Frances Bergen
Frances Bergen | |
|---|---|
 Bergen inYancy Derringer(1958) | |
| Born | Frances Westerman September 14, 1922 Birmingham, Alabama,U.S. |
| Died | October 2, 2006(aged 84) Los Angeles,California,U.S. |
| Other names | Frances Westcott |
| Occupation(s) | Film, television actress,model |
| Years active | 1953–1998 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2; includingCandice Bergen |
Frances Bergen(néeWesterman;[1]September 14, 1922 – October 2, 2006) was an American actress and fashion model.[citation needed]She was the wife ofventriloquistEdgar Bergenand the mother of actressCandice Bergenand film and television editor Kris Bergen.[2]
Early life[edit]
In 1932, her father died of tuberculosis, when Frances was ten years old. Shortly after, her mother moved the family to Los Angeles. She graduated fromLos Angeles High School.[3]
Career[edit]
As an actress, Bergen had supporting or minor roles in a number of films. She made her debut inTitanic(1953),[4]after which she appeared inRobert Z. Leonard'sHer Twelve Men(1954), andDouglas Sirk'sInterlude(1957). During the 1958-1959 television season, Frances became the recurring love interest on the western showYancy Derringeras Madame Francine,[5]the strong willed but beautiful owner of a members-only gambling house in New Orleans set in 1868. She also was featured on a 1956 record,The Beguiling Miss Frances Bergen,accompanied by accordionistArt Van Damme.
Bergen also made numerous other appearances on television, with guest starring roles onThe Millionaire,The Dick Powell Show,Barnaby Jones,MacGyver,andMurder, She Wrote.
She returned to films in the 1980s, with small roles inAmerican Gigolo(1980),The Sting II(1983),The Star Chamber(1983),The Muppets Take Manhattan(1984),Hollywood Wives(1985) (starring her famous daughter),The Morning After(1986), andMade in America(1993). She also had a major part inHenry Jaglom's independently made filmEating(1990). She appeared on two episodes ofMurphy Brown,her daughter's hit show, including Part One of theseries finalein 1998.
Personal life[edit]
In 1941, Frances Westerman metEdgar Bergenafter a radio program when he was 38 and she was 19. Westerman, who had graduated from Los Angeles High School the year before, was in the audience of Edgar Bergen's radio program as the guest of a member of his staff. Sitting in the front row, the young fashion model's long legs caught the attention of Bergen, who asked to meet her.[6]
On June 28, 1945, the two were married inMexico,after years of long distance courtship. They remained happily married until Edgar's death on September 30, 1978, at age 75.[citation needed]
On May 9, 1946, the couple welcomed their first child,Candice Bergen.[7]Fifteen years later, on October 12, 1961, they had a son, Kris Edgar Bergen, who would later become a film and television editor.[citation needed]
Death[edit]
On October 2, 2006, aged 84, Bergen died atCedars-Sinai Medical Centerin Los Angeles of undisclosed causes following "a prolonged illness".[7]
Filmography[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | Titanic | Madeleine Astor | |
| 1954 | Her Twelve Men | Sylvia Carlin | |
| 1957 | Interlude | Gertrude Kirk | |
| 1980 | American Gigolo | Mrs. Laudner | |
| 1981 | Rich and Famous | Literary Party Guest | |
| 1983 | The Sting II | Lady Dorsett | |
| 1983 | The Star Chamber | Mrs. Cummins | |
| 1984 | The Muppets Take Manhattan | Leonard Winesop's Receptionist | |
| 1986 | The Morning After | Mrs. Harding | |
| 1990 | Eating | Whitney | |
| 1993 | Made in America | White Woman #2 |
References[edit]
- ^Lentz, Harris M. III (2008).Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2006: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture.McFarland.ISBN978-0-7864-5211-8.RetrievedSeptember 11,2019.
- ^Archerd, Army (October 4, 2006)."Frances Bergen Dies".Variety.
- ^McLellan, Dennis (October 5, 2006)."Frances Bergen, 84, dies".The Daily Herald.California, Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Times. p. 22.RetrievedSeptember 11,2019– viaNewspapers.com.
- ^"Frances Bergen, 84, Actress and Model, Dies".The New York Times.Associated Press. October 8, 2006.ISSN0362-4331.
- ^Terrace, Vincent (2011).Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010(2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 1201.ISBN978-0-7864-6477-7.
- ^Bergen, Candice (1984).Knock wood.New York: Linden Press.ISBN0-671-25294-1.OCLC10298903.
- ^abMcLellan, Dennis (October 4, 2006)."Frances Bergen, 84; Actress' No. 1 Role Was as Wife and Mother to Stars".Los Angeles Times.
External links[edit]
- Frances BergenatIMDb
- Frances Bergen, 84, Actress and Model, DiesBY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS on October 8, 2006
- In Loving Memory Of Frances Bergen, 84, Actress and ModelLight a candle for her on ILMO.me
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