Beverly Bayne

Beverly Bayne (11 November 1894–18 August 1982) was an American actress during the silent film era. She appeared in several productions by Essanay Studios and Metro Pictures, such as One Wonderful Night (1914), Romeo and Juliet (1916), and The Adopted Son (1917)/

She starred in over sixty films opposite her first husband Francis X. Bushman, forming the famous love-team of Bushman-Bayne, which is often credited as the first on-screen romantic couple.

Beverly Bayne was born as Pearl Beverly Bain on November 11, 1894, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Daisie C. Van Name (1868–1939) and Eugene F. Van Name (1870–1942). When she was six, the family relocated to Chicago, Illinois. She lived there for a time, and in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, before settling in Chicago. 

Bayne was drawn to acting at an early age. Her mother regularly took her to see plays in Chicago and she was often encouraged to reenact key scenes for friends and family. 

She attended Hyde Park High School in Chicago.

When Bayne was sixteen, she and her classmate (a certain Miss Taylor) went to the nearby Essanay Film Manufacturing Company in Chicago "to see how movies are made." A director at Essanay was immediately impressed by her and offered her the lead role in the short film The Loan Shark (released 1912), in which she portrayed the character of "Mrs. Richard Montague," the on-screen wife of Frank Dayton. For the role, she replaced the actress Gloria Swanson who at the time was under contract to Essanay. Legend has it that Swanson was replaced because her eyes were blue and not brown like Bayne's. Brown eyes were considered preferable for photography then. Other actors on the lot were Wallace Beery, Charlie Chaplin, and Francis X. Bushman. 

Bayne began working with Essanay at a salary of $35/week, which was soon increased to $75 a week. In a few years, she was commanding $350 weekly. 

Bushman-Bayne couple

Famous actor Francis X. Bushman was the main headliner of Essanay at the time when Beverly made her debut. He later claimed that he personally selected Bayne as his romantic interest in A Good Catch (1912). The short comedy film, which was Bayne's fifth, generated a positive response from movie audiences and the two began to appear opposite each other on a regular basis. The duo was even named King and Queen of the Movies at the Panama-Pacific Exposition in 1915. When Bushman left Essanay Film Company to join Metro Pictures in Hollywood, he insisted that Bayne also be signed. 

Bushman and Bayne were married in 1918; this was Bayne's first and Bushman's second. Over their careers, the two appeared together in numerous (over 60) movies, such as White Roses (1912), The Butterfly Net (1912), The Understudy(1912), When Soul Meets Soul (1913), The Farmer's Daughter (1913), A Brother's Loyalty (1913), The Whip Hand (1913), Dear Old Girl (1913), Through the Storm(1914), The Girl at the Curtain (1914), 

The Countess (1914), His Stolen Fortune (1914), The Ambition of the Baron (1915), Graustark (1915), The Red Mouse (1916), Daring Hearts (1919), and Modern Marriage (1923).

Their 1916 Metro Pictures movie Romeo and Juliet, directed by Bushman and John W. Noble and based on William Shakespeare's tragedy of the same name was a major crowd-puller and generated a substantial profit. 

In 1919-1920, Bushman and Bayne starred in a play, The Master Thief (written by Richard Washburn Child and produced by Oliver Morosco) and successfully toured the production for eight months, from at least October 1919 until July 1920. Later they appeared in vaudeville and as guest stars in dramatic stock.

Eventually, her marriage to Bushman began to fall apart and they divorced in June 1925. Not long after, their careers went on a decline. Bushman believed that their demise in films was caused by a new valet who inadvertently snubbed film producer and co-founder of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Louis B. Mayer. Mayer had called on him during a personal appearance tour. Others contend that Hollywood disapproved of Bushman divorcing his first wife (Josephine Fladine Duval) and marrying the much younger Bayne.

Later work

Bayne's final silent film was Dallas M. Fitzgerald's Passionate Youth (1925), opposite Frank Mayo. Her acting career slowed down after this film and she worked on stage productions and on Broadway in the 1930s and 1940s. In the early 1940s, she performed on radio and did an occasional play. During World War II, her serious work involved British War Relief. 

In 1941, she was cast as the mother, Mrs. Brown, in the Chicago touring company of Rose Franken's play, Claudia. That same year, Bushman contacted her via telegram to reunite in William Beaudine film entitled Mr. Celebrity; Bayne declined, writing back, "Definitely not interested."

