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.
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.
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0317519
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3080821
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Filmography (Movies)
Walt Disney's Fables - Vol.6
Character:Doris (voice) (archive sound) (uncredited)
Release Date:31/05/2004
Sky Commando
Character:Jo McWethy
Release Date:21/08/1953
Riding High
Character:Margaret Higgins
Release Date:12/04/1950
Luxury Liner
Character:Laura Dene
Release Date:09/11/1948
Little Mister Jim
Character:Jean Tukker
Release Date:01/04/1947
The Arnelo Affair
Character:Anne Parkson
Release Date:13/02/1947
She Went to the Races
Character:Dr. Ann Wotters
Release Date:04/11/1945
Our Vines Have Tender Grapes
Character:Viola Johnson
Release Date:06/09/1945
Thrill of a Romance
Character:Maude Bancroft
Release Date:23/05/1945
Marriage Is a Private Affair
Character:Sissy Mortimer
Release Date:23/08/1944
Twenty Years After
Character:(archive footage)
Release Date:01/01/1944
Cry 'Havoc'
Character:Helen
Release Date:23/11/1943
Henry Aldrich Gets Glamour
Character:Hilary Dane
Release Date:30/04/1943
Tarzan Triumphs
Character:Zandra
Release Date:20/01/1943
American Empire
Character:Abigail 'Abby' Taylor, Dan's Sister
Release Date:11/12/1942
My Heart Belongs to Daddy
Character:Grace Saunders
Release Date:07/11/1942
The Glass Key
Character:Nurse
Release Date:08/09/1942
Beyond the Blue Horizon
Character:Charlotte (uncredited)
Release Date:25/06/1942
Tombstone: The Town Too Tough to Die
Character:Ruth Grant
Release Date:13/06/1942
Star Spangled Rhythm
Character:Frances Gifford (uncredited)
Release Date:05/03/1942
The Remarkable Andrew
Character:Miss Halsey
Release Date:05/03/1942
Jungle Girl
Character:Nyoka Meredith
Release Date:21/06/1941
West Point Widow
Character:Daphne
Release Date:20/06/1941
The Reluctant Dragon
Character:Doris
Release Date:19/06/1941
Border Vigilantes
Character:Helen Forbes
Release Date:18/04/1941
Hold That Woman!
Character:Mary Mulvaney
Release Date:28/06/1940
Forty Little Mothers
Character:Granville Girl
Release Date:26/04/1940
Mercy Plane
Character:Brenda Gordon
Release Date:04/12/1939
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Character:Hopper Girl (uncredited)
Release Date:19/10/1939
Having Wonderful Time
Character:Salesgirl (uncredited)
Release Date:01/07/1938
Maid's Night Out
Character:Ticket Seller - Octopus Concession (uncredited)
Release Date:03/03/1938
Night Spot
Character:Nightclub Patron
Release Date:25/02/1938
Living on Love
Character:Bus Passenger (uncredited)
Release Date:12/11/1937
There Goes the Groom
Character:Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Release Date:29/10/1937
Stage Door
Character:Mary McGuire (uncredited)
Release Date:08/10/1937
New Faces of 1937
Character:Showgirl
Release Date:02/07/1937
Television Appearances
Images
