Eugenie Besserer

Eugenie Besserer (December 25, 1868 – May 28, 1934)

Career Besserer's initial theatrical experience came with McKee Rankin when the producer had Nance O'Neill as a star. Soon, she appeared with notable stage actors including Frank Keenan and Wilton Lackaye. As a youth, she played a juvenile part with Maurice Barrymore. She performed a season at Pike's Opera House in Portland, Oregon. Another season, Besserer acted in a drama opposite Henry Kolker. The illness of her sister brought her to the West Coast, and she came to Hollywood in 1910 when films were just starting to be made there.

In motion pictures, Eugenie was usually cast in mother roles, including as the mother of Al Jolson's character in The Jazz Singer. Besserer became associated with the Selig Polyscope Company. She portrayed Aunt Ray Innis in The Circular Staircase (1915), based on the novel by Mary Roberts Rinehart.

Personal life Besserer married art dealer Albert W. Hegger. They had one daughter. A funeral mass was held at St. Theresa's Church, with a rosary service at Edwards Brothers Colonial Mortuary, Venice Boulevard, in Los Angeles. She is buried in Calvary Cemetery, East Los Angeles.

Selected filmography

1910s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1910, Short) as Aunt Em The Mother (1911, Short) as The Governor's Daughter The Still Alarm (1911, Short) as Elinor Fordham Stability vs. Nobility (1911, Short) as Bradley's 1st Daughter One of Nature's Noblemen (1911, Short) as Minnie Brown A Sacrifice to Civilization (1911, Short) The Craven Heart (1911, Short) as Madame Dantes It Happened in the West (1911, Short) as Prologue The Profligate (1911, Short) as Pauline Revere - the Wronged Wife Slick's Romance (1911, Short) Their Only Son (1911, Short) The Regeneration of Apache Kid (1911, Short) as Mrs. Dudley The Blacksmith's Love (1911, Short) as Mary Brewer Saunders Old Billy (1911, Short) as Mrs. Marming - the Widow The Bootlegger (1911, Short) as Mrs. Fancher An Evil Power (1911, Short) as Madame Celeste George Warrington's Escape (1911, Short) as Madame Esmond Warrington The Cowboy's Adopted Child (1912, Short) as Sarah Fowler The Other Fellow (1911, Short) as Mrs. Brown Bunkie (1912, Short) as Miss Ford - Brooks' Bethrothed Disillusioned (1912, Short) as Miss Gary The Danites (1912, Short) as The Widowed Schoolteacher As Told by Princess Bess (1912, Short) as Princess Bess (old) The Junior Officer (1912, Short) as Ethel Temple - the Count's Wife Me an' Bill (1912, Short) as Kitty Somners The End of the Romance (1912, Short) as Alice Gray The Hand of Fate (1912, Short) as Mrs. VanDuzen A Child of the Wilderness (1912, Short) as Tonoma - Joe's Protector In Exile (1912, Short) as Countess Romanoff The Lake of Dreams (1912, Short) as Madge Andrews His Masterpiece (1912, Short) as The Prima Donna The Little Indian Martyr (1912, Short) as Chiquito's Mother Sergeant Byrne of the Northwest Mounted Police (1912, Short) as Jessie Long The Indelible Stain (1912, Short) as Marla The Substitute Model (1912, Short) as Millicent Carr - the Substitute Model Monte Cristo (1912, Short) as Mercedes His Wedding Eve (1912, Short) as Mrs. Ellis - Tom's Mother Old Songs and Memories (1912, Short) as Nellie Laurence - the Old Lady The Vintage of Fate (1912, Short) as Minor Role (uncredited) Opitsah: Apache for Sweetheart (1912, Short) as Mrs. McGuire - Jim's Mother The Millionaire Vagabonds (1912, Short) as Mrs. Knobhill Sammy Orpheus; or, The Pied Piper of the Jungle (1912, Short) as Kate The Last of Her Tribe (1912, Short) as Neepah - Moquin's Squaw The Governor's Daughter (1913, Short) as Mrs. Carey - Jim's Mother The Spanish Parrot Girl (1913, Short) as Mrs. Avery Diverging Paths (1913, Short) as Lily and Rose's Mother Love Before Ten (1913, Short) as Mrs. Walters Dollar Down, Dollar a Week (1913, Short) as Mrs. Sanger - the Aunt In the Days of Witchcraft (1913, Short) as Lady Beresford Lieutenant Jones (1913, Short) as Mrs. Cartright Indian Summer (1913, Short) as Virginia Wamba A Child of the Jungle (1913, Short) as Mrs. Rice The Girl and the Judge (1913, Short) as Mrs. Goff - the Judge's Wife A Flag of Two Wars (1913, Short) as Mrs. John Reed Woman: Past and Present (1913, Short) as Grandmother America The Fighting Lieutenant (1913, Short) as The Countess In God We Trust (1913, Short) as Bill's Wife The Ne'er to Return Road (1913, Short) as Mrs. Hansen - Chris' Mother The Unseen Defense (1913, Short) as Minerva Wingood The Acid Test (1913, Short) as Mrs. Argonet Fate Fashions a Letter (1913, Short) as Mrs. Rand The Probationer (1913, Short) as Granny Phantoms (1913, Short) as Natalie Storm The Master of the Garden (1913, Short) as Mrs. Harrington - Bessie's Mother Memories (1914) as Mary, Professor Scott's sweetheart Elizabeth's Prayer (1914, Short) as Hilda Crosby, an unscrupulous actress The Salvation of Nance O'Shaughnessy (1914, Short) as Mame Ryan The Fire Jugglers (1914, Short) as Mrs. Leavitt Me an' Bill (1914, Short) as Kitty His Fight (1914, Short) as Mrs. Brant The Man in Black (1914, Short) Ye Vengeful Vagabonds (1914, Short) as Betsy Spratt - Peggy's Mother Hearts and Masks (1914, Short) as Mrs. Hyphen-Bonds The Tragedy That Lived (1914, Short) as Mary's Grandmother The Story of the Blood Red Rose (1914, Short) as Queen of Urania The Vision of the Shepherd (1915, Short) as Maggie Hunt Poetic Justice of Omar Khan (1915, Short) as Neva Hyde The Carpet from Bagdad (1915) as Mrs. Chedsoye Ingratitude of Liz Taylor (1915, Short) The Rosary (1915) as Widow Kelly The Circular Staircase (1915) as Aunt Ray The Bridge of Time (1915, Short) Just as I Am (1915, Short) I'm Glad My Boy Grew Up to Be a Soldier (1915) as Mrs. Warrington The Devil-in-Chief (1916, Short) as Johann's Mistress Thou Shalt Not Covet (1916) as my wife The Grinning Skull (1916, Short) as Mme. Ward Howe A Social Deception (1916, Short) as Grace Elliott The Woman Who Did Not Care (1916, Short) as Mrs. Boyd The Temptation of Adam (1916, Short) as Dorothy Blaine The Crisis (1916) as Mrs. Brice Twisted Trails (1916, Short) as Martha, the housekeeper The Garden of Allah (1916) as Lady Rens Beware of Strangers (1917) as Mary DeLacy Little Lost Sister (1917) as Mrs. Welcome Her Salvation (1917, Short) as Mame Ryan The Witness for the State (1917, Short) The Curse of Eve (1917) as the Mother Who Shall Take My Life? (1917) as Mrs. Munroe In After Years (1917, Short) The City of Purple Dreams (1918) The Still Alarm (1918) as Minor Role A Hoosier Romance (1918) as the squire's wife The Eyes of Julia Deep (1918) as Mrs. Lowe The Road Through the Dark (1918) as Aunt Julie The Sea Flower (1918) as Kealani Little Orphant Annie (1918) as Mrs. Goode Ravished Armenia (1919) Turning the Tables (1919) as Mrs. Feverill Scarlet Days (1919) as Rosie Nell The Greatest Question (1919) as Mrs. Hilton

