Biography
A tiny, vivacious blonde, American actress/screenwriter Bess Meredyth entered films as an extra in 1914. She developed into a comedy ingenue, appearing in the
Bess one-reeler series of the mid teens. Upon marrying actor Wilfred Lucas, she retired from acting to concentrate on writing; she also co-directed a film with her husband,
Morgan's Raiders (1918). After an acrimonious split-up with Lucas, Bess married director
Michael Curtiz. Bess' most famous screenplays include
Don Juan (1926),
Ben-Hur (1926),
A Woman of Affairs (1928) and
The Mighty Barnum (1934). Bess Meredyth was the mother of writer-director John Meredyth Lucas, of
Mannix fame. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide