# Frances Day > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Frances_Day > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Frances_Day.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Day > Source revision: 1318508628 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American actress and singer (1907–1984)}} {{for|the painter|Frances Sally Day}} {{Use American English|date=July 2020}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2020}} {{Infobox person |image = 200px|Frances Day, circa 1935. |caption = Frances Day, circa 1935 |birth_name = Frances Victoria Schenk |birth_date = {{Birth date|1907|12|16}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/interactive/7488/NYT715_4536-0062?pid=2006459253&backurl=https://search.ancestrylibrary.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc=kew30&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&gss=angs-g&new=1&rank=1&gsfn=Frances%2520&gsfn_x=0&gsln=Schenk&gsln_x=0&msbdy=1908&msbpn__ftp=New%2520Jersey,%2520USA&msbpn=33&msdpn__ftp=%2520&mssng=Beaumont&mssns=Alexander&catbucket=rstp&MSAV=1&uidh=57k&pcat=ROOT_CATEGORY&h=2006459253&recoff=8%252010&dbid=7488&indiv=1&ml_rpos=2&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=kew30&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true|title=Ancestry Library Edition|website=ancestrylibrary.com|accessdate=February 5, 2018}} |birth_place = [East Orange, New Jersey](/source/East_Orange%2C_New_Jersey), U.S. |death_date = {{Death date and age|1984|4|29|1907|12|16}} |death_place = [Windsor, Berkshire](/source/Windsor%2C_Berkshire), England |occupation = Actress, singer |spouse = {{Marriage|Beaumont Alexander|1927|1938|end=divorced}} }} '''Frances Day''' (born '''Frances Victoria Schenk'''; December 16, 1907{{spaced ndash}}April 29, 1984)[https://www.allmusic.com/artist/frances-day-mn0000154641 Profile], AllMusic.com; accessed February 4, 2018. was an American actress and singer who achieved great popularity in the UK in the 1930s. Her career began as a nightclub cabaret singer in [New York City](/source/New_York_City) and [London](/source/London). She made her London stage debut as a double act at the New Cross Empire with the dancer [John Mills](/source/John_Mills) (later a distinguished actor), billed as "Mills and Day".Dann, John (2017). ''Maud Coleno's Daughter: The Life of Dorothy Hartman, 1898–1957''. Kibworth: Matador. p. 125. {{ISBN|978-1-785899-71-3}} This led to a chorus role in the 1929 West End production of ''[The Five O'Clock Girl](/source/The_Five_O'Clock_Girl)'' at the [Hippodrome](/source/Hippodrome%2C_London), which toured the provinces in 1930. She married Beaumont Alexander, an [Australia](/source/Australia)n agent and publicist in London, in 1927.{{Cite web|url=https://search.ancestrylibrary.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc=kew27&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&gss=angs-g&new=1&rank=1&gsfn=Frances%20&gsfn_x=0&gsln=Schenck&gsln_x=0&msbpn__ftp=%20&msdpn__ftp=%20&mssng=Beaumont&mssns=Alexander&catbucket=rstp&MSAV=1&uidh=57k&pcat=ROOT_CATEGORY&h=62465778&dbid=8753&indiv=1&ml_rpos=1|title=Ancestry Library Edition}} He masterminded her early career as a dancer in West End nightclubs, where she created favourable notoriety by performing in a G-string with only an ostrich fan for cover. The couple divorced in 1938, and she never remarried. ==Later years== She acted regularly in films until 1941, and appeared on the London stage in musical revues like [Cole Porter](/source/Cole_Porter)'s ''Black Vanities'' (1941, in which she sang with [Bud Flanagan](/source/Bud_Flanagan)). In the 1950s she made only four films but found a new career as a regular panelist on the British version of ''[What's My Line?](/source/What's_My_Line%3F)'', which ran from July 16, 1951, until May 13, 1963.
