THE DELIGHTFULLY UBIQUITOUS BESS FLOWERS

 

If you are a fan of old movies from the 1920s to the 1960s, then this lovely face must be familiar to you. This elegant lady is Bess Flowers (1898-1985), and she has over one thousand film and television credits dating all the way back to 1923. Most of her appearances were uncredited and brief, in crowd scenes, party scenes, etc. Occasionally, she played a character in a film, such as her role as a secretary in DOUBLE INDEMNITY. And she sometimes even spoke a line or two in a film, as in ALL ABOUT EVE, where she approaches award winner Eve Harrington (Ann Baxter) with the words, "I'm so happy for you, Eve." Now do you recognize her? 

Miss Flowers gained the title of Queen of the Hollywood Extras, or more specifically, dress extras, who were seen wearing fashionable clothes, usually their own, in thousands of party scenes and crowd scenes in movies. She holds the record for appearing in the most films nominated for Best Picture, twenty-three, including these five winners: IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934), YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU (1938), ALL ABOUT EVE (1950), THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH (1952) and AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS (1956). Her last feature film appearance was in GOOD NEIGHBOR SAM (1964.)

I never knew anything about her until I read the excellent book ALL ABOUT ALL ABOUT EVE by Sam Staggs. Mr. Staggs did painstaking research for his book, covering every possible detail concerning the film as well as every name connected with it. He said of her: "For her brief role in ALL ABOUT EVE, credit is due but none is given. You find her name not on the screen but rather in scholarly lists compiled by passionate cinephiles." After I became aware of who Bess Flowers was, I found myself spotting her face in dozens of films, many that I'd seen before (IMITATION OF LIFE (1959), A STAR IS BORN (1954), etc.) and I continue to spot her today. For example, she showed up in two films I reviewed in my previous blogpost about my Kino-Lorber update: NO MAN OF HER OWN and THE SCARLET HOUR. I think of these pleasant surprises as Bess Flowers Sightings, just one more enjoyable aspect of exploring old movies.

Miss Flowers in DOUBLE INDEMNITY with Barbara Stanwyck in the background.

With Vivian Vance and Lucille Ball on TV.

In SONG OF THE THIN MAN (1947)