Bess Flowers

Birthday

1898-11-23

Place of Birth

Sherman, Texas, USA

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 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 in 1923, when she appeared in Hollywood. 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.
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All Movies List

Where the Boys Are

Where the Boys Are

1960 6.6
Where the Boys Are

as Nightclub Patron (uncredited)

1960
Beloved Infidel

Beloved Infidel

1959 6
Beloved Infidel

as Woman at Screening (uncredited)

1959
The Fly

The Fly

1958 7.1
The Fly

as Audience Member (uncredited)

1958
Vertigo

Vertigo

1958 8.3
Vertigo

as Diner at Ernie's (uncredited)

1958
Nightfall

Nightfall

1957 7.2
Nightfall

as Woman at Fashion Show

1957
Dial M for Murder

Dial M for Murder

1954 8.2
Dial M for Murder

as Woman Exiting Ship (uncredited)

1954
Tonight We Sing

Tonight We Sing

1953 6.2
Tonight We Sing

as Opera spectator in St. Petersburg

1953
Singin' in the Rain

Singin' in the Rain

1952 8.3
Singin' in the Rain

as Audience Member (uncredited)

1952
Sudden Fear

Sudden Fear

1952 7.5
Sudden Fear

as Party Guest (uncredited)

1952
Royal Wedding

Royal Wedding

1951 6.7
Royal Wedding

as Backstage guest (uncredited)

1951
Lullaby of Broadway

Lullaby of Broadway

1951 6.7
Lullaby of Broadway

as Ship Passenger (uncredited)

1951
The Screen Director

The Screen Director

1951 6.3
The Screen Director

as Woman in Audience (uncredited)

1951
I'll Get By

I'll Get By

1950 5.9
I'll Get By

as Lady in Audience at The Roxy

1950
Born to Be Bad

Born to Be Bad

1950 6.7
Born to Be Bad

as Mrs. Worthington

1950
One Touch of Venus

One Touch of Venus

1948 6.6
One Touch of Venus

as Department Store Shopper

1948
Winter Meeting

Winter Meeting

1948 6.2
Winter Meeting

as Restaurant Patron

1948
Smart Woman

Smart Woman

1948 6.2
Smart Woman

as Starlit Roof patron

1948
The Dark Mirror

The Dark Mirror

1946 7.1
The Dark Mirror

as Nightclub Patron (uncredited)

1946