Helen Burgess

Young and full of promise Paramount contract player Helen Burgess possessed a lovely sweetfaced 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 DeMilles epic biowestern 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 costar in lesser B pictures one opposite George Bancroft in the drama A Doctors Diary 1937 and a second femme lead in King of Gamblers 1937 supporting Claire Trevor She was busy filming her fourth movie Night of Mystery1937 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