Betty Jewel

Betty Jewel
Still from Orphans of the Storm (1921)
Born	Julia Baroni April 29, 1899 Omaha, Nebraska, US
Died	October 20, 1963 (aged 64) Alton, Illinois, US
Occupation	Actress
Spouses	Max Schlesinger ​ (divorced)​ Frank Elfred

Betty Jewel (born Julia Baroni) was an American actress active in the 1920s.[1][2]

Biography

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]

Filmography

• Orphans of the Storm (1921)
• The Silent Command (1923)
• Mile-a-Minute Romeo (1923)
• The Necessary Evil (1925)
• The New Commandment (1925)
• Partners Again (1926)
• The Mysterious Rider (1927)
• Arizona Bound (1927)
• The Last Outlaw (1927)

References

1. The Worm (30 Dec 1923). "A Worm's-Eye View of the Movies". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Retrieved 2019-09-04.
2. Thirer, Irene (1 Jun 1927). "Colman-Jewel Betrothal Report". The New York Daily News. Retrieved 2019-09-04.
3. "'The Necessary Evil' coming to Dom". Evening Vanguard. California, Venice. November 12, 1925. p. 2. Retrieved June 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
4. Kingsley, Grace (February 5, 1927). "New Paramount Director". Los Angeles Times. p. 6. Retrieved June 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Skill in the Saddle Won Role in Picture". The Philadelphia Inquirer. 13 Mar 1927. Retrieved 2019-09-04.
6. Cowan, Joseph (14 Sep 1928). "Film King Calls Girl's $250,000 Suit a Joke". The New York Daily News. Retrieved 2019-09-04.

External links

• Betty Jewel at IMDb