Julia Frances Newbern-Langford (April 4, 1913 – July 11, 2005) was an American singer and actress who was popular during the Golden Age of Radio and made film and television appearances for over two decades. She was known as the "GI Nightingale", an American armed-forces sweetheart, who entertained troops touring often with

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in Bob Hope filmography, more than 70 short and ...

Discovery

Langford originally trained as an

opera singer Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libretti ...

. While a young girl she required a

tonsillectomy Tonsillectomy is a list of surgical procedures, surgical procedure in which both palatine tonsils are fully removed from the back of the throat. The procedure is mainly performed for recurrent tonsillitis, throat infections and obstructive sleep ...

that changed her soprano range to a rich

contralto A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typica ...

. As a result, she was forced to change her vocal approach to a more contemporary

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s ...

popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fu ...

style. At age 17, she was singing for local dances. Cigar manufacturer Eli Witt heard her sing at an American Legion party and hired her to sing on a local radio show he sponsored.

Radio

After a brief stint in the Broadway musical "Here Goes the Bride" in 1931, she moved to Hollywood, appearing on

Louella Parsons Louella Parsons (born Louella Rose Oettinger; August 6, 1881 – December 9, 1972) was an American movie columnist and a screenwriter. She was retained by William Randolph Hearst because she had championed Hearst's mistress Marion Davies and s ...

' radio show ''

Hollywood Hotel The Hollywood Hotel was a famous hotel, society venue of early Hollywood, and landmark A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible fr ...

'' while starting a movie career. Singing for radio during the early 1930s she was heard by

Rudy Vallée Hubert Prior Vallée (July 28, 1901 – July 3, 1986), known professionally as Rudy Vallée, was an American singer, musician, actor, and radio host. He was one of the first modern pop stars of the teen idol type. Early life Hubert Prior Vall ...

, who invited her to become a regular on his radio show. From 1935 until 1938 she was a regular performer on Dick Powell's radio show. From 1946 to 1951, she performed with

Don Ameche Don Ameche (; born Dominic Felix Amici; May 31, 1908 – December 6, 1993) was an American actor, comedian and vaudevillian. After playing in college shows, stock, and vaudeville, he became a major radio star in the early 1930s, which ...

as the insufferable wife, Blanche, on the radio comedy ''

The Bickersons ''The Bickersons'' was a radio comedy sketch series that began September 8, 1946, on NBC, moving the following year to CBS where it continued until August 28, 1951. The show's married protagonists, portrayed by Don Ameche (later by Lew Parker) a ...

''.

Films

Langford made her film debut in ''

Every Night at Eight ''Every Night at Eight'' is a 1935 American comedy musical film starring George Raft and Alice Faye and made by Walter Wanger Productions Inc. and Paramount Pictures. It was directed by Raoul Walsh and produced by Walter Wanger from a screenplay ...

'' (1935), introducing what became her signature song: "

I'm in the Mood for Love "I'm in the Mood for Love" is a popular song published in 1935. The music was written by Jimmy McHugh, with the lyrics by Dorothy Fields. The song was introduced by Frances Langford in the movie ''Every Night at Eight'' released that year. It ...

". She then began appearing frequently in films such as '' Broadway Melody of 1936'' (1935) (in which she popularized "Broadway Rhythm" and "You Are My Lucky Star"), '' Born to Dance'' (1936), '' Too Many Girls'' (1940) (in which she acted alongside her childhood schoolmate from Lakeland

Dan White Daniel James White (September 2, 1946 – October 21, 1985) was an American politician who assassinated San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, on Monday, November 27, 1978, at City Hall. White was convicted of manslaugh ...

), and ''

Yankee Doodle Dandy ''Yankee Doodle Dandy'' is a 1942 American biographical musical film about George M. Cohan, known as "The Man Who Owned Broadway". It stars James Cagney, Joan Leslie, Walter Huston, and Richard Whorf, and features Irene Manning, George To ...

'' (1942) with James Cagney, in which (portraying Nora Bayes) she performed the popular song " Over There". She also appeared on screen in '' Dixie Jamboree'' and ''

Radio Stars on Parade ''Radio Stars on Parade'' is a 1945 American comedy film directed by Leslie Goodwins from a screenplay by Robert E. Kent and Monte Brice, from Kent's original story. Produced and distributed by RKO Radio Pictures, it was released on August 1, 1 ...

