Frances Reid (December 9, 1914 – February 3, 2010) was an American dramatic actress. Reid acted on television for nearly all of the second half of the 20th century. Her career continued into the early 2000s. Although she starred in many productions, she is best known for her portrayal of Alice Horton on the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

daytime

soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...

Days of Our Lives ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that aired on the network NBC from November 8, 1965, to September 9, 2022; the soap has streamed n ...

'' from its debut in November 1965 until 2007. At the time of her death, she ranked fifth on the all-time list of longest-serving soap opera actors in the United States.

Biography

Frances Reid was born on December 9, 1914, in Wichita Falls, Texas, and raised in Beverly Hills, California. Her acting career started in 1938 with a bit part in the movie '' Man-Proof''. Reid's Broadway debut was as Juliette Lecourtois in ''Where There's a Will There's a Way'' at the

John Golden Theatre The John Golden Theatre, formerly the Theatre Masque and Masque Theater, is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 252 West 45th Street (George Abbott Way) in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York ...

in 1939. She later played Roxane opposite

Jose Ferrer Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. Given name Mishnaic and Talmudic periods * Jose ben Abin * Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Galilean * Jose ben Halafta ...

's Cyrano in the 1946 Broadway production of ''

Cyrano de Bergerac Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac ( , ; 6 March 1619 – 28 July 1655) was a French novelist, playwright, epistolarian, and duelist. A bold and innovative author, his work was part of the libertine literature of the first half of the 17th ce ...

'' at the Alvin Theatre, repeating the role three years later, again opposite Ferrer, in a 1949 one-hour

The 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 ...

adaptation. A member of

The Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights located on West 44th Street in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, Hell's Kitchen in New York City. The studio is best known for its work refining ...

from its inception in 1947, Reid played a variety of stage roles throughout the 1940s and 1950s. From 1954 to 1955, Reid played the title role in the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

television version of the radio serial '' Portia Faces Life''. She next portrayed the grasping Grace Baker, the mother-in-law of Penny Hughes, on ''

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 ...

'' from 1959 to 1962, and Rose Pollack, the kind-hearted mother of Nancy Pollock Karr, on ''

The Edge of Night ''The Edge of Night'' is an American mystery crime drama soap opera, created by Irving Vendig and produced by Procter & Gamble Productions. It debuted on CBS on April 2, 1956, and ran as a live broadcast on that network for most of its ...

'' in 1964. Reid portrayed matriarch Alice Horton on NBC's ''Days of our Lives'' since the show's premiere on November 8, 1965. Reid gained mainstream attention for a 2003–2004 storyline in which Alice and several other long-running characters were seemingly murdered. Her last appearance on ''Days of our Lives'' was on December 26, 2007, although she remained on contract with the show until her death. Reid made two guest appearances on '' Perry Mason'' starring

Raymond Burr Raymond William Stacy Burr (May 21, 1917September 12, 1993) was a Canadian actor who had a lengthy Hollywood film career and portrayed the title roles in the television dramas '' Perry Mason'' and '' Ironside''. Burr's early acting career inclu ...

. In 1963 she played murderer Miss Givney, secretary to the guest attorney and episode's title character played by

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress of film, television, and theater. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in Hollywood history, she was noted for her willingness to play unsympatheti ...

in " The Case of Constant Doyle." In 1965 she played defendant Lucille Forrest in "The Case of the Golden Venom." In 1966, Reid appeared opposite

Rock Hudson Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. One of the most popular film stars of his time, he had a screen career spanning more than three decades, and was a prominent figure in the G ...

in the

John Frankenheimer John Michael Frankenheimer (February 19, 1930 – July 6, 2002) was an American film and television director known for social dramas and action/suspense films. Among his credits are ''Birdman of Alcatraz (film), Birdman of Alcatraz'', ''The Manc ...

drama ''

Seconds The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of ...

''. In the audio commentary for the

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...

version of the film, Frankenheimer called Reid one of his favourite actresses. Reid played frontier Doctor Katy Piper on the ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western television series that aired for eight seasons, first on the NBC television network (1957–1962) and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and reached the top of the ...

'' episode "The Katy Piper Story", which aired on April 10, 1965.

Marriage

Reid was married to actor Philip Bourneuf from June 27, 1940, until their divorce in 1973.

Death

Reid died in

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hills ...

, in an assisted living facility, aged 95, on February 3, 2010.

Awards

Nominated for a

Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NA ...

for Supporting Actress in 1979 and for Lead Actress in 1987, Reid was awarded a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004. She won the ''Soap Opera Digest'' Award for Outstanding Actress in a Mature Role in 1978, 1979, 1984, and 1985, and was inducted into the Television Academy's archives in 2003.

Selected filmography

*'' Reported Missing!'' (1937) – Maid (uncredited) *''A Criminal at Large'' (1939) – Isla Crane (Television picture) *''Little Women'' (1939) – Beth March (Television picture) *'' The Ford Theatre Hour'' (1950) (Season 2 Episode 14: "The Little Minister") – Babbie *''

'' (1949-1951) (4 episodes) **(Season 1 Episode 15: "Cyrano de Bergerac") (1949) - Roxane **(Season 1 Episode 41: "The Fourth Wall") (1949) **(Season 2 Episode 12: "Medical Meeting") (1949) **(Season 3 Episode 19: "The Lost Diplomat") (1951) *''

You Are There (series) ''You Are There'' is a 1947–57 American historical educational television and radio series broadcast over the CBS Radio and CBS Television networks. Radio Created by Goodman Ace for CBS Radio, the original radio version of the series portr ...

