Florence Rice

For the New York City consumer advocate, see Florence M. Rice.

Florence Rice
Rice, pictured in 1940
Born
Florence Davenport Rice

(1907-02-14)February 14, 1907
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
DiedFebruary 23, 1974(1974-02-23) (aged 67)
Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1927–1947
Spouses
David Page
​
(annulled)​
Sydney A. Smith
​
​
(m. 1930; div. 1931)​
​
​
(m. 1939; div. 1940)​
Fred Thomas Butler
​
(m. 1946)​
FatherGrantland Rice

Florence Davenport Rice (February 14, 1907 – February 23, 1974) was an American film actress.[1]

Early years

Florence Davenport Rice was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the only child of the noted sportswriter Grantland Rice and Fannie Katherine Hollis.[2] She attended Dwight School for Girls at Englewood, New Jersey,[3] and Smith College.[4]

Career

Rice became an actress during the late 1920s and, after several Broadway roles, eventually made her way to Hollywood, where she acted in almost 50 films between 1934 and 1943.

Rice was cast as the reliable girlfriend in several films for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. MGM gradually provided her with more substantial roles, occasionally in prestige productions. Rice never became a major figure in movies, but she performed in a number of screen pairings with Robert Young.[1]

Her most widely seen performances were in Double Wedding (1937), in which she was billed third in the cast credits behind William Powell and Myrna Loy, Sweethearts (1938) with Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, and The Marx Brothers film At The Circus (1939).

During the 1940s, the quality of her roles steadily decreased, and in 1947, she retired.

Personal life

Rice's first marriage, to David Page, was annulled.[5] She married broker Sydney A. Smith in New York City on June 12, 1930;[6] they were divorced on May 18, 1931.[5] On March 30, 1939, she married fellow actor Robert Wilcox.[7] They separated less than 2 months later and divorced on July 30, 1940.[8] From August 29, 1946 until her death, Rice was married to Fred Thomas Butler.[9] In 1958, they moved to Hawaii.[4]

Death

On February 23, 1974, at age 67, Rice died from lung cancer at Straub Clinic in Honolulu.[10] She was survived by her husband.[4] At her request, there was no funeral, and her remains were cremated, with her ashes scattered over the waters near Waikiki Beach.[10]

Filmography

References

  1. ^ a b Nugent, Frank S. (August 10, 1939). "Miracles for Sale (1939) THE SCREEN; Murder in Magicians' Row Is the Theme of 'Miracles for Sale,' the New Mystery at the Criterion". The New York Times.
  2. ^ Harper, William Arthur (1999). How You Played the Game: The Life of Grantland Rice. University of Missouri Press. p. 130. ISBN 9780826212047. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
  3. ^ Niemeyer, H.H. (May 15, 1938). "No Help from Famous Father". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Missouri, St. Louis. p. 45. Retrieved January 26, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  4. ^ a b c "Florence Rice Dies; Screen Actress, 67". The New York Times. New York, New York City. February 26, 1974. Archived from the original on January 27, 2018. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
  5. ^ a b "Florence Rice Obtains Decree". The New York Times. Associated Press. May 19, 1931. p. 11. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  6. ^ "Miss Rice weds Sydney A. Smith". The New York Times. June 13, 1930. p. 32. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  7. ^ Associated Press (March 31, 1939). "Grantland Rice's Daughter Honeymoons With Film Star". The Buffalo News. p. 1. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  8. ^ Associated Press (July 31, 1940). "Florence Rice Wins Divorce—Mate Cruel". New York Daily News. p. 32. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  9. ^ "California, County Marriages, 1850-1953," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8KC-QLS : 9 March 2021), Fred Thomas Butler and Florence Davenport Rice, 29 Aug 1946; citing Los Angeles, California, United States, county courthouses, California; FHL microfilm 2,115,628.
  10. ^ a b "Obituaries: Florence R. Butler, Former Actress, 67". Asbury Park Press. Associated Press. February 25, 1974. p. 11. ProQuest 2010105108. Miss Rice, who died Saturday at Straub Clinic, appeared in 25 movies between 1938 and 1947, including top roles with James Stewart in "nave Blue and Gold" and with William Powell in the "Thin Man' series. [...] There will be no funeral services. She requested that she be cremated and that her ashes be scattered over the waters off Waikiki Beach.
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