Evelyn Francisco (born Evelyn Barton; August 13, 1904 – January 27, 1963) was a

silent era A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, wh ...

film actress who began as a bathing beauty. Her sisters

Betty Betty or Bettie is a name, a common diminutive for the names Bethany and Elizabeth. In Latin America, it is also a common diminutive for the given name Beatriz, the Spanish and Portuguese form of the Latin name Beatrix and the English name Beat ...

''News Of The Cafes'',

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

, August 19, 1925, p. A6. and Margaret Francisco were also actresses.

Biography

Born in Arkansas on August 13, 1904, Barton began acting in 1923. In ''The Goof'' (1924), directed by

William Beaudine William Washington Beaudine (January 15, 1892 – March 18, 1970) was an American film actor and director. He was one of Hollywood's most prolific directors, turning out films in remarkable numbers and in a wide variety of genres. Life and car ...

, she is one of a number of beauties called Spike Malone's diving girls. The seven-reel farce featured former William Fox actress, Alta Allen, as the head of the troupe. Spike was played by ''Chuck'' Relaner. In the 1924 ''Hollywood Follies'' Francisco was one of the

Mack Sennett Mack Sennett (born Michael Sinnott; January 17, 1880 – November 5, 1960) was a Canadian-American film actor, director, and producer, and studio head, known as the 'King of Comedy'. Born in Danville, Quebec, in 1880, he started in films in the ...

's bathing girls who performed at the Philharmonic Auditorium. Led by

Harry Langdon Harry Philmore Langdon (June 15, 1884 – December 22, 1944) was an American comedian who appeared in vaudeville, silent films (where he had his greatest fame), and talkies.Obituary ''Variety'', December 27, 1944, page 39. Life and career Bor ...

Thelma Parr Thelma Parr (born Thelma Sill, October 19, 1906 – February 13, 2000) was an American actress. She is best remembered for her roles in Mack Sennett comedies as one of the Sennett Bathing Beauties, appearing in numerous films for Mack Senne ...

was another of the select group of Sennett females who presented an act called ''All Wet''. In August 1925, the Francisco sisters were presented together at the Greenwich Village Cafe in the Christie Hotel, in Hollywood. At the time Francisco had just completed an important role in the first production of

Julian Eltinge Julian Eltinge (May 14, 1881 – March 7, 1941), born William Julian Dalton, was an American stage and film actor and female impersonator. After appearing in the Boston Cadets Revue at the age of ten in feminine garb, Eltinge garnered notic ...

for the

Christie Studios Christie Film Company was an American pioneer motion picture company founded in Hollywood, California by Al Christie and Charles Christie, two brothers from London, Ontario, Canada. It made comedies. While Charles served almost exclusively in ...

, a film entitled '' Madame Behave'' (1925). She wore a novelty bathing suit of Russian ermine for a fashion pageant held at the Hotel Vista del Arroyo in

Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. I ...

, in February 1927. The garment was designed and made by Colburn's of South Flower Street in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

.''Fashions'', Los Angeles Times, February 27, 1927, p. H5.

Death

Francisco died on January 27, 1963, in Corona, California.

Partial filmography

* ''

Picking Peaches Picking or Pickings may refer to: Activities * Fruit picking * Guitar picking, various techniques for playing a guitar * Lock picking, the art of unlocking a lock without the original key * Nose-picking, the act of extracting mucus and/or foreign ...

'' (1924)*uncredited * '' Madame Behave'' (1925) * ''

His First Flame ''His First Flame'' is a 1927 American silent comedy film starring Harry Langdon and directed by Harry Edwards. Additional cast members include Natalie Kingston, Ruth Hiatt, Vernon Dent, and others. Plot The story tells of Harry Howells ( ...

'' (1927) * ''

King of the Herd ''King of the Herd'' is a 1927 American silent Western film directed by Frank S. Mattison and starring Raymond McKee, Nola Luxford and Bud Osborne. Given an initial release in 1927, it went on a more general release in 1929. Cast * White Star ...

'' (1927)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Francisco, Evelyn 1904 births 1963 deaths American silent film actresses Western (genre) film actresses 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Little Rock, Arkansas