FRANCES LANGFORD BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:
Frances Langford was born on April 4th, 1913 in Lakeland, Florida with the birth name Frances Newbern. As a young girl, she was very interested in singing and developing into an opera singer. Her career in entertainment began working on radio and she gained popularity being a vocalist for Bob Hope's and later on in her career she appeared in a variety of musicals.
Her parents were Vasco Cleveland Langford and Anna Rhea Newbern. She was raised in Florida and after graduating from Lakeland High School she was singing for local dances when a Cigar manufacturer by the name of Eli Witt heard her talents and asked her to sing on his local radio show.
It was with this job that she was then heard on the radio by Rudy Vallee who was so impressed with her talent that he offered her a spot on his radio show and then she followed with a regular role between 1935 and 1938 on the Dick Powell radio show.
Langford became most well known for her radio show appearance and her recordings made with Don Amech, where the duo represented a married couple, "The Bickersons" and would battle each other in a program called, "Drene Time".
Along with her stage career she did work in the film industry on such films, "Every Night at Eight" (1935) co-starring George Raft, Alice Faye, Patsy Kelly and Walter Catlett, "Yankee Doodle Dandy" (1942) starring James Cagney, Rosemary DeCamp, Walter Huston, Joan Leslie, Minor Watson, Richard Whorf, Jeanne Cagney and George Tobias, "This Is the Army" (1943) also starring George Murphy, Joan Leslie, Alan Hale Sr., Rosemary DeCamp, Ronald Reagan, Kate Smith, Victor Moore and George Tobias and "The Glenn Miller Story" (1954) starring James Stewart, June Allyson, Harry Morgan, Charles Drake, George Tobias, Barton MacLane, Nino Tempo, Marion Ross and Sig Ruman.
During World War II, Langford was part of Bob Hope's USO tours where she would perform for soldiers. Her most famous song was, "I'm in the Mood for Love" took her to a whole new level of popularity. She also wrote a column for the newspaper called, Hearst during World War II where she would describe her visits to the different military hospitals.
Other recordings that she added to her singing career resume throughout her career where such songs as, "You are My Lucky Star", "Broadway Rhythm", "Easy to Love" and "Hooray for Hollywood" among many others.
Along with her career as a film actress, radio performer and singer she also appeared on a number of television programs throughout her career such as, "The Frances Langford/Don Ameche Show" and was hired as the host of the musical variety show, "Frances Langford Presents" on NBC during 1959.
Her final public concert was in 1966 when she was on a tour for the United States Forces in Vietnam. She was also a supportive member of the Jenson Beach community in Florida where she resided and would donate funds to assist in various community projects.
Throughout her lifetime she married a total of three times. Her first husband was Jon Hall whom she wed in 1934 and later divorced in 1955. She then married Ralph Evinrude in 1955 through his death in 1986. Her final husband was Harold Stuart whom she wed in 1994 and they remained married until she passed away at the age of ninety two, on July 11th, 2005 in Jenson Beach, Florida after suffering from congestive heart failure.
For her contribution to the Radio and Motion Picture industry she received two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Filmography
1969 The Jackie Gleason Show
1951 The Frances Langford-Don Ameche Show
1949 Deputy Marshal
1948 Melody Time
1947 Beat the Band
1946 The Bamboo Blonde
1946 People Are Funny
1945 Radio Stars on Parade
1944 Girl Rush
1944 Dixie Jamboree
1944 Career Girl
1943 Never a Dull Moment
1943 Cowboy in Manhattan
1942 Yankee Doodle Dandy
1942 Mississippi Gambler
1941 Swing It Soldier
1941 All-American Co-Ed
1940 Too Many Girls
1940 Dreaming Out Loud
1937 Hollywood Hotel
1937 The Hit Parade
1936 Born to Dance
1936 Palm Springs
1936 Collegiate
1935 Every Night at Eight
1932 The Subway Symphony
