Frances Upton
Frances Upton | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | April 15, 1904 |
| Died | November 27, 1975 (aged 71) |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, comedian |
| Spouse | Bert Bell |
| Children | 3, including Upton Bell |
Frances Upton (April 15, 1904 – November 27, 1975) was an American Broadway theatre actress and comedian.
Biography
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (January 2020) |
Upton attended a business college after she finished high school, and she worked in a store's music department. She also took dancing lessons, which helped her get a part in a benefit production. Director Julian Mitchell saw her perform and offered her an opportunity to go on Broadway.[1]
On Broadway, Upton starred with Eddie Cantor in Whoopee! (1928) and the Ziegfeld Follies of 1927 (1927). Her other Broadway credits included Hold Your Horses (1933), Talk About Girls (1927), Lady Do (1927), Twinkle, Twinkle (1926), My Girl (1924), Little Jessie James (1923), and Pins and Needles (1922).[2] She also performed in vaudeville.[3]
In 1929, Upton performed on a network shortwave radio program specially broadcast to Richard Byrd's expedition to the South Pole. She had a featured role in the early sound film Night Work (1930). In 1931, she starred in one of the first experimental television broadcasts in New York City, appearing with Gertrude Lawrence, Lionel Atwill, and boxer Primo Carnera.
Her father, Frank, was a New York City detective sergeant[1] who apprehended the accomplices of Charles Becker in the 1912 murder of Herman Rosenthal. Her paternal grandfather, William C. Upton, was a member of Ireland's Fenian movement of the late 19th century, and wrote a novel, Uncle Pat's Cabin (1882), about life under English rule.
Upton married Philadelphia Eagles owner Bert Bell on January 4, 1934.[4][a] Bell later served as commissioner of the National Football League (NFL). They had three children, sons Bert Jr. and Upton, and daughter Jane.
Upton died on November 27, 1975, in Lankenau Hospital at age 71.[3]
Notes
- ^ Newspapers reported the marriage in May 1934,[5] following an April column by Walter Winchell where he mentioned that Bell and Upton had been married "months ago".[6]
References
- ^ a b "Thumb-Nail Sketches". Courier-Post. New Jersey, Camden. December 16, 1933. p. 4. Retrieved January 29, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Frances Upton". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on January 29, 2020. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
- ^ a b "Frances Upton Bell, Widow of NFL Head". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. November 29, 1975. p. 25. Retrieved January 29, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ MacCambridge, Michael (2008). America's Game. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. p. 42. ISBN 978-0-307-48143-6. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
- ^ "Frances Upton, of the Stage, Is Married to Bert Bell". The Philadelphia Inquirer. May 7, 1934. p. 1. Retrieved October 14, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Winchell, Walter (April 19, 1934). "On Broadway". The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. p. 6. Retrieved October 14, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
Further reading
- Fitzpatrick, Frank (October 13, 2019). "The woman behind the Eagles' birth". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. D3. Retrieved October 13, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
External links
- Frances Upton at the Internet Broadway Database
- Frances Upton at IMDb
- Night Work (1930) clip with Upton and Eddie Quillan via YouTube
- Portrait by Ben Solowey
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