Jessie Busley (1869–1950) was an American actress and comedian who performed on stage, screen, and radio for over six decades.
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Early years
Busley was born on March 10, 1869, in Albany, New York. The wife of an Albany theater owner took her to New York, where she met Charles Frohman.
Career
Busley's first Broadway appearance came in 1888. She starred on stage in over 25 Frohman productions in the first 15 years of her career. In June 1930, she appeared on film for the first time in The Devil's Parade A Musical Revue set in Hades, a 10-minute film short by Warner Bros. Pictures, alongside actress Joan Blondell.
Busley went on to appear in such films as Brother Rat and Brother Rat and a Baby. In 1939, she appeared alongside Kay Francis, James Stephenson, and Humphrey Bogart in King of the Underworld. The next year she appeared in Humphrey Bogart's It All Came True.
Personal life and death
Several months after they were married, Ernest Joy tried to shoot a theatrical press agent in a jealous rage after he saw him leaving a theater with Busley. Word of the shot was reported in the news of the time and the press agent left town. Later that same year, Busley and Joy separated after it was reported that she had him arrested for "annoying her". All charges were dropped when she did not testify against him.
On August 1, 1908, The New York Times reported that Busley had sent two men to beat her husband Joy, whom she intended to divorce, with one of them hitting him over the head with an iron bar, leaving him hospitalized. The article said that the couple had frequent quarrels, and finished by noting that she had last appeared in The Bishop's Carriage, and "is well known as an actress but has had more success in the south and west then [sic] in this city".
Busley died on April 20, 1950, in St. Vincent's Hospital in New York City, aged 80.
Stage roles
+Not on Broadway
Aug 25, 1895- : The Sporting Duchess, Academy of Music, 212 performances :Daly's Theatre
Nov 27, 1899 - Feb 4, 1900: The Manoeuvres of Jane [Original, Play, Comedy] :Garden Theatre
Feb 21, 1900 - May 1900: Hearts Are Trumps [Original, Play, Melodrama] :The National Theatre :+(Washington, DC)
October 22–27, 1900: Hearts Are Trumps [Original, Play, Melodrama] :[Herald Square Theatre]
May 20, 1901 - Jul 8, 1901: The Brixton Burglary [Original, Play, Farce] :Criterion Theatre
Aug 26, 1901 - Dec 1901: A Royal Rival [Original, Play, Drama] :Garrick Theatre
Mar 17, 1902 - Apr 1902: Sky Farm [Original, Play, Comedy] :Garrick Theatre
Aug 25, 1902 - Sep 1902: The New Clown [Original, Play, Farce] :Hoyt's Theatre
Sep 30, 1902 - Nov 1902: The Two Schools [Original, Play] :Empire Theatre
Jan 5, 1904 - Jan 1904: Little Mary [Original, Play] :Savoy Theatre, (1/11/1905 - 1/29/1905) :Lyceum Theatre, (1/30/1905 - 4/30/1905)
Jan 11, 1905 - Apr 30, 1905: Mrs. Leffingwell's Boots [Original, Play, Comedy] :Grand Opera House
Feb 25, 1907 - Mar 1907: In the Bishop's Carriage [Original, Play] :New Theatre
Films
This filmography is believed to be complete.
The Devil's Parade (1930 short)
Personal Maid (1931)
Brother Rat (1938)
King of the Underworld (1939) as Aunt Josephine
Brother Rat and a Baby (1940)
It All Came True (1940) as Mrs. Nora Taylor
Escape to Glory (1940)