Noel Francis
Noel Francis | |
|---|---|
 Francis in 1931 | |
| Born | Noel Frances Sweeney August 31, 1906 Temple, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | October 30, 1959 (aged 53) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1925–1937 |
Noel Francis (born Noel Frances Sweeney; August 31, 1906 – October 30, 1959) was an American actress of the stage and screen during the 1920s and 1930s. Born in Texas, she began her acting career on the Broadway stage in the mid-1920s, before moving to Hollywood at the beginning of the sound film era.
Originally cast in films for her song and dance abilities, when musicals began to fall out of favor, she became better known for her tough girl characters. However, by the mid-1930s, she was being typecast into smaller roles, and made an attempt at a comeback on Broadway. When that failed, she returned briefly to Hollywood to make several
Early life
Francis was born on August 31, 1906, in Temple, Texas,[1][2] and grew up in Dallas. After high school, Francis attended Southern Methodist University[1] and moved to New York City, where she attended Columbia University.[citation needed]
Career
Her break came when she was 19 years old, when she was cast as a
While appearing in Show Girl, talent scouts from
Due to the lack of success of Fox Movietone Follies of 1930, Fox dropped Francis' contract,
However, after Fugitive, the roles offered to Francis began to be smaller, and in smaller films, although she continued to be quite active through the mid-1930s.[15][9] In early 1935, she had one of her few starring roles, in Stone of Silver Creek, which also starred Buck Jones, with whom she developed a friendship.[16] Not satisfied with the caliber of work she was getting, Francis attempted to resurrect her Broadway career,[2] returning to New York, where she starred in Satellite, which lasted a single performance in November 1935.[17] After her failure to re-launch her stage career, she returned to Hollywood, where she starred in two more westerns with Jones in 1937, before retiring.[9]
Death
Francis died in Los Angeles on October 30, 1959, at age 53.[1]
Filmography
- New Movietone Follies of 1930 (1930) as Gloria de Witt
- Rough Romance (1930) as Flossie
- Up the River (1930) as Sophie (uncredited)
- Smart Money (1931) as Marie
- Bachelor Apartment (1931) as Janet
- Blonde Crazy (1931) as Helen Wilson
- Ladies of the Big House (1931) as Thelma
- Smart Woman (1931) as Miss Peggy Preston
- Resurrection(1931) as Party Girl (uncredited)
- So Big (1932) as Mabel, a 'Fancy Woman'
- Night Court (1932) as Lil Baker
- I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932) as Linda
- Flames (1932) as Pat
- Guilty as Hell (1932) as Julia Reed
- My Pal, the King (1932) as Princess Elsa
- Manhattan Tower (1932) as Marge Lyon
- The Expert (1932) as Daisy
- The Mouthpiece (1932) as Miss DeVere
- Madison Square Garden (1932) as Noel
- Under-Cover Man (1932) as Connie
- Man About Town (1932) as Hazel (uncredited)
- Frisco Jenny (1932) as Rosie (uncredited)
- Bureau of Missing Persons (1933) as Alice Crane
- Blood Money (1933) as Red's Girlfriend (uncredited)
- The Important Witness (1933) as Ellen Kelly
- Reform Girl (1933) as Lydia Johnson
- Son of a Sailor (1933) as Queenie
- Her Resale Value (1933) as Milly
- Hold Me Tight (1933) as Trudie (uncredited)
- Only Yesterday (1933) as Letitia
- The Important Witness (1933) as Ellen Kelly
- What's Your Racket? (1934) as Mae Cosgrove
- Imitation of Life (1934) as Mrs. Eden (uncredited)
- The Man Who Reclaimed His Head (1934) as Chon-Chon - Blonde in Theatre Box (uncredited)
- Fifteen Wives (1934) as Ruby Cotton
- The Loudspeaker (1934) as Dolly
- Good Dame (1934) as Puff Warner
- The White Parade (1934) as Nurse Clare
- The Line-Up (1934) as Mabel Martin
- The White Cockatoo (1935) as Elise
- Mutiny Ahead (1935) as Mimi
- Stone of Silver Creek (1935) as Lola
- Sudden Bill Dorn (1937) as Lorna Kent
- Left-Handed Law (1937) as Betty Golden
References
- ^ ISBN 9780786493135. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
- ^ a b c d "Noel Francis profile". Moviema.org. Archived from the original on February 6, 2015. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
- ^ "Ziegfeld Follies of 1925". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
- ^ "Noel Francis". Retrieved February 6, 2015.
- ^ "Rio Rita". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
- ^ "Show Girl". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
- ^ "Fox Movietone Follies of 1930". American Film Institute. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
- ^ Hall, Mordaunt (June 21, 1930). "Dash and Fun. Boisterous Fun". New York Times. Retrieved September 11, 2014.
- ^ a b c d "Noel Francis". AllMovie. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
- ^ "Up the River". American Film Institute. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
- ^ "Smart Money". American Film Institute. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
- ^ "Blonde Crazy". American Film Institute. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
- ^ "I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang". American Film Institute. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
- ^ "The 6th Academy Awards (1934) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
- ^ a b "Noel Francis". American Film Institute. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
- ^ "Stone of Silver Creek". American Film Institute. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
- ^ "Satellite". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
External links
- Noel Francis at the Internet Broadway Database
- Noel Francis at IMDb
- Noel Francis at the TCM Movie Database
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