Ouida Bergère

Ouida Bergère (born Eunie Branch; December 14, 1886 – November 29, 1974) was an American screenwriter and actress.

Biography Eunie Branch was born in Madrid, Spain, the daughter of Stephen W. and Ida Branch, both natives of Tennessee. Her early years were spent in Madrid, Paris and England. She came to the U.S. at eight years of age. Her father was a merchant who later worked as a railroad timekeeper. By the time of the taking of the 1900 Federal Census she was living with her brother's family in Searcy, Arkansas as Eunie Branch.

A decade later, she was listed in the census with her parents in Little Rock, Arkansas as Eula Burgess. Her marital status then was recorded as divorced and occupation, actress. In January of that year, she appeared as Ouida Bergère playing the stenographer in the play Via Wireless and was one of the few cast members to receive positive reviews in the production.

Career Bergère began her career as an actress. Playwright Winchell Smith gave her her first role, but she eventually abandoned her stage career and turned her attention to writing. She wrote for the New York Herald and for various magazines, and wrote the stories for silent film productions.

She wrote most of the stories for the films of Elsie Ferguson, and many for Mae Murray, including On With the Dance. She also wrote for Pola Negri, Corinne Griffith, Bert Lytell, and Betty Compson, many of which were directed by her second husband George Fitzmaurice. In 1920, she wrote the screen version of Peter Ibbetson, starring Elsie Ferguson and Wallace Reid. During this time, she met Basil Rathbone, who was playing the lead role in the stage production of the play, and they eventually married in 1926.

In addition to the United States, Bergère worked on films in England, France and Italy. While in Rome, she wrote a screenplay titled The Eternal City (1923), based on the Hall Caine novel, directed by her husband George Fitzmaurice, and released by the Samuel Goldwyn Company. The film enlisted the assistance of the Fascists, and of Mussolini, with the help of the American ambassador in Rome. The film included a scene in which Mussolini appeared writing a letter and summoning a man to post it. 10,000 Blackshirts appeared in the Coliseum scenes for the film.

Family After her marriage to actor Basil Rathbone on April 18, 1926, Bergère gave up her film work to assist him in his work and in the management of his business affairs. Their first child died in infancy in 1928. They adopted a daughter named Cynthia Rathbone (1939–1969), and raised Ouida's niece, Ouida Branch, who married David Bruce Huxley, brother of Julian Huxley, Aldous Huxley, and Andrew Huxley.

Death Bergere died about two weeks shy of her 88th birthday at Roosevelt Hospital in New York from complications after falling and breaking her hip. She was survived by her younger sister Bernice C. Branch. She is buried next to Rathbone at Ferncliff Cemetery in New York.

Filmography Writer Year Films Credit Notes 1915 The Esterbrook Case ShortLost film 1915 Saints and Sinners Short 1915 At Bay Scenario Lost film 1915 Via Wireless Scenario 1915 Wasted Lives Short 1916 New York Scenario Lost film 1916 Virtue Triumphant Lost film 1916 Big Jim Garrity Scenario 1916 Arms and the Woman Scenario Lost film 1916 The Romantic Journey Scenario Lost film 1917 Kick In Scenario 1917 The Iron Heart Story Lost film 1917 The On-the-Square Girl Scenario 1918 The Hillcrest Mystery Scenario Lost film 1918 Innocent Scenario Lost film 1918 More Trouble Scenario Lost film 1918 A Japanese Nightingale Scenario 1918 The Narrow Path Scenario Lost film 1919 Common Clay Scenario Lost film 1919 The Cry of the Weak Story Lost film 1919 The Profiteers Scenario Lost film 1919 The Avalanche Scenario Lost film 1919 Our Better Selves Scenario Lost film 1919 A Society Exile Scenario Lost film 1919 The Witness for the Defense Scenario 1919 Counterfeit Scenario Lost film 1919 The Broken Melody Story Lost film 1920 On With the Dance Scenario Lost film 1920 The Right to Love Scenario 1920 Idols of Clay Story 1921 Paying the Piper Scenario Lost film 1921 Peter Ibbetson Scenario Lost film 1922 Peacock Alley Story Lost film 1922 To Have and to Hold Scenario Lost film 1922 Three Live Ghosts Scenario 1922 The Man from Home Scenario 1923 Kick In Adaptation 1923 Bella Donna Scenario 1923 The Rustle of Silk Scenario Lost film 1923 The Cheat Adaptation Lost film 1923 Six Days Adaptation 1923 The Eternal City Scenario Lost film

Casting director At Bay (1915)

Actress Getting Even (1912) Mates and Mis-Mates (1912)