Frances Gifford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Frances Gifford
Gifford in 1940
Born	Mary Frances Gifford (1920-12-07)December 7, 1920 Long Beach, California, U.S.
Died	January 22, 1994(1994-01-22) (aged 73) Pasadena, California, U.S.
Resting place	Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1937–1954
Spouse(s)	James Dunn ​ ​ (m. 1937; div. 1942)​

Mary Frances Gifford (December 7, 1920 – January 22, 1994) was an American actress. She starred in many movies during the 1930s and 1940s. She played both main characters and important supporting roles.

Becoming an Actress

Frances Gifford grew up in Long Beach, California. When she was 16, she applied to UCLA School of Law. She didn't plan to become an actress.

One day, she visited the studios of Samuel Goldwyn with a friend. They wanted to watch a movie being made. A talent scout noticed her there. This led to Samuel Goldwyn offering her an acting contract.

Her Acting Career

Dunn and Gifford in the cockpit of his airplane, 1937

Frances Gifford started with small roles. She then moved to RKO. There, she appeared in several movies without being credited. One of these was Stage Door (1937). It starred famous actresses like Katharine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers.

Gifford married actor James Dunn in 1937. In 1939, she got her first main role in Mercy Plane. She acted opposite her husband in this movie. She also had a small, uncredited role in James Stewart's popular film Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939).

Becoming Jungle Girl

In 1941, Gifford was loaned to Republic Pictures. She got a very famous role as Nyoka in Jungle Girl. This was a 15-chapter movie serial. A movie serial is a film shown in many parts, usually in theaters before the main movie. Her role was based on a novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs. She was the first actress since Pearl White in the silent movie era to play the main hero in a movie serial.

The next year, Republic made a sequel called Perils of Nyoka. But Gifford was not available. So, another actress, Kay Aldridge, played the part. In the Walt Disney movie The Reluctant Dragon (1941), Gifford played Doris, a studio artist.

Moving to New Studios

Gifford's movie career was growing. Her marriage to James Dunn ended in 1942. She left RKO and joined Paramount Pictures. She acted in several films there. One was The Glass Key (1942).

In 1943, she made another jungle movie. She co-starred with Johnny Weissmuller in Tarzan Triumphs at RKO. That same year, she left Paramount. She moved to the well-known Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) studio.

At MGM, she had more success. She played main roles in movies like Our Vines Have Tender Grapes (1945). She acted alongside Edward G. Robinson. She also starred in She Went to the Races (1945). Later, she was in The Arnelo Affair (1947). Gifford also had supporting roles in films like Thrill of a Romance (1945) with Esther Williams. She was also in Luxury Liner (1948) with Jane Powell.

Later Life and Challenges

On December 31, 1947, Frances Gifford was in a serious car accident. She was 27 years old. She suffered injuries that affected her health and personality. This event greatly impacted her acting career. She found it hard to return to films.

She lost her contract with MGM. She tried to make a comeback in the early 1950s. She appeared in Riding High (1950) with Bing Crosby. She also acted in Sky Commando (1953). During the 1950s, her health continued to decline. She spent many years in and out of different care facilities.

In 1983, a journalist found Gifford. She was volunteering at the Pasadena City Library. She seemed to have recovered. She spent her last years living a quiet life. She passed away from emphysema in 1994 at age 73. She was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.

Frances Gifford was a Roman Catholic. She was also a lifelong supporter of the Democratic Party.

Achievements

In 1941, Frances Gifford was chosen as "the ideal Pan-American girl." This honor came from 200 groups of the Pan-American League at colleges across the United States.

Partial Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Frances Gifford para niños