Bess Flowers
Acting
- Born:
- 1898-11-23
- Died:
- 1984-07-28
- Place of birth:
- Sherman, Texas, USA
Biography
Bess Flowers (November 23, 1898 – July 28, 1984) was an American actress. By some counts considered the most prolific actress in the history of Hollywood, she was known as "The Queen of the Hollywood Extras," appearing in over 700 movies in her 41 year career. Born in Sherman, Texas, Flowers's film debut came when she appeared in Hollywood (1923). She made three films that year, and then began working extensively. Many of her appearances are uncredited, as she generally played non-speaking roles. By the 1930s, Flowers was in constant demand. Her appearances ranged from Alfred Hitchcock and John Ford thrillers to comedic roles alongside of Charley Chase, the Three Stooges, Leon Errol, Edgar Kennedy, and Laurel and Hardy. She appeared in the following five films which won the Academy Award for Best Picture: It Happened One Night, You Can't Take it with You, All About Eve, The Greatest Show on Earth, and Around the World in Eighty Days. In each of these movies, Flowers was uncredited. Including these five movies, she had appeared in twenty-three Best Picture nominees in total, making her the record holder for most appearances in films nominated for the award. Her last movie was Good Neighbor Sam in 1964. Flowers's acting career was not confined to feature films. She was also seen in many episodic American TV series, such as I Love Lucy, notably in episodes, "Lucy Is Enceinte" (1952), "Ethel's Birthday" (1955), and "Lucy's Night in Town" (1957), where she is usually seen as a theatre patron. Outside her acting career, in 1945, Bess Flowers helped to found the Screen Extras Guild (active: 1946-1992, then merged with SAG), where she served as one of its first vice-presidents and recording secretaries. From Wikipedia.
Known For
Filmography
Laurel & Hardy: Year Two
Good Neighbor Sam
Bedtime Story
For Those Who Think Young
The Carpetbaggers
The Prize
Move Over, Darling
Who's Minding the Store?
Palm Springs Weekend
For Love or Money
The Thrill of It All
40 Pounds of Trouble
The Manchurian Candidate
Zotz!
Going My Way
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
Two Weeks in Another Town
Incident in an Alley
Five Finger Exercise
Don't Knock the Twist
The Notorious Landlady
Sweet Bird of Youth
Twist Around The Clock
Pocketful of Miracles
Judgment at Nuremberg
Babes in Toyland
Blue Hawaii
The Honeymoon Machine
Teenage Millionaire
Return to Peyton Place
Parrish
All in a Night's Work
Go Naked in the World
The Absent-Minded Professor
Mister Ed
Where the Boys Are
G.I. Blues
The Facts of Life
All the Fine Young Cannibals
Coronado 9
Song Without End
The Lost World
Wake Me When It's Over
The Chevy Mystery Show
Because They're Young
Please Don't Eat the Daisies
Seven Thieves
Home from the Hill
Beloved Infidel
The Untouchables
NBC Sunday Showcase
It Started with a Kiss
A Private's Affair
North by Northwest
Juke Box Rhythm
Blue Denim
The Wild and the Innocent
Imitation of Life
Some Like It Hot
Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys!
The Buccaneer
The Restless Years
Houseboat
Mardi Gras
Man with a Camera
I Married a Monster from Outer Space
Twilight for the Gods
The Fly
A Night to Remember
Vertigo
Too Much, Too Soon
Teacher's Pet
Merry Andrew
I Married a Woman
Witness for the Prosecution
The Tarnished Angels
My Man Godfrey
Leave It to Beaver
The Real McCoys
The Helen Morgan Story
Sweet Smell of Success
Designing Woman
This Could Be the Night
The Buster Keaton Story
Ten Thousand Bedrooms
She Devil
Funny Face
Accused of Murder
Bundle of Joy
Ride The High Iron
The Opposite Sex
Nightfall
Giant
Around the World in 80 Days
Written on the Wind
These Wilder Years
The She-Creature
The First Traveling Saleslady
The Bitter Waters
The Eddy Duchin Story
Anything Goes
Serenade
Meet Me in Las Vegas
Three Bad Sisters
Forever, Darling
Runaway Daughters
I'll Cry Tomorrow
Guys and Dolls
The View from Pompey's Head
Illegal
Screen Director's Playhouse
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
The Girl Rush
To Catch a Thief
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Chicago Syndicate
Ain't Misbehavin'
The Seven Year Itch
Hell's Island
Interrupted Melody
The Looters
Strategic Air Command
Three for the Show
Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops
Battle Cry
The Country Girl
Désirée
Phffft
White Christmas
The Human Jungle
A Star Is Born
Living It Up
Rear Window
The Caine Mutiny
Dial M for Murder
The Long Wait
Executive Suite
Casanova's Big Night
Dangerous Mission
The French Line
The Bigamist
Forever Female
Three Sailors and a Girl
Calamity Jane
Torch Song
The Robe
Latin Lovers
The Caddy
The Band Wagon
Cruisin' Down the River
No Escape
A Blueprint for Murder
Dangerous Crossing
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
The Maze
Let's Do It Again
Murder Without Tears
Loose in London
Scared Stiff
Small Town Girl
The Story of Three Loves
Call Me Madam
The Jazz Singer
General Electric Theater
Niagara
Never Wave at a WAC
Tonight We Sing
The Clown
Tropic Zone
Angel Face
Above and Beyond
The Bad and the Beautiful
April in Paris
Stop, You're Killing Me
The Abbott and Costello Show
Bloodhounds of Broadway
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
Sudden Fear
Dreamboat
Don't Bother to Knock
She's Working Her Way Through College
Sally and Saint Anne
Three for Bedroom C
Deadline - U.S.A.
