Ilka Chase
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Ilka Chase (April 8, 1905 – February 15, 1978) was an American actress, radio host, and novelist.


Biography

Born in New York City and educated at convent and boarding schools in the United States, England, and France, Chase was the only child of Francis Dane Chase, a merchant mariner who became a dry goods salesman and then the general manager of New York's Hotel Colonial, and the former Edna Woolman Allaway, known as
Edna Woolman Chase Edna Woolman Chase (; March 14, 1877 — March 21, 1957) was an American who served as editor-in-chief of ''Vogue'' magazine from 1914 to 1952. Early life Chase was born on March 14, 1877 in Asbury Park, New Jersey. She was the daughter of Fra ...
, an editor. Her mother, who became the editor-in-chief of ''
Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...
'', described Chase's father, whom she married in 1902, as "a lovable, good-looking, irresponsible young man from Boston. His father had been a banker, and depending on when you met them, the family had money." After her parents' divorce, her father married artist Theodora Larsh (1887–1955). Her mother's second husband was engineer Richard Newton. After graduating from France's Château de Groslay boarding school, Chase made her society debut in December 1923 at a large dinner and dance, held in her honor and hosted by her mother at the Cosmopolitan Club in New York City. The 250 guests included her mother's employer,
Condé Nast Condé Nast () is a global mass media company founded in 1909 by Condé Montrose Nast, and owned by Advance Publications. Its headquarters are located at One World Trade Center in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan. The company's media ...
, ''Vanity Fair'' editor-in-chief
Frank Crowninshield Francis Welch Crowninshield (June 24, 1872 – December 28, 1947), better known as Frank or Crownie (''informal''), was an American journalist and art and theater critic best known for developing and editing the magazine ''Vanity Fair'' for 21 y ...
, artist Abram Poole and his wife,
Mercedes de Acosta Mercedes de Acosta (March 1, 1892 – May 9, 1968) was an American poet, playwright, and novelist. Although she failed to achieve artistic and professional distinction, de Acosta is known for her many lesbian affairs with celebrated Broadway and ...
, interior decorators Ruby Ross Goodnow and Nancy McClelland, artist
Albert Sterner Albert Edward Sterner (March 8, 1863 – December 16, 1946) was a British-American illustrator and painter. Early life Sterner was born to a Jewish family in London, and attended King Edward's School, Birmingham. After a brief period in Germany, ...
, future ''Harper's Bazaar'' editor-in-chief
Carmel Snow Carmel Snow, born Carmel White (21 August 1887 – 7 May 1961), was the editor-in-chief of the American edition of ''Harper's Bazaar'' from 1934 to 1958; and the chair of the magazine's editorial board. She was famously quoted as saying, "E ...
, British nobleman and pilot Viscount Holmesdale, architect
Harrie T. Lindeberg Harrie Thomas Lindeberg (1879 – January 10, 1959) was an American architect, best known for designing country houses in the United States. Among academic eclectic architects Lindeberg found a niche as "the American Edwin Lutyens, Lutyens" by wo ...
, and fashion designer
Adrian Adrian is a form of the Latin language, Latin given name Adrianus (given name), Adrianus or Hadrianus (disambiguation), Hadrianus. Its ultimate origin is most likely via the former river Adria (river), Adria from the Venetic language, Venetic and ...
.


Stage

Chase's Broadway debut occurred in 1924 in ''The Red Falcon''. Her stage appearances included roles in ''Days Without End'', ''Forsaking All Others'', ''While Parents Sleep'', ''
Small Miracle ''Small Miracle'' is a 1934 play by Norman Krasna, presented on Broadway with Joseph Calleia in the featured role. Directed by George Abbott with a single setting designed by Boris Aronson, the three-act melodrama opened September 26, 1934, at the ...
'', ''On to Fortune'', ''Tampico'', ''Co-Respondent Unknown'', ''Keep Off the Grass'', and ''In Bed We Cry'', an adaptation of her novel of the same name. She was in the original Broadway cast of
Clare Boothe Luce Clare Boothe Luce ( Ann Clare Boothe; March 10, 1903 – October 9, 1987) was an American writer, politician, U.S. ambassador, and public conservative figure. A versatile author, she is best known for her 1936 hit play '' The Women'', which h ...
's play '' The Women'' (1938), and many years later appeared in
Neil Simon Marvin Neil Simon (July 4, 1927 – August 26, 2018) was an American playwright, screenwriter and author. He wrote more than 30 plays and nearly the same number of movie screenplays, mostly film adaptations of his plays. He has received mo ...
's Broadway hit ''
Barefoot in the Park ''Barefoot in the Park'' is a romantic comedy by Neil Simon. The play premiered on Broadway in 1963, starring Robert Redford and Elizabeth Ashley. It was made into a film in 1967, which starred Redford and Jane Fonda. Productions ''Barefoot ...
''.


