Frances Lee

Born: 1906-05-05

From Wikipedia Frances Lee was born as Myrna Tibbetts (some sources indicate Merna Tibbetts) in Eagle Grove, Iowa. She initially began pursuing a career as a teacher but began taking dance lessons, which led to her being spotted by Gus Edwards, who owned a theater in New York City. Edwards persuaded Lee to perform at his theater, and she joined the cast of The Ziegfeld Follies in 1923, when she was hired by Al Christie to perform in his Christie Comedies. Moving to Hollywood in the mid-1920s to pursue acting, she received her first film role in 1924, starring in Hello and Goodbye, a comedy short film. That brought her to the attention of the studios and launched her into a very successful and busy silent film career. In 1925 she had roles in three films, and in 1926 her number of films jumped to seven. She was a frequent guest at the home of Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks and became friends with other notable Hollywood legends, to include Rudolph Valentino until his death in 1926. In 1927 she had roles in five films and was selected as one of thirteen girls to be WAMPAS Baby Stars, which that year included silent film star Sally Phipps and actress Barbara Kent. The year 1928 was a big year for her. She starred in nine films, the most memorable of which was Sweeties with Bobby Vernon. Her biggest year by far was 1929, when she starred in ten films, including the lead role in Stage Struck Susie opposite Eddie Barry and Divorce Made Easy starring alongside Marie Prevost and Douglas MacLean. That year, she married Alexander Bennett, brother to Australian silent film actress Enid Bennett. Their wedding was attended by such famous Hollywood legends as Enid Bennett's husband, film producer Fred Niblo; actresses Gloria Swanson and Greta Garbo; and actors Rod La Rocque and John Gilbert. She retired from film acting after 1935, living with her husband in Beverly Hills, California. She began working in interior design and studied for and received a degree in teaching. She and her husband lived in Brentwood, where she began one of the early Head Start programs at Knox Presbyterian Nursery School. She also taught dance, society behavior, and etiquette at the Elisa Ryan Studio, where she instructed the daughters of President Richard M. Nixon. In 1972 she and Alex moved to Cardiff-by-the-Sea. She worked as a children's librarian at the Rancho Sante Fe Library until only a few years before her death. She died on November 5, 2000, in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California, aged 94.


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Show of Shows

as Performer in 'Ladies of the Ensemble' Number (uncredited)
Released: 1929-11-21

Now hear this. The studio that gave the cinema its voice offered 1929 audiences a chance to see...

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Flirtation Walk

as Blonde (uncredited)
Released: 1934-12-01

A private stationed in Hawaii gets involved with the general's engaged daughter. In order to...

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Phantom Thunderbolt

as Judy Lane
Released: 1933-03-04

A cowboy called The Thunderbolt Kid comes to the aid of a town that is being threatened by...

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The Tabasco Kid

as Mary Jones
Released: 1932-01-30

A timid accountant for a California cattle ranch and a lookalike dashing bandit become rivals...

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Stage Struck Susie

as Susie
Released: 1929-05-04

Eddie Barry bewilders himself backstage at a show.

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Naughty Baby

as Peggy
Released: 1929-04-06

A gorgeous showgirl is hired as a lingerie model at a fashion show......

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Her Splendid Folly

as Natalie
Released: 1933-10-07

Solomon Ginsberg is the President of International Pictures Corporation and hires Joan...

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Chicken à la King

as Babe Lorraine
Released: 1928-06-09

A married tightwad learns to loosen up by living the life of a playboy.

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Page Me

as uncredited
Released: 1926-02-28

Unable to pay his hotel bill Bobby has to become a bellboy to cover the cost. Among the many...

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Good as Gold

as Jane Laurier
Released: 1927-06-12

Buck Brady is the son of a prospector whose valuable claim was stolen when Buck was a child....

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Divorce Made Easy

as Eileen Stanley
Released: 1929-07-06

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The Carnation Kid

as Doris Whitely
Released: 1929-03-02

It's a case of mistaken identity in this comedy that centers around a country bumpkin mistaken...

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The Little Snob

as Alice
Released: 1928-02-11

May Banks (May McAvoy) is a working-class girl who gets ideas above her station in life when her...

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