Helen Burgess

Helen Burgess

Born: April 26, 1916
Died: April 7, 1937
in Portland, Oregon, USA
Young and full of promise, Paramount contract player Helen Burgess possessed a lovely, sweet-faced quality, but made only four films during her lifetime. Born April 26, 1916, the rather demure Portland, Oregon beauty was given an auspicious debut in Cecil B. DeMille's epic bio-western The Plainsman (1936). Discovered by DeMille himself with only brief stage experience behind her, the film starred Gary Cooper as Wild Bill Hickok and Jean Arthur as Calamity Jane. Helen was fifth billed as Louisa Frederici Cody, the young bride of Wild West showman Buffalo Bill Cody, played by James Ellison. Helen went on to co-star in lesser "B" pictures, one opposite George Bancroft in the drama A Doctor's Diary (1937), and a second femme lead in King of Gamblers (1937) supporting Claire Trevor. She was busy filming her fourth movie Night of Mystery(1937) when she caught a chill that resulted in a serious cold. This, in turn, developed into lobar pneumonia. Helen died in Beverly Hills on April 7, 1937, weeks before reaching her 21st birthday, and only months after the release of her first and best known film "The Plainsman." 

Movies for Helen Burgess...

Night of Mystery
Title: Night of Mystery
Character: Ada Greene
Released: May 21, 1937
Type: Movie
One of a series of movies based on the character Philo Vance
bee
King of Gamblers
Title: King of Gamblers
Character: Jackie Nolan
Released: April 22, 1937
Type: Movie
Working for a slick restaurateur who has fallen for her, a down-on-life songstress falls instead for a crusading crime reporter, unaware that her employer is the secret head of the city's major gambling machine racket and has a penchant for murdering anyone who gets in his way.
bee
A Doctor's Diary
Title: A Doctor's Diary
Character: Ruth Hanlon
Released: February 16, 1937
Type: Movie
A Doctor's Diary is told through the eyes of Dr. Dan Norris (John Trent), resident physician in a private hospital. In his search for a cure for spinal meningitis, Norris recklessly runs roughshod over the feelings of his colleagues. The doctor's older, wiser supervisor, Dr. Clem Driscoll (George Bancroft), tries to curb Norris' impatience, pointing out that nothing takes place overnight. Angrily, Norris accuses Driscoll of malpractice and is forced to resign from the clinic -- just when a meningitis epidemic breaks out.
bee
The Plainsman
Title: The Plainsman
Character: Louisa Cody
Released: November 16, 1936
Type: Movie
Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane and Buffalo Bill go up against Indians and a gunrunner.