All The Babes
Career
Active 1927 – 1929
Biography
About Betty Browne
Betty Browne was an American screenwriter and stage actress who made her mark writing intertitles for comedy shorts during Hollywood's silent era. Born in New York City to Mr. Browne and Aimee Fitzgerald, she lost her father as an infant. Her grandfather, Edward Browne, had served as a Supreme Court Justice. Betty's career began on the stage at age fifteen with her Broadway debut in The Passing Show Of 1915. She went on to appear in the Ziegfeld Follies, Ziegfeld's Nine O'Clock Review, and shows like The Little Blue Devil, The Magic Melody, and The Rose Of Stamboul. She also worked as a Ziegfeld girl.
Betty's personal life was eventful. She married Australian actor and Broadway producer Leslie Casey in New York City in 1918, but the marriage later ended. In the early 1920s, she pivoted to writing articles for fan magazines such as Picture Play. In 1927, Mack Sennett hired her to write title cards, the explanatory text in silent films. Over the next two years, she wrote for more than a dozen comedies, including The Bargain Hunt, Taxi Spooks, and Love At First Flight. This made her one of only a few female screenwriters in Hollywood at the time.
After divorcing Leslie, she married screenwriter Gene Towne. Their daughter, Betty Gene, was born in 1929. The family settled in Los Angeles, where Betty gave up her career to be a housewife. The marriage ended in 1939. In 1945, she wed George L. Kehner, a Merchant Marine, though they divorced a few years later. As she aged, Betty developed diabetes. On December 28, 1959, she died from a heart attack at age fifty-nine. She was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California. Betty's brief but notable writing career stands out, especially given the era's gender barriers. She remains a figure of interest to silent film enthusiasts.
Record
Profile details
Frequently asked
How unusual was it for a woman to write title cards in the 1920s?
Betty was one of a small number of female writers working in Hollywood at the time, making her relatively rare in that field.
What was Betty Browne's connection to the Ziegfeld Follies?
She performed as a Ziegfeld girl and appeared in the Ziegfeld Follies, as well as in Ziegfeld's Nine O'Clock Review.
Did Betty Browne write for any notable publications?
Yes, during the early 1920s she wrote articles for fan magazines like Picture Play.
Did you know
- Betty made her Broadway debut at age fifteen in The Passing Show Of 1915.
- She was the granddaughter of a former Supreme Court Justice, Edward Browne.
- Her career as a title card writer lasted only about two years, yet she wrote for more than a dozen comedies.
- Betty was married three times: to Leslie Casey, Gene Towne, and George L. Kehner.
- Her daughter, Betty Gene, was born in 1929, the same year her writing career ended.
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