''. In a Western movie, ''Deputy Marshal'', she co-starred with her first husband, matinee idol Jon Hall. In several of Langford's films she appeared as herself, as in ''Broadway Melody of 1936'' and ''

The Glenn Miller Story ''The Glenn Miller Story'' is a 1954 American biographical film about the eponymous American band-leader, directed by Anthony Mann and starring James Stewart in their second non-western collaboration. Plot The film follows big band leader Glenn ...

'' (1953). In the latter film, she sang "

Chattanooga Choo Choo "Chattanooga Choo Choo" is a 1941 song written by Mack Gordon and composed by Harry Warren. It was originally recorded as a big band/swing tune by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra and featured in the 1941 movie '' Sun Valley Serenade''. It was ...

" with the

Modernaires The Modernaires was an American vocal group, best known for performing in the 1940s alongside Glenn Miller. Career The Modernaires began in 1934 as "Don Juan, Two and Three," a trio of schoolmates from Lafayette High School in Buffalo, New Y ...

and the movie orchestra.

World War II

From 1941, Langford was a regular singer on

's ''

The Pepsodent Show ''The Pepsodent Show'' is an American radio comedy program broadcast during the Golden Age of Radio. The program starred comedian Bob Hope and his sidekick Jerry Colonna along with Blanche Stewart and Elvia Allman as high-society crazies Brenda ...

'' when he held his first military entertainment program at March Field in Riverside, California in 1941. The show was so positive, he continued broadcasting from training bases around the country and asked Langford to join him. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, she joined Hope, Jerry Colonna, guitarist Tony Romano, and other performers on

USO The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...

tours through Europe, North Africa, and the South Pacific, entertaining thousands of GIs throughout the world. During a USO tour in the Pacific theater, she was invited to take a ride in a P-38 fighter plane. During the flight, a Japanese ship was spotted and the joy ride was postponed until the pilot finished strafing the ship. In his memoir, ''Don't Shoot! It's Only Me!'', Bob Hope recalled how Frances Langford got the biggest laugh he had ever heard. At a USO show in the South Pacific, Langford stood up on a stage to sing before a huge crowd of GIs. When Langford sang the first line of her signature song, "I'm in the Mood for Love," a soldier in the audience stood up and shouted, "You've come to the right place, honey!" Also, during the war, Langford wrote the weekly "Purple Heart Diary" column for Hearst Newspapers, in which she described her visits to military hospitals to entertain wounded GIs. She used the weekly column as a means of allowing the recovering troops to voice their complaints, and to ask for public support for making sure that the wounded troops received all the supplies and comforts they needed. Her association with Hope continued into the 1980s. In 1989 she joined him for a

tour to entertain troops in the Persian Gulf.

Television

Frances Langford Jerry Colonna Frances Langford Presents 1959

Langford worked for several years in the late 1940s on ''

The Spike Jones Show ''The Spike Jones Show'' was the name of several separate American comedy and variety show, variety series that aired on NBC and CBS in the 1950s and 1960s. The series was presented by actor and musician Spike Jones, his wife, musician Helen Gray ...

'' and starred in a short-lived DuMont variety show '' Star Time'' (1950). As a guest on early television shows such as Perry Como and

Jackie Gleason John Herbert Gleason (February 26, 1916June 24, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, writer, composer, and conductor known affectionately as "The Great One." Developing a style and characters from growing up in Brooklyn, New York, he was know ...

she was motivated to venture into television. She was the host of two self-titled variety television programs. She then teamed with

for the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

television program, ''The Frances Langford/Don Ameche Show'' (1951), a spin-off of their successful radio series ''

'' in which the duo played a feuding married couple. Langford was also the host of the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

musical variety program ''Frances Langford Presents'' (1959), which lasted one season, as did a later program ''The Frances Langford Show'' (1960). Another notable appearance was in ''

The Honeymooners ''The Honeymooners'' is an American television sitcom which originally aired from 1955 to 1956, created by and starring Jackie Gleason, and based on a recurring comedy sketch of the same name that had been part of Gleason's variety show. It fo ...

'' lost episode "Christmas Party" which first aired December 19, 1953.

Personal life

Langford married three times, first to actor Jon Hall (1934–55). In 1948, they donated of land near her estate in

Jensen Beach, Florida Jensen Beach is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Martin County, Florida, United States. The population was 12,652 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Port St. Lucie, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. Histor ...

