Frances Robinson (born Marion Frances Ladd; April 26, 1916 – August 16, 1971) was an American actress.

Early life

Robinson was born Marion Frances Ladd in the Fort Wadsworth section of Staten Island, New York, on April 26, 1916. Her father was U. S. Army Major James A. Ladd. At age 5, Robinson portrayed Little Henrietta in the silent film '' Orphans of the Storm'' (1921). Before acting in films as an adult, she was a model for the agency operated by

John Robert Powers John Robert Powers (September 14, 1892 – July 21, 1977) was an American actor and founder of a New York City modeling agency. In 1923, Powers founded a modeling school. The John Robert Powers Agency represented models who aspired to success in ...

Career

Her acting roles included a nurse in ''

The Invisible Man Returns ''The Invisible Man Returns'' is a 1940 American horror science fiction film directed by Joe May. The film stars Cedric Hardwicke, Vincent Price, Nan Grey and John Sutton. The film is a sequel to the 1933 film ''The Invisible Man'', and the sec ...

'' (1940) and Marcia in the 1941 version of '' Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde''. On television, she portrayed Louise Stewart in 1957 as a member of the regular cast of the CBS

situation comedy A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...

Mr. Adams and Eve ''Mr. Adams and Eve'' is an American situation comedy television series about a married couple who are both movie stars. It stars Howard Duff and Ida Lupino (who were actually married at the time) and aired on CBS from January 4, 1957, to July ...

'' during its first season.The Classic TV Archive Mr. Adams and Eve (1957-58) Accessed 12 June 2021
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Personal life

Robinson was married to Sonny Chalif, a nephew of actress

Mary Pickford Gladys Marie Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian-American stage and screen actress and producer with a career that spanned five decades. A pioneer in the US film industry, she co-founde ...

; and they had a son, Louis. She died on August 16, 1971, in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, at the age of 55 of an apparent heart attack.

Partial filmography

* ''

Tim Tyler's Luck ''Tim Tyler's Luck'' is an adventure comic strip created by Lyman Young, elder brother of '' Blondie'' creator Chic Young. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, the strip ran from August 13, 1928, until August 24, 1996. Characters and story ...

'' (1937, Serial) * ''

Forbidden Valley Forbidden Valley is a valley to the south of Citadel Peak in the Hays Mountains of Antarctica. The valley drains east-northeast from Mount Crockett to Scott Glacier and is partly covered by glacier and moraine. It was visited in December 1987 by a ...

'' (1938) * ''

His Exciting Night ''His Exciting Night'' is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Gus Meins and written by Pat C. Flick, Edward Eliscu and Morton Grant. It is based on the 1934 play ''Adam's Evening'' by Katharine Kavanaugh. The film stars Charlie Ruggles, Ric ...

'' (1938) * ''

Personal Secretary ''Personal Secretary'' is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Otis Garrett and written by Betty Laidlaw, Robert Lively and Charles Grayson. The film stars William Gargan, Joy Hodges, Andy Devine, Ruth Donnelly, Samuel S. Hinds and Frances ...

'' (1938) * ''

The Last Warning ''The Last Warning'' is a 1928 American mystery film directed by Paul Leni, and starring Laura La Plante, Montagu Love, and Margaret Livingston. ''The Last Warning'' was also one of the very last silent films Universal made — except it was a ...

'' (1938) * '' Desperate Trails'' (1939) * '' So You Won't Talk'' (1940) * ''

The Lone Wolf Keeps a Date ''The Lone Wolf Keeps a Date'' (1941) is the sixth Lone Wolf film produced by Columbia Pictures. It features Warren William, in his fourth appearance as the title character Lone Wolf, and Edward Gargan, Lester Matthews and Don Beddoe as the film' ...

'' (1940) * ''

Glamour for Sale ''Glamour for Sale'' is a 1940 American crime film directed by D. Ross Lederman and starring Anita Louise, Roger Pryor, and Frances Robinson.McCarty p.421 Plot A poor girl, working for an escort agency, is given for her first client a man worki ...

'' (1940) * ''

Outlaws of the Panhandle ''Outlaws of the Panhandle'' is a 1941 American Western film directed by Sam Nelson and written by Paul Franklin. The film stars Charles Starrett, Frances Robinson, Stanley Brown, Norman Willis, Ray Teal and Lee Prather. The film was released ...

'' (1941) * '' Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'' (1941) as Marcia * ''

Bedtime Story A bedtime story is a traditional form of storytelling, where a story is told to a child at bedtime to prepare the child for sleep. The bedtime story has long been considered "a definite institution in many families".Dickson, Marguerite Stockma ...

'' (1964)

References

External links

* 1916 births 1971 deaths American film actresses 20th-century American actresses People from Staten Island Actresses from New York City American child actresses American silent film actresses {{US-film-actor-1910s-stub