She was also a close "theatrical" friend of the [Mayfair](/source/Mayfair) heiress Dorothy Hartman, owner of [Lendrum & Hartman Limited](/source/Lendrum_%26_Hartman_Limited), the major distributor of Buick and Cadillac cars in London. She was a regular guest at her country home – Stumblehole Farm, Dean Oak Lane, near [Leigh](/source/Leigh%2C_Surrey) in Surrey.Dann, pp. 317–319. ==Death== She died of [chronic myeloid leukemia](/source/chronic_myeloid_leukemia), aged 76, in [Windsor, Berkshire](/source/Windsor%2C_Berkshire), after retreating into reclusion in [Maidenhead](/source/Maidenhead) when her career and public life ended. She left what remained of her estate to a young solicitor, Howard McBrien, in her handwritten will, which included the following directive:
[That] there be no notice or information of any kind of my death, except for and if a death certificate is obligatory. Any persons, private or Press, you shall simply say that I am no longer at this address. "Gone away. Destination unknown", and that is the truth.Dann, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=Mf88DgAAQBAJ&pg=PA327 327].
==Discography== {{div col|colwidth=30em}} * "Ooh! That Kiss" (1932) * "Happy-Go-Lucky-You" (1932) * "Now You're Here" (1933) * "It's Best to Forget" (1933) * "Excuse Me" (1934) * "[Did You Ever See a Dream Walking?](/source/Did_You_Ever_See_a_Dream_Walking%3F)" (1934) * "Let's Lay Our Heads Together" (1935) * "I'd Do the Most Extraordinary Things" (1935) * "Pardon My English" (1935) * "Dancing With a Ghost" (1935) * "Swing" (1936) * "Me and My Dog" (1936) * "A Little White Room" (1937) * "Artificial Flowers" (1937) * "Because You Are You" (1937) * "Midnight and Music" (1937) * "[I've Got You Under My Skin](/source/I've_Got_You_Under_My_Skin)" (1937) * "[Easy to Love](/source/You'd_Be_So_Easy_to_Love)" (1937) * "Whispers in the Dark" (1937) * "I Will Pray" (1937) * "How Do You Do, Mr. Right?" (1938) * "[It's D'Lovely](/source/It's_De-Lovely)" (1938) * "But in the Morning, No!" (1941) * "[It's D'Lovely](/source/It's_De-Lovely)" (1941) * "[Underneath the Arches](/source/Underneath_the_Arches_(song))" (1941) * "[Do I Love You?](/source/Do_I_Love_You%3F)" (1941) * "I L-L-Love You So" (1941) * "Much More Lovely" (1941) * "A Pair of Silver Wings" (1941) * "The Wheels of Love" (1955) * "Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?" (1955) * "Met Rock" (1956) * "Heartbreak Hotel" (1956) {{div col end}} ==Stage credits== {{div col|colwidth=30em}} *''[Out of the Bottle](/source/Out_of_the_Bottle)'' (1932) *''[How D'You Do?](/source/How_D'You_Do%3F)'' (1933) *''[Jill Darling](/source/Jill_Darling)'' (1934) *''[Floodlight](/source/Floodlight_(musical))'' (1937) *''[The Fleet's Lit Up](/source/The_Fleet's_Lit_Up)'' (1938) *''[Black and Blue](/source/Black_and_Blue_(revue))'' (1939) *''[Black Vanities](/source/Black_Vanities)'' (1941) *''[DuBarry Was a Lady](/source/DuBarry_Was_a_Lady)'' (1942) *''[Evangeline](/source/Evangeline_(1946_musical))'' (1946) *''[Buoyant Billions](/source/Buoyant_Billions)'' (1949) *''[Latin Quarter](/source/Latin_Quarter_(musical))'' (1949) {{div col end}} ==Filmography== {{div col|colwidth=30em}} * ''[The Price of Divorce](/source/The_Price_of_Divorce)'' (1928) * ''[Such Is the Law](/source/Such_Is_the_Law)'' (1930) * ''[Big Business](/source/Big_Business_(1930_film))'' (1930) * "O.K. Chief" (1931) – [BIP](/source/Associated_British_Picture_Corporation) short * ''[The First Mrs. Fraser](/source/The_First_Mrs._Fraser_(1932_film))'' (1932) * ''[The Girl from Maxim's](/source/The_Girl_from_Maxim's_(1933_film))'' (1933) * ''[Two Hearts in Waltz Time](/source/Two_Hearts_in_Waltz_Time_(1934_film))'' (1934) * ''[Temptation](/source/Temptation_(1934_film))'' (1934) * ''[Oh, Daddy!](/source/Oh%2C_Daddy!)'' (1935) * ''[You Must Get Married](/source/You_Must_Get_Married)'' (1936) * ''[Public Nuisance No. 1](/source/Public_Nuisance_No._1)'' (1936) * ''[Dreams