Films

Her films included ''Fast and Loose'' (1930), ''
The Animal Kingdom ''The Animal Kingdom'' (also known as ''The Woman in His House'' in the UK) is a 1932 American Pre-Code Hollywood, pre-Code comedy-drama film directed by Edward H. Griffith based upon a comedy of manners play of the same name by Philip Barry. ...
'' (1932), ''
Now, Voyager ''Now, Voyager'' is a 1942 American drama film starring Bette Davis, Paul Henreid, and Claude Rains, and directed by Irving Rapper. The screenplay by Casey Robinson is based on the 1941 novel of the same name by Olive Higgins Prouty. Prouty ...
'' (1942), ''Once a Sinner'' (1950), and ''The Big Knife'' (1955). Her last motion picture was in ''
Ocean's 11 ''Ocean's 11'' is a 1960 American heist film directed and produced by Lewis Milestone from a screenplay by Harry Brown and Charles Lederer, based on a story by George Clayton Johnson and Jack Golden Russell. The film stars five of the Rat Pack ...
'' (1960) as Mrs. Restes.


Radio

In the early 1940s, Chase was the hostess for ''Penthouse Party'' on CBS and ''Luncheon Date With Ilka Chase'', on NBC Red. For several years, she hosted the radio program ''Luncheon at the Waldorf''.


Television

Chase appeared as a panelist on several programs in the early years of television, including ''
Celebrity Time ''Celebrity Time'' (also known as ''The Eyes Have It'') is an American game and audience participation television series that was broadcast on ABC in 1949 - 1950 and on CBS in 1950 - 1952. The original host was Douglas Edwards. Rules The show ...
'' (1949–50), ''
Who Said That? ''Who Said That?'' is a 1948–55 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, ...
'' (1950–55), and ''
Masquerade Party ''Masquerade Party'' was an American television game show. During its original run from 1952 to 1960, the show appeared at various times on every television network except DuMont (ABC, NBC, and CBS). A syndicated revival was produced for one se ...
'' (1952–56). She hosted the 1950–51 TV series ''Fashion Magic.'' In 1957, Chase performed the role of the Stepmother in the television production of
Rodgers and Hammerstein Rodgers and Hammerstein was a theater-writing team of composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and lyricist-dramatist Oscar Hammerstein II (1895–1960), who together created a series of innovative and influential American musicals. Their popu ...
's ''
Cinderella "Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...
'', which starred
Julie Andrews Dame Julie Andrews (born Julia Elizabeth Wells; 1 October 1935) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over seven decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Fi ...
. In 1963, she made a rare television sitcom appearance as Aunt Pauline on ''
The Patty Duke Show ''The Patty Duke Show'' is an American television sitcom created by Sidney Sheldon and William Asher. The series ran on ABC from September 18, 1963, to April 27, 1966. The series was developed as a vehicle for teenage star Patty Duke, who h ...
''. Chase was a regular in ''
The Trials of O'Brien ''The Trials of O'Brien'' is a 1965 television series starring Peter Falk as sordid, Shakespeare-quoting lawyer Daniel O'Brien, and featuring Elaine Stritch as his secretary and Joanna Barnes as his ex-wife. The series ran for 22 episodes on C ...
'' on CBS in the mid-1960s.


