Anita Garvin
Acting
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."
Movies(74)
Laurel & Hardy: Year Two
(archive footage) (uncredited)
2024
He Asked for It
1940
Sunk by the Census
1940
Bested by a Beard
Mrs. Vivian Errol
1940
A Chump at Oxford
Mrs. Vandevere (uncredited)
1940
Truth Aches
Mrs. Errol
1939
Home Boner
1939
Swiss Miss
Tradesman's wife
1938
Topper
1937
Sleepless Hollow
Harry's Wife
1936
While the Cat's Away
Emma
1936
Merry Wives of Reno
Male-Seeking Woman in Hotel Lobby (uncredited)
1934
His Silent Racket
Mrs. Finlayson
1933
Asleep in the Feet
Dance Hall Hostess
1933
The Millionaire Cat
Natalie
1932
Yoo-Hoo
Anita
1932
Show Business
Anita Garvin
1932
The Hollywood Handicap
1932
Murder at Midnight
Party Guest (uncredited)
1931
The Skulls
Señora Laurel
1931
Be Big!
Mrs. Laurel (uncredited)
1931
The Chiselers
Mme. Laurel
1931
Whispering Whoopee
Miss Garvin
1930
Blotto
Mrs. Laurel
1930
Sally
Party Guest (uncredited)
1930
Dynamite
Undetermined Role (uncredited)
1929
Red Hot Rhythm
Mable
1929
Stepping Out
The Date
1929
Hunting the Hunter
1929
Our Modern Maidens
Bridesmaid (uncredited)
1929
The Single Standard
Packy's Jealous Girlfriend at Art Exhibition (uncredited)
1929
Modern Love
Mrs. Weston - the Brunette
1929
On With the Show!
Chorine (uncredited)
1929
Movie Night
1929
The Charlatan
Mrs. Paynter
1929
Trent's Last Case
Ottilie Dunois
1929
Off to Buffalo
Mrs. Brown
1929
A Pair of Tights
Anita
1929
Going Ga-Ga
Anita
1929
Feed 'em and Weep
1928
Imagine My Embarrassment
1928
Roaming Romeo
The Princess
1928
Their Purple Moment
Oliver's Girlfriend
1928
Fandango
1928
The Play Girl
Millie
1928
From Soup to Nuts
Mrs. Culpepper
1928
The Battle of the Century
Slips on pie (uncredited)
1927
Never the Dames Shall Meet
Edna's Sister
1927
Fighting Fathers
Mrs. Sniffleblaster
1927
Assistant Wives
Gwendolyn - the Flapjack Queen
1927
Hats Off
Customer at top of stairs
1927
Sailors, Beware!
Madame Ritz
1927
With Love and Hisses
Captain Bustle's 1st girlfriend
1927
Why Girls Love Sailors
Captain's Wife
1927
Baby Brother
Amorous nursemaid
1927
Forgotten Sweeties
1927
Upstream
Theatre Audience Admirer at Stage Door
1927
Two-Time Mama
Mrs. Dazzle
1927
Many Scrappy Returns
Wellington's Wife
1927
The Motor Boat Demon
Colleen
1927
Bertha the Sewing Machine Girl
Flo Mason
1926
Raggedy Rose
Janice
1926
Move Along
Rich girl with roses
1926
Creeps
1926
For Sadie's Sake
1926
My Swedie
Ethel Lorraine
1925
Fair But Foolish
1925
A Taxi War
1925
Book Bozo
1925
The Sleuth
The other woman
1925
In the Grease
Physical Culture teacher
1925
A Dangerous Peach
Mrs. Wilson
1925
The Last Man on Earth
A Millionairess (uncredited)
1924
Bright Lights
1924