Lilian Bond


Lilian Bond was an English-American actress based in the United States.

Life and career

Bond was born in London and made her first professional stage appearance at the age of 14 in the pantomime Dick Whittington and His Cat. Later she joined the chorus of Piccadilly Revels and continued on the stage when she relocated to the United States, where her performances included roles in The Earl Carroll Vanities, a long run in Follow Thru and in various productions of the Ziegfeld Follies.
Bond began working in films in 1929, initially in the drama No More Children for Cliff Broughton Productions. Between 1929 and 1931, she co-starred in eight additional films, most notably with Tom Tyler in the 1931 Western Rider of the Plains. In 1932, she was named a WAMPAS Baby Star, along with Gloria Stuart, Ginger Rogers, and other young actresses rising in popularity with theater audiences.
From 1932 to 1953, she had roles in 39 more films, ranging from lead characters to uncredited performances. In James Whale's comedic thriller starring Boris Karloff titled The [Old Dark House (1932 film)|The Old Dark House], Bond plays Gladys DuCane, a chorus girl who falls in love with Roger Penderel. Perhaps her best-known film role is in the 1940 Western The Westerner starring Gary Cooper and Walter Brennan. In that production she portrays the British-American actress and socialite 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 and death

Bond technically married four times and had 2 children. At the height of her career, on June 28, 1935, she wed Sidney Smith, a successful New York broker and big-game hunter; however, "a technical legal question" required the couple to remarry on September 3, 1936. In 1943 they separated, with each accusing the other of cruelty. Their divorce was finalized the next year.
In 1950, Bond married Morton Lowry; the union lasted six years. Finally, in 1961, she wed Michael Fessier, who was a screenwriter, film producer, and novelist. The two remained together until his death in 1988. Three years later, at age 83, Bond suffered a heart attack and died at a convalescent hospital in Reseda, California.

Selected filmography