Lilian Bond (January 18, 1908 – January 25, 1991) was an English-American actress based in the United States.

Life and career

Bond was born in London and made her first professional stage appearance at the age of 14 in the

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment, generally combining gender-crossing actors and topical humour with a story more or less based on a well-known fairy tale, fable or ...

'' Dick Whittington and His Cat''. Later she joined the chorus of ''Piccadilly Revels'' and continued on the stage when she relocated to the United States, where her performances included roles in ''

The Earl Carroll Vanities ''The Earl Carroll Vanities'' was a Broadway theatre, Broadway revue presented by Earl Carroll in Roaring Twenties, the 1920s and early 1930s. Carroll and his show were sometimes controversial. Distinguishing qualities In 1923, the ''Vanities ...

'', a long run in '' Follow Thru'' and in various productions of the

Ziegfeld Follies The ''Ziegfeld Follies'' were a series of elaborate theatrical revue productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 to 1931, with renewals in 1934, 1936, 1943, and 1957. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as '' The Ziegfeld Foll ...

. Bond began working in films in 1929, initially in the drama ''No More Children'' for Cliff Broughton Productions. Between 1929 and 1931, she co-starred in eight additional films, most notably with Tom Tyler in the 1931

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

''Rider of the Plains''. In 1932, she was named a WAMPAS Baby Star, along with

Gloria Stuart Gloria Frances Stuart (born Gloria Stewart; July 4, 1910 – September 26, 2010) was an American actress, visual artist, and activist. She was known for her roles in pre-code films, and garnered renewed fame late in life for her portrayal of Ro ...

Ginger Rogers Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starri ...

, and other young actresses rising in popularity with theater audiences. From 1932 to 1953, she had roles in 39 more films, ranging from lead characters to uncredited performances. In

James Whale James Whale (22 July 1889 – 29 May 1957) was an English film director, theatre director and actor, who spent the greater part of his career in Cinema of the United States, Hollywood. He is best remembered for several horror films: ''Fra ...

's comedic thriller starring

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), known professionally as Boris Karloff () and occasionally billed as Karloff the Uncanny, was a British actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstei ...

titled '' The Old Dark House'' (1932), Bond plays Gladys DuCane, a chorus girl who falls in love with Roger Penderel (played by

Melvyn Douglas Melvyn Douglas (born Melvyn Edouard Hesselberg, April 5, 1901 – August 4, 1981) was an American actor. Douglas came to prominence in 1929 as a suave leading man, perhaps best typified by his performance in the romantic comedy '' Ninotchka'' ( ...

). Perhaps her best-known film role is in the 1940

'' The Westerner'' starring

Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, silent screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, ...

and

Walter Brennan Walter Andrew Brennan (July 25, 1894 – September 21, 1974) was an American actor and singer. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for ''Come and Get It (1936 film), Come and Get It'' (1936), ''Kentucky (film), Kentucky'' (19 ...

. In that production she portrays the British-American actress and

socialite A socialite is a person, typically a woman from a wealthy or aristocratic background, who is prominent in high society. A socialite generally spends a significant amount of time attending various fashionable social gatherings, instead of having ...

Lillie Langtry Emilie Charlotte, Lady de Bathe (née Le Breton, formerly Langtry; 13 October 1853 – 12 February 1929), known as Lillie (or Lily) Langtry and nicknamed "The Jersey Lily", was a British socialite, stage actress and producer. Born on the isla ...

. By the 1950s, her career had declined, with her having mostly TV appearances. She retired from acting at the age of 50 in 1958.

Personal life and death

Bond technically married four times, including marrying the same man twice and had 2 children. At the height of her career, on June 28, 1935, she wed Sidney Smith, a highly successful New York

broker A broker is a person or entity that arranges transactions between a buyer and a seller. This may be done for a commission when the deal is executed. A broker who also acts as a seller or as a buyer becomes a principal party to the deal. Neither ...

and celebrated big-game hunter; however, "a technical legal question" required the couple to remarry on September 3, 1936. In 1943 they separated, with each accusing the other of cruelty. Their divorce was finalized the next year. In 1950, Bond married Morton Lowry; the union lasted six years. Finally, in 1961, she wed Michael Fessier, who was a

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

, film producer, and novelist. The two remained together until his death in 1988. Three years later, at age 83, Bond suffered a heart attack and died at a convalescent hospital in Reseda, California.

