Beatrice Burton

Beatrice Burton
Born	May 13, 1894 Cleveland Ohio, U.S.A.
Died	April 13, 1983 (aged 88) Naples, Florida, USA
Other names	Beatrice Burton Morgan
Occupation	Author, Playwright

Beatrice Burton (1894–1983), also known as Beatrice Burton Morgan, was a writer of romance fiction popular during the early decades of the twentieth century.

Career

Very little is known about her life. She had wanted to be an actress and had even signed a contract with David Belasco in 1909, but little work came her way. As a second resort she began to write at the impressive rate of as many as four books a year. Burton's romance stories were first serialized in newspapers with great success, before the publishing company Grosset and Dunlap published them in low cost hard cover editions.

As her books made their way to Hollywood, Burton's name became entwined with 1920s pop culture. Her romance stories, which all take place during the year they were written, provide a glimpse into the culture of the 1920s. Many famous actors, films, and figures are mentioned during the stories. Also used is the inventive 1920s slang.

Life and death

Beatrice Burton was born on May 13, 1894 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA.^[1] 1900 United States Federal Census records show a Beatrice F. Burton, who was six years old and lived in Cleveland Ward 20, Cuyahoga, Ohio at the time of the census. Other people listed as living in the house are, Alfred P. Burton age 40, Minnie E. Burton age 37, Harry G. Burton age 14, Beatrice F. Burton age 6, Gertrude Burton age 17, and Florence E Burton age 9, although Gertrude and Florence were not siblings. Her brother Harry would go on to be a journalist and editor for Cosmopolitan Magazine.^[2]

Beatrice married Victor Hugo Morgan on November 8, 1916, in Cuyahoga County, Ohio.^[3] Sometime between 1920 and 1930, she and her family moved to Florida, where Victor was editor of a local newspaper. Beatrice divided her time between writing books and magazine articles, assisting her husband with editing the newspaper, and raising their three children, who were born in 1918^[4] and 1922.^[5]

There is more information about her on the IMDB database at www.imdb.com and on some family trees at www.ancestry.com or www rootsweb.com.

She died on April 13, 1983 in Naples, Florida, USA.^[6]

Known books

• The Flapper Wife 1925 - the story of a young flapper, who despite her recent marriage, refuses to fit into the housewife mold.
• Her Man 1926 - The story of a girl who gave everything and still could not hold the man she loved.
• Footloose 1926 - A sequel to The Flapper Wife, it's the story of a woman's search for love a year after the suicide of her husband. (*made into a silent film, Footloose Widows, starring Louise Fazenda.)
• Love Bound 1926 - The story of a young woman's struggle to support her family, keep her trouble-making younger sister out of scandal, and catch the eye of the man she loves, all the same time.
• Sally's Shoulders 1927 - The story of a young woman saddled with the responsibilities of caring for and supporting her ungrateful family. With no money and no time, there seems very little hope of fitting love into her life, but perhaps love sets her free.
• The Hollywood Girl 1927 - Bobbie Ransom was movie mad. She decides to go to Hollywood to escape her monotonous life.
• The Petter 1927 - Because life seemed just a round of parties, the heroine doesn't recognize the Real Thing (love) when it comes around.
• Honey Lou or The Love Wrecker 1927 - The story of a young woman who finds the man of her dreams but is thrown a curve ball when someone tries to ruin their life together. Takes place during her first year of marriage.
• The Little Yellow House 1928 - Emmy grew up in the shadow of the mill on a sad little street. All of her life she's wanted to find a way out and worked hard to afford a nice place of her own overlooking the park... Even if it meant leaving the boy who loves her and her family behind. When she meets a rich and handsome man who sweeps her off her feet, he seems like the cherry on the top of her new life, but is he?
• Money Love 1928 Wealth, ease, luxury - or love with a poor mechanic? Spoiled rich girl marries a hardworking man and misery ensues.
• Lovejoy 1930
• Easy 1930 - Wouldn’t it be nice if we could choose who we fall for, but sometimes while our head is telling us one thing our hearts are doing another and we end up in love with a bad egg. This is the story of a young woman's attempts to destroy her feelings for the two-timer she's fallen for and develop feelings for someone worthwhile.
• Mary Faith 1931
• Girl in the Family 1932
• The Flapper's Daughter 1933
• The Mainspring 1936 - While visiting her newlywed sister, Connie Ramsdell meets a man who makes her heart race… But he’s married. Will Connie throw away the affections of her childhood sweetheart for the thrill of a man who may never be able to love her back?
• Little Town 1937 - Emily Orcutt couldn't stand the feeling that her life was slipping by, so when her brother-in-law and sister moved to Florida, she went with them in hopes of a change. Will she find the bright new life and the love she dreams of there or will she just find herself back in the same old rut?

^[7]

Dedications

Beatrice Burton dedicated only four of her books to three people.

• Her Man 1926 - To my Mother
• The Little Yellow House 1928 - for William B. Warner
• Easy and Lovejoy both published in 1930 share the dedication - For Joseph V. Connolly

Magazine short stories not republished as books

All published in McCall's Magazine except "Everything a Girl Should Want", which was published in Redbook

• Everything a Girl Should Want 1944
• Girl in the Family 1933
• Plain Nice 1934

Her books made into films

• A Transplanted Prairie Flower 1914
• Footloose Widows 1926
• His Jazz Bride 1926 (The Flapper Wife)
• Sally's Shoulders 1928
• The Little Yellow House 1928
• Beyond London Lights 1928

Acting roles

• The Great Ruby 1915... Lady Garnett
• Sylvia on a Spree 1918
• Cradle Buster 1922... Mrs. Reed

Sources

1. US Passport Application (November 28, 1894)
2. New York Day By Day by O. O. McIntyre - Modesto Bee And News-Herald, July 24, 1935 pg. 33
3. Marriage index, Cuyahoga County, Ohio (Ancestry.com)
4. 1920 US Census, Cuyahoga County, Ohio
5. 1930 US Census, Cuyahoga County, Ohio
6. Florida Death Index
7. List of some of her books

External links

• Beatrice Burton papers, 1909-1921, held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts