Kitty Gordon (born Constance Minnie Blades; 22 April 1878 – 26 May 1974) was an English stage and silent film actress.
Career Constance Minnie Blades was born in Folkestone, Kent, to Col. Blades of the Royal Artillery. Her first professional stage appearance was at the Princes Theatre in Bristol in 1901 in the touring production of San Toy. She appeared in The Duchess of Dantzic in 1903, the operetta Véronique in 1904 and The Three Kisses in 1907. In 1909 she moved to New York City, where she became a regular on the New York stage.
On 19 October 1911, Gordon starred in the premiere of composer Victor Herbert's operetta The Enchantress at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C. Herbert wrote the title role specifically for her. She remained with the production when it transferred to the New York Theatre on Broadway later that month and toured in the piece for two years, until she fell ill.
She made her first film appearance in 1916 in As in a Looking Glass. During the next three years she made twenty-one films. She continued her stage work from 1919 onwards. She also made television appearances. Her final appearance on television was in 1952 on the program Life Begins at Eighty.
Personal life Her first husband was Maxwell James with whom she had a child, Vera. She later also had a career as an actress known on the stage and in film as Vera Beresforf. After his death, she married theatre manager Michael Levenston on 10 December 1903. He died on 29 March 1904, and in October 1904, Kitty married Captain Henry "Harry" Horsley-Beresford (1876– 1924), a son of the 3rd Baron Decies.The Times 29 January 1924. Kitty's child became Cynthia Vera Beresford, who became an actress. In 1932 Kitty married Ralph Ranlet.Mrs. Beresford wed to Ralph Ranlet. New York Times, 16 September 1932 Kitty's daughter Vera died in 1945.“Deaths.” The New York Times, 8 Oct. 1945, p. 15.
Kitty Gordon died in a nursing home in Brentwood, New York in 1974.“Kitty Gordon, Star of 1911 'Enchantress,' Is Dead.” The New York Times, 29 May 1974, p. 44.
Filmography Year Title Role Notes1916 As in a Looking Glass Lila Despard Lost film1916 Her Maternal Right Nina Seabury Lost film1916 The Crucial Test Thanya Lost film1917 Vera, the Medium Vera Lost film1917 Forget Me Not Stefanie Paoli Lost film1917 The Beloved Adventuress Juliette La Monde Lost film1917 Her Hour Rita Castle Lost film1917 National Red Cross Pageant Bruges Flemish episode Lost film1917 Diamonds and Pearls Violetta D'Arcy Lost film1917 The Volunteer Herself, Cameo Appearance Lost film1918 The Divine Sacrifice Madeline Spencer Lost film1918 The Wasp Grace Culver Lost film1918 The Purple Lily Marie Burguet Lost film1918 Stolen Orders Felicia Gaveston Lost film1918 The Interloper Jane Cameron Lost film1918 Tinsel Princess Sylvia Carzoni 1918 Merely Players Nadine Trent Lost film1919 Adele Adele Bleneau Lost film1919 Mandarin's Gold Betty Cardon Lost film1919 The Unveiling Hand Margaret Ellis Lost film1919 The Scar Cora Lost film1919 Playthings of Passion Helen Rowland Lost film
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