Babe London
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Babe London | |
|---|---|
 London in 1921 | |
| Born | Jean Glover August 28, 1901 Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | November 29, 1980 (aged 79) |
| Other names | Ruth Glover |
| Years active | 1919 – 1960 |
| Spouse | |
Babe London (born Jean Glover,[1] August 28, 1901 – November 29, 1980) was an American actress and comedian, most remembered for her one-time partnership with Oliver Hardy in the 1931 Laurel and Hardy two-reeler Our Wife.
Career[edit]
London was born in 1901 in Des Moines, Iowa. Her parents were Dr. David James Glover and Ruth Glover. After the family moved to California, London attended San Diego High School.[2]
London began her screen career as a teenager making her film debut in The Expert Eloper in 1919. She then appeared in A Day's Pleasure, performing opposite Charlie Chaplin. The two played seasick tourists on an excursion boat.[citation needed] She had the role of Rosy Leadbetter in Merely Mary Ann (1920).[3]
London appeared in more than 50 silent films, including The Perfect Flapper, The Boob and the 1928 version of Tillie's Punctured Romance starring W. C. Fields. She worked with many of the funny men of the day, including Harry Langdon and Chester Conklin.
At the height of her career, London weighed 255 pounds. Later, a heart condition necessitated a loss of 100 pounds, and her movie offers declined along with her weight. She never regained her earlier success. Her last most notable role was that of the toothless nurse Nora that Shemp Howard has eyes for in the Three Stooges film Scrambled Brains. Her last film appearance was in 1960's Sex Kittens Go to College.
Later years[edit]
In the late 1950s, London began a second career as a painter[1] and devoted the last 20 years of her life to depicting on canvas the early years of Hollywood. She titled the series The Vanishing Era.[2]
Personal life and death[edit]
In 1975, London married Hollywood musical director Phil Boutelje. Both were retired and living at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California, when they met. They continued to live there until Boutelje died on July 29, 1979. London willed 75 of her paintings to the University of Wyoming's American Heritage Center, along with her personal belongings.[2]
Selected filmography[edit]
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| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1919 | When the Clouds Roll by | Switchboard Operator | Uncredited |
| 1919 | A Day's Pleasure | Man's Seasick Wife | Uncredited |
| 1920 | Merely Mary Ann | Rosie Leadbatter | |
| 1921 | Why Worry? | ||
| 1922 | The Weak-End Party | Party guest | |
| 1923 | The Balloonatic | Fat Girl at The House of Trouble | Uncredited |
| 1923 | The Handy Man | A house guest | |
| 1924 | Jonah Jones | Girlfriend | |
| 1925 | Go West | Woman in department store | Uncredited |
| 1926 | Is That Nice? | Winnie Nash | |
| 1927 | The Princess from Hoboken | Princess Sonia Alexandernova Karpoff | |
| 1927 | Long Pants | Wedding Guest | Uncredited |
| 1927 | The Fortune Hunter | Waitress | |
| 1928 | The Awakening | Uncredited | |
| 1930 | New Moon | Buxom peasant girl on ship | Uncredited |
| 1931 | Our Wife | Dulcy, the bride | |
| 1933 | Hell Below | Fat girl on passing boat | Uncredited |
| 1941 | Six Lessons from Madame La Zonga | Dance student | Uncredited |
| 1942 | Jackass Mail | Dancehall Girl | Uncredited |
| 1943 | The Crystal Ball | Tandem Rider | Uncredited |
| 1944 | Here Come the Waves | Window washer | Uncredited |
| 1945 | The Clock | Laboratory Nurse | Uncredited |
| 1946 | No Leave, No Love | Melissa, a WAC | Uncredited |
| 1947 | Road to Rio | Woman | Uncredited |
| 1948 | Hollow Triumph | Hotel Lady with Orchid | Uncredited |
| 1948 | The Snake Pit | Attendant | Uncredited |
| 1948 | Joan of Arc | Camp follower | Uncredited |
| 1948 | The Paleface | Woman on wagon train | Uncredited |
| 1949 | Anna Lucasta | Woman in bar | Uncredited |
| 1950 | Mother Didn't Tell Me | Mrs. Hadley | Uncredited |
| 1951 | Pleasure Treasure | ||
| 1951 | Scrambled Brains | Nora | Three Stooges short |
| 1956 | Bundle of Joy | Fat Woman | Uncredited |
| 1957 | The Unholy Wife | Customer | Uncredited |
| 1955 | Sergeant Preston of the Yukon | Mrs. Martin | Episode: "Trouble at Hogback" |
| 1959 | The Bob Cummings Show | Episode: "Bob Clashes with Ken" | |
| 1960 | Sex Kittens Go to College | Miss Cadwallader | Alternative titles: The Beauty and the Robot Teacher Versus Sexpot |
| 1960 | The Best of Post | Shopper | Episode: "The Little Terror" |
References[edit]
- ^ a b Ingraham, Roberta (February 21, 1974). "Actress of Silent Era Paints Great Comics". Valley News. California, Van Nuys. p. 105. Retrieved July 21, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Longden, Babe. "Babe London". Des Moines Register-News DataCentral. Des Moines Register. Archived from the original on 21 July 2018. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
- ^ "A 'Dear Little Picture' Just Describes It". Chicago Tribune. Illinois, Chicago. September 24, 1920. p. 18. Retrieved July 21, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
External links[edit]
- Babe London at IMDb
- Babe London at AllMovie
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