Classic Entertainment Autographs

Cat. #001384821: BESS FLOWERS

Scarce vintage inscribed blue ballpoint pen signature on a lined 3x5-inch off-white card, attained by noted collector Mary Zollo in the early 1980s. In good condition. Elegant, statuesque character actress Bess Flowers was dubbed the Queen of the Hollywood Dress Extras, in honor of her innumerable uncredited, but unforgettable onscreen performances. She made her debut in the silent era, with prominent roles in comedies like Hollywood (1922) and Charlie Chaplin's Woman of Paris (1923). Too tall for most leading men and a little too goofy-looking to boot, she was rapidly relegated to supporting work in over-the-top laugh-fests, at her best in Charley Chase two-reelers, the Laurel and Hardy classic We Faw Down (1938) and the Three Stooges' Mutts to You (1938).  Of particular note were her appearances in Frank Capra's It Happened One Night (1934) and You Can't Take It With You (1938); Private Worlds (1935); Leo McCarey's The Awful Truth (1937); Song of the Thin Man (1947); All About Eve (1950); and The Greatest Show on Earth (1952). She has the unusual distinction of having appeared in more films awarded the Best Picture Oscar than any other performer-- five in total.  Flowers is also remembered for her countless contributions to the horror, sci-fi and fantasy genres, including Topper (1937), Topper Takes a Trip (1938), You'll Find Out (1940), Tom, Dick and Harry (1941), The Mad Doctor of Market Street (1942), I Married a Witch (1942), The Mad Ghoul (1943), Flesh and Fantasy (1943), I Married an Angel (1943), Heaven Can Wait (1943), The Mummy's Ghost (1944), The Ghost Catchers (1944), It Happened Tomorrow (1944), Zombies on Broadway (1945), Wonder Man (1945), The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947), One Touch of Venus (1948), Mighty Joe Young (1949), For Heaven's Sake (1950), The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953), Scared Stiff (1953), The Maze (1953), The She-Creature (1956), Forever, Darling (1956), Around the World in Eighty Days (1956), The Fly (1958), I Married a Monster from Outer Space (1958), The Lost World (1960), The Absent-Minded Professor (1961), Babes in Toyland (1961), Zotz! (1962), and 7 Faces of Dr. Lao (1964).