Louise Lovely (born Nellie Louise Carbasse; 28 February 1895 – 18 March 1980) was an Australian film actress of Swiss-Italian descent. She is credited by film historians as being the first Australian actress to have a successful career in Hollywood, signing a contract with Universal Pictures in the United States in 1914. Lovely appeared in 50 American films and ten Australian films before retiring from acting in 1925.
Early life Louise Lovely was born Nellie Louise Carbasse in Paddington, Sydney to an Italian musician and composer father, Ferruccio Carlo Alberti, and a Swiss mother, Elise Louise Jeanne de Grüningen Lehmann,Madame Alberti, The Sydney Morning Herald, (Monday, 16 August 1926), p.12; Deaths: Alberti, The Sydney Morning Herald, (Monday, 16 August 1926), p.10. who had come to Australia in 1891, in the company of Sarah Bernhardt, and had decided to remain in Sydney once Bernhardt had left Australia.Louise Lovely, Table Talk, (Thursday, 16 October 1924), p.49.
Louise Lovely made her professional debut at age nine as Eva in a stage production of the classic Uncle Tom's Cabin, using the name Louise Carbasse.
Career Early work Lovely was acting with George Marlow'sGeorge Marlow's Names, The (Wagga Wagga) Daily Advertiser, (Tuesday, 30 May 1939), p.2. theatre company in Western Australia when she received a telegram from Gaston Mervale to appear in a series of movies for Australian Life Biograph Company.
Hollywood films
In 1914, Lovely moved to the United States with her husband, hoping to replicate her Australian success, settling in Los Angeles, California. In California, Lovely caught the attention of Universal Studios head Carl Laemmle who both gave her a contract with his studio and re-christened her Louise Lovely. She made her American debut alongside the legendary Lon Chaney in Father and the Boys in 1915, receiving strong reviews. She starred with Chaney again in several other films including her next release US film Stronger Than Death (1915) and The Gilded Spider and Tangled Hearts (both 1916).
Lovely became one of Universal's major early stars and a challenger to Mary Pickford's status as the golden girl of early silent cinema, but was dropped by the studio in 1918 following a contract dispute. Though she was subsequently picked up by 20th Century Fox, where she starred in a series of Westerns with William Farnum, her career never reached its earlier heights. Over a course of four years, she had appeared in fifty American films.
As a consequence of having her hair singed on an American movie set, she permanently changed her hair style from long flowing locks to a bob cut.Maher, Louise, "Silent film star Louise Lovely's 1916 fan letter and photos acquired by National Archive", ABC Radio Canberra, Wednesday, 4 April 2018.
Return to Australia In 1924, Lovely and her husband returned to Australia in pursuit of a new interest - film production. Lovely had maintained a long-time interest in the behind-the-scenes aspects of film, and had collaborated with Welch on a successful short documentary feature, A Day at the Studio, but her plans for her return to Australia were far more ambitious. Lovely and Welch undertook a nationwide talent search to encourage budding new movie actresses. Over 23,000 actors and actresses attended Lovely's auditions, which included demonstrations of movie equipment and acting technique, and which took place at prestigious locations such as Melbourne's Princess Theatre. Twenty were selected to appear in Lovely's next film venture Jewelled Nights (1925), which was written and directed by herself and her husband.
Based on the novel by Marie Bjelke Petersen, Jewelled Nights told the story of a young woman who escaped from an unhappy marriage, instead posing as a young man and finding refuge in a tough mining community, where she finds love with a fellow miner (played by Gordon Collingridge). Though it was an outstanding success, it did not recoup its high costs. The Australian film industry, once one of the most productive in the world, was about to fall into a slump that was to last for fifty years. Lovely was offered no more roles and could not afford any further independent productions, and thus, Jewelled Nights was her last film. Today, very little of the film survives other than outtakes and stills.
Prior to the production of Jewelled Nights, between 1921 and 1925, Lovely and Welch traveled throughout the United States and Australia, leading "A Day at the Studio", a traveling show in which audience members volunteered for on-stage "screen tests".
Personal life Lovely married fellow actor Wilton Welch in February 1912,Mr. Wilton Welch and Mademoiselle Louise Carbasse, Table Talk, (Thursday, 29 February 1912), p.8; Marriages: Welch—Carbasse Alberti, The Sydney Morning Herald, (Tuesday, 27 February 1912), p.8. when she was sixteen years old, and relocated to the United States with him. Lovely testified at the Royal Commission on the Moving Picture Industry in Australia, suggesting a number of measures that might stimulate the struggling local film industry. Soon afterwards, she made a return to the stage. It was at around this time that Lovely's marriage to Wilton Welch disintegrated; Welch was homosexual, and from their return to Australia in 1924 they no longer lived together. Lovely and Welch were divorced in November 1928.In Divorce: Welch v Welch, The Sydney Morning Herald, (Friday, 3 September 1926), p.8; Miss Louise Lovely: Wants Her Husband Back, The (Adelaide) Advertiser, (Friday, 3 September 1926), p.16; Not so Lovely now, The (Sydney Truth, (Sunday, 5 September 1926), p.17."The decree nisi granted in the suit of Nellie Louise Welch v William Harry Welch, was made absolute, and the marriage declared dissolved": In Divorce, The Sydney Morning Herald, (Tuesday, 27 November 1928), p.8.