The Narrow Margin
Young Man with Ideas
Singin' in the Rain
Something to Live For
Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder
The Greatest Show on Earth
Phone Call from a Stranger
The Unknown Man
Painting the Clouds with Sunshine
Texas Carnival
The Red Skelton Show
An American in Paris
Here Comes the Groom
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Sunny Side of the Street
People Will Talk
Meet Me After the Show
His Kind of Woman
Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell
The Law and the Lady
Show Boat
Rich, Young and Pretty
No Questions Asked
A Place in the Sun
So You Want to Be a Paper Hanger
Dear Brat
The Prowler
Home Town Story
Ghost Chasers
On the Riviera
The Great Caruso
I Can Get It for You Wholesale
Lullaby of Broadway
Footlight Varieties
The Screen Director
Royal Wedding
M
Payment on Demand
Operation Pacific
The Mating Season
Mr. Music
Let's Dance
Experiment Alcatraz
All About Eve
Last of the Buccaneers
Hot Rod
Walk Softly, Stranger
To Please a Lady
I'll Get By
Born to Be Bad
Pretty Baby
My Blue Heaven
Shakedown
A Life of Her Own
The Toast of New Orleans
Edge of Doom
The Great Jewel Robber
The Costume Designer
The Second Woman
Peggy
Louisa
Father of the Bride
In a Lonely Place
I Was a Shoplifter
The Damned Don't Cry
Champagne for Caesar
Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town
Nancy Goes to Rio
No Man of Her Own
The File on Thelma Jordon
Mary Ryan, Detective
Beyond the Forest
My Friend Irma
Red, Hot and Blue
It's a Great Feeling
Look for the Silver Lining
Sky Liner
You're My Everything
Mighty Joe Young
Neptune's Daughter
Hideout
Alias Nick Beal
John Loves Mary
Slightly French
The Accused
Every Girl Should Be Married
Whiplash
Let's Live a Little
Family Honeymoon
Disaster
Parole, Inc.
My Dear Secretary
The Countess of Monte Cristo
An Innocent Affair
One Touch of Venus
The Velvet Touch
Up in Central Park
Romance on the High Seas
Wallflower
Hazard
Trapped by Boston Blackie
On an Island with You
Smart Woman
Winter Meeting
The Noose Hangs High
Mr. Reckless
The Big Clock
The Bride Goes Wild
Sleep, My Love
Arch of Triumph
To the Ends of the Earth
You Were Meant for Me
I Walk Alone
A Double Life
It Had to Be You
Intrigue
The Flame
Blondie in the Dough
The Unsuspected
Magic Town
The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Song of the Thin Man
The Fabulous Joe
The Perils of Pauline
Ivy
Danger Street
So You Want to Be in Pictures
That's My Man
Fun on a Weekend
The Farmer's Daughter
Undercover Maisie
The Fabulous Dorseys
Nora Prentiss
Cigarette Girl
Humoresque
Dead Reckoning
The Locket
Till the Clouds Roll By
The Razor's Edge
The Chase
Undercurrent
Deception
Blondie Knows Best
The Dark Mirror
The Jolson Story
Her Sister's Secret
Society Mugs
The Big Sleep
Notorious
The Searching Wind
Mr. Ace
Rendezvous with Annie
Lover Come Back
The Walls Came Tumbling Down
Two Sisters from Boston
One More Tomorrow
Her Kind of Man
Heartbeat
A Stolen Life
Gilda
The Blue Dahlia
Blondie's Lucky Day
Mr. Noisy
The Kid from Brooklyn
The Notorious Lone Wolf
My Reputation
The Harvey Girls
Adventure
Hit the Hay
Hold That Blonde!
