Florence Rice


Florence Davenport Rice was an American film actress.

Early years

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

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.
Her most widely seen performances were in Double Wedding, in which she was billed third in the cast credits behind William Powell and Myrna Loy, Sweethearts with Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, and The Marx Brothers film At The Circus.
Radio programs on which Rice appeared included Hollywood Playhouse.
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. She married broker Sydney A. Smith in New York City on June 12, 1930; they were divorced on May 18, 1931. On March 30, 1939, she married fellow actor Robert Wilcox. They separated less than 2 months later and divorced on July 30, 1940. From August 29, 1946 until her death, Rice was married to Fred Thomas Butler. In 1958, they moved to Hawaii.

Death

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

Filmography

Fugitive Lady – Ann DuncanThe Best Man Wins – Ann BarryUnder Pressure – Pat DodgeCarnival – Miss HolbrookDeath Flies East – Evelyn VailThe Awakening of Jim Burke – Tess HardieGuard That Girl – Helen BradfordEscape from Devil's Island – Johanna HarringtonSuper Speed – Billie DevlinPride of the Marines – Molly MalonePanic on the Air – Mary Connor aka CremerBlackmailer – Joan RankinWomen Are Trouble – Ruth NolanSworn Enemy – Margaret 'Peg' GattleThe Longest Night – Joan SuttonUnder Cover of Night – Deb ReedMan of the People – Abbey ReidRiding on Air – Betty HarrisonMarried Before Breakfast – Kitty BrentDouble Wedding – Irene AgnewNavy Blue and Gold – Patricia 'Pat' GatesBeg, Borrow or Steal – Joyce StewardParadise for Three – Hilde ToblerFast Company – Garda SloaneVacation from Love – Patricia LawsonSweethearts – Kay JordanStand Up and Fight – Susan GriffithFour Girls in White – Norma PageThe Kid from Texas – Margo ThomasMiracles for Sale – Judy BarclayAt the Circus – Julie RandallLittle Accident – Alice PearsonBroadway Melody of 1940 – Amy BlakeGirl in 313 – Joan MatthewsPhantom Raiders – Cora Barnes