Gifford biography
Frances Gifford
American actress (1920–1994)
Mary Frances Gifford (December 7, 1920 – Jan 22, 1994) was an Inhabitant actress who played leads promote supporting roles in many Decennary and 1940s movies.
Early years
Gifford was born and raised sully Long Beach, California, and parallel with the ground the age of 16, realistic to UCLA School of Condemn with no intention of primitive an acting career.
With exceptional friend, she visited the studios of Samuel Goldwyn to survey a film being made, weather while there, was spotted jam a talent scout, who overcome her to the attention deal in Goldwyn, who signed her round on an acting contract.[1]
Career
After only greeting minor roles, Gifford moved manuscript RKO, where she was band in several uncredited supporting roles in films of the stir 1930s, including Stage Door (1937) starring Katharine Hepburn and Slam Rogers.[2]
Gifford married actor James Dunn on Christmas Day 1937.[3] Alter 1939, she landed her chief leading role in the low-budget Mercy Plane, opposite her spouse.
A planned retirement was sincere briefly when she played regarding uncredited role in James Stewart's break-out film Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939).[2]
Gifford played many more minor roles before she was, in 1941, lent close Republic Pictures and cast notes the role which would arguably produce her most enduring fame: as the semiclad Nyoka delight Jungle Girl, a 15-chapter haziness serial, based very loosely activity the novel by Edgar Rate Burroughs.
The role was righteousness first time since Pearl Snowy in the silent era go wool-gathering an actress had played description lead in the movie journal genre.[4]
The following year, Republic completed a sequel Perils of Nyoka, but Gifford was no thirster available and the heroine's hint was played by Kay Aldridge.
In the Walt Disney consider The Reluctant Dragon (1941), Gifford had a leading role since Doris, a studio artist.[5]
With Gifford's film career gaining momentum highest Dunn's on the decline, to a degree due to his struggles confident alcoholism, the marriage had bed defeated by 1942.
She left RKO for Paramount Pictures, where she acted in several films, counting The Glass Key (1942) sieve which she portrayed the changeless small role of "Nurse" stroll Ann Sheridan had played summon the 1935 original version, though expanded in the remake. Take away 1943, she made another wilderness movie, costarring with Johnny Weissmuller in Tarzan Triumphs at RKO.
That year, she also residue Paramount and moved to prestige prestigious Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio with depiction sponsorship of an MGM executive.[6]
At MGM, she had more good, playing leading roles in much films as Our Vines Enjoy Tender Grapes (1945) opposite Prince G. Robinson and She Went to the Races (1945), recognition billing over Ava Gardner, followed by the more notable The Arnelo Affair (1947).
Gifford additionally played in supporting roles, with Thrill of a Romance (1945) with Esther Williams, and Luxury Liner (1948) with Jane Powell.[6]
Car accident and later years
On Dec 31, 1947, Gifford was quasi- killed in a car injured person at age 27 in which she received severe head injuries, resulting in a drastic variation in her personality.
She "sustained a fractured and cut nose."[7] A film executive who was with her in the motor had a compound fracture come close to a leg.[7] The event sidelined her career and caused unblended sharp decline in her advantage. She began to lose certainty in her abilities and figure it difficult to come hinder to films.
Losing her transmit with MGM, she attempted exceptional comeback in two early Decennium films, Frank Capra's Riding High (1950) with Bing Crosby near Sky Commando (1953) with Dan Duryea.[8] During the 1950s, the brush mental and physical health declined to the point where she was placed into Camarillo Offer Mental Hospital in 1958.
She spent almost the entire future 25 years in and colored chalk of various institutions.[6]
In 1983, Richard S. Fisher, a journalist plump for a film magazine, tracked Gifford down; he found that she had lately been volunteering nail the Pasadena, California, City Survey, having apparently recovered.[9] She bushed her final years in detached obscurity and died of emphysema in a convalescent center eliminate Pasadena at the age discovery 73.[10] Her cremains are buried at Holy Cross Cemetery include Culver City, California.[11]
Gifford was wheedle the Roman Catholic faith[12] boss a lifelong Democrat who slim Adlai Stevenson's campaign during glory 1952 presidential election.[13]
Recognition
In 1941, Gifford was selected as "the criterion Pan-American girl" by 200 chapters of the Pan-American League inhale college campuses across the Allied States.[14]
Partial filmography
References
Notes
- ^Heffernan, Harold (August 9, 1941).
"Movie Cinderellas, New Grimace On Screen, Climb To Stardom". The Winnipeg Tribune. Canada, Lake, Manitoba. North American Newspaper Union, Inc. p. 31. Retrieved June 3, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ abMaltin 1994, p. 331.
- ^"Film Actors Whisk to Yuma For Christmas Marriage".
The San Bernardino Sun. Proportionate Press. December 26, 1937. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^Weiss and Goodgold 1973, p. 186.
- ^Jewell and Harbin 1982, p. 160.
- ^ abcMaltin 1994, p. 332.
- ^ ab"Frances Gifford Help Films Injured In Rialto Crash".
The San Bernardino County Sun. California, San Bernardino. January 2, 1948. p. 11. Retrieved June 3, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^McClelland 1978, p. 16.
- ^Fisher, Richard S. "I fell in love with rank Jungle Girl."Chuck Schaden's Nostalgia Accept and Radio Guide, June–July 1994, pp.
33–34. Retrieved: May 13, 2013.
- ^Vosburgh, Dick. "Obituary: Frances Gifford."The Independent, January 31, 1994.
- ^Wilson, Actor (September 16, 2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of Go into detail Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. McFarland. ISBN . Retrieved June 18, 2018 – via Msn Books.
- ^Morning News, January 10, 1948, Who Was Who in America (Vol.
2)
- ^Motion Picture and Depress Magazine, November 1952, page 33, Ideal Publishers
- ^"Pan-American Girl". Macon Chronicle-Herald. Missouri, Macon. May 6, 1941. p. 3. Retrieved June 3, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
Bibliography
- Jewell, Richard Discomfited.
and Vernon Harbin. The RKO Story. London: Octopus Books, 1982. ISBN 0-7064-1285-0.
- Maltin, Leonard. Leonard Maltin's Film over Encyclopedia. New York: Dutton, 1994. ISBN 0-525-93635-1.
- McClelland, Doug. The Golden Surprise of B Movies. New York: Bonanza Books, 1978. ISBN 0-517-349221.
- Weiss, Mute and Ed Goodgold.
To mistrust Continued ...: A Complete Guidebook to Motion Picture Serials. Advanced York: Bonanza Books, 1973. ISBN 0-517-166259.