Frances Dade

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Frances Dade
Frances Dade in Screenland.png
Born(1907-02-14)February 14, 1907
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedJanuary 21, 1968(1968-01-21) (aged 60)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
OccupationActress

Frances Pemberton Dade (February 14, 1907 – January 21, 1968)[1] was an American film and stage actress of the late 1920s and 1930s.

Dade was born in 1907 to Frances Rawle Pemberton and Francis Cadwallader Dade, Jr. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[2][3][4] Dade moved to Hollywood, California in the late 1920s to pursue an acting career. She first caught the attention of Samuel Goldwyn as Lorelei Lee in the touring company of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.[5] He gave her a contract,[6] though she later went freelance. Her first film role was in 1928, when she had an uncredited role alongside stars Dorothy Boyd and Mabel Poulton in The Constant Nymph. She also appeared in such films as Raffles (1930) and Seed (1931).[7]

In 1931, Dade was cast in the biggest role of her career as Lucy Weston in Dracula,[8] which starred Bela Lugosi and Helen Chandler. The scene with Bela Lugosi hovering over her prostrate body remains an indelible part of pop culture. Dade was also the first actress to ever play the character of Lucy in a motion picture (despite the last name was changed from Westenra from the book to Weston in the film).[6] That role would catapult her to brief notoriety, and would result in her being selected as one of thirteen WAMPAS Baby Stars, including Marian Marsh, Karen Morley, and Marion Shilling, that same year.[9][10]

Despite her performance in Dracula, Dade's film role offers dwindled. She starred in six films in 1931, three of which were horror films. In 1932, she was featured in only one film, Big Town, and she appeared on Broadway in the play Collision. Shortly thereafter, she retired from acting and married wealthy socialite Brock Van Avery in August 1932.[11] She eventually moved back home to Philadelphia, and went into nursing. She died in 1968, at the age of 60.[12]

She was grandniece to Confederate General John Clifford Pemberton and first cousin to athlete Hobey Baker.

Filmography[]

Year Title Role Notes
1928 The Constant Nymph Uncredited
1930 He Knew Women Monica Grey
1930 Raffles Ethel Crowley
1930 Grumpy Virginia Bullivant
1930 The Devil to Pay! Bidder for Bed Uncredited
1931 Dracula Lucy
1931 The She-Wolf Faire Breen
1931 Seed Nancy
1931 Pleasure Joan Channing
1931 Daughter of the Dragon Joan Marshall
1931 Range Law Ruth Warren
1932 Scandal for Sale Manicurist Uncredited
1932 Big Town Patricia Holman

References[]

  1. ^ Wilson, Scott (August 19, 2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-2599-7.
  2. ^ Kear, Lynn; Rossman, John (2012). The Complete Kay Francis Career Record: All Film, Stage, Radio and Television Appearances. McFarland. p. 242. ISBN 9781476602875. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  3. ^ Jordan, John Woolf (2004). Colonial And Revolutionary Families Of Pennsylvania. Genealogical Publishing Com. ISBN 978-0-8063-5239-8.
  4. ^ Magazine, Tylers Quarterly Historical and Geneological (1981). Genealogies of Virginia Families. Genealogical Publishing Com. ISBN 978-0-8063-0947-7.
  5. ^ Skal, David J. (October 18, 2004). Hollywood Gothic: The Tangled Web of Dracula from Novel to Stage to Screen. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 978-1-4299-9845-1.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b Heritage Signature Entertainment Memorabilia Auction #622. Heritage Capital Corporation. ISBN 978-1-59967-036-2.
  7. ^ Babington, Bruce; Barr, Charles (November 7, 2018). The Call of the Heart: John M. Stahl and Hollywood Melodrama. Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-86196-954-8.
  8. ^ Rhodes, Gary D.; Weaver, Tom; Lee, Michael; Colton, David (February 8, 2017). Dracula's Daughter. BearManor Media.
  9. ^ Liebman, Roy (2000). The Wampas Baby Stars: A Biographical Dictionary, 1922-1934. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-0756-9.
  10. ^ "WAMPAS 1931 dissentention disrupts contest". Newspapers.com. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  11. ^ "Healdsburg Tribune 28 July 1932 — California Digital Newspaper Collection". cdnc.ucr.edu. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  12. ^ "Clipped From Philadelphia Daily News". Philadelphia Daily News. January 23, 1968. p. 45. Retrieved August 4, 2020.

External links[]

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