Bertha Mann (October 21, 1893 – December 20, 1967) was an American stage and film actress.
Early life Mann was born in Atlanta, Georgia."Raymond Griffith to Wed Actress" New York Times (January 4, 1928): 31. She trained as a dancer in childhood, but soon found that drama was a better fit for her talents."Her Miss a Hit" Evening Public Ledger (February 7, 1920): 12. via Newspapers.com
Career
Mann started touring with stock companies as a young actress.Johnson Briscoe, "New Blood in Theatreland" Green Book (January 1914): 24. Broadway appearances by Mann included roles in When Claudia Smiles (1914),"When Blanche Ring Smiles and Sings" New York Times (February 4, 1914): 9. When the Young Vine Blooms (1915), The Weavers (1915–1916), One of Us (1918),Gerald Bordman, American Theatre: A Chronicle of Comedy and Drama 1914–1930 (Oxford University Press 1995): 87, 285. The Crimson Alibi (1919),"The Crimson Alibi" Theatre Magazine (September 1919): 151. The Man with the Load of Mischief (1925),Thomas S. Hischak, Broadway Plays and Musicals (McFarland 2012): 283. and The Virgin (1926). Films featuring Bertha Mann include The Blindness of Divorce (1918),"'The Blindness of Divorce' Has Remarkably Good Cast" Motography (May 4, 1918): 849. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930),John Howard Reid, Silent Films & Early Talkies on DVD: A Classic Movie Fan's Guide (2008): 5. The Little Accident (1930), Free Love (1930), Caught Cheating (1931), Father's Son (1931), A Woman of Experience (1931), The Final Edition (1932), and Behind the Mask (1932)."On Broadway's Screens" New York Times (February 28, 1932): X5.
During World War I Mann learned to knit to make "mufflers" for American troops, took a basic nursing course, and was active with the Stage Women's War Relief organization."Busy Bertha Mann" Los Angeles Times (August 9, 1918): 13. via Newspapers.com She suggested that the young film industry in Los Angeles might follow the example of the theatre community in New York in supporting the war effort.Paul Hubert Conlon, "Bertha Mann's Idea; Favorite Actress Works to Aid our Soldiers" Los Angeles Times (October 6, 1917): 13. via Newspapers.com
Filmography Year Title Role Notes1918 The Blindness of Divorce Claire Langdon 1930 All Quiet on the Western Front Sister Libertine Uncredited The Little Accident Miss Hemingway Free Love Helena 1931 Caught Cheating Lena Harris Father's Son Mrs. Stewart A Woman of Experience Red Cross Nurse 1932 The Final Edition Jane Conroy Behind the Mask Nurse Edwards (final film role)
Personal life Mann married fellow actor Raymond Griffith in 1928. They lived in Los AngelesAlma Whitaker, "Bertha Mann Here to Stay" Los Angeles Times (September 30, 1928): 55. via Newspapers.com and raised two children together."Stork Visit to Actress Scheduled" Los Angeles Times (February 15, 1929): 44. via Newspapers.com She was widowed when Griffith died in 1957. She died ten years later, aged 74 years, in Los Angeles.
References
External links
Bertha Mann's listing at IBDB. Bertha Mann Griffith's gravesite on Find a Grave. Two publicity photos of Bertha Mann, at Silent Film Still Archive.