Noel Francis (born Noel Frances Sweeney, August 31, 1906 â€" October
30, 1959) was an American actress of the stage and screen during the
1920s and 1930s. Born in Texas, she began her acting career on the
Broadway stage in the mid-1920s, before moving to Hollywood at the
beginning of the sound film era. Originally cast in films for her song
and dance abilities, when musicals began to fall out of favor, she
became better known for her tough girl characters. However, by the
mid-1930s, she was being typecast into smaller roles, and made an
attempt at a comeback on Broadway. When that failed, she returned
briefly to Hollywood to make several B films, before retiring in
1937.Francis was born on August 31, 1906, in Temple, Texas, and grew
up in Dallas. After high school, Francis attended Southern Methodist
University and moved to New York City, where she attended Columbia
University.Her break came when she was 19 years old, when she was cast
as a Ziegfeld girl in the Broadway production, Ziegfeld Follies of
1925. For the remainder of the decade she worked constantly for
Florenz Ziegfeld, appearing in three more of his productions in
featured roles, including a major role in the musical comedy, Rio
Rita, which starred the comedy duo of Wheeler and Woolsey. Curiously,
when Wheeler and Woolsey reprised their stage roles in a very
successful 1929 film of the same name, Francis was not cast in the
film, most likely because she was one of the stars in the Broadway
production of Show Girl, which also starred Jimmy Durante, Eddie Foy,
Jr., and Ruby Keeler.While appearing in Show Girl, talent scouts from
Fox Film saw her song and dance ability and signed her to a contract,
intending for her to appear in musicals. Her debut film was in a
featured role in the Fox's big budget musical of the year, New
Movietone Follies of 1930. Her performance garnered good reviews by
the New York Times, even though the film did not due well at the box
office, due to flagging audience interest in these type of musical
reviews. She had featured roles in two more films that year, including
the John Ford comedy Up the River.
30, 1959) was an American actress of the stage and screen during the
1920s and 1930s. Born in Texas, she began her acting career on the
Broadway stage in the mid-1920s, before moving to Hollywood at the
beginning of the sound film era. Originally cast in films for her song
and dance abilities, when musicals began to fall out of favor, she
became better known for her tough girl characters. However, by the
mid-1930s, she was being typecast into smaller roles, and made an
attempt at a comeback on Broadway. When that failed, she returned
briefly to Hollywood to make several B films, before retiring in
1937.Francis was born on August 31, 1906, in Temple, Texas, and grew
up in Dallas. After high school, Francis attended Southern Methodist
University and moved to New York City, where she attended Columbia
University.Her break came when she was 19 years old, when she was cast
as a Ziegfeld girl in the Broadway production, Ziegfeld Follies of
1925. For the remainder of the decade she worked constantly for
Florenz Ziegfeld, appearing in three more of his productions in
featured roles, including a major role in the musical comedy, Rio
Rita, which starred the comedy duo of Wheeler and Woolsey. Curiously,
when Wheeler and Woolsey reprised their stage roles in a very
successful 1929 film of the same name, Francis was not cast in the
film, most likely because she was one of the stars in the Broadway
production of Show Girl, which also starred Jimmy Durante, Eddie Foy,
Jr., and Ruby Keeler.While appearing in Show Girl, talent scouts from
Fox Film saw her song and dance ability and signed her to a contract,
intending for her to appear in musicals. Her debut film was in a
featured role in the Fox's big budget musical of the year, New
Movietone Follies of 1930. Her performance garnered good reviews by
the New York Times, even though the film did not due well at the box
office, due to flagging audience interest in these type of musical
reviews. She had featured roles in two more films that year, including
the John Ford comedy Up the River.
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