Chaney, Frances (1915–2004)

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Chaney, Frances (1915–2004)

American actress. Name variations: Frances Lardner. Born Fanya Lipetz, July 2, 1915, in Odessa, Ukraine; died of Alzheimer's disease, Nov 23, 2004, in New York, NY; attended Hunter College and the Neighborhood Playhouse; m. David Lardner (killed by a land mine in Germany, 1944); m. his brother Ring Lardner Jr. (writer), 1946 (died 2000); children: (1st m.) Joseph and Kate Lardner; (2nd m.) James Lardner.

Immigrated with parents to the Bronx as a child; on radio, could be heard on "Topper," "Gangbusters," and "Mr. District Attorney," among others, and was the voice of the character Burma on "Terry and the Pirates" (1937–39, 1943); on tv, was a 10-year regular on "The Edge of Night" (1956–67); career effectively killed when she was placed on the Hollywood blacklist with husband during the McCarthy era; turned to the NY stage for work.

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