Frances Reid

Frances Reid died yesterday at the age of 95.

Reid grew up in Berkeley, California. Her acting career started in 1938 with a bit part in the movie Man-Proof. Reid's Broadway debut was as Juliette Lecourtois in Where There's a Will at the John Golden Theatre in 1939. She later played Roxane opposite Jose Ferrer's Cyrano in the 1946 Broadway production of Cyrano de Bergerac at the Alvin Theatre. She repeated her stage role of Roxane, again opposite Ferrer, in a 1949 one-hour Philco Television Playhouse adaptation of Cyrano.
After a series of stage roles throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Reid played title role in the CBS television version of the radio soap opera Portia Faces Life from 1954 to 1955. She next portrayed Grace Baker on As The World Turns from 1959 to 1962, and Rose Pollack on The Edge of Night in 1964.

CHILD OF TELEVISION: Happy Anniversary Days of our Lives

Reid portrayed matriarch Alice Horton on Days of our Lives since the show's premiere on November 8, 1965. Reid's 37-year long reign on DAYS seemingly ended when her character was controversially "killed" by the Salem Stalker in 2004, but thankfully it was all a hoax and Reid returned later that year.

In 1966 Reid appeared opposite Rock Hudson in the 1966 John Frankenheimer drama Seconds. In the audio commentary for the DVD version of the film, Frankenheimer called Reid one of his favorite actresses.

To qoute Frances Reid on her real self breaking through her mild-mannered character Alice, "I don't think you should limit your vocabulary. And every now and then things come out as an expletive. I think it shocks our crew when I do it. They expect me to be...Alicey."

Good night Ms. Reid and thanks for the doughnuts.


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Tony Figueroa