Bess Wade

born: 07 June 1885 Blooming Grove, Texas, United States of America

died: 10 October 1966 Dallas, Texas, United States of America (generalized arteriosclerosis, age 81)

American actress, also known as Bessie Wade or Besse Wade. A 1927 article suggests her screen career began around 1916; Los Angeles City Directories and her husband's 1918 World War I draft registration card confirm they were in California as early as 1917. On 25 April 1909, she married John Kirkpatrick "Jack" Wade (1885-1932) in Nashville, Tennessee; they had a son, John Kirkpatrick Wade, Jr. (1910-1966), who served in World War II, reaching the rank of Staff Sergeant and earning a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. Bess and Jack appear to have split at some point between 1918 and 1932. On Jack's 1932 death certificate, Bess is named as his wife, but it claims he was widowed, even though Bess was alive and well in California; Bess herself claims to be widowed in the 1933 Los Angeles City Directory and the 1940 and 1950 U.S. Censuses. After her 1966 passing at a Dallas nursing home, she was buried at Restland Memorial Park in Dallas, Texas. Her headstone lists her date of death as the 9th, but her death certificate says the 10th.

Real name: Bessie Lee Ritter

Films listed on this page: complete Hal Roach filmography.

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1926 The Nickel-Hopper Dance hall patron 1927 Duck Soup Train passenger Acknowledgements: VITAL RECORDS, CENSUSES, ETC.: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F6G6-DDQ (birth record) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4LCC-FDW2 (christening record) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VRSB-3DG (birth record, b. 1893) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F6PC-4PP (birth record, b. 1893) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3LY-D2R (1900 Census) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZW7-MXD (1909 marriage) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XDMZ-7QP (1909 marriage) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MGNM-3MQ (1910 Census) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K9CD-TF2 (1940 Census) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6XGS-Q1ZC (1950 Census) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VZXZ-T71 (TX Death Index, 1903-2000) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JJSG-TN5 (TX Death Index, 1964-1998) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K7DM-YWF (death certificate) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V9T2-C6N (Social Security Death Index) https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/details/G7CM-D5T (family tree, FamilySearch) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/103552220 (Find a Grave) https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/604207055/ (The Tennessean [Nashville, TN], 26 Apr 1909) https://archive.org/details/camera04unse/page/n431/mode/1up?q=%22bessie+wade%22 (Camera!, 10 Sep 1921) https://archive.org/details/camera05unse/page/n411/mode/1up?q=%22bessie+wade%22 (Camera!, 02 Sep 1922) https://archive.org/details/hollywoodvagabon01vaga/page/n334/mode/1up?q=%22bess+wade%22 (Hollywood Vagabond, 03 Nov 1927) https://archive.org/details/filmdaily4142newy/page/1445/mode/1up?q=%22bessie+wade%22 (The Film Daily, 13 Dec 1927) https://catalog.afi.com/Person/20152-Bessie-Wade (AFI Catalog) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZVV-85M (husband John Kirkpatrick Wade's WWI draft reg. card, 1918) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K33Z-15K (husband Jack Wade's death certificate, 1932) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8JH-L99 (son Jack K. Wade's marriage, 1932) LOS ANGELES CITY DIRECTORIES: 1917 L.A. City Dir.: Wade Bessie Mrs clk r 546 S Grand av | Wade Jack K h 546 S Grand av 1918 L.A. City Dir.: Wade Bessie L clk h1144 E 12th | Wade Jack K clk h433 S Hope 1924 L.A. City Dir.: Wade Bessie L actor r4767 Hollywood blvd | Wade Jack K br mgr Sam Seelig Co r637½ S Olive 1926 L.A. City Dir.: Wade Mrs Bessie actress h4671 Hwood blvd 1927 L.A. City Dir.: Wade Bessie Mrs actor h1717 N Nmdie av 1928 L.A. City Dir.: Wade Bessie actor h5319½ Hwood blvd 1929 L.A. City Dir.: Wade Besse actor h5516 Fountain av 1930 L.A. City Dir.: Wade Besse Mrs h1660 N Westn av 1933 L.A. City Dir.: Wade Bess (wid Jack) studio wkr r759½ Vine 1934 L.A. City Dir.: Wade Besse L actor r5447 Hwood blvd 1935 L.A. City Dir.: Wade Bessie Mrs r5445 Sunset blvd 1937 L.A. City Dir.: Wade Bessie Mrs actor r1721 N Westn av 1938 L.A. City Dir.: Wade Bessie actor r1826 N Kingsley dr 1941 L.A. City Dir.: Wade Bessie Mrs actor r1671 N Van Ness av 1942 L.A. City Dir.: Wade Bessie Mrs r1900 N Oxford Robert Demoss (information) Jesse Brisson (bio notes and research; identification in The Nickel-Hopper, Duck Soup) This page was last updated on: 31 January 2026