Mildred Pierce
Week-End at the Waldorf
The Crime Doctor's Warning
Over 21
Incendiary Blonde
The Affairs of Susan
You Came Along
Conflict
The Woman in Green
Wonder Man
The Missing Corpse
Twice Blessed
Zombies on Broadway
It's in the Bag!
Delightfully Dangerous
It's a Pleasure
A Song for Miss Julie
Together Again
Here Come the Waves
Music for Millions
Hi, Beautiful
Hollywood Canteen
The Woman in the Window
Laura
Strange Affair
Musical Movieland
In Society
Hail the Conquering Hero
Double Indemnity
The Mummy's Ghost
Roger Touhy, Gangster
Mr. Skeffington
Ladies of Washington
Pin Up Girl
Trocadero
The Lady and the Monster
It Happened Tomorrow
The Heavenly Body
The Bridge of San Luis Rey
Phantom Lady
The Lodger
Broadway Rhythm
Career Girl
What a Woman
Whistling in Brooklyn
Old Acquaintance
The Mad Ghoul
Flesh and Fantasy
Best Foot Forward
Crazy House
Sweet Rosie O'Grady
Dangerous Blondes
Wintertime
Watch on the Rhine
Holy Matrimony
Heaven Can Wait
Hi Diddle Diddle
The Constant Nymph
Dixie
Crime Doctor
Coney Island
Mister Big
Three Hearts for Julia
Girls in Chains
Immortal Sergeant
Tahiti Honey
Dixie Dugan
Idaho
The Amazing Mrs. Holliday
No Place for a Lady
Pittsburgh
Once Upon a Honeymoon
Silver Queen
Laugh Your Blues Away
Springtime in the Rockies
I Married a Witch
Thunder Birds
Now, Voyager
Mexican Spitfire's Elephant
The Major and the Minor
The Glass Key
A Yank at Eton
The Palm Beach Story
The Big Street
The Magnificent Dope
Ten Gentlemen from West Point
There's One Born Every Minute
Lady in a Jam
Private Buckaroo
It Happened in Flatbush
Meet the Stewarts
Take a Letter, Darling
My Gal Sal
Larceny, Inc.
Ship Ahoy
The Lady or the Tiger?
Frisco Lil
The Male Animal
The Night Before the Divorce
Brooklyn Orchid
A Gentleman at Heart
Blondie Goes to College
Over My Dead Body
The Mad Doctor of Market Street
Pacific Blackout
Remember the Day
Hellzapoppin'
The Man Who Came to Dinner
I Wake Up Screaming
Three Girls About Town
Married Bachelor
Honky Tonk
It Started with Eve
Lady Be Good
An Ache in Every Stake
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Blondie in Society
Puddin' Head
Tom, Dick and Harry
For Beauty's Sake
Sunny
Blood and Sand
Adventure in Washington
The People Vs. Dr. Kildare
Ziegfeld Girl
Penny Serenade
That Uncertain Feeling
The Devil and Miss Jones
That Night in Rio
Meet John Doe
Murder Among Friends
Blondie Goes Latin
The Lady Eve
Road Show
Golden Hoofs
Tall, Dark and Handsome
Michael Shayne: Private Detective
No, No, Nanette
Lady with Red Hair
Tin Pan Alley
You'll Find Out
Arise, My Love
Angels Over Broadway
I Want a Divorce
No Time for Comedy
Five Little Peppers in Trouble
Boom Town
Dance, Girl, Dance
I Love You Again
The Boys from Syracuse
They Drive by Night
Cross-Country Romance
Girl in 313
If I Had My Way
'Til We Meet Again
A Plumbing We Will Go
Johnny Apollo
It All Came True
The Heckler
Broadway Melody of 1940
Pound Foolish
City of Chance
Charlie McCarthy, Detective
South of the Border
Gone with the Wind
Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President
Day-time Wife
Ninotchka
First Love
The Roaring Twenties
Eternally Yours
Fifth Avenue Girl
Rhumba Rhythm at the Hollywood La Conga
Hotel for Women
The Spellbinder
Man About Town
Should a Girl Marry?