Come True](/source/Dreams_Come_True_(film))'' (1936) * ''[Who's Your Lady Friend?](/source/Who's_Your_Lady_Friend%3F)'' (1937) * ''[The Girl in the Taxi](/source/The_Girl_in_the_Taxi_(1937_film))'' (1937) * ''[Kicking the Moon Around](/source/Kicking_the_Moon_Around)'' (1938) * ''[Room for Two](/source/Room_for_Two_(film))'' (1940) * ''[Fiddlers Three](/source/Fiddlers_Three_(1944_film))'' (1944) * ''Buoyant Billions'' (1949) – BBC [TV movie](/source/Television_film), based on [play](/source/Buoyant_Billions){{cite web|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/23a0a7b46a024aa0ace09e67da1b745a|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240310132754/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/23a0a7b46a024aa0ace09e67da1b745a|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 10, 2024|title=Buoyant Billions|website=BBC Genome}} * ''Call It a Day'' (1950) – [BBC TV](/source/BBC_Television) special{{cite web|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/885f0f878c6c43b1ac1600405b7578db|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240310132755/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/885f0f878c6c43b1ac1600405b7578db|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 10, 2024|title=Call It a Day|website=BBC Genome}} * ''A Summer's Day'' (1950) – BBC TV special{{cite web|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/b7fa5aca6ebe4574a371555f77aa4ec5|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240310132753/https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/b7fa5aca6ebe4574a371555f77aa4ec5|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 10, 2024|title=A Summer's Day|website=BBC Genome}} * ''[Tread Softly](/source/Tread_Softly_(1952_film))'' (1952) * ''[There's Always a Thursday](/source/There's_Always_a_Thursday)'' (1957) * "The Witching Hour" (1958) – episode of ''[Armchair Theatre](/source/Armchair_Theatre)'' {{div col end}} ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * {{IMDb name|0206402}} * [https://theatricalia.com/person/qjv/frances-day Frances Day] at Theatricalia * [https://www.abouttheartists.com/artists/764267-frances-day-1 Frances Day] at About the Artists * {{discogs artist}} * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV-OYeiZer4 Frances Day in Burma] (1945) – [British Pathé](/source/British_Path%C3%A9) newsreel * "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FI4qpQIc7Q8 You Bring Out the Savage in Me]" – ''[Oh, Daddy!](/source/Oh%2C_Daddy!)'' (1935) * "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPi1vl0U_uo The Life Of Your Party]" (c.1936) – with the [Savoy Orpheans](/source/Savoy_Orpheans) * {{NPG name}} * "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2RFRGAUMUQ I'm for You, a Hundred Percent]" (1932) – with the Savoy Orpheans * [https://mashable.com/feature/frances-day Frances Day: The Forgotten Bombshell of the 1930s] – Alex Q. Arbuckle * [https://guysterling.wordpress.com/2020/06/07/newark-golden-girl/ Frances Day: Biography of Newark's Golden Girl] – Guy Sterling {{authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Day, Frances}} Category:1907 births Category:1984 deaths Category:American stage actresses Category:American film actresses Category:Actresses from East Orange, New Jersey Category:American expatriate actresses Category:American expatriates in England Category:Musicians from East Orange, New Jersey Category:Nightclub performers Category:20th-century American actresses Category:20th-century American women singers Category:20th-century American singers Category:Deaths from chronic myeloid leukemia Category:Deaths from leukemia in England --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Frances Day](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Day) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Day?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.