Days of Our Lives Star Frances Reid Dies at 95 - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Zoneboy · 02-04-2010, 08:15 AM

Link

Frances Reid, known to millions of viewers as Alice Horton, the beloved matriarch of Days of our Lives' Horton family, has died. The actress, who once said she would not work on soaps because it was too exhausting, passed away on February 3, 2010. She was 95.

Born in Wichita Falls, Texas to banker Charles William Reid and Anna May Priest, Frances Reid grew up in Berkeley, California. Though an accomplished actor before stepping into the world of daytime, Reid's role on NBC's Days of our Lives is the role that would make her a household name. In her early years, Reid played a man in a thirty-minute play in grammar school. Reid attended and graduated from the Pasadena Community Playhouse, where she majored in acting. She began her professional acting career in her mid-20s with a bit part in the movie Man-Proof. The following year, Reid made her Broadway debut as Juliette Lecourtois in Where There's a Will.

Reid appeared in numerous roles in theater productions prior to landing on television. Her credits include the West Coast production of Tovarich, and Broadway productions of Hamlet with Maurice Evans and Cyrano de Bergerac with Jose Ferrer.

Reid's first television job was as Ann Rutledge on the NBC series, Prologue To Glory. She later went on to play the title roles in Mrs. Moonlight and Charlotte Corday. Reid had no way of knowing it at the time, but the name "Corday" would turn out to be very important in her life. Other credits include appearances on Kraft Theatre and Hallmark Hall of Fame.

Reid's first soap role came in 1954 on the 15-minute Portia Faces. Reid quit after six months, saying that the workload was "exhausting." In 1959, Reid took another shot at daytime serials, joining the Procter & Gamble-produced As the World Turns. For the next three years, she'd appear as Grace Baker. A few years later, she appeared on The Edge of Night. Then, it was back to primetime, including a numerous appearances on Wagon Train.

When Ted Corday offered Reid the role of "Alice" on a new soap opera he had developed called Days of our Lives, Reid reportedly was hesitant at first to sign on. Reid eventually accepted the role because she enjoyed working and realized that roles for women over 40 were not plentiful. In November 2009, Reid marked her 44th year on Days of our Lives.

Reid received two Daytime Emmy nominations during her time on Days of our Lives -- a 1979 nod for Outstanding Supporting Actress and an Outstanding Lead Actress nomination in 1987. In 2004, Reid received a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Reid was an avid traveler, having logged passport stamps to Egypt, Peru, South Africa, and numerous European countries.

She was married to the late actor Philip Bourneuf for 43 years.

In recent years, Reid reluctantly eased into retirement. She made her final appearance on Days of our Lives on December 26, 2007.

News of Reid's passing struck daytime fans still grieving the death of James Mitchell (Palmer Cortlandt, All My Children) last month. Reid's name became a trending topic on Twitter, a measure of the most-talked about things on the microblog site.

"I'm so sad to hear the news about Frances Reid," Reid's co-star Alison Sweeney posted on Twitter. "She was a truly talented actress and we are all lucky and proud to have known her."

"Rest in peace Frances Reid," offered Nadia Bjorlin (Chloe Lane). "She was a great lady whom I feel honored to have known...the heart and soul of Days of our Lives."

catlover79 · 02-04-2010, 09:03 AM

to a true daytime legend, and the last original cast member of Days. God bless her.

MickeyMac · 02-04-2010, 10:53 AM

So far 2010 is not being kind to the world of soaps

JT · 02-04-2010, 11:43 AM

RIP!! A legend in every sense of the word, and one of daytime's most beloved actresses. If you haven't gotten a chance to watch her in a few 60s episodes of DAYS on YouTube, I highly recommend it.

Scoobiedoo30 · 02-04-2010, 12:05 PM

RIP

catlover79 · 02-04-2010, 02:38 PM

God bless her...

Scoobiedoo30 · 02-04-2010, 04:00 PM

She will be very missed

80sTrivia · 02-04-2010, 07:31 PM

So very sad to hear of Frances' passing... another soap legend is now gone from us...

Brian Damage · 02-04-2010, 07:32 PM

Marvo301 · 02-04-2010, 07:40 PM

Frances Reid. For someone who didn't want to be on a soap because she thought it would be too exhausting she sure had a long career. She had been playing Alice Horton since 1965. Salem will never be the same without her.

McGillicuddy · 02-04-2010, 09:20 PM

I sure hope they honor her memory on the show. It sure would be nice to allow Diedre Hall to come back as Marlena, to mourn her. Maybe other significant characters too!

catlover79 · 02-04-2010, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markway895

I sure hope they honor her memory on the show. It sure would be nice to allow Diedre Hall to come back as Marlena, to mourn her. Maybe other significant characters too!

