Person Details

Birthday: 1906-02-11 16:20:00

Death: 1994-07-07 16:20:00

Aliases: Nita Garvin

Gender: Female

Place of birth: New York City, New York, USA

Homepage:

Movie Involvements: 10

TV Involvements: 0


Most Famous Work

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Anita Garvin (February 11, 1907 – July 7, 1994) was an American actress and comedian who appeared in both silent and sound films. She is best known for her work with comedians Laurel and Hardy and Charley Chase. Garvin was born in New York City.] Her two sisters who danced in vaudeville encouraged her talents. At age 12, she lied to an agent saying she was "almost sixteen" and got a job being a bathing beauty for one of Mack Sennett's stage shows. The following year she joined the Ziegfeld Follies. She took pride in being the only woman allowed to touch Will Rogers's ropes. She also appeared in Earl Carroll Vanities. Garvin went on tour with the musical Sally staying with the show for two seasons, then decided to stay in California when the tour left that stop in 1924. In Hollywood, Garvin began working for Christie Film Company's comedies. She recalled her co-star Bobby Vernon dropping butter on the floor onto which she stepped and tumbled, cementing her career as a comedian. Charles Lamont brought her over to work for Educational Pictures. In 1926, Hal Roach took her under contract, where she appeared in many silent films with Charley Chase, James Finlayson, and Max Davidson as well as playing occasional supporting roles in feature films. Standing around 6 feet tall, "her regal countenance and deadpan expression" made her the perfect comic foil. Roach later considered her "one of his finest actresses." Reflecting upon her frequent co-star Stan Laurel, Garvin observed: "One thing about Stan--with apologies to a lot of directors--they thought they were directing him. And they thought they were directing the picture. But Stan was the one...He was very clever about it. The director was never cognizant of the fact that he was not doing all the directing. Stan's mind was going all the time, always thinking of gags and things to do. The script didn't mean a thing." Garvin appeared in a total of eleven Laurel and Hardy films. In 1928, she was teamed with Marion Byron as a short-lived female version of Laurel and Hardy. Along with Edgar Kennedy, Byron and Garvin appeared in A Pair of Tights, an "acknowledged masterpiece."

Most Famous Work

Dynamite
Average
6

Dynamite

(1929) Undetermined Role (uncredited)
On With the Show!
Average
5

On With the Show!

(1929) Chorine (uncredited)
Yoo-Hoo
Average
0

Yoo-Hoo

(1932) Anita
Sally
Average
7

Sally

(1930) Party Guest (uncredited)
The Charlatan
Average
6

The Charlatan

(1929) Mrs. Paynter
Bertha the Sewing Machine Girl
Average
0

Acting

Year Character Movie/Tv
1940 N/A
Mrs. Vivian Errol
Mrs. Vandevere (uncredited)
1938 Tradesman's wife
1937 N/A
1936 Harry's Wife
Emma
1934 Male-Seeking Woman in Hotel Lobby (uncredited)
1933 Mrs. Finlayson
Dance Hall Hostess
1932 Anita
Anita Garvin
1931 Party Guest (uncredited)
Señora Laurel
Mme. Laurel
Mrs. Laurel
1930 Miss Garvin
Mrs. Laurel
Party Guest (uncredited)
1929 Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Mable
The Date
Bridesmaid (uncredited)
Packy's Jealous Girlfriend at Art Exhibition (uncredited)
Mrs. Weston - the Brunette
Chorine (uncredited)
N/A
Mrs. Paynter
Mrs. Brown
Anita
Anita
1928 N/A
N/A
The Princess
Ottilie Dunois
Oliver's Girlfriend
N/A
Mrs. Culpepper
1927 Slips on pie (uncredited)
Edna's Sister
Customer at top of stairs
Madame Ritz
Superior officer's girlfriend
Gwendolyn - the Flapjack Queen
Captain's Wife
Amorous nursemaid
N/A
Theatre Audience Admirer at Stage Door
Mrs. Dazzle
Wellington's Wife
1926 Flo Mason
Janice
Rich girl with roses
N/A
N/A
1925 N/A
N/A
The other woman
Physical Culture teacher
Mrs. Wilson
1924 A Millionairess (uncredited)
N/A
Year Character Movie/Tv

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