Betty Burbridge

Betty Burbridge
Publicity photo, 1915
Born
Elizabeth Mabelle Burbridge

November or December 8, 1894
San Diego, California, US
DiedSeptember 19, 1987
Tarzana, California, US
Resting place
Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery
34°02′31″N 118°17′52″W / 34.04199°N 118.29784°W / 34.04199; -118.29784
OccupationsScreenwriter
Actress
Years active1913–1952
Known forWestern screenplays
RelativesStephen G. Burbridge, grandfather

Elizabeth Mabelle Burbridge[1][2] (November or December 8, 1894 – September 19, 1987) was an American screenwriter and actress, best known for her Western screenplays.[3]

Biography

Burbridge was born in San Diego, California, on November or December 8, 1894,[4][5] the granddaughter of Civil War Major General Stephen G. Burbridge.[6] Her mother was Mabel Burbridge, who wrote as one of the "Prudence Penny" columnists.[7][8]

She began her career as an actress at age 17, working for Thomas H. Ince's studio.[9] She was in 62 silent short films between 1913 and 1916 using her birth name Elizabeth Burbridge. She also appeared in four feature-length silent films: Rumpelstiltskin (1915), The Winged Idol (1915), The Tongues of Men (1916), and Charity (1916).

In 1917, Burbridge began her career as a screenwriter, working at first on silent short films. By 1923, she was writing a syndicated newspaper column under the name Prudence Penny Jr., providing readers advice on interior decorating and love.[3] In 1924, Burbridge was hired by film producer Lester F. Scott Jr. as a scriptwriter for his newly formed Action Pictures. From 1924 to 1929, she wrote a majority of Action Pictures' low-budget silent films for Buddy Roosevelt, Buffalo Bill, Jr., and Wally Wales.[3] By 1926, she was working almost exclusively on western films.[10] With the advent of sound films, Burbridge became a freelance writer, working on films for Rex Lease, Bob Custer, Jack Perrin, and Tom Tyler.[3]

In 1935, Burbridge was hired by Republic Pictures and became the principal writer for singing cowboy Gene Autry in the 1930s and 1940s.[3][10] In addition to providing the story for Melody Trail (1935), she wrote thirteen western film screenplays for Autry: The Singing Vagabond (1935), Springtime in the Rockies (1937), Gold Mine in the Sky (1938), Man from Music Mountain (1938), Prairie Moon (1938), Colorado Sunset (1939), Rovin' Tumbleweeds (1939), South of the Border (1939), Rancho Grande (1940), Gaucho Serenade (1940), Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride (1940), Melody Ranch (1940), and Stardust on the Sage (1942).[11] In total, Burbridge wrote 124 films between 1917 and 1949.

In the 1950s, Burbridge began writing for television, contributing several screenplays for The Cisco Kid television series in 1950 and 1951, and three screenplays for The Gene Autry Show from 1950 to 1952.[10][11] Her last credited screenplay was for an episode of The Range Rider television series in 1952. Burbridge died on September 19, 1987, in Tarzana, California,[3] at the age of 92.[12][13]

Selected filmography

References

  1. ↑ Hopper, Hedda (February 11, 1940). "Moviemakers Turning Back to the Westerns; They Cash in on Them, and They Always Will". Evansville Press. p. 5-D. Retrieved July 16, 2026 – via Newspapers.com. And while we're talking about western stars, I'd like to tell you about E. M. Burbridge, who's written 18 of the 32 Autry stories. [...] E. M. is a woman--Betty Burbridge by name and she's the only woman writer of westerns in Hollywood. In the past ten years she's written 125 westerns, and before coming to Hollywood she'd never been on a ranch, ridden a horse, or shot a gun. Started her writing career by editing a cooking page for the New York newspapers, taking over her mother's job. Later came west and landed a job as assistant society editor of the Los Angeles Times. Then turned to acting-her four leading men were Edward Arnold, Frank Lloyd, Frank Borzage and Henry King. Some list!!![...]
  2. ↑ "United States, Census, 1950", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6XGC-FK7L : Thu Mar 21 00:01:11 UTC 2024), Entry for Eliz Mabelle Burbridge, 10 April 1950.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Magers, Boyd (2007). Gene Autry Westerns. Madison, NC: Empire Publishing, Inc. p. 44. ISBN 978-0944019498.
  4. ↑ "From the Essanay Studio". The Movie Magazine. December 1915. p. 98. Retrieved July 16, 2026."Elizabeth Burbridge is a native of California and was born in San Diego, November 8, 1894. Her first photo-drama experience was with the Biograph Company, but a short period of association terminated in her joining a vaudeville sketch under the management of Pat Casey called 'A Little Devil.'"
  5. ↑ "Beauties in the Movies: Elizabeth Burbridge". The Fort Wayne Sentinel. January 31, 1916. p. 7. Retrieved July 16, 2026. "Elizabeth Burbridgc, appearing as the pretty sister in 'Matrimony,' hails from California originally, that state being her birthplace. She was born in San Diego, on Dec. 8, 1894. She lived at various times in Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Detroit, and Chicago, in all of which places she went to school. Going to New York she was engaged by the Biograph company and later entered vaudeville."
  6. ↑ Filmland Favorites. Los Angeles: American Publishing Company. 1915. p. 92.
  7. ↑ "Miss Burbridge Playlet Opens Tomorrow". Los Angeles Examiner. November 2, 1930.
  8. ↑ Colton, Helen (October 31, 1948). "Gals who write 'em, not ride 'em". The New York Times. p. X 5. ProQuest 108243755. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  9. ↑ Harrison, Paul (July 28, 1939). "Sweep That Sombrero To Betty Burbridge, Westerns Writer". Portland Evening Express. NEA. p. 20. Retrieved July 16, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. 1 2 3 Erickson, Hal. "Betty Burbridge". AllMovie. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  11. 1 2 Magers, p. 414.
  12. ↑ "United States, Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J5D4-HQM : 11 January 2021), Elizabeth M Burbridge, 20 Sep 1987; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
  13. ↑ "United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6K43-FXMN : Wed Jul 01 03:02:12 UTC 2026), Entry for Elizabeth M Burbridge.
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