What Happened to Actress Noel Francis?

[Aaron1927]

Curious to know what happened to the beautiful actress Noel Francis? Her life after Hollywood and her early death seem to be a mystery. Here she is singing and dancing in 1929.





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuSDFvi54AM





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[Rick Lanham]

I found an article on her in the August 6, 1944 San Francisco Chronicle*.
Her movie career ended when she got married to a "prominent San Franciscan," name not given.
The marriage ended in divorce after five years; referencing livng in Belverdere.
She decided that she wanted to go into Radio production, but having no experience,
went to secretarial school, especially stenography.
She applied to Jack Elwood, KPO manager and told him her ambitions.
She was hired as a steno in the press department and seems to have moved
on from that as a Jack (er Jill) of all Trades. She is looking forward to televsion,
and thinks that as a woman, she can program shows that will appeal to women, etc.
It doesn't quite say that she is a producer yet, but maybe that's what they meant.

The article makes clear that it is the same Noel Francis of the Follies and movies.
It never gives her husband's name, and she is using the Noel Francis name.

An article from about a year earlier also mentions a Noel Francis working in the KPO
press department, but no other details.
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Also, just looked for her in the San Francisco City Directories on Ancestry.
Although it wouldn't bring up the image, some temporary problem, its extract says:
1944 SF City Directory
Noel Francis
855 Pacific Av
San Francisco, CA
Producer

That's the only time her name comes up in the SF city directory search.

/////
This books.google search mentions her as a producer at KGO in 1946:
https://books.google.com/books?id=wOsGO ... go&f=false" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank
////

Using the information from above, I searched the 1940 census for a female
first name Noel, born in Texas, I gave the year born, and was married; living in San Francisco.

I think I found her:
Noel Steveson
age 29, b. Texas
motion picture actress
married to Arthur Steveson, she said that she worked 2 weeks in 1939, income $1000.
She also says that in 1935 she was living in New York.
/////
The San Francisco Chronicle of August 29, 1936 says that Arthur Stevenson and Noel Francis
had recently married in San Francisco and just returned from a trip to Pasadena where Arthur's
twin, Henry C. Stevenson, and wife lived.

So, Stevenson seems to be the spelling.
/////

And here is her apparent listing on Findagrave. It gives a different month and day of birth from what is on the IMDB:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cg ... 4&ref=acom" target="_blank" target="_blank
/////

*Article is on GenealogyBank, a subscription service.

Rick

[Aaron1927]

Thanks. So many stars went off the radar after the war. She reminds me of Anita Page.


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[drednm]

Here's a blurb from a February 1939 "Variety" with Noel Francis among the missing.....

[George O'Brien]

Her singing and dancing reminded me of Ruby Keeler's. Let's hope she had a happy ending.

[oneatatime]

her full name was Noel Francis Sweeney and the find-a-grave listing and the 1910 census confirms that she was older than the bio suggests.

Her name at the time of death was Noel Francis Sweeney Stevenson, alluding to a marriage to Art Stevenson, but other information provided here suggests that the marriage ended well before her death in 1959.

My curiosity is in regard to her marriage to Art Stevenson, her cause of death, her cremation and if she had any children.

I have attempted to reach
out to Chapel of the Pines Crematorium without success.

I wonder if any records exist?

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cg ... =116343004" target="_blank" target="_blank