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Frances Gifford

Frances Gifford

  • Teen actor

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.

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Walt Disney's Fables - Vol.6

Walt Disney's Fables - Vol.6

2004

as Doris (archive sound)

Sky Commando

Sky Commando

1953

as Jo McWethy

General Electric Theater

General Electric Theater

1953

as Evelyn Crewes

Riding High

Riding High

1950

as Margaret Higgins

Luxury Liner

Luxury Liner

1948

as Laura Dene

Little Mister Jim

Little Mister Jim

1947

as Jean Tukker

The Arnelo Affair

The Arnelo Affair

1947

as Anne Parkson

She Went to the Races

She Went to the Races

1945

as Dr. Ann Wotters

Our Vines Have Tender Grapes

Our Vines Have Tender Grapes

1945

as Viola Johnson

Thrill of a Romance

Thrill of a Romance

1945

as Maude Bancroft

Marriage Is a Private Affair

Marriage Is a Private Affair

1944

as Sissy Mortimer

Twenty Years After

Twenty Years After

1944

as (archive footage)

Cry 'Havoc'

Cry 'Havoc'

1943

as Helen

Henry Aldrich Gets Glamour

Henry Aldrich Gets Glamour

1943

as Hilary Dane

Tarzan Triumphs

Tarzan Triumphs

1943

as Zandra

American Empire

American Empire

1942

as Abigail 'Abby' Taylor, Dan's Sister

My Heart Belongs to Daddy

My Heart Belongs to Daddy

1942

as Grace Saunders

The Glass Key

The Glass Key

1942

as Nurse

Beyond the Blue Horizon

Beyond the Blue Horizon

1942

as Charlotte (uncredited)

Tombstone: The Town Too Tough to Die

Tombstone: The Town Too Tough to Die

1942

as Ruth Grant

Star Spangled Rhythm

Star Spangled Rhythm

1942

as Frances Gifford (uncredited)

The Remarkable Andrew

The Remarkable Andrew

1942

as Miss Halsey

Jungle Girl

Jungle Girl

1941

as Nyoka Meredith

West Point Widow

West Point Widow

1941

as Daphne

The Reluctant Dragon

The Reluctant Dragon

1941

as Doris

Border Vigilantes

Border Vigilantes

1941

as Helen Forbes

Hold That Woman!

Hold That Woman!

1940

as Mary Mulvaney

Forty Little Mothers

Forty Little Mothers

1940

as Granville Girl

Mercy Plane

Mercy Plane

1939

as Brenda Gordon

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

1939

as Hopper Girl (uncredited)

Having Wonderful Time

Having Wonderful Time

1938

as Salesgirl (uncredited)

Maid's Night Out

Maid's Night Out

1938

as Ticket Seller - Octopus Concession (uncredited)

Night Spot

Night Spot

1938

as Nightclub Patron

Living on Love

Living on Love

1937

as Bus Passenger

There Goes the Groom

There Goes the Groom

1937

as Undetermined Role (uncredited)

Stage Door

Stage Door

1937

as Mary McGuire (uncredited)

New Faces of 1937

New Faces of 1937

1937

as Showgirl