefferson
Nowhere to Go
1958
Plays Mrs. Robbin
Children of the Damned
1964
Plays Mrs. Frost
Catlow
1971
Plays Bride's Mother in Wedding Group
The Magic Box
1952
Plays Art Gallery Customer
The Story of Esther Costello
1957
Plays Janet Cleghorne
Dress Parade
1927
Plays Mrs. Duncan
Isadora
1968
Plays Pet Shop Customer
Promise Her Anything
1966
Plays Amy
The Good Bad-Man
1916
Plays (voice)
Gulliver's Travels
1977
Plays Prisoner
The Weak and the Wicked
1954
Plays Helen Thayer
The Idle Rich
1929
Plays Matron
Battle Beneath the Earth
1967
Plays Mary Young
The King On Main Street
1925
Plays Begonia Baggot
Atlantic Ferry
1941
Plays Margaret Holt
Conspiracy
1930
Plays Mrs. Mary McWilliams
Journey Together
1945
Plays Mrs Baxter
Touch and Go
1955
Plays Marjorie's Mother
The Wild Affair
1965
Plays Hattie Hartley
The Girl in the Show
1929
Plays Marie
Going Crooked
1926
Plays Mrs. Busch
Too Young to Love
1960
Plays Rosemary Martin
The Village Blacksmith
1922
Plays Babe
Good News
1930
Plays Carlie Seymour
Chasing Rainbows
1930
Plays The Little Fish Blower
The Mystery of the Leaping Fish
1916
Plays Victoria
Young April
1926
Plays Mary Ellen Stack
Rubber Tires
1927
Plays Becky Wiener
Next to No Time
1958
Plays Blossom Nelson
The Sea Lion
1921
Plays Helen Hutson
Morals for Women
1931
Plays Agnes
Reggie Mixes In
1916
Plays Mary
They Learned About Women
1930
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
The Hunger
Full Filmography
The Hunger
Lillybelle
1983
Film
Reds
Mrs. Partlow
1981
Film
Ragtime
Old Lady - T.O.C.
1981
Film
Lady Chatterley's Lover
Flora
1981
Film
Edward and Mrs Simpson
Lady Cunard · 1 episode
1978
TV
Gulliver's Travels
(voice)
1977
Film
The Ritz
Maurine
1976
Film
Vampyres
American Lady
1974
Film
Catlow
Mrs. Frost
1971
Film
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bessie Love still alive?
Bessie Love passed away on April 26, 1986 at age 87.
What are the most famous roles of Bessie Love?
Bessie Love is best known for roles in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, The Hunger, Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages.
How many movies has Bessie Love been in?
Over a 70-year career (since 1916), Bessie Love has appeared in 98 movies and 4 TV shows.
What was Bessie Love's first movie?
The career of Bessie Love began with Acquitted (1916).
What is Bessie Love's most recent movie or series?
Bessie Love's most recent release is The Hunger, which premiered on April 29, 1983.
What TV shows has Bessie Love appeared in?
On television, Bessie Love has appeared in Hollywood, Edward and Mrs Simpson, ITV Play of the Week, Man of the World.
Bessie Love
1898-09-09 · Midland, Texas, USA
Bessie Love (born Juanita Horton, September 10, 1898 - April 26, 1986) became one of the most recognizable faces of early American cinema. After her family moved to Los Angeles, she was sent to Biograph Studios, where legendary director D.W. Griffith noticed her talent and cast her in several films, including Intolerance (1916).
During the silent era, she gained popularity for her lively, wholesome screen presence and worked with major stars such as Douglas Fairbanks. Her career soared in the 1920s, and she was named a WAMPAS Baby Star in 1922, marking her as one of Hollywood’s most promising young actresses.
Love made a successful transition to sound films—something many silent stars struggled with. Her performance as Hank Mahoney in The Broadway Melody (1929) earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, cementing her place in film history.
In the 1930s, she moved to the United Kingdom, where she continued acting in film, theatre, radio, and later television. Her career ultimately spanned from 1915 to 1983, making her one of the longest‑working performers of her generation.
She died on April 26, 1986, in London at age 87.