, to the Martin County Board of County Commissioners, which named it ''Langford Hall Park''. Located at 2369 N.E. Dixie Highway, just south of the Stuart Welcome Arch, it is known today simply as ''Langford Park'' and is one of the county's major parks. In 1946, Langford was honored by the hometown of her youth, Lakeland, Florida, for her work with the United Service Organizations (USO) and her music and acting career. The City of Lakeland dedicated the Lake Mirror Promenade as the Frances Langford Promenade. The Promenade was originally built in 1928 and was designed by renowned landscape architect Charles W. Leavitt of New York. After leaving Hollywood life, she kept up her pastimes of boating and sport fishing. As a

nightclub singer A nightclub act is a production, usually of nightclub music or comedy, designed for performance at a nightclub, a type of drinking establishment, by a nightclub performer such as a nightclub singer or nightclub dancer, whose performance may ...

in 1955, she married

Outboard Marine Corporation Outboard Marine Corporation (OMC) was a maker of Evinrude, Johnson and Gale Outboard Motors, and many different brands of boats. It was a multibillion-dollar Fortune 500 corporation. Evinrude began in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1907. OMC was based ...

president

Ralph Evinrude Ralph S. Evinrude (September 27, 1907 – May 21, 1986) was an American business magnate who was chairman of Outboard Marine Corporation, and the husband of singer and entertainer Frances Langford. Evinrude was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to B ...

. They lived on her estate in Jensen Beach (which has since been replaced by a housing development), and they built a Polynesian-themed restaurant and marina on the Indian River named ''The Frances Langford Outrigger Resort'', where Langford frequently performed. Locals and celebrities flocked there. It remains open under the name of the Dolphin Bar and Shrimp House, and many of Frances Langford's memorabilia are still on display. Evinrude died in 1986. In 1994, Langford married Harold C. Stuart, who had served as Assistant Secretary for Civil Affairs of the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...

(1949–51) under President Harry S Truman. They spent the summers at Baie Fine in Georgian Bay, Ontario, Canada, traveling from their home in Florida aboard their 110-foot yacht ''The Chanticleer'', which became a popular tourist attraction when moored at the Outrigger Resort. Health problems plagued her in the last years of her life, requiring periodic hospital stays. She died at her Jensen Beach home at age 92 from

congestive heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, ...

. According to her wishes, she was cremated and the ashes strewn off the coast of Florida near her residence. Stuart survived Langford (who had no children) and died in 2007 at the age of 94.

Legacy

Langford has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one at 1500

Vine Street Vine Street is a street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California that runs north–south between Franklin Avenue and Melrose Avenue. The intersection with Hollywood Boulevard was once a symbol of Hollywood itself. The famed intersection fell into d ...

, which acknowledges her contribution to motion pictures and one at 1525 Vine Street for her work in radio. Both were dedicated February 8, 1960. Langford was a supportive member of the Jensen Beach, Florida, community and constantly donated money to it. She was a philanthropist and her generosity to the Florida Oceanographic Society located on Hutchinson Island in Stuart was well known. The site provides education and research of the ocean, reefs and environment in the Florida area. The visitor's center bears her name and also houses some of her artifacts. Her collection of mounted tuna, marlin and other fish adorn the walls. In 2006, the Frances Langford Heart Center, made possible by a bequest from her estate, opened at Martin Memorial Hospital in Stuart, Florida.

Filmography

* ''The Subway Symphony'' (1932, Short) as Herself * ''Rambling 'Round Radio Row #5'' (1933, Short) as Herself – Singer * ''

'' (1935) as Susan Moore * '' Broadway Melody of 1936'' (1935) as Herself * '' Collegiate'' (1936) as Miss Hay * ''

Palm Springs Palm Springs (Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Riverside County by land ...

'' (1936) as Joan Smyth * ''Sunkist Stars at Palm Springs'' (1936, Short) as Herself * '' Born to Dance'' (1936) as 'Peppy' Turner * '' The Hit Parade'' (1937) as Ruth Allison * ''

'' (1937) as Alice * '' Dreaming Out Loud'' (1940) as Alice * '' Too Many Girls'' (1940) as Eileen Eilers * ''

Hit Parade of 1941 ''Hit Parade of 1941'' is a 1940 American film written by Bradford Ropes, F. Hugh Herbert and Maurice Leo and directed by John H. Auer. It was nominated for the Oscar for Best Song at the 13th Academy Awards with the song "Who Am I?", with mu ...

