Franc Hale

Hale was a native of Tacoma.[2] The spelling of her first name was a compromise after she was born, because her parents had been expecting a boy. They had chosen "Frank" as the name, but it no longer seemed appropriate. Her mother did not favor "Frances" as a compromise, so they settled on "Franc", pronounced the same as "Frank".[3]

Hale played piano from an early age, and when she was 5 years old, one of her performances led to Tacoma newspapers commenting on her talents as a prodigy.[4] She graduated from Miss Hansom's School for Girls, and her performances in school plays developed her desire to be an actress. Her parents, however, wanted her to be a writer, so she had to change their minds. "I finally convinced them", she said, "that in order to write plays I should have some working knowledge of the stage".[5]

Hale's early acting experience came in stock theater,[6] beginning in Portland and later touring in a production of Ma Pettingill with a company headed by May Robson,[5] who had seen Hale perform in a school program, leading to Hale's debut as a professional.[7] By age 22, she had played 50 roles on stage, with the characters' ages ranging from 12 to 60.[1] For more than five years, she was the leading lady with Walker Whiteside's theatrical company.[8]

Hale's Broadway credits include The Arabian (1927), The Royal Box (1928), Sakura (1928, Three Men and a Woman (1932), and Late Wisdom (1934).[9] On radio, Hale played Dale Arden on The Amazing Interplanetary Adventures of Flash Gordon,[10] Annette Rogers on John's Other Wife[11] and Shanghai Lil on Jungle Jim.[12] She also was featured on Second Husband,[13] Aunt Jenny, Our Gal Sunday, and Young Doctor Malone.[14]

Hale was married to screenwriter Frank Gabrielson. She died on June 10, 1986, in Santa Monica, California.[14]