Fran Carlon (August 15, 1913 – October 4, 1993)DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . Pp. 49-50. was an American actress who was successful in radio, stage and screen.

Early years and theatre

Carlon was born in Indianapolisand grew up in Chicago, She received her theatrical training at Chicago’s

Goodman Theatre Goodman Theatre is a professional theater company located in Chicago's Loop. A major part of the Chicago theatre scene, it is the city's oldest currently active nonprofit theater organization. Part of its present theater complex occupies the ...

and later at the

Pasadena Playhouse Pasadena Playhouse is a Tony Award-winning historic performing arts venue located 39 S. El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engag ...

. She began her stage career in the role of Little Eva in a touring production of '' Uncle Tom’s Cabin''. Her first Broadway show, ''Play, Genius, Play'', lasted only four performances. Her other Broadway credits included ''Sunrise at Campobello'' and ''Men of Distinction''. She went to Hollywood where she appeared in films with Douglas Montgomery,

Loretta Young Loretta Young (born Gretchen Michaela Young; January 6, 1913 – August 12, 2000) was an American actress. Starting as a child, she had a long and varied career in film from 1917 to 1989. She received numerous honors including an Academy Awards ...

and the

Ritz Brothers The Ritz Brothers were an American family comedy act consisting of brothers Al (1901–1965), Jimmy (1904–1985), and Harry Ritz (1907–1986) who performed extensively on stage, in nightclubs and in films from 1925 to the late 1970s. A fourth ...

Radio and television

Carlon "entered radio doing commercials on ''

Amos 'n' Andy ''Amos 'n' Andy'' was an American radio sitcom about black characters, initially set in Chicago then later in the Harlem section of New York City. While the show had a brief life on 1950s television with black actors, the 1928 to 1960 radio sho ...

''." Her radio roles included Martha in ''This Changing World'', the reporter Lorelei Heilbron in ''

Big Town ''Big Town'' is a popular long-running radio drama featuring a corruption-fighting newspaper editor initially played from 1937 to 1942 by Edward G. Robinson in his first radio role, with echoes of the conscience-stricken tabloid editor he had p ...

'', sister Sue in '' Big Sister'', Rhoda Brent in '' Blackstone, the Magic Detective'' and Irene in

Our Gal Sunday ''Our Gal Sunday'' is an American soap opera produced by Frank and Anne Hummert, network broadcast via CBS from March 29, 1937, to January 2, 1959, starring Dorothy Lowell and, after Lowell's 1944 death, Vivian Smolen in the title role. Th ...

. She played the lead in ''Joan and Kermit'', ''Kitty Keene'', ''Mary Marlin'' and '' Joyce Jordan, M.D.''. She was also in episodes of ''Mary Noble, Backstage Wife''; ''Lora Lawton''; ''

Ma Perkins ''Ma Perkins'' (sometimes called ''Oxydol's Own Ma Perkins'') is an American radio soap opera that was heard on NBC from 1933 to 1949 and on CBS from 1942 to 1960. It was also broadcast in Canada, and Radio Luxembourg carried it in Europe. T ...

''; ''The Chicago Theater of the Air''; ''

Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons ''Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons'' was one of radio's longest running shows, airing October 12, 1937 to April 19, 1955, continuing well into the television era. It was produced by Frank and Anne Hummert, who based it upon Robert W. Chambers' ...

'' and ''Theatre Five''. Her television roles included the series ''

The Hamptons The Hamptons, part of the East End (Long Island), East End of Long Island, consist of the town (New York), towns of Southampton (town), New York, Southampton and East Hampton (town), New York, East Hampton, which together compose the South Fork ...

'' as Ada , ''

As the World Turns ''As the World Turns'' (often abbreviated as ''ATWT'') is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS for 54 years from April 2, 1956, to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created ''As the World Turns'' as a sister show to her other so ...

'' as Julia Blake and ''

Portia Faces Life ''Portia Faces Life'' is an American soap opera first broadcast as a radio series from 1940 to 1953, and then on television for a single season in the mid-1950s. It began in syndication on April 1, 1940, and was broadcast on some stations that c ...

'' as Portia Blake.

Personal life and death

Carlon was married to Casey Allen, a radio actor and announcer, and had two children, a daughter, Kerry, and a son, Kim. She died of cancer, aged 80, in 1993, in Manhattan, New York.

Early years and theatre

Radio and television

Personal life and death

References

See also