Selected filmography

* '' Sagebrush Politics'' (1930) as Cleo * '' Stepping Out'' (1931) * ''

Manhattan Parade ''Manhattan Parade '' is a 1931 American pre-Code musical comedy film photographed entirely in Technicolor. It was originally intended to be released, in the United States, early in 1931, but was shelved due to public apathy towards musicals. ...

'' (1931) as Sewing girl * '' The Squaw Man'' (1931) as Babs * '' Rider of the Plains'' (1931) as Betty * '' Hot Saturday'' (1932) as Eva Randolph * '' Beauty and the Boss'' (1932) as Girl at the bar * '' Man About Town'' (1932) as Carlotta Cortez * '' The Old Dark House'' (1932) as Gladys * '' Fireman, Save My Child'' (1932) as June Farnum * ''

High Pressure In science and engineering the study of high pressure examines its effects on materials and the design and construction of devices, such as a diamond anvil cell, which can create high pressure. ''High pressure'' usually means pressures of thousan ...

'' (1932) * '' It's Tough to Be Famous'' (1932) as Edna Jackson * '' Union Depot'' (1932) as Actress on train (uncredited) * ''

Air Mail Airmail (or air mail) is a mail transport service branded and sold on the basis of at least one leg of its journey being by air. Airmail items typically arrive more quickly than surface mail, and usually cost more to send. Airmail may be the ...

'' (1932) as Irene Walkins * ''

The Trial of Vivienne Ware ''The Trial of Vivienne Ware'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by William K. Howard, written by Barry Conners and Philip Klein, and starring Joan Bennett, Donald Cook, Richard "Skeets" Gallagher, ZaSu Pitts, Lilian Bond a ...

'' (1932) as Dolores Divine * '' When Strangers Marry'' (1933) as Marion Drake * '' Double Harness'' (1933) as Monica Page * '' Take a Chance'' (1933) as Thelma Green * '' Hot Pepper'' (1933) as Hortense * '' Her Splendid Folly'' (1933) as Jill McAllister * '' Pick-Up'' (1933) as Muriel Stevens * '' The Big Brain'' (1933) as Dorothy Norton * '' Hell Bent for Love'' (1934) as Millie Garland * '' Dirty Work'' (1934) * '' Affairs of a Gentleman'' (1934) as Carlotta Barbe * '' The Bishop Misbehaves'' (1935) as Mrs. Millie Walker * ''

China Seas The China Seas consist of a series of marginal seas in the Western Pacific Ocean, around China. They are the major components signifying the transition from the continent of Asia to the Pacific Ocean.Pinxian Wang, Qianyu Li, Chun-Feng Li, ''Geol ...

'' (1935) - Mrs. Timmons * '' Blond Cheat'' (1938) as Roberta Trent * '' Sued for Libel'' (1939) as Muriel Webster * '' The Women'' (1939) as Mrs. Erskine * '' The Housekeeper's Daughter'' (1939) as Gladys Fontaine * '' The Westerner'' (1940) as

* ''

Scotland Yard Scotland Yard (officially New Scotland Yard) is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the territorial police force responsible for policing Greater London's London boroughs, 32 boroughs. Its name derives from the location of the original ...

'' (1941) as Lady Constance * ''A Desperate Chance for Ellory Queen'' (1942) as Adele Beldon * '' A Tragedy at Midnight'' (1942) as Lola * ''

The Picture of Dorian Gray ''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' is an 1890 philosophical fiction and Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde. A shorter novella-length version was published in the July 1890 issue of the American period ...

'' (1945) as Kate * '' Nocturne'' (1946) as Mrs. Billings * '' The Jolson Story'' (1947) * ''

Fighter Squadron A squadron in an air force, or naval or army aviation service, is a unit comprising a number of military aircraft and their aircrews, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, ...

'' (1948) as English lady * '' That Forsythe Woman'' (1949) as Maid * '' Shadow on the Wall'' (1950) as Attendant * '' The Sniper'' (1952) as Mrs. Fitzpatrick * '' The Big Trees'' (1952) as Daisy's girl * '' Man in the Attic'' (1953) as Annie Rowley * '' The Maze'' (1953) as Margaret Dilling * '' Pirates of Tripoli'' (1955) as Sono

References

External links

Lilian Bond
at

ibdb The Internet Broadway Database (IBDB) is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. It was conceived and created by Karen Hauser in 1996 and is operated by the Research Department of The Broadway League, a trade asso ...

Lilian Bond
at AFI Catalog * *
Lilian Bond
at Virtual History Film {{DEFAULTSORT:Bond, Lilian 1908 births 1991 deaths Actresses from London English film actresses English expatriate actresses in the United States Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery 20th-century English actresses