Frances Rafferty, a talented actress, began her career as a pouty-lipped glamour girl in "B" films during the 1940s, but later transitioned to a wholesome housewife role on television.
Born on June 16, 1922, in Sioux City, Iowa, Frances Anne Rafferty grew up in a family that moved to Los Angeles during the Depression era in search of work. She developed an interest in the arts at a young age and won a scholarship to the Edith Jane Dancing School, attending UCLA after high school graduation. However, she dropped out when she landed an understudy position for dancer Vera Zorina in the film "I Was an Adventuress" (1940),choreographed by the legendary George Balanchine.
After suffering a severe leg injury during a performance of "The Firebird" at the Hollywood Bowl, Frances shifted her focus from dance to acting. She was coached by renowned teachers Maria Ouspenskaya and signed with MGM at the age of 19, beginning with a dancing bit in "Presenting Lily Mars" (1943) starring Judy Garland.
Frances continued to work in films, appearing in "The War Against Mrs. Hadley" (1942),"Barbary Coast Gent" (1944),and "Mrs. Parkington" (1944). Her best movie performance came in "Dragon Seed" (1944) as the ill-fated Oriental girl who is raped and subsequently murdered. She showcased her dancing skills in the film comedy "Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood" (1945) in the elaborate "On the Midway" number.
Although unable to secure major starring parts in "A" pictures, Frances remained a reliable "B"-level co-star, appearing in films such as "Bad Bascomb" (1946),"Lost Honeymoon" (1947),"Curley" (1947),and "An Old-Fashioned Girl" (1949). However, none of these roles furthered her career.
Frances married John Harlan in 1944, but the union lasted only three years. In 1948, she married Thomas R. Baker, an Air Force colonel who later became the general manager of the Los Alamitos Racetrack. They had two children, Bridget and Kevin.
Following a role in "The Shanghai Story" (1954),Frances shifted her focus to television, thanks in part to her friendship with comedienne Lucille Ball. She landed the co-starring role of "Ruth Henshaw", the daughter of Spring Byington, in the popular Desilu sitcom "December Bride" (1954). When Harry Morgan's character was spun off into the subsequent series "Pete and Gladys" (1960),Frances joined the cast as Nancy, a next-door-neighbor. The show, co-starring Cara Williams as Gladys, was short-lived, lasting only one season.
Frances semi-retired from acting after the show's demise, with only a handful of TV performances coming her way. She later raised quarter horses with her husband in California before disappearing from the public eye. Frances Rafferty passed away in 2004 at the age of 81 in Paso Robles, where she had helped form a local acting group called the "Pioneer Players".
