Nina Byron
Encyclopedia
Nina Byron was a silent film
actress from Christchurch
, New Zealand. Her given name was Nina Betts.
with her mother. Her father stayed behind in New Zealand and committed
suicide. She studied dancing, went on tour, and joined the Hitchykoo company. Only a year after coming to New York City
, Byron came to Los Angeles to make Truthful Tulliver (1917) with William S. Hart
. As Abby Hope in Heir To The Ages (1917), Byron was described by a critic as having substantial acting skills. She was the ingenue (stock character)
for House Peters. The material she was given to work with, according to the reviewer, did not test her ability. He likens Byron's laughter in the film to Mary Pickford
. Her character was merely required to laugh like the silent film icon. Her other film credits are for roles in The Cruise of the Make-Believes (1918), The Source (1918), The Dub (1919), Johnny Get Your Gun (1919), The Boomerang (1919), and The Broken Butterfly (1919).
with Pauline Frederick
, sued Byron for divorce. Dunaew was also a film director who desired to produce a series of anti-Bolshevist motion pictures. He resided at the Green Room Club in New York at the time. In his divorce petition he stated that he had attempted to lift his wife from poverty to his own level, but failed. He concluded by saying one cannot make a silk purse from a sow's ear. Dunaew met Byron in New York when she was at the August and Louis Lumiere studio having some pictures taken. He quickly fell in love with her and brought her, together with mother, to Los Angeles. Byron and Dunaew married in September 1918 and resided at 1504 McCadden Place in Hollywood. They separated on January 4, 1920. Dunaew claimed Byron deserted him. It was during the time she was a member of the Hitchykoo troupe that he did not see her again. Dunaew made reference to Byron's reprehensible conduct which he later became aware of through his friends.
in 1925, after she was out of movies. Her fellow dancers included Ruth Fallows, Helen MacDonald, and Doris Lloyd. In February 1925 they performed at the Moulin Rouge
. Byron was a musical comedy theater performer on Broadway and was associated with Eddie Cantor
. She was among the 100 travelers who returned to Los Angeles aboard the Dollar around-the-world liner President Wilson in March 1929. Others included John Barrymore
and his bride, Dolores Costello
. Byron was featured in the Florenz Ziegfeld
show, Woopee, in 1929. The cruise she returned from was a trip through the tropics and up the west coast.
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
actress from Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, New Zealand. Her given name was Nina Betts.
Film actress
She came to AmericaUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with her mother. Her father stayed behind in New Zealand and committed
suicide. She studied dancing, went on tour, and joined the Hitchykoo company. Only a year after coming to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Byron came to Los Angeles to make Truthful Tulliver (1917) with William S. Hart
William S. Hart
William Surrey Hart was an American silent film actor, screenwriter, director and producer. He is remembered for having "imbued all of his characters with honor and integrity."-Biography:...
. As Abby Hope in Heir To The Ages (1917), Byron was described by a critic as having substantial acting skills. She was the ingenue (stock character)
Ingenue (stock character)
See also Disingenuous, which is not quite the antonym that it may seem!The ingénue is a stock character in literature, film, and a role type in the theatre; generally a girl or a young woman who is endearingly innocent and wholesome. Ingenue may also refer to a new young actress or one typecast in...
for House Peters. The material she was given to work with, according to the reviewer, did not test her ability. He likens Byron's laughter in the film to Mary Pickford
Mary Pickford
Mary Pickford was a Canadian-born motion picture actress, co-founder of the film studio United Artists and one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
. Her character was merely required to laugh like the silent film icon. Her other film credits are for roles in The Cruise of the Make-Believes (1918), The Source (1918), The Dub (1919), Johnny Get Your Gun (1919), The Boomerang (1919), and The Broken Butterfly (1919).
Marriage
In June 1922 Nicholas Dunaew, actor and leading manLeading man
Leading man or leading gentleman is an informal term for the actor who plays a love interest to the leading actress in a film or play. A leading man is usually an all rounder; capable of singing, dancing, and acting at a professional level, but never outshining his female co-star...
with Pauline Frederick
Pauline Frederick
Pauline Frederick was a leading Broadway actress who later became known for her motion picture work.-Early years:...
, sued Byron for divorce. Dunaew was also a film director who desired to produce a series of anti-Bolshevist motion pictures. He resided at the Green Room Club in New York at the time. In his divorce petition he stated that he had attempted to lift his wife from poverty to his own level, but failed. He concluded by saying one cannot make a silk purse from a sow's ear. Dunaew met Byron in New York when she was at the August and Louis Lumiere studio having some pictures taken. He quickly fell in love with her and brought her, together with mother, to Los Angeles. Byron and Dunaew married in September 1918 and resided at 1504 McCadden Place in Hollywood. They separated on January 4, 1920. Dunaew claimed Byron deserted him. It was during the time she was a member of the Hitchykoo troupe that he did not see her again. Dunaew made reference to Byron's reprehensible conduct which he later became aware of through his friends.
Dancer
Byron was a member of the Ziegfeld FolliesZiegfeld Follies
The Ziegfeld Follies were a series of elaborate theatrical productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 through 1931. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air....
in 1925, after she was out of movies. Her fellow dancers included Ruth Fallows, Helen MacDonald, and Doris Lloyd. In February 1925 they performed at the Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge is a cabaret built in 1889 by Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Olympia. Close to Montmartre in the Paris district of Pigalle on Boulevard de Clichy in the 18th arrondissement, it is marked by the red windmill on its roof. The closest métro station is Blanche.The Moulin Rouge is...
. Byron was a musical comedy theater performer on Broadway and was associated with Eddie Cantor
Eddie Cantor
Eddie Cantor was an American "illustrated song" performer, comedian, dancer, singer, actor and songwriter...
. She was among the 100 travelers who returned to Los Angeles aboard the Dollar around-the-world liner President Wilson in March 1929. Others included John Barrymore
John Barrymore
John Sidney Blyth , better known as John Barrymore, was an acclaimed American actor. He first gained fame as a handsome stage actor in light comedy, then high drama and culminating in groundbreaking portrayals in Shakespearean plays Hamlet and Richard III...
and his bride, Dolores Costello
Dolores Costello
Dolores Costello was an American film actress who achieved her greatest success during the era of silent movies. She was nicknamed "The Goddess of the Silent Screen"...
. Byron was featured in the Florenz Ziegfeld
Florenz Ziegfeld
Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. , , was an American Broadway impresario, notable for his series of theatrical revues, the Ziegfeld Follies , inspired by the Folies Bergère of Paris. He also produced the musical Show Boat...
show, Woopee, in 1929. The cruise she returned from was a trip through the tropics and up the west coast.