'' (1940) as Pat Abbott / Singing voice of Anabelle Potter * '' All-American Co-Ed'' (1941) as Virginia Collinge * ''Swing It, Soldier'' (1941) as Patricia Loring / Evelyn Loring Waters * ''Picture People No. 4: Stars Day Off'' (1941, Documentary short) as Herself * ''Mississippi Gambler'' (1942) as Beth Cornell * ''Picture People No. 10: Hollywood at Home'' (1942, Documentary short) as Herself * ''

'' (1942) as Nora Bayes * ''Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 4'' (1942, Documentary short) as Herself * ''

Combat America ''Combat America'' is a 1945 documentary film produced in World War II, narrated by Clark Gable. At the time of the film's production in 1943, Gable was a 1st Lieutenant in the Eighth Air Force, part of the United States Army Air Forces. While ...

'' (1943, Documentary) as Herself * ''

Follow the Band ''Follow the Band'' is a 1943 black-and-white musical film directed by Jean Yarbrough, one of many Universal churned out during World War II. It stars Eddie Quillan, Mary Beth Hughes, and Leon Errol, and is noteworthy as an early credit for Ro ...

'' (1943) as Herself * ''Cowboy in Manhattan'' (1943) as Babs Lee * ''

This Is the Army ''This Is the Army'' is a 1943 American wartime musical comedy film produced by Hal B. Wallis and Jack L. Warner, and directed by Michael Curtiz, adapted from a wartime stage musical with the same name, designed to boost morale in the U.S. duri ...

'' (1943) as Herself * '' Never a Dull Moment'' (1943) as Julie Russell * '' Career Girl'' (1944) as Joan Terry * ''Memo for Joe'' (1944, Short documentary) as Herself * '' Dixie Jamboree'' (1944) as Susan Jackson * ''

Girl Rush ''Girl Rush'' is a 1944 American comedy film directed by Gordon Douglas and written by Robert E. Kent. The film stars Wally Brown, Alan Carney, Frances Langford, Barbara Jo Allen, Robert Mitchum, Paul Hurst, Patti Brill and Sarah Padden. The fi ...

'' (1944) as Flo Daniels * ''

'' (1945) as Sally Baker * ''

People Are Funny ''People Are Funny'' is an American radio and television game show, created by John Guedel that ran from 1942 to 1960 in which contestants were asked to carry out stunts in order to prove that "People Are Funny." Many stunts lasted weeks, month ...

'' (1946) as Frances Langford * ''Screen Snapshots: Hollywood Victory Show'' (1946, Documentary short) as Herself * ''

The Bamboo Blonde ''The Bamboo Blonde'' is a 1946 American romantic comedy directed by Anthony Mann based on an original story "Chicago Lulu" by Wayne Whittaker. A low budget production, it stars singer Frances Langford in the title role, Ralph Edwards – fro ...

'' (1946) as Louise Anderson * ''

Beat the Band ''Beat the Band'' is a musical quiz show heard on NBC radio from 1940 to 1944 in two distinctly different series. The program popularized the show business catch phrase, "Give me a little traveling music", often uttered on TV a decade later by Ja ...

'' (1947) as Ann Rogers * ''

Melody Time ''Melody Time'' is a 1948 American live-action/animated musical film produced by Walt Disney. The tenth Disney animated feature film, it was released to theatres by RKO Radio Pictures on May 27, 1948. Made up of seven segments set to popular mu ...

'' (1948) as Herself (singing voice, segment: "Once Upon a Wintertime") * ''

Deputy Marshal ''Deputy Marshal'' is a 1949 American Western film directed by William Berke and starring Jon Hall, Frances Langford and Dick Foran. The film was a more expensive production that usual from Robert L. Lippert who originally hoped for Rod Camer ...

'' (1949) as Janet Masters * ''

Purple Heart Diary ''Purple Heart Diary'' is a 1951 American drama film directed by Richard Quine, produced by Sam Katzman and released by Columbia Pictures. It stars Frances Langford and Judd Holdren. Plot During World War II, a singing trio goes out on tour enter ...

'' (1951) as Herself * ''

'' (1954) as Herself -

DVD release

Frances Langford is featured on the DVD ''Entertaining the Troops'' with Bob Hope.

References

External links

* *
Frances Langford profile

Internet Archive: ''Maxwell House Coffee Time'' (1947): Frances Langford (13 episodes)
*
Zoot Radio, free old time radio show downloads of 'The Francis Langford' radio program

Frances Langford recordings
at the Discography of American Historical Recordings. {{DEFAULTSORT:Langford, Frances 1913 births 2005 deaths Musicians from Lakeland, Florida American film actresses American radio actresses People from Jensen Beach, Florida Torch singers Traditional pop music singers 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American singers Singers from Florida Actresses from Florida Lakeland High School (Lakeland, Florida) alumni Nightclub performers People from Citrus County, Florida 20th-century American women singers 21st-century American women United Service Organizations entertainers