Claire Luce (October 15, 1903 – August 31, 1989) was an American stage and screen actress, dancer and singer. Among her few films were ''

Up the River ''Up the River'' is a 1930 American pre-Code comedy film directed by John Ford, and starring Claire Luce, Spencer Tracy and Humphrey Bogart. The plot concerns escaped convicts, as well as a female convict. It was the feature film debut role o ...

'' (1930), directed by

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

and starring

Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the first actor to win two cons ...

and

Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film Ins ...

in their feature film debuts (Luce played Bogart's love interest), and ''

Under Secret Orders ''Under Secret Orders'', also known as ''Mademoiselle Doctor'', is a 1937 British spy film directed by Edmond T. Gréville and starring Erich von Stroheim, John Loder, Dita Parlo and Claire Luce. It is an English-language version of the Fren ...

'', the English-language version of G. W. Pabst's French-language feature, '' Mademoiselle Docteur'' (1937).

Early years

Luce was born in Syracuse, New York, but she grew up in Rochester in what an article in ''Silver Screen'' magazine described as "an atmosphere of discord and squalor". Luce's parents were divorced when she was 13. Florence Colebrook Powers, a friend of Luce's mother, adopted her. Powers was in charge of a dance school, and she introduced Luce to dancing. While still 13, Luce took a job as a "sort of utility employee" at a cafe in Rochester. When she was 15, she ran away with a Russian opera troupe that played in Rochester, becoming a ballerina with the group. Before long, she said, "people in Rochester traced me and had me brought back."

Career

Luce starred in many Broadway plays from 1923 until 1952, including costarring with

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer. He is often called the greatest dancer in Hollywood film history. Astaire's career in stage, film, and tele ...

in the original

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

Gay Divorce ''Gay Divorce'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and book by Dwight Taylor, adapted by Kenneth Webb and Samuel Hoffenstein. It was Fred Astaire's last Broadway show and featured the hit song " Night and Day" in which Astaire dan ...

'' (1932). Astaire tried to get Luce for the film version of ''Gay Divorce'', ''

The Gay Divorcee ''The Gay Divorcee'' is a 1934 American musical film directed by Mark Sandrich and starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. It also features Alice Brady, Edward Everett Horton, Eric Blore, and Erik Rhodes. The screenplay was written by George ...

'' (1934) but was overruled by the studio,

RKO Radio Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheu ...

, which preferred to use their contract player,

Ginger Rogers Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starring role in ''Kitty Foyle'' ...

. Of her performance in ''Gay Divorce'' the critic

Brooks Atkinson Justin Brooks Atkinson (November 28, 1894 – January 14, 1984) was an American theatre critic. He worked for ''The New York Times'' from 1922 to 1960. In his obituary, the ''Times'' called him "the theater's most influential reviewer of his ...

wrote: "In the refulgent Claire Luce, Fred Astaire has found a partner who can match him step for step and who flies over the furniture in his company without missing a beat." Unfortunately, during the London run of ''Gay Divorce'', Luce suffered a serious injury during the "Table Dance" routine—a routine which is reprised in the film—damaging her hip, and this put an end to her stage dancing career. In his autobiography, Astaire credits Luce as the inspiration for his revolutionary " Night and Day" dance routine: "Claire was a beautiful dancer and it was her style that suggested to me the whole pattern of the "Night and Day" dance. This was something entirely different from anything

Adele Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (, ; born 5 May 1988), professionally known by the mononym Adele, is an English singer and songwriter. After graduating in arts from the BRIT School in 2006, Adele signed a rec ...

and I had done together. That was what I wanted, an entirely new dancing approach." Luce recalls her own experience with the chronically insecure Astaire: "I actually felt more sorry for Fred than I did for myself, despite the horrendous schedules of rehearsals that he kept up. He was a very worried man." She also starred in the Broadway version of ''

Of Mice and Men ''Of Mice and Men'' is a novella written by John Steinbeck. Published in 1937, it narrates the experiences of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers, who move from place to place in California in search of new job ...

'' (1937), written by

John Steinbeck John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. (; February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer and the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature winner "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social ...

and directed by George S. Kaufman. Luce often appeared on the English stage and having been seen in ''Of Mice and Men'' in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...

in 1939, stayed in the UK throughout the war years. She played a number of Shakespearean roles during that time and in 1945 scored a big success leading the company at the annual Stratford-on-Avon Memorial Theatre's summer Shakespeare Festival, particularly as Cleopatra in ''

Antony and Cleopatra ''Antony and Cleopatra'' (First Folio title: ''The Tragedie of Anthonie, and Cleopatra'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was first performed, by the King's Men, at either the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre in around ...

