- Born
- Died
- Birth nameAlice Jeanne Leppert
- Height5′ 5″ (1.65 m)
- As A&E's Biography put it, "She rose from the mean streets of New York's Hell's Kitchen to become the most famous singing actress in the world. When the pressures of fame became too much, she had the courage to leave Hollywood on her own terms". Alice Faye was born Alice Jeanne Leppert in NYC on May 5, 1915. She was to become one of Hollywood's biggest stars of the late 1930s and early 1940s. She started her career as a singer, but later gravitated to film roles. Alice's first role was in the film George White's Scandals (1934) in 1934 where she played "Mona Vale". Lilian Harvey was set to play the lead role in this film, but quit. Alice inherited the part. She went on to star in Tinseltown's popular and lucrative cookie-cutter musicals and, with her distinctive contralto, introduced several songs that became pop standards, notably "You'll Never Know" in the film Hello Frisco, Hello (1943) in 1943.
After filming Fallen Angel (1945) in 1945, in which she was very disappointed because many of her best scenes were cut, she walked out on her contract. Her life after Hollywood was charmingly simple. She was married to Hoosier Phil Harris from 1941-1995 in a union that produced two daughters. She had previously been married to Tony Martin for four years. Alice had always said that her family always came before her professional life. She went back to Hollywood to make State Fair (1962) in 1962. At that time, she said "I don't know what happened to the picture business. I'm sorry I went back to find out. Such a shame". Her last film was The Magic of Lassie (1978) in 1978 opposite James Stewart. Most of her films are big hits at revival theaters across the country, confirming the power she had in the wonderful performances she gave. Ironically, Alice is more popular in Britain than in the US. Four days after her birthday on May 9, 1998, Alice Faye died in Rancho Mirage, California. She was 83 years old.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Denny Jackson - Alice Faye started her career as singer with Rudy Vallee's band in the early 1930s in New York. She went with Vallee to Hollywood, when he was able to get a number for her in George White's Scandals (1934). When the female star of this film, Lilian Harvey left the set, Faye got her role. In her early years in Hollywood, she looked like Jean Harlow but she changed her style when she became 20th Century Fox's reigning singing star in 1936, but starred also in non-musical films.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Stephan Eichenberg <eichenbe@fak-cbg.tu-muenchen.de>
- She left school at 13 and 2 years later was singing with Rudy Vallee's dance orchestra. When he was invited to Hollywood to make a film in 1933 she went with him to sing one song in the film but when the leading lady walked out Alice replaced her. On completion of the film Rudy and the band returned to New York while Alice stayed having being given a 7 year contract by William Fox Studio, ( later to become 20th Century Fox.) Within 5 years she was queen of the studio and headed the cast of every film she made. In 1939 she made 'Hollywood Cavalcade', (see trivia) her first in color, which was partly a look back at the silent comedies which included a pie throwing sequence similar to Laurel and Hardy's Battle of the Century. In 1945 after an argument over a lot of her part in Fallen Angel had been cut she walked out, giving up films until 1962 when she appeared in State Fair after which she only appeared in 3 other films- IMDb Mini Biography By: Tonyman 5
- SpousesPhil Harris(May 12, 1941 - August 11, 1995) (his death, 2 children)Tony Martin(September 4, 1937 - March 26, 1941) (divorced)
- Blonde hair and blue eyes
- Sexy contralto voice
- Often starred in films with Carmen Miranda
- Often played gritty, no-nonsense ladies
- Feeling she had given one of the best dramatic performances of her career, Faye was so upset by Darryl F. Zanuck's editing hack job on Fallen Angel (1945), in order to benefit newcomer Linda Darnell, that she literally walked away from the studio and didn't return for 16 years.
- She introduced almost twice as many 'Hit Parade' songs in her movies (23) as each of her closest competitors: Judy Garland (13), Betty Grable (12) and Doris Day (12).
- She remained quite good friends with her 20th Century Fox rival and successor, Betty Grable, up until Grable's death of cancer on July 2, 1973.
- She referred to her home studio as "Penitentiary Fox".
- She was considered for the role of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939), which went to Vivien Leigh.
- Six films I made with Don Ameche and, in every one of them, my voice was deeper than the plot.
- [on Shirley Temple] She was a nice kid, with a really wonderful mother and father. We all liked her. But she was brilliant. She knew everyone's dialogue and, if you forgot a line, she gave it to you. We all hated her for that.
- [on Tyrone Power] He was the best looking thing I've ever seen in my life. Kissing him was like dying and going to heaven.
- [on Henry King] He was kind of special. I loved him very much.
- [on Lux Radio Theatre] The way it went was Lux Soap had a deal with different actresses - I was one - and then they gave you all this publicity - you know. 'So-and-so uses Lux Soap, blah-blah-blah...' and you would have to do so many Lux shows. They would ask you if you wanted to do certain ones. I enjoyed doing those shows.
- State Fair (1962) - $100,000
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