She is credited by film historians as being the first Australian actress to have a successful career in Hollywood, signing a contract with Universal Pictures in the United States in 1914.

[7] In 1914, Lovely moved to the United States with her husband, hoping to replicate her Australian success, settling in Los Angeles, California.

[5] She made her American debut alongside the legendary Lon Chaney in Father and the Boys in 1915, receiving strong reviews.

Though she was subsequently picked up by 20th Century Fox, where she starred in a series of Westerns with William Farnum, her career never reached its earlier heights.

Lovely had maintained a long-time interest in the behind-the-scenes aspects of film, and had collaborated with Welch on a successful short documentary feature, A Day at the Studio, but her plans for her return to Australia were far more ambitious.

Over 23,000 actors and actresses attended Lovely's auditions, which included demonstrations of movie equipment and acting technique, and which took place at prestigious locations such as Melbourne's Princess Theatre.

[9] Lovely married fellow actor Wilton Welch in February 1912,[13] when she was sixteen years old, and relocated to the United States with him.