''. Her last appearance in London at that time was as Becky Sharp in an adaptation of

Thackeray William Makepeace Thackeray (; 18 July 1811 – 24 December 1863) was a British novelist, author and illustrator. He is known for his satirical works, particularly his 1848 novel '' Vanity Fair'', a panoramic portrait of British society, and t ...

's '' Vanity Fair'' at the Comedy Theatre in 1946.

Personal life

Luce married Clifford Warren Smith, first cousin of

Dudley Wolfe Dudley Francis Cecil Wolfe (February 6, 1896 – July 30, 1939) was an American socialite. As a racing yacht owner and captain, he was the first person to race a sixty-foot yacht across the Atlantic, competing against much larger vessels. He was ...

, in 1928. They were divorced on January 16, 1935.

Filmography

*''

Matinee Theatre ''Matinee Theater'' is an American anthology series that aired on NBC during the Golden Age of Television, from October 31, 1955, to June 27, 1958. Its name is often seen as ''Matinee Theatre''. The series, which ran daily from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. E ...

'' (1 episode, 1955) *''

Broadway Television Theatre ''Broadway Television Theatre'' is a one-hour syndicated television anthology series produced by WOR-TV in New York City. The series premiered April 14, 1952 and ran through January 25, 1954. Overview ''Broadway Television Theatre'' featured a new ...

'' (4 episodes, 1953–1954) *'' Lights Out'' (1 episode, 1952) *'' Cameo Theatre'' (4 episodes, 1951–1952) *''

Tales of Tomorrow ''Tales of Tomorrow'' is an American anthology science fiction series that was performed and broadcast live on ABC from 1951 to 1953. The series covered such stories as ''Frankenstein'' starring Lon Chaney Jr., '' 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea'' ...

'' as Rose (1 episode, 1952) *''

Philco Television Playhouse ''The Philco Television Playhouse'' is an American television anthology series that was broadcast live on NBC from 1948 to 1955. Produced by Fred Coe, the series was sponsored by Philco. It was one of the most respected dramatic shows of the Gold ...

'' as Becky Sharp (2 episodes, 1949) *'' Over She Goes'' (1938) as Pamela *''

'' (1937) as Gaby, Rene's Girl *'' Let's Make a Night of It'' (1937) as Viola Vanders *'' Lazybones'' (1935) as Kitty McCarthy *''

Vintage Wine ''Vintage Wine'' is a 1935 British comedy film directed by Henry Edwards and starring Seymour Hicks, Claire Luce, Eva Moore and Judy Gunn. The film was made at Julius Hagen's Twickenham Studios, but was released by Gaumont British Distributor ...

'' (1935) as Nina Popinot *''

'' (1930) as Judy

Stage

*''Much Ado About Nothing'' as Beatrice May 1, 1952 - May 3, 1952 *''The Taming of the Shrew'' as Katharina, Apr 25, 1951 - May 6, 1951 *''With a Silk Thread'' as Rose Raymond, Apr 12, 1950 - Apr 22, 1950 *''Portrait in Black'' as Tanis Talbot, May 14, 1947 - Jul 5, 1947 * ''

Golden Eagle The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known birds ...

'' as Mary, Queen of Scots, Jan 29, 1946 - Mar 3, 1946 *''

'' as Curley's Wife, Nov 23, 1937 - May 1938 *''Gay Divorce'' as Mimi Nov 29, 1932 - Jul 1, 1933 *''Society Girl'' as Judy Gelett, Dec 30, 1931 - Jan 1932 *''Scarlet Pages'' as Nora Mason, Sep 9, 1929 - Nov 1929 *''Ziegfeld Follies of 1927'' Aug 16, 1927 - Jan 7, 1928 *''No Foolin'' Jun 24, 1926 - Sep 25, 1926 *''Music Box Revue 924' Dec 1, 1924 - May 1925 *''Dear Sir'' as Clair, Sep 23, 1924 - Oct 4, 1924 *'' Little Jessie James'' as Claire, Aug 15, 1923 - Jul 19, 1924

References

External links

* * *
Claire Luce papers, 1925-1987
held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division,

New York Public Library for the Performing Arts The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, at 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, is located in Manhattan, New York City, at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on the Upper West Side, between the Metro ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Luce, Claire 1903 births 1989 deaths American film actresses American stage actresses American female dancers Dancers from New York (state) Actresses from New York (state) 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American dancers