Frances E. Nealy

Frances E. Nealy
Born(1918-10-14)October 14, 1918
DiedMay 23, 1997(1997-05-23) (aged 78)

Frances E. Nealy (October 14, 1918 – May 23, 1997) was an American actress and dancer. She starred in Harold Robbins' 79 Park Avenue.

She was born Frances Elizabeth Warner, the only child of Milton Warner and Elizabeth Bowen Warner, in San Diego.[1] Nealy, who began tap dancing when she was 15,[2] was once billed as "The Female Bill Robinson".[3][4] She arrived in Hollywood in 1939 and performed at the Club Alabam with other black entertainers. By that time, "The biggest part of the black heyday in Hollywood was over," she said.[2]

In 1968, she performed in "New Sole Sisters", a multi-generational production of female dancers.[4]

In the 1980s, Nealy had her own studio, where she taught tap dancing.[2]

  1. ^ "Frances E. Nealy". Library of Congress Performing Arts Databases. Library of Congress. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c "Black Entertainers". The Los Angeles Times. California, Los Angeles. June 8, 1985. p. Part V - Page 8. Retrieved September 13, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. ^ Anderson, Jack (October 12, 1986). "Critics Choices; Dance". The New York Times. New York City, New York. Archived from the original on September 14, 2018. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  4. ^ a b Hinckley, David (October 15, 1986). "Feets of Fire". Daily News. New York, New York City. p. Extra 3. Retrieved September 13, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon