Advertisement

Bebe Daniels

Advertisement

Bebe Daniels Famous memorial

Original Name
Phyllis Virginia Daniels
Birth
Dallas, Dallas County, Texas, USA
Death
16 Mar 1971 (aged 70)
London, City of London, Greater London, England
Burial
Hollywood, Los Angeles County, California, USA GPS-Latitude: 34.090064, Longitude: -118.320847
Plot
Chapel Columbarium, Second Floor, Niche 7-8, Tier 3, North Wall (UNW)
Memorial ID
View Source

Actress. She was a child star, having acted in the Shakespearean play 'Richard III' onstage at four years old, earning her first leading part at the age of seven, and starting her movie career at nine years old in 1910. One of her earliest roles was that of Dorothy in the oldest known surviving screen version of L. Frank Baum's well-known novel 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.' In 1915 she became the leading lady of the legendary comedian Harold Lloyd, at the point in his career when his screen character was Lonesome Luke. She stayed with him after his character changed from Lonesome Luke to the more familiar "Glasses Character." Though she was only a teenager and he was eight years her senior, they became romantically involved offscreen as well. They became quite adept as dancing partners, winning 13 trophy cups based upon their grace and execution in numerous dance competitions. In 1919 they parted ways professionally when she was offered a contract by Cecil B. DeMille, though they remained friends the rest of their lives. While working for DeMille she starred in such films as 'Male and Female' (1919), 'The Affairs of Anatol' (1921), 'She's a Sheik' (1927), 'Unguarded Women' (1924), 'Miss Bluebeard' (1925), 'Hot News' (1928), and 'Stranded in Paris' (1926). When her contract expired in 1929, she went to work for RKO Studios. Her first picture there was the musical 'Rio Rita,' which was very successful and gave her career a major boost. She also was a star in the well known early film musical '42nd Street (1933) - still considered the definitive backstage musical in which Daniels is the star and after breaking her leg, lowly chorus girl Ruby Keeler has to step in to save the show. In 1935 she made her final American movie, 'Music Is Magic.' The next year she moved to England with her husband, Ben Lyon, whom she had married in 1930. Both of their careers were fading at this time, and they hoped to achieve new success abroad. The couple played the London Palladium and began their own radio show, 'Life with the Lyons.' Daniels also starred in a few movies in England; the last two were based on their radio program. During WWII she interviewed wounded American soldiers in Europe for the radio series "Stars and Stripes in Britain" (1941) and "Purple Heart corner" (1944). She complemented these interviews with variety acts as well as relaying battlefield reports fifteen days after D-Day. Daniels was the first civilian woman back into Normandy after the D-Day invasion. For her bravery and patriotism, President Harry S. Truman awarded Bebe the Medal of Freedom.

On September 29, 1954 she was honored on an episode of the TV show "This is Your Life". In 1955 their radio program became a television program as well. Daniels suffered a series of strokes in the early 1960s, necessitating her retirement from performing. She died of a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of seventy on March 16, 1971 in London, just eight days after the death of her original film leading man - Harold Lloyd, who had passed on March 8, 1971.

Actress. She was a child star, having acted in the Shakespearean play 'Richard III' onstage at four years old, earning her first leading part at the age of seven, and starting her movie career at nine years old in 1910. One of her earliest roles was that of Dorothy in the oldest known surviving screen version of L. Frank Baum's well-known novel 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.' In 1915 she became the leading lady of the legendary comedian Harold Lloyd, at the point in his career when his screen character was Lonesome Luke. She stayed with him after his character changed from Lonesome Luke to the more familiar "Glasses Character." Though she was only a teenager and he was eight years her senior, they became romantically involved offscreen as well. They became quite adept as dancing partners, winning 13 trophy cups based upon their grace and execution in numerous dance competitions. In 1919 they parted ways professionally when she was offered a contract by Cecil B. DeMille, though they remained friends the rest of their lives. While working for DeMille she starred in such films as 'Male and Female' (1919), 'The Affairs of Anatol' (1921), 'She's a Sheik' (1927), 'Unguarded Women' (1924), 'Miss Bluebeard' (1925), 'Hot News' (1928), and 'Stranded in Paris' (1926). When her contract expired in 1929, she went to work for RKO Studios. Her first picture there was the musical 'Rio Rita,' which was very successful and gave her career a major boost. She also was a star in the well known early film musical '42nd Street (1933) - still considered the definitive backstage musical in which Daniels is the star and after breaking her leg, lowly chorus girl Ruby Keeler has to step in to save the show. In 1935 she made her final American movie, 'Music Is Magic.' The next year she moved to England with her husband, Ben Lyon, whom she had married in 1930. Both of their careers were fading at this time, and they hoped to achieve new success abroad. The couple played the London Palladium and began their own radio show, 'Life with the Lyons.' Daniels also starred in a few movies in England; the last two were based on their radio program. During WWII she interviewed wounded American soldiers in Europe for the radio series "Stars and Stripes in Britain" (1941) and "Purple Heart corner" (1944). She complemented these interviews with variety acts as well as relaying battlefield reports fifteen days after D-Day. Daniels was the first civilian woman back into Normandy after the D-Day invasion. For her bravery and patriotism, President Harry S. Truman awarded Bebe the Medal of Freedom.

On September 29, 1954 she was honored on an episode of the TV show "This is Your Life". In 1955 their radio program became a television program as well. Daniels suffered a series of strokes in the early 1960s, necessitating her retirement from performing. She died of a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of seventy on March 16, 1971 in London, just eight days after the death of her original film leading man - Harold Lloyd, who had passed on March 8, 1971.

Bio by: Carrie-Anne


Inscription


Bebe Virginia Daniels Lyon
14th January 1901 - 16th March 1971
R-I-P



Advertisement

Advertisement

How famous was Bebe Daniels ?

Current rating: 4.15625 out of 5 stars

128 votes

Sign-in to cast your vote.

  • Maintained by: Find a Grave
  • Added: Apr 25, 1998
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/2412/bebe-daniels: accessed ), memorial page for Bebe Daniels (14 Jan 1901–16 Mar 1971), Find a Grave Memorial ID 2412, citing Hollywood Forever, Hollywood, Los Angeles County, California, USA; Maintained by Find a Grave.