Claire Luce

Claire Luce (October 15, 1903 – August 31, 1989) was an American stage and screen actress, dancer and singer. Among her few films were Up the River, directed by John Ford and starring Spencer Tracy and Humphrey Bogart in their feature film debuts (Luce played Bogart's love interest), and Under Secret Orders, the English-language version of G. W. Pabst's French-language feature, Salonique, nid d'espions (1937).

Early years Luce was born in Syracuse, New York, but she grew up in Rochester in what an article in Silver Screen magazine described as "an atmosphere of discord and squalor". Luce's parents were divorced when she was 13. Florence Colebrook Powers, a friend of Luce's mother, adopted her. Powers was in charge of a dance school, and she introduced Luce to dancing. While still 13, Luce took a job as a "sort of utility employee" at a cafe in Rochester.

Astaire tried to get Luce for the film version of Gay Divorce, The Gay Divorcee (1934) but was overruled by the studio, RKO Radio Pictures, which preferred to use their contract player Ginger Rogers. In his autobiography, Astaire credits Luce as the inspiration for his revolutionary "Night and Day" dance routine in the film: Claire was a beautiful dancer and it was her style that suggested to me the whole pattern of the "Night and Day" dance. This was something entirely different from anything Adele and I had done together. That was what I wanted, an entirely new dancing approach.

Luce recalls her own experience with the chronically insecure Astaire: "I actually felt more sorry for Fred than I did for myself, despite the horrendous schedules of rehearsals that he kept up. He was a very worried man."

Luce often appeared on the English stage and, having been seen in Of Mice and Men in London in 1939, stayed in the UK throughout the war years. She played a number of Shakespearean roles during that time and in 1945 scored a big success leading the company at the annual Stratford-on-Avon Memorial Theatre's summer Shakespeare Festival, particularly as Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra. Her last appearance in London at that time was as Becky Sharp in an adaptation of Thackeray's novel Vanity Fair at the Comedy Theatre in 1946.

Personal life Luce married Clifford Warren Smith, first cousin of Dudley Wolfe, in 1928. They were divorced on January 16, 1935. Luce became engaged to John Woodburn Gillan in 1940. He was an RAF pilot who was shot down and killed in 1941.

Filmography

Matinee Theatre (1 episode, 1955) Broadway Television Theatre (4 episodes, 1953–1954) Lights Out (1 episode, 1952) Cameo Theatre (4 episodes, 1951–1952) Tales of Tomorrow as Rose (1 episode, 1952) The Philco Television Playhouse as Becky Sharp (2 episodes, 1949) Over She Goes (1938) as Pamela Under Secret Orders (1937) as Gaby, Rene's Girl Let's Make a Night of It (1937) as Viola Vanders Lazybones (1935) as Kitty McCarthy Vintage Wine (1935) as Nina Popinot Up the River (1930) as Judy

Stage Much Ado About Nothing as Beatrice May 1, 1952 - May 3, 1952 The Taming of the Shrew as Katharina, Apr 25, 1951 - May 6, 1951 With a Silk Thread as Rose Raymond, Apr 12, 1950 - Apr 22, 1950 Portrait in Black as Tanis Talbot, May 14, 1947 - Jul 5, 1947 Golden Eagle as Mary, Queen of Scots, Jan 29, 1946 - Mar 3, 1946 Of Mice and Men as Curley's Wife, Nov 23, 1937 - May 1938 Gay Divorce as Mimi Nov 29, 1932 - Jul 1, 1933 Society Girl as Judy Gelett, Dec 30, 1931 - Jan 1932 Scarlet Pages as Nora Mason, Sep 9, 1929 - Nov 1929 Ziegfeld Follies of 1927 Aug 16, 1927 - Jan 7, 1928 No Foolin Jun 24, 1926 - Sep 25, 1926 Music Box Revue Dec 1, 1924 - May 1925 Dear Sir as Clair, Sep 23, 1924 - Oct 4, 1924 Little Jessie James as Claire, Aug 15, 1923 - Jul 19, 1924