Lovely, Louise (1895–1980)

views updated

Lovely, Louise (1895–1980)

Australian actress. Name variations: Louise Carbasse. Born Nellie Louise Carbasse, Feb 28, 1895, in Paddington, Sydney, Australia; died Mar 19, 1980, in Hobart, Australia; illeg. dau. of actress Elise Lehmann; m. Wilton Welch, Feb 1912 (div. 1928); m. Bert Cowan (theater manager), Nov 1928.

At 8, made Sydney stage debut as Eva in Uncle Tom's Cabin under name Louise Carbasse; had successful stage career in Australia and New Zealand and appeared in 9 film melodramas (1911–12); worked with husband in vaudeville in Australia and America; in US, renamed Louise Lovely, starred in Universal's Stronger than Death (1915); made over 50 films, including Father and the Boys, The Field of Honor, The Butterfly Man, Life's Greatest Question and Shattered Idols; as well, signed with Fox (1918) and appeared in numerous westerns opposite Bill Farnum; returned to Australia (1924) and co-produced Marie Bjelke-Petersen's Jeweled Nights (1925).