I sure hope so!! After all, EP Ken Corday has known Frances Reid all his life (back when his parents ran the show). I'm sure DAYS will pull out all the stops to give Frances/Alice the send-off she deserves!!

Zoneboy · 02-20-2010, 10:43 PM

Link

The passing of Frances Reid -- who played Alice Horton on Days of our Lives from the series's debut in 1965 until December 2007 -- has left a large hole in the heart of every Days fan. Ken Corday, the show's executive producer, recently spoke to Soap Opera Digest about what they have planned to memorialize Alice (and Frances) ...

"We'll most likely have an internal memorial service for her sometime in the next month," Corday said. "The way we're going to deal with her death on screen is we're not going to one day walk downstairs, as it was with Mickey, and say, 'Oh, Grandma's dead' and then have a day or two where everyone comes to the show and we have a funeral ... it really becomes 'lip service' to such a great character. So, what we've decided to do is we will play her as being ill and the end is coming and one by one, characters who loved her dearly or are related to her, from the past, will come to the show and 'visit' with her. You can start to imagine the list."

Corday continued, "Because we're so far ahead into writing the show, it won't air really until the end of May sweeps. But I believe it's far better to do it that way then to just have a day or two of she's gone, here's the funeral and on we go. It's too important and there are too many individual relationships that needed to be remembered ... I think it's an honest and sensitive way to deal with something like this. It will give the audience time to prepare."

So, make a note to have plenty of tissue handy come May sweeps ... we know we will.

catlover79 · 02-21-2010, 01:32 AM

Thanks for the update, Charles...I'll be on the lookout for the episode!

02-04-2010, 08:15 AM	#1
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,500	Days of Our Lives Star Frances Reid Dies at 95 Link Frances Reid, known to millions of viewers as Alice Horton, the beloved matriarch of Days of our Lives' Horton family, has died. The actress, who once said she would not work on soaps because it was too exhausting, passed away on February 3, 2010. She was 95. Born in Wichita Falls, Texas to banker Charles William Reid and Anna May Priest, Frances Reid grew up in Berkeley, California. Though an accomplished actor before stepping into the world of daytime, Reid's role on NBC's Days of our Lives is the role that would make her a household name. In her early years, Reid played a man in a thirty-minute play in grammar school. Reid attended and graduated from the Pasadena Community Playhouse, where she majored in acting. She began her professional acting career in her mid-20s with a bit part in the movie Man-Proof. The following year, Reid made her Broadway debut as Juliette Lecourtois in Where There's a Will. Reid appeared in numerous roles in theater productions prior to landing on television. Her credits include the West Coast production of Tovarich, and Broadway productions of Hamlet with Maurice Evans and Cyrano de Bergerac with Jose Ferrer. Reid's first television job was as Ann Rutledge on the NBC series, Prologue To Glory. She later went on to play the title roles in Mrs. Moonlight and Charlotte Corday. Reid had no way of knowing it at the time, but the name "Corday" would turn out to be very important in her life. Other credits include appearances on Kraft Theatre and Hallmark Hall of Fame. Reid's first soap role came in 1954 on the 15-minute Portia Faces. Reid quit after six months, saying that the workload was "exhausting." In 1959, Reid took another shot at daytime serials, joining the Procter & Gamble-produced As the World Turns. For the next three years, she'd appear as Grace Baker. A few years later, she appeared on The Edge of Night. Then, it was back to primetime, including a numerous appearances on Wagon Train. When Ted Corday offered Reid the role of "Alice" on a new soap opera he had developed called Days of our Lives, Reid reportedly was hesitant at first to sign on. Reid eventually accepted the role because she enjoyed working and realized that roles for women over 40 were not plentiful. In November 2009, Reid marked her 44th year on Days of our Lives. Reid received two Daytime Emmy nominations during her time on Days of our Lives -- a 1979 nod for Outstanding Supporting Actress and an Outstanding Lead Actress nomination in 1987. In 2004, Reid received a Lifetime Achievement Award. Reid was an avid traveler, having logged passport stamps to Egypt, Peru, South Africa, and numerous European countries. She was married to the late actor Philip Bourneuf for 43 years. In recent years, Reid reluctantly eased into retirement. She made her final appearance on Days of our Lives on December 26, 2007. News of Reid's passing struck daytime fans still grieving the death of James Mitchell (Palmer Cortlandt, All My Children) last month. Reid's name became a trending topic on Twitter, a measure of the most-talked about things on the microblog site. "I'm so sad to hear the news about Frances Reid," Reid's co-star Alison Sweeney posted on Twitter. "She was a truly talented actress and we are all lucky and proud to have known her." "Rest in peace Frances Reid," offered Nadia Bjorlin (Chloe Lane). "She was a great lady whom I feel honored to have known...the heart and soul of Days of our Lives."
	__________________ 'Twas The Night Before Christmas And All Through The Full House Not A Creature Was Stirring, Not Even Mighty Mouse. All My Children We're Nestled All Snug In Their Beds While Visions Of Sugarbakers Danced In Their Heads.

