Margaret Victoria Anderson (September 2, 1898 – October 12, 1993) known professionally as Myrtle Lind was an American film actress. She was one of

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 ...

Bathing Beauties Bathing is the act of washing the body, usually with water, or the immersion of the body in water. It may be practiced for personal hygiene, religious ritual or therapeutic purposes. By analogy, especially as a recreational activity, the term i ...

and appeared in several comedy films including with

Oliver Hardy Oliver Norvell Hardy (born Norvell Hardy; January 18, 1892 – August 7, 1957) was an American comic actor and one half of Laurel and Hardy, the double act that began in the era of silent films and lasted from 1926 to 1957. He appeared with his c ...

and John Gilbert. The

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

has a photo of her holding a large camera on the beach. Lind transitioned from Bathing Beauty to an actress opposite comedians and then to drama. The Sun Sentinel ran an obituary for her in 1993 stating she became known as Margaret E. Stevenson (widow of Harold Stevenson, born in Wisconsin in 1898).

Early life and career

Myrtle Lind was born Margaret Victoria Anderson in Mankato, Minnesota in 1898 (Lind was a family name). Myrtle's mother Elizabeth Anderson was born in Sweden. She attended dramatic school and appeared in some plays before moving to Hollywood with her parents. In 1916 she started her film career at the Mack Sennett studios. Myrtle appeared in numerous comedy shorts and became one of Sennett's famous bathing beauties. One magazine writer said "Myrtle has the face of an angel and the composure of a Scotch preacher". She worked with Ben Turpin No Mother To Guide Him and with Ford Sterling in A Maiden's Trust. At the Sennett studio Myrtle developed a reputation for being difficult. She was fired several times but was always hired back. Her first starring role was in the 1918 drama ''Nancy Comes Home''. Although she appeared in more than thirty films Myrtle never became a major star. Her final film was Forget Me Not with Bessie Love and decided to retire from acting.

Personal life

In February 1920 she married broker Frank A. Gessell. Unfortunately Frank cheated on her and she left him just two months after the wedding and divorced in 1922. She married photographer William Coleman in 1922. In December 1923 Myrtle gave birth to a daughter named Jean. She divorced William in 1928 and married Harold S. Stevenson the following year. The couple lived in Atlanta, Georgia where he ran a candy factory. During the 1950s they moved to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. After her daughter Jean died Myrtle adopted and raised her grandson Steven Harold Frary. She and Harold remained together until his death in 1970.

Death

Myrtle spent her final years living quietly in Florida where she died on October 12, 1993, at the age of ninety-five. According to her obituary she was buried next to her husband in

Gaffney, South Carolina Gaffney is a city in and the seat of Cherokee County, South Carolina, United States, in the Upstate region of South Carolina. Gaffney is known as the "Peach Capital of South Carolina". The population was 12,539 at the 2010 census, with an estim ...

Filmography

*''

The Danger Girl ''The Danger Girl'' is a 1916 American silent comedy film directed by Clarence G. Badger and starring Bobby Vernon and Gloria Swanson. Plot Reggie's sister disguises herself as a boy to prove to her brother and sweetheart that a vamp is only ...

'' (1916) *''

Whose Baby? ''Whose Baby?'' is a 1917 American silent comedy film directed by Clarence G. Badger and starring Gloria Swanson Gloria May Josephine Swanson (March 27, 1899April 4, 1983) was an American actress and producer. She first achieved fame ac ...

'' (1917) *'' False to the Finish'' (1917) *'' A Maiden's Trust (1917) *''

The Village Chestnut ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in En ...

'' (1918), short film *'' Nancy Comes Home'' (1918) *'' Playmates'' (1918) *'' Whose Little Wife Are You?'' (1918), short film *''

The Straight and Narrow ''The Straight and Narrow'' is a 1918 American silent comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy. Cast * Billy West - Ex-convict * Oliver Hardy - His former cellmate (as Babe Hardy) * Leo White - Safecracker * Ethel Marie Burton * Rosemary Theby * ...

'' (1918) *''

Yankee Doodle in Berlin ''Yankee Doodle in Berlin'' is a 1919 American silent comedy and World War I propaganda film from producer Mack Sennett. It was Sennett's most expensive production up to that time. Hiram Abrams was the original State's Rights marketer before th ...

'' (1919) *''

The Little Widow ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in En ...

'' (1919) *''

No Mother to Guide Him No (and variant writings) may refer to one of these articles: English language * ''Yes'' and ''no'' (responses) * A determiner in noun phrases Alphanumeric symbols * No (kana), a letter/syllable in Japanese script * No symbol, displayed � ...

'' (1919) *''

Rip & Stitch Tailors Rest in peace (RIP), a phrase from the Latin (), is sometimes used in traditional Christian services and prayers, such as in the Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, and Methodist denominations, to wish the soul of a decedent eternal rest and peace. ...

'' (1919) *''

Winners of the West Winners of the West can refer to two separate Universal film serials: * ''Winners of the West'' (1921 serial), early silent serial * ''Winners of the West'' (1940 serial), sound serial See also *''Winning of the West ''Winning of the West' ...

'' (1921), serial *''

Forget Me Not Forget-me-not refers to any member of the flowering plant genus ''Myosotis'', particularly: * Flowers in the genus ''Myosotis'' * ''Myosotis sylvatica'' or wood forget-me-not * '' Cynoglossum amabile'' or Chinese forget-me-not Forget me not may ...

'' (1922)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lind, Myrtle 1898 births 1966 deaths American silent film actresses American film actresses 20th-century American actresses