Betty Jewel (born Julia Baroni) was an American actress active in the 1920s.[1][2]
Betty Jewel | |
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![]() Still from Orphans of the Storm (1921) | |
Born | Julia Baroni April 29, 1899 Omaha, Nebraska, USA |
Died | October 20, 1963 (aged 64) Alton, Illinois, USA |
Occupation | Actress |
Spouse(s) | Max Schlesinger (div.) Frank Elfred |
Betty was born in Omaha[3] to an Italian father, Attilio, and a French mother (who seems to have died when Betty was young). She later graduated from a convent before deciding to pursue a career in show business. Early on, she was a Ziegfeld showgirl. Her father owned a number of Italian restaurants, and he managed to secure his daughter a meeting with D.W. Griffith through some of his customers.[1][4]
Griffith took a liking to her and christened her "The Third Orphan of the Storm" (the other two being Dorothy and Lillian Gish).[1] Soon she was tapped to feature in films like The Silent Command and The New Commandment; she'd later win star status in Westerns like The Mysterious Rider and Arizona Bound. She reportedly spent a year learning to ride horses at Griffith Park in Los Angeles, California, to prepare for roles in these Westerns.[5]
She married Max Schlesinger in 1927; the pair eventually divorced, at which point she seems to have retired from the business.[6] She later married Frank Elfred. She was also briefly linked to British actor Ronald Colman.[2]
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