Personal life

Chase was married to: *
Louis Calhern Carl Henry Vogt (February 19, 1895 – May 12, 1956), known professionally as Louis Calhern, was an American stage and screen actor. Well known to film noir fans for his role as the pivotal villain in 1950's ''The Asphalt Jungle'', he was n ...
(1895–1956), the stage and movie actor. Chase and Calhern met while performing in summer stock with the George Cukor Company in Rochester, New York, married in June 1926, and divorced six months later, in February 1927. * William Buckley Murray (1889–1949), a former music critic of ''
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle :''This article covers both the historical newspaper (1841–1955, 1960–1963), as well as an unrelated new Brooklyn Daily Eagle starting 1996 published currently'' The ''Brooklyn Eagle'' (originally joint name ''The Brooklyn Eagle'' and ''King ...
'' and onetime executive of NBC. He also had been a concert manager for the
Baldwin Piano Company The Baldwin Piano Company is an American piano brand. It was once the largest US-based manufacturer of keyboard instruments and known by the slogan, "America's Favorite Piano". Since 2001, it has been a subsidiary of Gibson Brands, Inc. It ceased ...
and became the head of radio and television at the
William Morris Agency The William Morris Agency (WMA) was a Hollywood-based talent agency. It represented some of the best known 20th-century entertainers in film, television, and music. During its 109-year tenure it came to be regarded as the "first great talent a ...
. In 1932, Chase and Murray adapted ''We Are No Longer Children'', a play by French playwright Leopold Marchand. They married on 13 July 1935, in Greenwich, Connecticut, and divorced in Las Vegas, Nevada, on 4 December 1946. By this marriage, she had one stepson, William Buckley Murray, Jr., a crime novelist and writer for ''The New Yorker'', who was Murray's only child by his previous wife, Natalia Danesi, an opera singer and lover of
Janet Flanner Janet Flanner (March 13, 1892 – November 7, 1978) was an American writer and pioneering narrative journalist who served as the Paris correspondent of ''The New Yorker'' magazine from 1925 until she retired in 1975.Yagoda, Ben ''About T ...
. Murray's third wife was interior decorator Florence Smolen. * Norton Sager Brown (1904–1995), a physician. Chase and Brown divorced their spouses so they could be married on 7 December 1946, in Las Vegas, Nevada. They remained married until her death in 1978. By this marriage, Chase had a stepson, James Brown.


Writings

Her novel ''In Bed We Cry'' appeared in 1943 and was adapted for the stage, with Chase in the leading role. Her autobiography ''Past Imperfect'' (volume I), in which she wrote, "Those who never fail are those who never try," was published in 1942, and ''Free Admission'' (volume II) was published in 1948. She also wrote more than a dozen other books, including ''The Care and Feeding of Friends'', a guide to lighthearted entertaining with over 80 recipes and 20 menus.


Death

Chase died of internal hemorrhaging on February 14, 1978 in Mexico City, Mexico. She was 72. She was buried beside her mother in
Locust Valley Cemetery Locust Valley Cemetery is a non-denominational cemetery located in Lattingtown, New York, in Nassau County. The cemetery was founded in the 19th Century and designed by John Charles Olmsted and Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., renowned architect ...
.


Reference materials

Chase's personal papers, as well as those of her mother, are in the Billy Rose Theatre Division of the New York Public Library.


Filmography


References


External links

* * *
Ilka Chase papers, 1850-1977 bulk (1916-1977)
held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division,
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, at 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, is located in Manhattan, New York City, at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on the Upper West Side, between the Metro ...

Photographic_portraits_of_Ilka_Chase_by_Cecil_Beaton,_Arnold_Genthe,_Man_Ray,_and_Edward_Steichen
,_1925-1930s.html" ;"title="Edward Steichen">Photographic portraits of Ilka Chase by Cecil Beaton, Arnold Genthe, Man Ray, and Edward Steichen
, 1925-1930s">Edward Steichen">Photographic portraits of Ilka Chase by Cecil Beaton, Arnold Genthe, Man Ray, and Edward Steichen
, 1925-1930s held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division,
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, at 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, is located in Manhattan, New York City, at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on the Upper West Side, between the Metro ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chase, Ilka 1905 births 1978 deaths 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American novelists Actresses from New York City American radio actresses American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses Burials at Westchester Hills Cemetery American women novelists 20th-century American women writers American expatriates in France