Frances Day (born Frances Victoria Schenk; December 16, 1907April 29, 1984) was an American actress and singer who achieved great popularity in the UK in the 1930s.
Her career began as a nightclub cabaret singer in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
and
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, 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 dow ...
. She made her London stage debut as a double act at the New Cross Empire with the dancer
John Mills
Sir John Mills (born Lewis Ernest Watts Mills; 22 February 190823 April 2005) was an English actor who appeared in more than 120 films in a career spanning seven decades. He excelled on camera as an appealing British everyman who often portra ...
(later a distinguished actor), billed as "Mills and Day".
[Dann, John (2017). ''Maud Coleno's Daughter: The Life of Dorothy Hartman, 1898–1957''. Kibworth: Matador. p. 125. ] This led to a chorus role in the 1929 West End production of ''
The Five O'Clock Girl
''The Five O'Clock Girl'' is a musical with a book by Guy Bolton and Fred Thompson, music by Harry Ruby, and lyrics by Bert Kalmar. It focuses on wealthy Beekman Place playboy Gerald Brooks and impoverished shopgirl Patricia Brown, who become ac ...
'' at the
Hippodrome
The hippodrome ( el, ἱππόδρομος) was an ancient Greek stadium for horse racing and chariot racing. The name is derived from the Greek words ''hippos'' (ἵππος; "horse") and ''dromos'' (δρόμος; "course"). The term is used i ...
, which toured the provinces in 1930. She married Beaumont Alexander, an
Australian agent and publicist in London, in 1927. He masterminded her early career as a dancer in West End nightclubs, where she created favourable notoriety by performing in a G-string with only an ostrich fan for cover. The couple divorced in 1938, and she never remarried.
Later years
She acted regularly in films until 1941, and appeared on the London stage in musical revues like
Cole Porter's ''Black Vanities'' (1941, in which she sang with
Bud Flanagan
Bud Flanagan, (born Chaim Reuben Weintrop, 14 October 1896 – 20 October 1968) was a British music hall and vaudeville entertainer and comedian, and later a television and film actor. He was best known as a double act with Chesney Allen. Fla ...
). In the 1950s she made only four films but found a new career as a regular panelist on the British version of ''
What's My Line?
''What's My Line?'' is a panel game show that originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, originally in black and white and later in color, with subsequent U.S. revivals. The game uses celebrity panelis ...
'', which ran from July 16, 1951 until May 13, 1963.
She was also a close "theatrical" friend of the
Mayfair heiress Dorothy Hartman, owner of
Lendrum & Hartman Limited
Lendrum & Hartman Ltd was a major London importer, the sole UK concessionaires of Buick and Cadillac cars from North America between 1919 and 1968.
It became the most prestigious car dealership in the country, having sold a Buick in 1935 to the Pri ...
, the major distributor of Buick and Cadillac cars in London. She was a regular guest at her country home – Stumblehole Farm, Dean Oak Lane, near
Leigh
Leigh may refer to:
Places In England
Pronounced :
* Leigh, Greater Manchester, Borough of Wigan
** Leigh (UK Parliament constituency)
* Leigh-on-Sea, Essex
Pronounced :
* Leigh, Dorset
* Leigh, Gloucestershire
* Leigh, Kent
* Leigh, Staf ...
in Surrey.
Death
She died of
chronic myeloid leukemia
Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), also known as chronic myeloid leukemia, is a cancer of the white blood cells. It is a form of leukemia characterized by the increased and unregulated growth of myeloid cells in the bone marrow and the accumulati ...
, aged 76, in
Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor is a historic market town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British monarch. The town is situated west ...
, after retreating into reclusion in
Maidenhead when her career and public life ended. She left what remained of her estate to a young solicitor, Howard McBrien, in her handwritten will, which included the following directive:
hat
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
there be no notice or information of any kind of my death, except for and if a death certificate is obligatory. Any persons, private or Press, you shall simply say that I am no longer at this address. "Gone away. Destination unknown", and that is the truth.[Dann, p]
327
Discography
* "Ooh! That Kiss" (1932)
* "Happy-Go-Lucky-You" (1932)
* "Now You're Here" (1933)
* "It's Best to Forget" (1933)
* "Excuse Me" (1934)
* "
Did You Ever See a Dream Walking? "Did You Ever See a Dream Walking?" is a popular song, introduced by Art Jarrett in the 1933 film '' Sitting Pretty.''
The music was written by Harry Revel, the lyrics by Mack Gordon. The song was originally published in 1933 and there were charte ...
" (1934)
* "Let's Lay Our Heads Together" (1935)
* "I'd Do the Most Extraordinary Things" (1935)
* "Pardon My English" (1935)
* "Dancing With a Ghost" (1935)
* "Swing" (1936)
* "Me and My Dog" (1936)
* "A Little White Room" (1937)
* "Artificial Flowers" (1937)
* "Because You Are You" (1937)
* "Midnight and Music" (1937)
* "
I've Got You Under My Skin
"I've Got You Under My Skin" is a song written by American composer Cole Porter in 1936. It was introduced that year in the Eleanor Powell musical film ''Born to Dance'' in which it was performed by Virginia Bruce. It was nominated for the Aca ...
