Lilian Bond

Lilian Bond (January 18, 1908 – January 25, 1991) was an English actress based in the United States.

Life and career
Bond was born in London and made her first public appearance at the age of 14 when she was in the pantomime Dick Whittington. Later she joined the chorus of Piccadilly Revels and continued on the stage when she went to the United States. Her stage activities included performing in Earl Carroll's Vanities.

She began her film career in the 1929 film No More Children. Between 1929 and 1931, she starred in nine films, most notably the 1931 western Rider of the Plains with Tom Tyler. In 1932, she was named a WAMPAS Baby Star, along with, among others, Gloria Stuart and Ginger Rogers.

From 1932 to 1953, she had roles in 39 films, some of which were uncredited, with others having her in the lead role. In James Whale's comedic thriller starring Boris Karloff titled The Old Dark House (1932), Bond played Gladys DuCane, a chorus girl who falls in love with Roger Penderel (played by Melvyn Douglas). Possibly her best-known film role was in the 1940 Western The Westerner starring Gary Cooper and Walter Brennan, in which she played Lillie Langtry. By the 1950s, her career had declined, with her having mostly TV appearances. She retired from acting at the age of 50 in 1958.

Personal life
Bond was married three times, her first marriage being at the height of her career, to Sidney Smith, a broker. They were married on June 28, 1935, but "a technical legal question" led to their having a second ceremony on September 3, 1936. Each sued the other for divorce, as he charged her with mental cruelty and she charged him with extreme cruelty. The two divorced in 1944.

She also married Michael Fessier, a successful writer and producer in 1961. The two remained married until his death in 1988.

Death
Bond died in 1991 at aged 83 from a heart attack in a care home in Reseda, California.

Selected filmography

 Sagebrush Politics (1930) as Cleo
 Stepping Out (1931)
 Manhattan Parade (1931) as Sewing girl
 The Squaw Man (1931) as Babs
 Rider of the Plains (1931) as Betty
 Hot Saturday (1932) as Eva Randolph
 Beauty and the Boss (1932) as Girl at the bar
 Man About Town (1932) as Carlotta Cortez
 The Old Dark House (1932) as Gladys
 Fireman, Save My Child (1932) as June Farnum
 High Pressure (1932)
 It's Tough to Be Famous (1932) as Edna Jackson
 Union Depot (1932) as Actress on train (uncredited)
 Air Mail (1932) as Irene Walkins
 The Trial of Vivienne Ware (1932) as Dolores Divine
 When Strangers Marry (1933) as Marion Drake
 Double Harness (1933) as Monica Page
 Take a Chance (1933) as Thelma Green
 Hot Pepper (1933) as Hortense
 Her Splendid Folly (1933) as Jill McAllister
 Pick-Up (1933) as Muriel Stevens
 The Big Brain (1933) as Dorothy Norton
 Hell Bent for Love (1934) as Millie Garland
 Dirty Work (1934)
 Affairs of a Gentleman (1934) as Carlotta Barbe
 The Bishop Misbehaves (1935) as Mrs. Millie Walker
 China Seas (1935) - Mrs. Timmons
 Blond Cheat (1938) as Roberta Trent
 Sued for Libel (1939) as Muriel Webster
 The Women (1939) as Mrs. Erskine
 The Housekeeper's Daughter (1939) as Gladys Fontaine
 The Westerner (1940) as Lily Langtry
 Scotland Yard (1941) as Lady Constance
 A Desperate Chance for Ellory Queen (1942) as Adele Beldon
 A Tragedy at Midnight (1942) as Lola
 The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) as Kate
 Nocturne (1946) as Mrs. Billings
 The Jolson Story (1947)
 Fighter Squadron (1948) as English lady
 That Forsythe Woman (1949) as Maid
 Shadow on the Wall (1950) as Attendant
 The Sniper (1952) as Mrs. Fitzpatrick
 The Big Trees (1952) as Daisy's girl
 Man in the Attic (1953) as Annie Rowley
 The Maze (1953) as Margaret Dilling
 Pirates of Tripoli (1955) as Sono

References

External links
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Lilian Bond at Virtual History Film

Category:1908 births
Category:1991 deaths
Category:Actresses from London
Category:British film actresses
Category:British expatriate actresses in the United States
Category:Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Category:20th-century English actresses
Category:WAMPAS Baby Stars