Vera Francis Profile

Vera Francis

	(Vera Mae Francis)
13 October 25	is born in Boston, Massachusetts to John Obediah Francis and Alda O'Sullivan
?	is a nurse
25 September 52	According to Jet, “Curvaceous Vera Francis, a Hollywood nurse and model, is the comely girl who will steal the affections of Susan Hayward’s husband in the forthcoming 20th Century-Fox film, The President’s Wife the life story of Mrs. Andrew Jackson. Best known for her magazine photo stints, Miss Francis is a Boston-born beauty who worked as a dental assistant and later a nurse for Jeanne Crain‘s children before getting a movie break.”
	in press about Vera's performance in The President’s Lady (1952), a studio spokesman says, “When Lena Horne retires, Vera Francis will take her place.”
16 October 52	is featured in Jet
September 53	crowns Betty Elaine Parks “Miss America” in an Elks Beauty Contest in Atlanta
26 November 53	is featured in Jet
	according to an article in Jet, “Movie actress Vera Francis lost her job as assistant to disc jockey Jack Walker. He fired her for not having ‘humility’.”
May 54	is at the Shalimar Cafe party for disc jockey Tommy Smalls
August 54	along with Juanita Moore, is signed to portray women inmates in Columbia’s Women’s Prison
	is on the cover of Hue
December 54	is on the cover of Sepia
	changes her stage name to Vieja
	in an interview, she says that her film work is paying $125 a day. She wants to pursue singing.
September 55	undergoes a hernia operation at Cedars hospital in Los Angeles
October 55	signs for a road company tour of the play Seven Year Itch. “She’ll wiggle her hips in the role that move actress Marilyn Monroe made famous,” writes Jet.
?	is known as the Goddess of Fire because of her popular calypso act
	marries George Handwerk, Jr
December 57	her daughter, Francina is born
November 59	her daughter, Jana is born
?	her daughter, Maya is born
?	divorces Handwerk
?	marries Harlan Robertson
57	becomes blacklisted from Hollywood for allegedly selling stories to the scandalous tabloid Confidential, about the inappropriate behavior of her often white co-stars and superiors. Vera was named as paid informant regarding John Jacob Astor and Edward G. Robinson in Lima News.
31 May 14	dies in Newton, Massachusetts

Sources: Sepia, Jet, Ebony, Hue, Lima News, Shocking True Story: The Rise and Fall of Confidential, “America’s Most Scandalous Scandal Magazine”, Geni.com, Ancestry.com
Recommended Books:
Links: Obituary Filmography