Bayne's only sound film role was that of Mrs. Stoneman (uncredited) in Jules Dassin's The Naked City (1948), starring Barry Fitzgerald and Howard Duff. It was also her last feature film.

Television appearances

In April 1951, Bayne was seen in "Hour of Destiny" episode of Bert Lytell's anthology series The Philco Television Playhouse. The following year, she was seen in an episode of the prime time mystery/anthology series Hands of Mystery.

• 1960: Bayne received a motion pictures star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1752 Vine Street
• 1972: the Cinephiles Society (headed by Washington, D.C. resident Thomas Fulbright) selected Bayne as the first recipient of the Rosemary Award—an award to honor the retired legends of the silent film era.

Bayne was married twice. She was first married to her frequent co-star Francis X. Bushman from July 29, 1918, until the divorce on June 2, 1925. Bushman divorced his first wife, Josephine Fladine Duval, just three days before marrying Bayne. They had one son, Richard Stansbury Bushman, who later changed his last name to Bayne, and committed suicide in 1967.

She was then married to Charles Thomas Hvass Sr. from April 15, 1937, until the divorce on November 28, 1944. The two lived in New Jersey.

Bayne retired from performing completely in 1950 and settled in Scottsdale, Arizona, for the rest of her life.

Bayne died of a heart attack on August 18, 1982, in Scottsdale, Arizona, at the age of 87.

• The Loan Shark (1912)
• Teaching a Liar a Lesson (1912) (Bushman and Bayne)
• A Soul Reclaimed (1912)
• A Brother's Loyalty (1913) (Bushman and Bayne)
• The Rivals (1912) (Bushman and Bayne)
• A Soul Reclaimed (1912)
• A Good Catch (1912)
• The Legacy of Happiness (1912)
• Billy Changes His Mind (1912)
• The Mis-Sent Letter (1912)
• Springing a Surprise (1912)
• White Roses (1912)
• The Butterfly Net (1912) (Bushman and Bayne)
• The Understudy (1912) Bushman and Bayne)
• The New Church Organ (1912)
• The Old Wedding Dress (1912) (Bushman and Bayne)
• An Adamless Eden (1912)
• The Magic Wand (1912) (Bushman and Bayne)
• The Return of Becky (1912)
• The Hermit (1912)
• Back to the Old Farm (1912)
• Billy McGrath's Love Letters (1912)
• Well Matched (1912)
• The Redemption of Slivers (1912)
• The Snare (1912)
• When Soul Meets Soul (1913) *short
• The Hermit of Lonely Gulch (1913) (Bushman and Bayne)
• Dear Old Girl (1913) (Bushman and Bayne)
• One Wonderful Night (1914) (Bushman and Bayne)
• The Ambition of the Baron (1915) (Bushman and Bayne)
• Graustark (1915) (Bushman and Bayne)
• Pennington's Choice (1915) (Bushman and Bayne)
• Man and His Soul (1916) (Bushman and Bayne)
• A Million A Minute (1916) (Bushman and Bayne)
• A Virginia Romance (1916) (Bushman and Bayne)
• Romeo and Juliet (1916) (Bushman and Bayne)
• The Great Secret (1917) (Bushman and Bayne)
• Their Compact (1917) (Bushman and Bayne)
• The Adopted Son (1917) (Bushman and Bayne)
• Red, White and Blue Blood (1917) (Bushman and Bayne)
• The Voice of Conscience (1917) (Bushman and Bayne)
• Under Suspicion (1918) (Bushman and Bayne)
• The Brass Check (1918) (Bushman and Bayne)
• The Poor Rich Man (1918) (Bushman and Bayne)
• Cyclone Higgins, D.D. (1918) (Bushman and Bayne)
• With Neatness and Dispatch (1918) (Bushman and Bayne)
• Social Quicksands (1918) (Bushman and Bayne)
• A Pair of Cupids (1918) (Bushman and Bayne)
• God's Outlaw (1919) (Bushman and Bayne)
• Modern Marriage (1923) (Bushman and Bayne)
• The Age of Innocence (1924)
• The Tenth Woman (1924)
• Her Marriage Vow (1924)
• Who Cares (1925)
• Passionate Youth (1925)
• The Naked City (1948)