Francelia Billington
| Francelia Billington | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
Francelia Billington February 1, 1895 Dallas, Texas, United States |
| Died | November 24, 1934 (aged 39) Glendale, California, United States |
| Cause of death | Tuberculosis |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Spouse(s) | Lester Cuneo (1920–1925) |
Francelia Billington (1 February 1895 – 24 November 1934) was an early American silent-screen actress, and an accomplished camera operator.
Billington was born in Dallas, Texas, the daughter of James Billington and his wife, musician Adelaide Bueter. She was born and raised on her parents' ranch, where she learned to become an expert at horsemanship, which later served her in a movie career that was to consist of a number of Westerns. She attended school at a convent where, at a very early age, she began playing parts in plays. When she was 10 years old, she moved to New Orleans and continued her interest in outdoor activities, becoming accomplished at swimming, diving and rowing.
She began working in films for the Kalem Company's West Coast studio in 1912, before moving to Reliance-Majestic Studios the following year and continued starring in films under its banner when D. W. Griffith became the studio's director-general. Billington made The Half Breed with Jack Pickford in 1913. The production was filmed at the Majestic Studio on Boyle Heights.
Billington left Majestic in 1915, and following her association with the Palo Alto Film Corporation, where she worked with Nell Shipman, one of the most remarkable figures in film history on the uncompleted film Wanda of the Red Street, joined Universal. There, she played leads for such directors as Rupert Julian and Rex Ingram. In 1917, she went over to The American Film Company in Santa Barbara to star in features directed by Edward Sloman. Her return to Universal in 1918 brought her a co-starring role in one of silent film's true cinematic milestones, Erich von Stroheim's directorial debut, Blind Husbands. Billington played the wife and Sam De Grasse 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.
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