Elizabeth Boyd (May 11, 1908 – September 16, 1971) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

film actress in the early days of

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

, mostly in the

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

era of the late 1920s and into the early 1930s in

B-movies A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feature ...

Career

Born Elizabeth Boyd Smith in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the List of United States cities by populat ...

, Boyd moved to Hollywood in the mid-1920s to pursue an acting career. Her first film role, which was uncredited, was in the 1927 film '' The Show'', which starred John Gilbert and

Lionel Barrymore Lionel Barrymore (born Lionel Herbert Blythe; April 28, 1878 – November 15, 1954) was an American actor of stage, screen and radio as well as a film director. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''A Free Soul'' (1931 ...

, grand uncle to actress

Drew Barrymore Drew Blythe Barrymore (born February 22, 1975) is an American actress, director, producer, talk show host and author. A member of the Barrymore family of actors, she is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a ...

. Boyd's first credited role was that same year in ''Off Again''. In 1929 Boyd starred in three films, and had an uncredited role in a fourth, as well as being named as one of thirteen

WAMPAS Baby Stars The WAMPAS Baby Stars was a promotional campaign sponsored by the United States Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers, which honored 13 (15 in 1932) young actresses each year whom they believed to be on the threshold of movie stardom. ...

in the company of actresses

Josephine Dunn Mary Josephine Dunn (May 1, 1906 – February 3, 1983) was an American stage and film actress of the 1920s and 1930s. Early years Dunn was born in New York City and educated at Holy Cross convent school. Career At age 14 and a 5'5" tall bl ...

Sally Blane Sally Blane (born Elizabeth Jane Young; July 11, 1910 – August 27, 1997) was an American actress who appeared in over 100 movies. Early life Blane was born in Salida, Colorado. She was the sister of actresses Polly Ann Young and Loretta Young ...

, and future Hollywood legend

Jean Arthur Jean Arthur (born Gladys Georgianna Greene; October 17, 1900 – June 19, 1991) was an American Broadway and film actress whose career began in silent films in the early 1920s and lasted until the early 1950s. Arthur had feature roles in three F ...

. 1930 was by far Boyd's biggest year of her career. That year she starred in eight films, all credited, and had made a successful transition to "talking films". In 1931 she starred in only two films, ''Ex-Sweeties'' and ''Maid To Order'', and, in 1932, she again had only two films, a supporting role in ''An Old Gypsie Custom'', and an uncredited role in ''

A Modern Hero ''A Modern Hero'' is a 1934 American pre-Code romance drama film starring Richard Barthelmess and directed by G. W. Pabst. It is based on the novel with the same title by Louis Bromfield. It was Pabst's only American talking film and the next ...

''. By the next year her career was all but over. She had only two film acting roles afterward, both in the late 1940s. Her last role was in 1949 when she was had an uncredited role in ''

Samson and Delilah Samson and Delilah are Biblical figures. Samson and Delilah may also refer to: In music * ''Samson and Delilah'' (opera), an opera by Camille Saint-Saëns * ''Samson & Delilah'' (album), released in 2013 by V V Brown * "Samson and Delilah" (t ...

''.

Later years and death

Boyd retired, but did not leave the

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

area. She was married to Charles H. Over Jr., but that ended in divorce in 1934. She died on September 16, 1971, in Los Angeles, aged 63, from undisclosed causes.

Selected filmography

* ''

Light of India ''Light of India'' is a 1929 MGM short silent film short in two-color Technicolor. It was the tenth film produced as part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's "Great Events" series. Production The film was shot at the Tec-Art Studio in Hollywood. Director ...

'' (1929) * ''

Under a Texas Moon ''Under A Texas Moon'' is a 1930 American pre-Code musical Western film photographed entirely in Technicolor. It was based on the novel ''Two-Gun Man'' (from 1929) which was written by Stewart Edward White. It was the second all-color, all-talk ...

'' (1930) * ''

Along Came Youth ''Along Came Youth'' is a 1930 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Lloyd Corrigan and Norman Z. McLeod and written by George Marion, Jr., Maurice Bedel and Marion Dix. The film stars Charles "Buddy" Rogers, Frances Dee, Stuart Erwin, Wil ...

'' (1930) * '' Lilies of the Field'' (1930), as Ayah. * ''

Paradise Island Paradise Island is an island in The Bahamas formerly known as Hog Island. The island, with an area of (2.8 km2/1.1 sq mi), is located just off the shore of the city of Nassau, which is itself located on the northern edge of the island of ...

'' (1930) * ''

Gun Law Gun laws and policies, collectively referred to as firearms regulation or gun control, regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, and use of small arms by civilians. Laws of some countries may afford civilians a right to ...

'' (1933) * ''

'' (1934) * ''

Fallen Angel In the Abrahamic religions, fallen angels are angels who were expelled from heaven. The literal term "fallen angel" never appears in any Abrahamic religious texts, but is used to describe angels cast out of heaven"Mehdi Azaiez, Gabriel Said ...

'' (1945) * ''

'' (1949)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Boyd, Betty 1908 births 1971 deaths Actresses from Kansas City, Missouri American silent film actresses American film actresses 20th-century American actresses WAMPAS Baby Stars