Alice Faye
The platinum-blonde star whose warm, husky voice defined 20th Century Fox's golden age of musicals, introducing the classic ballad 'You'll Never Know.'
1915–1998 (age 83)·American actress and singer·Birthday: May 5·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Alice Faye was the embodiment of 20th Century Fox's lavish, Technicolor musical era. With her cool blonde glamour and a surprisingly warm, intimate singing voice, she offered a softer counterpoint to the brassier stars of the day. Discovered by bandleader Rudy Vallée, she quickly graduated from chorus lines to leading roles, becoming one of Fox's most bankable assets in the late 1930s and early 1940s. She starred in a string of hits opposite talents like Tyrone Power and Don Ameche, often playing the gracious, steadfast woman at the heart of the story. Her most enduring contribution came with 1943's 'Hello, Frisco, Hello,' where she introduced the Harry Warren-Mack Gordon standard 'You'll Never Know.' Her tender performance of the song won the Oscar and became forever linked to her. Tired of the Hollywood grind and dissatisfied with her roles, she made a startling exit from films at the height of her fame, leaving behind a legacy of elegant, melodic sophistication.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Alice was born in 1915, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alice Was Born
The biggest hits of 1915
#1 Movie
The Birth of a Nation
Alice's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1915Born
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1920Started school
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1928Became a teenager
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1931Could drive
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1933Could vote
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1936Turned 21
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1945Turned 30
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1955Turned 40
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1965Turned 50
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1975Turned 60
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1985Turned 70
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 80
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1998Died at 83
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
Key Achievements
- Introduced the Academy Award-winning song 'You'll Never Know' in the 1943 film 'Hello, Frisco, Hello,' a standard that became her signature.
- Starred as the female lead in the groundbreaking early Technicolor musical 'Alexander's Ragtime Band' (1938), a major box office success.
- Successfully transitioned to radio in the late 1940s, hosting 'The Alice Faye Show' for NBC for several years after leaving Hollywood.
Did You Know?
She was originally a chorus girl for bandleader Rudy Vallée, who gave her her first major break in films.
She left 20th Century Fox in 1945 after a dispute with studio head Darryl F. Zanuck over the editing of her film 'Fallen Angel.'
She was married to actor and bandleader Phil Harris for over 50 years, from 1941 until her death in 1998.
“I just walked out. I had enough. I wanted to be a wife and mother.”