She married Melbourne theatre manager Andrew Bertie Cowen, known as "Bert Cowan", at the Melbourne Registry Office on Monday, 26 November 1928; the same day as her divorce was granted in Sydney.Miss Lovely Gets Divorce: Marries Again on the Same Day, The Northern Territory Times, (Tuesday, 27 November 1928), p.5. Miss Louise Lovely: Married in Melbourne, The (Adelaide) Advertiser, Tuesday, 27 November 1928), p.15; Topics of Feminine Interest: Louise Loveley's Wedding, The Countryman, (Friday, 30 November 1928), p.10; Theatrical Party Filmed, The Mercury, (Friday, 8 February 1929), p.5. Her marriage to Cowan lasted for the rest of her life. Cowan had a background of drama, revue and pantomime before becoming involved with the picture theatre business. He was in turn manager of Hoyts' Regent, Plaza and Lyceum theatres in Melbourne before in 1934 taking on the Metro Theatre in Collins Street for MGM.
The couple moved to Hobart, Tasmania in 1946, where Cowan became the manager of the Prince of Wales Theatre.Theatre Director Entertained, The Mercury, (Tuesday, 1 February 1949), p.6. Lovely managed the theatre's sweet shop, where she worked until her death in 1980.McIntyre, Paul, "Louise Lovely: The silent film star who tried to bring Hollywood to Tasmania", ABC Radio Hobart, 10 September 2017.Actress Dies, The Canberra Times, (Thursday, 20 March 1980), p.3.
Filmography
+Key Denotes a lost or presumed lost film.
Year Title Role Notes1911 One Hundred Years Ago JudithAs Louise Carbasse 1911 A Ticket in Tatts Mrs. Fallon As Louise Carbasse 1911 The Colleen Bawn The Colleen As Louise Carbasse 1911 A Tale of the Australian Bush Mrs. Hall As Louise Carbasse 1912 Hands Across the Sea As Louise Carbasse 1912 A Daughter of Australia As Louise Carbasse 1912 Conn, the Shaughraun As Louise Carbasse 1912 The Wreck of the Dunbar or The Yeoman's Wedding Short film; as Louise Carbasse 1912 The Ticket of Leave Man As Louise Carbasse 1915 Father and the Boys Bessie Brayton 1915 Stronger Than Death June Lathrop 1916 The Measure of a Man Pattie Batch 1916 Dolly's Scoop Dolly Clare Short film; as Louise Welch 1916 The Grip of Jealousy Virginia Grant 1916 Tangled Hearts Vera Lane 1916 The Gilded Spider Leonita & Elisa 1916 The Grasp of Greed Alice Gordon 1916 Bobbie of the Ballet Bobbie Brent 1916 Bettina Loved a Soldier Bettina Scott 1916 The Social Buccaneer Marjorie Woods 1916 Stronger Than Steel Daphne of the Follies Short film 1917 Blood Money Belle Blaire Short film 1917 The Fugitive Nan Donovan Short film 1917 The Diamonds of Destiny Jane Lowe Short film 1917 The Outlaw and the Lady Ruth Carter Short film 1917 The Fourth Witness Margaret Bryant Short film 1917 The Gift Girl Rokaia Feature film 1917 The Grip of Love Ruth Overholt Short film 1917 Her Great Dilemma Mary Blanton Short film 1917 The Field of Honor Laura Sheldon 1917 Her Strange Experience Marie Short film 1917 The Reed Case Helen Reed 1917 Sirens of the Sea Lorelei 1918 The Wolf and His Mate Bess Nolan 1918 Painted Lips Lou McTavish 1918 Nobody's Wife Hope Ross 1918 The Girl Who Wouldn't Quit Joan Tracy 1918 A Rich Man's Darling Julie Le Fabrier 1919 Life's a Funny Proposition Mary Austin 1919 Johnny-on-the-Spot Ann Travers 1919 The Man Hunter Helen Garfield 1919 The Usurper Beatrice Clive 1919 The Lone Star Ranger Ray Longstreth 1919 Wolves of the Night Isabel Hollins 1919 The Last of the Duanes Jenny Lee 1919 Wings of the Morning Iris Deane 1920 The Third Woman Eleanor Steele 1920 The Butterfly Man Bessie Morgan 1920 The Orphan Helen Fields 1920 Twins of Suffering Creek Little Casino 1920 The Joyous Trouble-Maker Beatrice Corlin 1920 The Skywayman Grace Ames 1920 The Little Grey Mouse Beverly Arnold 1921 Partners of Fate Helen Meriless 1921 While the Devil Laughs Mary Franklin 1921 The Old Nest Kate at 21–31 1921 The Heart of the North Patricia Graham 1921 The Poverty of Riches Grace Donaldson 1921 Life's Greatest Question Nan Cumberland 1922 Shattered Idols Diana Chichester 1925 Jewelled Nights Elaine Fleetwood
Notes
References
Sources
External links
Louise Lovely at the Women Film Pioneers Project
Louise Lovely at the National Film and Sound Archive Louise Lovely, Significant Women Project (Tasmanian Government)