02-04-2010, 09:03 AM	#2
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,392	to a true daytime legend, and the last original cast member of Days. God bless her.
	__________________ "Jesus loves you and He approves this message." "I'm alive. I'm feeling good. I'm trying to live every moment as much as I can." - Valerie Harper, March 2013

02-04-2010, 11:43 AM	#4
JT Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 29, 2001 Location: USA Posts: 7,223	RIP!! A legend in every sense of the word, and one of daytime's most beloved actresses. If you haven't gotten a chance to watch her in a few 60s episodes of DAYS on YouTube, I highly recommend it.
	__________________ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrEbJBFWIPk

02-04-2010, 02:38 PM	#6
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,392	God bless her... Attached Images

02-04-2010, 07:31 PM	#8
80sTrivia Member Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 23, 2002 Posts: 21,714	So very sad to hear of Frances' passing... another soap legend is now gone from us...
	__________________ Perfect Gift Books for Pop Culture Fanatics: Thank You for Being a Friend: A Golden Girls Trivia Book The Bouquet Residence: A Keeping Up Appearances Trivia Book Cooking With the Golden Girls: Fun & Delicious Recipes from a Hilarious Miami Kitchen Love in the Afternoon: The Ultimate Soap Opera Trivia Book The Last Great Decade: The Ultimate 90s Trivia Book Betty White: A Celebration

02-04-2010, 10:53 AM	#3
MickeyMac Member Forum Star Join Date: Jun 18, 2008 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan Posts: 19,008	So far 2010 is not being kind to the world of soaps

02-04-2010, 12:05 PM	#5
Scoobiedoo30 Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Jun 27, 2002 Location: KENNER, LOUISIANA Posts: 27,654	RIP

02-04-2010, 04:00 PM	#7
Scoobiedoo30 Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Jun 27, 2002 Location: KENNER, LOUISIANA Posts: 27,654	She will be very missed

02-04-2010, 07:32 PM	#9
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107
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02-04-2010, 07:40 PM	#10
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,460	Frances Reid. For someone who didn't want to be on a soap because she thought it would be too exhausting she sure had a long career. She had been playing Alice Horton since 1965. Salem will never be the same without her.
	__________________ Only a life lived for others is worth living. Albert Einstein A life isn't worth living unless it has impact on other lives. Jackie Robinson Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. Benjamin Franklin

02-04-2010, 09:20 PM	#11
McGillicuddy Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 28, 2002 Posts: 5,179	I sure hope they honor her memory on the show. It sure would be nice to allow Diedre Hall to come back as Marlena, to mourn her. Maybe other significant characters too!

02-20-2010, 10:43 PM	#13
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,500	Ken Corday on Alice Horton's Memorial Link The passing of Frances Reid -- who played Alice Horton on Days of our Lives from the series's debut in 1965 until December 2007 -- has left a large hole in the heart of every Days fan. Ken Corday, the show's executive producer, recently spoke to Soap Opera Digest about what they have planned to memorialize Alice (and Frances) ... "We'll most likely have an internal memorial service for her sometime in the next month," Corday said. "The way we're going to deal with her death on screen is we're not going to one day walk downstairs, as it was with Mickey, and say, 'Oh, Grandma's dead' and then have a day or two where everyone comes to the show and we have a funeral ... it really becomes 'lip service' to such a great character. So, what we've decided to do is we will play her as being ill and the end is coming and one by one, characters who loved her dearly or are related to her, from the past, will come to the show and 'visit' with her. You can start to imagine the list." Corday continued, "Because we're so far ahead into writing the show, it won't air really until the end of May sweeps. But I believe it's far better to do it that way then to just have a day or two of she's gone, here's the funeral and on we go. It's too important and there are too many individual relationships that needed to be remembered ... I think it's an honest and sensitive way to deal with something like this. It will give the audience time to prepare." So, make a note to have plenty of tissue handy come May sweeps ... we know we will.

02-21-2010, 01:32 AM	#14
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,392	Thanks for the update, Charles...I'll be on the lookout for the episode!