Mary Frances Gifford was born on December 7th, 1920,
in Long Beach, California.

A screen test at the age of 16 got her a contract with Metro Goldwyn Mayer,
which led to some small bit parts.

Frances Gifford
(Paramount, 1941)

She moved over to RKO and nothing much happened there either.

Frances married actor James Dunn in 1938 and quit acting for almost 2 years.
She made two films with her husband ...
MERCY PLANE (1939) & HOLD THAT WOMAN (1940)

Frances and James were divorced in 1942.

She was signed by Paramount, and got a small part in
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939),
and was immediately loaned to Republic,
where she made the film she is probably
most famous for, the 1941 serial "Jungle Girl",
based on the Edgar Rice Burroughs' story.

In 1943, Tarzan was in trouble ... Jane was no where to be seen.

O'Sullivan was gone and Sol Lesser had to make a decision.
He hired Frances to play "Zandra", the beautiful warrior princess,
to co-star with Weissmuller and Sheffield in
TARZAN TRIUMPHS (1943).

After this her carreer really went nowhere and in 1948 she was
in an auto accident in which she received severe head injuries.

Frances was admitted to Camarillo State Hospital in 1958.
She was released in 1978.

She was discovered by a reporter in 1983,
working for the Pasedena City Library.

The late 1980s, saw Frances doing volunteer work
for charitable organizations, in Southern California.

She died of emphysema in Pasadena, on January 15th, 1994.

... as near as I can tell, she was only married the once
and had no children ...

Filmography

Panther Girl of the Kongo (1955)
Sky Commando (1953)
Riding High (1950)
Luxury Liner (1948)
Arnelo Affair, The (1947)
Little Mister Jim (1946)
Our Vines Have Tender Grapes (1945)
She Went to the Races (1945)
Thrill of a Romance (1945)
Cry 'Havoc' (1944)
Marriage Is a Private Affair (1944)
Henry Aldrich Gets Glamour (1943)
Tarzan Triumphs (1943) .... as Zandra
Beyond the Blue Horizon (1942)
Star Spangled Rhythm (1942)
American Empire (1942)
Glass Key, The (1942)
Tombstone, the Town Too Tough to Die (1942)
My Heart Belongs to Daddy (1942)
Remarkable Andrew, The (1942)
Jungle Girl (1941) .... as Nyoka Meredith
Louisiana Purchase (1941)
Reluctant Dragon, The (1941)
West Point Widow (1941)
Border Vigilantes (1941) ...a Hopalong Cassidy Movie
Hold That Woman! (1940) ...with husband James Dunn
Mercy Plane (1939) ...with husband James Dunn
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
Sky Giant (1938)
Having Wonderful Time (1938)
Night Spot (1938)
Living on Love (1937)
Stage Door (1937)
New Faces of 1937 (1937)
Woman Chases Man (1937)