Francelia Billington (February 1, 1895 – November 24, 1934) was an early American silent-screen actress, and an accomplished camera operator.

Early life

On February 1, 1895, Billington was born in Dallas, Texas, the daughter of James Billington and his wife, Adelaide Bueter. At age 10, she moved to Los Angeles, where she attended Sacred Heart Convent.

Career

She began working in films for the Kalem Company's West Coast studio in 1912, before moving to

Reliance-Majestic Studios Reliance-Majestic Studios was an early American movie studio in Hollywood, California, originally built around 1914 at 4516 Sunset Boulevard. Within a few years, it became the home of D. W. Griffith and Mutual Film Corporation. The studio's na ...

the following year and continued starring in films under its banner when

D.W. Griffith David Wark Griffith (January 22, 1875 – July 23, 1948) was an American film director. Considered one of the most influential figures in the history of the motion picture, he pioneered many aspects of film editing and expanded the art of the na ...

became the studio's director-general. Billington made ''The Half Breed'' with

Jack Pickford John Charles Smith (August 18, 1896 – January 3, 1933), known professionally as Jack Pickford, was a Canadian-American actor, film director and producer. He was the younger brother of actresses Mary and Lottie Pickford. After their father ...

in 1913. The production was filmed at the Majestic Studio on

Boyle Heights Boyle is an English, Irish and Scottish surname of Gaelic, Anglo-Saxon or Norman origin. In the northwest of Ireland it is one of the most common family names. Notable people with the surname include: Disambiguation *Adam Boyle (disambiguation), ...

. Billington left Majestic in 1915, and following her association with the Palo Alto Film Corporation, where she worked with

Nell Shipman Nell Shipman (born Helen Foster-Barham; October 25, 1892 – January 23, 1970) was a Canadian actress, author, screenwriter, producer, director, animal rights activist and animal trainer. Her works often had autobiographical elements to them and ...

, one of the most remarkable figures in film history on the uncompleted film ''Wanda of the Red Street'', joined

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a ...

. There, she played leads for such directors as

Rupert Julian Rupert Julian (born Thomas Percival Hayes; 25 January 1879 – 27 December 1943) was a New Zealand cinema actor, director, writer and producer. During his career, Julian directed 60 films and acted in over 90 films. He is best remembered for di ...

and Rex Ingram. In 1917, she went to The American Film Company in Santa Barbara, California to star in features directed by

Edward Sloman Edward Sloman (19 July 1886, London - 29 September 1972, Woodland Hills, California) was an English silent film director, actor, screenwriter and radio broadcaster. He directed over 100 films and starred in over 30 films as an actor betwee ...

. Her return to Universal in 1918 brought her a co-starring role in one of silent film's true cinematic milestones: ''

Blind Husbands ''Blind Husbands'' is a 1919 American drama film written and directed by Erich von Stroheim. The film is an adaptation of the story ''The Pinnacle'' by Stroheim. Plot A group of holiday-makers arrive at Cortina d'Ampezzo, an Alpine village in th ...

'',

Erich von Stroheim Erich Oswald Hans Carl Maria von Stroheim (born Erich Oswald Stroheim; September 22, 1885 – May 12, 1957) was an Austrian-American director, actor and producer, most noted as a film star and avant-garde, visionary director of the silent era. H ...

's directorial debut. Billington played the wife and

Sam De Grasse Samuel Alfred De Grasse (June 12, 1875 – November 29, 1953) was a Canadian actor. He was the uncle of cinematographer Robert De Grasse. Biography Samuel Alfred De Grasse was born in Bathurst, New Brunswick to Lange De Grasse (1828–1891) ...

the husband. Although her performance brought praise from the critics, she earned no other great roles and she continued in a mix of undistinguished melodramas, Westerns, and action films.

Later years

Billington's level of film production slowed down with only five total films in 1918 and 1919. One of her 1920s features was a Western genre film with

Tom Mix Thomas Edwin Mix (born Thomas Hezikiah Mix; January 6, 1880 – October 12, 1940) was an American film actor and the star of many early Western films between 1909 and 1935. He appeared in 291 films, all but nine of which were silent films. He w ...

, titled ''Desert Love.'' Later that year, she returned to Rex Ingram's directorship with ''Hearts Are Trumps.'' Billington acted the role of ''Sybil Sayre'' in the first film made for the Ray Rockett Film Corporation, in 1920. She was cast with Betty Blythe in ''The Truant Husband'' (1921). The screenplay was based on a story by

Albert Payson Terhune Albert Payson Terhune (December 21, 1872 – February 18, 1942) was an American author, dog breeder, and journalist. He was popular for his novels relating the adventures of his beloved collies and as a breeder of collies at his Sunnybank Kenne ...

which had appeared in ''

Cosmopolitan Magazine ''Cosmopolitan'' is an American monthly fashion and entertainment magazine for women, first published based in New York City in March 1886 as a family magazine; it was later transformed into a literary magazine and, since 1965, has become a List ...

