Billie Burke was born with the birthname of Mary William Ethelbert Appleton Burke on August 7, 1885 in Washington, D.C. As a child, she toured the US and Europe with the circus because her father was employed with them as a clown. Before motion pictures and after the stage, circuses were the biggest form of entertainment in the world. One could say that Billie was bred for show business. Her family ultimately settled in London where she was fortunate to see plays in London's historic west side. She wanted to be a stage actress.
At the age of 18 she made her debut as an actress and her career was off and running. Her performances were very well received with the London set and she became one of the most popular actresses to grace the stage. But Broadway beckoned.
New York City was now recognized as the stage capital of the world and it was there she would try her luck. Billie came to NYC when she was 22 and her momentum didn't stop. She appeared in numerous plays and it was only a matter of time before she drew the attention of movie moguls, then based in New York.
Her first film was in 1916's PEGGY playing the lead role. The film was a hit, but then again most were, because of the novelty involved ever since 1903's THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY. Later that year she appeared in GLORIA'S ROMANCE.
In between cinema screenings, she would take her place on the stage because, not only was it her first love, but at least she had speaking parts. Billie considered herself more than an actress, she felt she was an artist, too. It was also the way to reach out to the audience. With movies, it couldn't be done.
In 1921, she appeared as Elizabeth Banks in THE EDUCATION OF ELIZABETH, then she retired. She had wed Florenz Ziegfeld of the famed Ziegfeld Follies and with investments in the stock market there was no need to work. What they didn't plan on was 'Black October' in 1929. Their stock investments were wiped out in the crash which precipitated the Great Depression and Billie had no choice but to return to the silver screen.
Movies had become even bigger than in the days ten years earlier. "Talkies" now ruled the theaters around the country.
Her first role of substance was as Margaret Fairlfield in A BILL OF DIVORCEMENT. As an artist, she loved the fact that she had dialogue in the cinema. But now she had to work even harder because her husband had died the same year as her speaking debut. And work she did.
One of Billie's highlights came as Mrs. Paula Jordan in the David O. Selznick's DINNER AT EIGHT in 1933. Her co-stars were Lionel Barrymore, Wallace Beery, John Barrymore and Jean Harlow. Heavy company to be sure, but she turned in an outstanding performance. She played the scatter-brained wife of a man whose shipping company is in financial trouble and was trying to get someone else to loan his company money to help stave off financial embarrassment. She loved to give dinner parties because an affair at the Jordan's was the highlight of the blue bloods that inhabited New York. Mrs. Jordan's main concern is that she is one man short of having a full dinner party. The film was a hit and once again Billie was going back to the top.
In 1937, Billie starred in TOPPER which would ultimately become a three part serial. Two more Topper films were in the theaters in 1939 and 1941. all three were box-office hits.
In 1938, Billie received her first and only Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of Emily Kilbourne in MERRILY WE LIVE. This was probably the best cinematic performance of her career, but she was destined to be immortalized forever in the classic THE WIZARD OF OZ in 1939. At 54, she played Glinda, the Good Witch of the North.
The 1940's saw Billie busier than ever when she made 25 films between 1940 and 1949. Then she made six films in the 1950's as her star waned and her age became noticeable. She was 75 when she made her final screen appearance as Cordelia Fosgate in SERGEANT RUTLEDGE in 1960.
Billie retired for good in Los Angeles where she died
of natural causes on May 14, 1970 at the age of 84.
Some Billie Burke photographs.
Billie Pic 1
Billie Pic 2
Billie Pic 3
Billie Pic 4
Billie Pic 5
Billie Pic 6
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