Sorority House
Rose of Washington Square
Zenobia
They Made Her a Spy
Love Affair
Sergeant Madden
Midnight
Three Smart Girls Grow Up
Society Lawyer
Wife, Husband and Friend
Honolulu
Topper Takes a Trip
Smashing the Spy Ring
A Doggone Mixup
The Shining Hour
The Great Waltz
The Mad Miss Manton
Men in Fright
Mutts to You
Young Dr. Kildare
The Lady Objects
That Certain Age
Fugitives for a Night
Three Loves Has Nancy
You Can't Take It with You
I Am the Law
Rich Man, Poor Girl
City Streets
Holiday
The Lone Wolf in Paris
The Mind Needer
In Old Chicago
Tassels in the Air
Time Out for Trouble
Women in Prison
Termites of 1938
The Shadow
Paid to Dance
First Lady
Nothing Sacred
I'll Take Romance
The Awful Truth
It's Love I'm After
Life Begins with Love
Double or Nothing
One Hundred Men and a Girl
The Life of the Party
One Mile from Heaven
Topper
Ever Since Eve
Marry the Girl
Step Lively, Jeeves!
The Last Train from Madrid
A Day at the Races
Meet the Missus
Kid Galahad
Make Way for Tomorrow
You Can't Buy Luck
Nobody's Baby
China Passage
Women of Glamour
The Last of Mrs. Cheyney
On the Avenue
When You're in Love
Stolen Holiday
Smart Blonde
One in a Million
Camille
Silks and Saddles
Wanted: Jane Turner
Theodora Goes Wild
Polo Joe
The Public Pays
The Big Game
Adventure in Manhattan
Craig's Wife
Dodsworth
Give Me Your Heart
Stage Struck
My Man Godfrey
The Gorgeous Hussy
Anthony Adverse
Sing, Baby, Sing
Postal Inspector
Piccadilly Jim
Yours for the Asking
Private Number
The Golden Arrow
Forgotten Faces
Speed
Special Investigator
How to Behave
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
Neighborhood House
Love Before Breakfast
Wife vs. Secretary
The Prisoner of Shark Island
Anything Goes
Strike Me Pink
King of Burlesque
If You Could Only Cook
The Calling of Dan Matthews
I Found Stella Parish
A Night at the Opera
A Feather in Her Hat
Way Down East
Twin Triplets
Shipmates Forever
She Couldn't Take It
Honeymoon Bridge
She Married Her Boss
Thunder in the Night
Two Sinners
Redheads on Parade
Old Man Rhythm
Black Sheep
Curly Top
Shanghai
Ginger
Love Me Forever
Hooray for Love
Sprucin' Up
In Caliente
Whispering Smith Speaks
Alias Mary Dow
Goin' to Town
Les Misérables
Go Into Your Dance
Star of Midnight
Private Worlds
One in a Million
Thicker Than Water
Let's Live Tonight
After Office Hours
The Whole Town's Talking
The Woman in Red
Okay Toots!
Kid Millions
The St. Louis Kid
I'll Fix It
Transatlantic Merry-Go-Round
The Curtain Falls
The Richest Girl in the World
Girl in Danger
The Affairs of Cellini
The Defense Rests
The Personality Kid
The Thin Man
Hollywood Party
Change of Heart
Sadie McKee
Stand Up and Cheer!
Finishing School
City Park
Merry Wives of Reno
I Believed in You
Once to Every Woman
Success at Any Price
Journal of a Crime
I've Got Your Number
It Happened One Night
Bedside
Dinner at Eight
Blood Money
My Lips Betray
Ever in My Heart
Day of Reckoning
Meet the Baron
Wild Boys of the Road
No Marriage Ties
Notorious But Nice
Pilgrimage
Made on Broadway
Bondage
Hello, Sister!
42nd Street
Grand Slam
Hard to Handle
The Half-Naked Truth
You Said a Mouthful
If I Had a Million
The Phantom of Crestwood
Blonde Venus
Grand Hotel
New Morals for Old
Attorney for the Defense
Man Wanted
Shopworn
One Hour with You
The Big Timer
The Expert
Sin's Pay Day
Her Majesty, Love
The Cheat
Possessed
Susan Lenox
Monkey Business
A Free Soul
Daybreak
Iron Man
Ladies' Man
Bachelor Apartment
Strangers May Kiss
Finn and Hattie
Dirigible
Ten Cents a Dance
Going Wild
Divorce Among Friends
Lightnin'
Monte Carlo
Road to Paradise
Spring Is Here
Son of the Gods
Their Own Desire
Untamed
The Saturday Night Kid
The Single Standard
Linda
Chinatown Nights
The Ghost Talks
We Faw Down
The Ladies' Man
Show People
Blondes by Choice
Old Ironsides
Laddie
Lone Hand Saunders
Glenister of the Mounted
The Greater Glory
Hands Across the Border
Irene
Mannequin
A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate
The Silent Partner
The Age of Desire
Hollywood