MADGE BELLAMY proved a very practical child from early age. Soon after
she learned that imitating certain peculiar characters of Hillsboro, Texas,
her native town, was always followed by certain events in which tears mingled,
her talents were turned into money.
At the age of five-she was born June 30, 1903-this tiny maiden of the
brown eyes and golden brown hair made her stage debut in New York. Which
is quite an early age for a youngster to begin financing, previous to an
education. However, Infant Bellamy's father, a university professor of English
literature, attended to the latter necessity. The family moved to Denver,
thence to San Antonio, where the little miss was installed in St. Mary's
Hall, where she took a practical course of studies as she grew up.
There was an interruption at the age of fifteen. The stage had not forgotten
the winsome little girl who frolicked so delightfully or "did her sob
stuff" so pathetically years before. Therefore someone recalled little
Madge Bellamy while a committee was combing the highways and byways for
stars who would prove drawing cards for an actors' benefit.
Madge was requested to appear and did so with much delight. Although
but 15, her performance attracted the attention of Daniel Frohman, who invited
her to call. She did so and discovered that the stage again was calling
her. Mr. Frohman gave her a letter to George Tyler, who, after hearing her
read the part of Pollyanna in the play of that name, engaged her for the
role.
Miss Bellamy played the big cities of the East in "Pollyanna."
with the result that the company staged return engagements. It was during
this season of immediate success that she received an offer from Aif Haynian
to play "the dream girl" with William Gillette in "Dear Brutus."
Later Miss Bellamy was considering an offer to play with William Faversham
in "The Prince and the Pauper," when a contract was offered her
by Thomas Ince.
It was her first call from the films. She accepted and as a result the
stage lost one of its particularly bright and winsome stars.
Her cinema debut was made in the production, "The Cup of Life,"
in which she played the leading feminine role. Her success in this brought
her the greater part of "Nan" in the special feature of quite
recent date, "Hail the Woman."
This was followed by work with Maurice Tourneur in "Lorna Doone."
A few of the productions in which Miss Bellamy has starred are "Ten
Ton Love," "The Tinsel Harvest," "Garrison's Finish"
and "Are You a Failure?" |