Frances Gifford

Frances Gifford

Frances Gifford had a somewhat unorthodox introduction to the movie business. Born and raised in Long Beach, California, she had no ambition to be an actress, and in fact had applied to UCLA when, at age 16, she and a friend got to visit the Samuel Goldwyn Studios, where they watched a movie being shot. A studio exec saw her and asked if she would take a screen test. She did, the studio was impressed with the result and put her under contract. Nothing much came of it, however, other than bit parts, and she moved to RKO. Nothing much happened there, either. She had married actor James Dunn and decided to retire, which she did, in 1938. Off the screen for almost two years, she got a small part in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), and her career began to revive. She was signed by Paramount, which soon loaned her to Republic, where she made the film she is probably most remembered for: the serial Jungle Girl (1941), based on an Edgar Rice Burroughs story. Unfortunately, her career never really took off, and she bounced around among several studios. In 1948 she was involved in an auto accident in which she received severe head injuries. Although she seemed to recover physically, her career took a nosedive, and she made her last film in 1953. In 1958 newspaper stories reported that as a result of the injuries sustained in the accident, she was admitted to a California state mental hospital. Nothing further was heard from her or about her until 1983, when a writer for a film magazine found her in Pasadena. She had apparently fully overcome her physical and mental problems and was working for the city library. She died of emphysema in Pasadena in 1994.
    Known for
    Acting
    Place of birth
    Long Beach, California, USA
    Birthday
    12/7/1919
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
7.9
American Empire
American Empire
3.8
The Reluctant Dragon
The Reluctant Dragon
6.6
The Arnelo Affair
The Arnelo Affair
5.3
Having Wonderful Time
Having Wonderful Time
4.9
The Glass Key
The Glass Key
6.6
Border Vigilantes
Border Vigilantes
6
Cry 'Havoc'
Cry 'Havoc'
6.3
Tarzan Triumphs
Tarzan Triumphs
6.1
Sky Commando
Sky Commando
5.5
Star Spangled Rhythm
Star Spangled Rhythm
5.9
Maid's Night Out
Maid's Night Out
6.2
Stage Door
Stage Door
6.9
Our Vines Have Tender Grapes
Our Vines Have Tender Grapes
6.9
Riding High
Riding High
5.8
Little Mister Jim
Little Mister Jim
4
Hold That Woman!
Hold That Woman!
5
Jungle Girl
Jungle Girl
6.2
Thrill of a Romance
Thrill of a Romance
6.2
She Went to the Races
She Went to the Races
5.5
Night Spot
Night Spot
4.7
Living on Love
Living on Love
5.8
New Faces of 1937
New Faces of 1937
4
Henry Aldrich Gets Glamour
Henry Aldrich Gets Glamour
6
Tombstone: The Town Too Tough to Die
Tombstone: The Town Too Tough to Die
5.4
Beyond the Blue Horizon
Beyond the Blue Horizon
0
West Point Widow
West Point Widow
6
My Heart Belongs to Daddy
My Heart Belongs to Daddy
5.8
Mercy Plane
0
Luxury Liner
Luxury Liner
5.2
Forty Little Mothers
Forty Little Mothers
6.2
There Goes the Groom
There Goes the Groom
5.3
The Remarkable Andrew
The Remarkable Andrew
8.2
Twenty Years After
Twenty Years After
6
Marriage Is a Private Affair
Marriage Is a Private Affair
5.2
Walt Disney's Fables - Vol.6
Walt Disney's Fables - Vol.6
8.8
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