''. Billington supported

Madge Bellamy Madge Bellamy (born Margaret Derden Philpott; June 30, 1899 – January 24, 1990) was an American stage and film actress. She was a popular leading lady in the 1920s and early 1930s. Her career declined in the sound era and ended following a rom ...

in ''The White Sin'' (1924).''Attractions Coming to Local Playhouses'', Washington Post, April 17, 1924, pg. 15.

Marriage

In October 1920 Billington married Lester Cuneo at the Riverside Inn in Riverside, California. They resided at Cuneo's home in Beverly Hills, California''Flashes'',

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 ...

, October 15, 1920, pg. III4. and had two children together. The couple appeared in 14 films together, with their last two features in 1925. However, their marriage unraveled, and he killed himself on November 1, 1925, while their divorce proceedings were under way.

Death

Billington's health visibly was declining at the beginning of 1934. She died from tuberculosis, there were no obituaries in the trade papers, and her death went unnoticed by the film industry and the public. She is interred at Calvary Cemetery in East Los Angeles, California.

Partial filmography

* ''

A Mix-Up in Pedigrees ''A Mix-Up in Pedigrees'' is a 1913 American silent short comedy film starring William Garwood and Francelia Billington. Prints and/or fragments were found in the Dawson Film Find in 1978. Cast * William Garwood * Francelia Billington F ...

'' (1913) * ''

The Lover's Gift ''The Lover's Gift'' is a 1914 American silent short film. The film starred Earle Foxe, Mary Alden, Francelia Billington and George Siegmann George A. Siegmann (also credited as George Seigmann; February 8, 1882 – June 22, 1928) was an Am ...

'' (1914) * ''

At the Stroke of the Angelus ''At the Stroke of the Angelus'' is a silent short film starring Charles Clary and Francelia Billington. Billington portrays an American girl kidnapped in early childhood and brought up as a Mexican thief and street dancer. She falls in love wit ...

'' (1915) (short) * '' The Mainspring'' (1916) * '' Naked Hearts'' (1916) * ''

The Right to Be Happy The Right to Be Happy is a 1916 American silent Christmas fantasy film directed by Rupert Julian. The film is based on the 1843 novella ''A Christmas Carol'' by Charles Dickens. The movie stars Rupert Julian as Ebenezer Scrooge and Claire McDowe ...

'' (1916) * '' The Black Sheep of the Family'' (1916) * ''Bettina Loves a Soldier'' (1916) * '' Heart Strings'' (1917) * ''

My Fighting Gentleman ''My Fighting Gentleman'' (also known as ''A Son of Battle'') is a 1917 American silent historical drama film directed by Edward Sloman with the storyline by Doris Schroeder and Nell Shipman. The film stars William Russell and Francelia Billing ...

'' (1917) * ''

The Wrong Man ''The Wrong Man'' is a 1956 American docudrama film noir directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Henry Fonda and Vera Miles. The film was drawn from the true story of an innocent man charged with a crime, as described in the book ''The True St ...

'' (1917) * ''

'' (1919) * ''

The Day She Paid ''The Day She Paid'' is a 1919 American silent drama film directed by Rex Ingram and starring Francelia Billington, Charles Clary, and Harry von Meter.Gmür p. 33 Plot Set in Manhattan, New York, Marion Buckley receives a marriage proposal f ...

'' (1919) * ''

The Great Air Robbery ''The Great Air Robbery'' (aka ''Cassidy of the Air Lanes'') is a six-reel silent 1919 American drama film directed by Jacques Jaccard and produced by Universal Pictures. The film stars Ormer Locklear, Allan Forrest and Ray Ripley. ''The Great A ...

'' (1919) * '' Hearts Are Trumps'' (1920) * ''

The Terror The Reign of Terror (french: link=no, la Terreur) was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the First Republic, a series of massacres and numerous public executions took place in response to revolutionary fervour, ...

'' (1920) * ''

The Truant Husband ''The Truant Husband'' is a 1921 American silent comedy film directed by Thomas N. Heffron and starring Mahlon Hamilton, Betty Blythe and Francelia Billington.Munden p.327 Cast * Mahlon Hamilton as Billy Sayre * Betty Blythe as Vera Delauney ...

'' (1921) * '' Blazing Arrows'' (1922) * '' Restless Souls'' (1922) * '' What a Wife Learned'' (1923) * ''

The White Sin ''The White Sin'' is a 1924 silent romantic drama film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Madge Bellamy and John Bowers. It was distributed by Film Booking Offices of America (FBO). Plot As described in a review of the film in a film ...

'' (1924) * ''

Hearts of the West ''Hearts of the West'', released in Europe as ''Hollywood Cowboy'', is a 1975 American comedy film directed by Howard Zieff, released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and starring Jeff Bridges, Andy Griffith, Blythe Danner, and Alan Arkin. Set in 1930s ...

'' (1925) * '' The Mounted Stranger'' (1930)

References

External links

* *
Francelia Billington
photo at silentsaregolden

article {{DEFAULTSORT:Billington, Francelia American silent film actresses American film actresses 20th-century deaths from tuberculosis People from Dallas Actresses from Texas Western (genre) film actresses 1895 births 1934 deaths 20th-century American actresses Burials at Calvary Cemetery (Los Angeles) Women film pioneers Tuberculosis deaths in California