British teen actress Vera Frances, 95, died on Jan. 7. The daughter of a prop and special effects man for Gainsborough Pictures, she made her debut at 12 in comic Arthur Askey’s 1942 film Back-Room Boy. Frances became a favorite of Askey’s, touring with him in stage shows and appearing in his film King Arthur Was a Gentleman (also 1942). Vera was also seen with George Formby in Get Cracking (probably the only leading lady the formidable Mrs. Formby wasn’t jealous of), and in Partners in Crime, It’s That Man Again, Waterloo Road (with Stewart Granger and John Mills) and Good-Time Girl (an early Diana Dors vehicle, from 1948). Frances retired from acting thereafter and ran a dancing school. Her family posted to her fans, “Over the years many of you have tracked her down and written letters to her and it was always a great thrill for her to know that these gentle films still brought so much joy and pleasure.”