'' (1953) (2 episodes) **(Season 1 Episode 18: "The Dreyfus Case") - Lucie Dreyfus **(Season 2 Episode 14: "The Gettysburg Address") – Mary O'Connell *''

The Man Behind the Badge ''The Man Behind the Badge '' is a half-hour American television police drama series which aired on CBS from October 11, 1953, to October 3, 1954, originally hosted by Norman Rose. In its second syndicated season, the host became character act ...

'' (1954) (Season 1 Episode 17: "The Los Angeles Story") *'' Kraft Theatre'' (1954) (Season 7 Episode 27: "Two Weeks in the Country) *''The Inner Flame'' (1954-55; 3 episodes) – Portia Manning **(Season 1 Episode 1) **(Episode dated July 7, 1954) **(Episode dated March 23, 1955) *''

The Brighter Day ''The Brighter Day'' is an American daytime soap opera which aired on CBS from January 4, 1954, to September 28, 1962. Originally created for NBC Radio by Irna Phillips in 1948, the radio and television versions ran simultaneously from 1954&ndas ...

'' (1955) (Episode dated March 21) – Portia Manning *'' Telephone Time'' (1956) (Season 1 Episode 10: "Harry in Search of Himself") – Mrs. Bergh *'' Matinee Theatre'' (1955-56) (7 episodes) **(Season 1 Episode 1: "Beginning Now") (1955) – Jane Kelsey **(Season 1 Episode 14: "The Aspern Papers") (1955) **(Season 1 Episode 33: "The Sins of the Fathers") (1955) **(Season 1 Episode 42: "Horns of Dilemma") (1955) **(Season 1 Episode 75: "Valentine's Day") (1956) **(Season 1 Episode 164: "The Guest Cottage") (1956) **(Season 1 Episode 179: "Marriage by the Millions") (1956) *''The Wrong Man'' (1956) – Mrs. O'Connor (voice, uncredited) *''

Lux Video Theatre ''Lux Video Theatre'' is an American television anthology series that was produced from 1950 until 1957. The series presented both comedy and drama in original teleplays, as well as abridged adaptations of films and plays. Overview The ''Lux Vi ...

'' (1957) (Season 7 Episode 44: "Dark Hammock") – Dr. McDavid *''

Berkeley Square Berkeley Square is a garden square in the West End of London. It is one of the best known of the many squares in London, located in Mayfair in the City of Westminster. It was laid out in the mid 18th century by the architect William Kent, ...

'' (1959) – Dutchess of Devonshire (Television picture) *''

'' (1959-1962) – Grace Baker *''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 ...

'' (1961) (Season 7 Episode 12: "A Jury of Her Peers") – Mrs. Mary Peters *'' General Electric Theatre'' (1962) (Season 10 Episode 33: "Somebody Please Help Me!") – Vera Parsons *'' Perry Mason'' (1963) as Miss Givney in "Season 6, Episode 16: "The Case of the Constant Doyle" *'' The Eleventh Hour'' (1963) (Season 1 Episode 27: "Try to Keep Alive Until Next Tuesday") – Louise Forman *'' Channing'' (1964) (Season 1 Episode 22: "The Trouble with Girls") – Isabel Franklin * '' Perry Mason'' (CBS) as Lucille Forest in "Season 8 Episode 16: "The Case of the Golden Venom" (1965) *''

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 a ...

'' (1965) (Season 3 Episode 16: "One of the Family") – Joyce's Mother *''

'' (1962-65) (5 episodes) – Various roles **(Season 5 Episode 21: "The Daniel Clay Story") - Margaret Clay (1962) **(Season 5 Episode 34: "The Frank Carter Story") - Mary Carter (1962) **(Season 6 Episode 11: "The Kurt Davos Story") - Florence Hastings (1962) **(Season 6 Episode 24: "The Emmett Lawton Story") - Mrs. Lawton (1963) **(Season 8 Episode 23: "The Katy Piper Story") - Dr. Katy Piper (1965) *''

'' (1965-2007; contract role) – Alice Horton *''

'' (1966) – Emily Hamilton *'' The F.B.I.'' (1968) (2 episodes) **(Season 3 Episode 16: "Crisis Ground") - Ellen Porter **(Season 4 Episode 5: "Death of a Fixer") – Mrs. Prior *''

The Andromeda Strain ''The Andromeda Strain'' is a 1969 novel by American writer Michael Crichton, his first novel under his own name and his sixth novel overall. It documents the outbreak of a deadly extraterrestrial microorganism in Arizona and the team of scie ...

'' (1971) – Clara Dutton *'' The Affair'' (1973) – Mrs. Patterson (Television picture) *''

Matt Helm Matt Helm is a fictional character created by American author Donald Hamilton (1916–2006). Helm is a U.S. government counter-agent, a man whose primary job is to kill or nullify enemy agents—not a spy or secret agent in the ordinary sense of ...

'' (1975) (Season 1 Episode 3: "Scavenger's Paradise") – Millie *'' Project U.F.O.'' (1978) (Season 1 Episode 1: "Sighting 4001: The Washington D.C. Incident") – Martha Carlyle *''Mercy or Murder'' (1987) – Emily Gilbert (Television picture) *''One Stormy Night'' (1992) – Alice Grayson Horton (Television picture)

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* *
Frances Reid Archive of American Television Interview
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Reid, Frances 1914 births 2010 deaths 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from Berkeley, California American film actresses American soap opera actresses American stage actresses American television actresses Daytime Emmy Award winners Deaths from Alzheimer's disease in California Deaths from dementia in California