1920s The Fighting Shepherdess (1920) as Jezebel The Gift Supreme (1920) as Martha Vinton For the Soul of Rafael (1920) as Dona Luisa The Brand of Lopez (1920) as Señora Castillo Fickle Women (1920) as Mrs. Price Seeds of Vengeance (1920) as Judith Cree 45 Minutes from Broadway (1920) as Mrs. David Dean The Scoffer (1920) as Boorman's wife What Happened to Rosa (1920) as Madame O'Donnelly The Breaking Point (1921) as Mrs. Janeway Good Women (1921) as Mrs. Emmeline Shelby The Sin of Martha Queed (1921) as Alicia Queed The Light in the Clearing (1921) as Roving Kate Molly O' (1921) as Antonia Bacigalupi The Rosary (1922) as Widow Kathleen Wilson Penrod (1922) Kindred of the Dust (1922) as Mrs. McKaye The Hands of Nara (1922) as Mrs. Claveloux June Madness (1922) as Mrs. Whitmore The Strangers' Banquet (1922) as Mrs. McPherson The Lonely Road (1923) as Martha True Her Reputation (1923) as Madame Cervanez The Rendezvous (1923) as Nini Anna Christie (1923) as Marthy Enemies of Children (1923) as Mrs. Slavin Bread (1924) as Mrs. Sturgis The Price She Paid (1924) as Mrs. Elton Gower A Fool and His Money (1925) as Mother Friendly Enemies (1925) as Marie Confessions of a Queen (1925) as Elanora The Coast of Folly (1925) as nanny The Circle (1925) as Lady Catherine "Kitty" Cheney Wandering Footsteps (1925) as Elizabeth Stuyvesant Whitney Bright Lights (1925) as Patsy's mother The Skyrocket (1926) as wardrobe mistress Kiki (1926) as landlady (uncredited) Winning the Futurity (1926) as Mary Allen The Millionaire Policeman (1926) as Mrs. Gray The Fire Brigade (1926) as Mrs. O'Neil Flesh and the Devil (1926) as Leo's mother Wandering Girls (1927) as Peggy's mother The Night of Love (1927) as gypsy (uncredited) When a Man Loves (1927) as the landlady (uncredited) Captain Salvation (1927) as Mrs. Buxom Slightly Used (1927) as Aunt Lydia The Jazz Singer (1927) as Sara Rabinowitz Drums of Love (1928) as Duchess de Alvia Two Lovers (1928) as Madame Van Rycke Yellow Lily (1928) as Archduchess Lilac Time (1928) as Madame Berthelot A Lady of Chance (1928) as Mrs. 'Ma' Crandall The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1929) as a nun Thunderbolt (1929) as Mrs. Morgan Madame X (1929) as Rose, Floriot's servant Whispering Winds (1929) as Jim's mother Speedway (1929) as Mrs. MacDonald Fast Company (1929) as Mrs. Kane Illusion (1929) as Mrs. Jacob Schmittlap Mister Antonio (1929) as Mrs. Jorny Seven Faces (1929) as Madame Vallon

1930s A Royal Romance (1930) as Mother In Gay Madrid (1930) as Doña Generosa (as Eugenia Besserer) Du Barry, Woman of Passion (1930) as Rosalie / prison matron (uncredited) Scarface (1932) as citizens committee member (uncredited) Six Hours to Live (1932) as The Marquisa (uncredited) To the Last Man (1933) as Granny Spelvin (final film role)