" (1937)
* "
Easy to Love" (1937)
* "Whispers in the Dark" (1937)
* "I Will Pray" (1937)
* "How Do You Do, Mr. Right?" (1938)
* "
It's D'Lovely" (1938)
* "But in the Morning, No!" (1941)
* "
It's D'Lovely" (1941)
* "
Underneath the Arches" (1941)
* "
Do I Love You?
"Do I Love You?" is a 1939 popular song written by Cole Porter, for his musical ''Du Barry Was a Lady'', where it was introduced by Ronald Graham and Ethel Merman.
The song was included in the 1943 film adaptation of the musical, where it was ...
" (1941)
* "I L-L-Love You So" (1941)
* "Much More Lovely" (1941)
* "A Pair of Silver Wings" (1941)
* "The Wheels of Love" (1955)
* "Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?" (1955)
* "Met Rock" (1956)
* "Heartbreak Hotel" (1956)
Stage credits
*''
Out of the Bottle'' (1932)
*''
How D'You Do?'' (1933)
*''
Jill Darling'' (1934)
*''
Floodlight
A floodlight is a broad-beamed, high-intensity artificial light. They are often used to illuminate outdoor playing fields while an outdoor sports event is being held during low-light conditions. More focused kinds are often used as a stage ...
'' (1937)
*''
The Fleet's Lit Up'' (1938)
*''
Black and Blue
''Black and Blue'' is the 13th British and 15th American studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 23 April 1976 by Rolling Stones Records.
This album was the first recorded after former guitarist Mick Taylor qu ...
'' (1939)
*''
Black Vanities'' (1941)
*''
DuBarry Was a Lady
''Du Barry Was a Lady'' is a Broadway musical, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, and the book by Herbert Fields and Buddy DeSylva. '' (1942)
*''
Evangeline
''Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie'' is an epic poem by the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, written in English and published in 1847. The poem follows an Acadian girl named Evangeline and her search for her lost love Gabriel, set during t ...
'' (1946)
*''
Buoyant Billions
''Buoyant Billions'' (1948) is a play by George Bernard Shaw. Written at the age of 92, it was his last full-length play. Subtitled "a comedy of no manners", the play is about a brash young man courting the daughter of an elderly billionaire, who ...
'' (1949)
*''
Latin Quarter
The Latin Quarter of Paris (french: Quartier latin, ) is an area in the 5th and the 6th arrondissements of Paris. It is situated on the left bank of the Seine, around the Sorbonne.
Known for its student life, lively atmosphere, and bistro ...
'' (1949)
Film credits
*''
The Price of Divorce'' (1928)
*''
Such Is the Law'' (1930)
*''
Big Business
Big business involves large-scale corporate-controlled financial or business activities. As a term, it describes activities that run from "huge transactions" to the more general "doing big things". In corporate jargon, the concept is commonly ...
'' (1930)
*''
The First Mrs. Fraser'' (1932)
*''
The Girl from Maxim's
''The Girl from Maxim's'' is a 1933 British musical comedy film directed by Alexander Korda and starring Frances Day, Leslie Henson, Lady Tree and Stanley Holloway. It was an adaptation of the 1899 play '' La Dame de chez Maxim'' by Georges Fe ...
'' (1933)
*''
Two Hearts in Waltz Time
2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many cultur ...
'' (1934)
*''
Temptation
Temptation is a desire to engage in short-term urges for enjoyment that threatens long-term goals.Webb, J.R. (Sep 2014). Incorporating Spirituality into Psychology of temptation: Conceptualization, measurement, and clinical implications. Sp ...
'' (1934)
*''
Oh, Daddy!'' (1935)
*''
You Must Get Married'' (1936)
*''
Public Nuisance No. 1'' (1936)
*''
Dreams Come True'' (1936)
*''
Who's Your Lady Friend?'' (1937)
*''
The Girl in the Taxi
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'' (1937)
*''
Room for Two'' (1940)
*''
Fiddlers Three'' (1944)
*''
Tread Softly'' (1952)
*''
There's Always a Thursday
''There's Always a Thursday'' is a 1957 British crime film directed by Charles Saunders and starring Charles Victor, Jill Ireland, Lloyd Lamble and Robert Raglan. Much of the film was shot at Southall Studios.
Premise
Comedy about a down-trod ...
'' (1957)
References
External links
*
Profile Theatre Archive University of Bristol; accessed February 4, 2018.
*
Frances Day: The Forgotten Bombshell of the 1930s, by Alex Q. Arbuckle
*
I'm for You, a Hundred Percent, Frances Day with the Savoy Hotel Orpheans (1932)
*
You Bring Out the Savage in Me (1935)
Frances Day in Burma 1945 British Pathé newsreel
Frances Dayin the National Portrait Gallery Collection
{{DEFAULTSORT:Day, Frances
1907 births
1984 deaths
American stage actresses
American film actresses
Actors from East Orange, New Jersey
American expatriate actresses in the United Kingdom
Musicians from East Orange, New Jersey
20th-century American actresses
20th-century American women singers
20th-century American singers
Deaths from chronic myeloid leukemia
Deaths from cancer in England