Frances Reid

Actress


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

In her one-and-a-half-hour interview, actress Frances Reid (1914-2010) talks about her early career working in live television, and her first experiences working on daytime dramas, including programs such as Portia Faces Life and As the World Turns. She describes in detail her longtime role as matriarch "Alice Horton" on the daytime drama Days of Our Lives from its inception to the present day. She discusses her many co-stars throughout the years on the show, notably Macdonald Carey, who portrayed patriarch "Tom Horton." Reid explains the production process on a daytime drama and touches on some of the memorable storylines featured on the show throughout the years. Finally, she briefly describes her involvement in the actors union AFTRA and notes how important it is for her to continue working. Jennifer Howard conducted the interview on August 13, 2003 in Los Angeles, CA.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"You have to be good-natured. You have to know that these things that are done in a hurry are not done to make you miserable or make you look bad. They're part of the way of our making a living.  We must adjust to them and give them the best we can."

People Talking About ...
Highlights
Frances Reid on appearing in the Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse production of “Cyrano”
01:59
Frances Reid on being cast as Portia Blake Manning on Portia Faces Life
00:50
Frances Reid on her Days of Our Lives character "Alice Horton"
03:32
Frances Reid on her Days of Our Lives costar Macdonald Carey
01:18
Full Interview

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Chapter 1

On appearing in several feature films early in her career including "Stage Door"; on appearing in various stage productions; on her early impressions of television
On doing commercials in the early days of television; on the challenges of working on live television; on Sylvester L. Weaver and on working with various television producers
On appearing in the Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse, Actors Studio, Berkley Square, and NBC Matinee Theater; on the Hollywood Blacklist; on being cast as Portia Blake Manning on Portia Faces Life

Chapter 2

On starring in Portia Faces Life and the state of early TV soap operas; on appearing on several episodes of Wagon Train and on working on Alfred Hitchcock Presents; on appearing on Perry Mason with Bette Davis and on The Defenders
On appearing on As the World Turns and Edge of Night; on appearing on Days of Our Lives as "Alice Horton"
On her Days of Our Lives costar Macdonald Carey; on working with Days of Our Lives' Betty and Ken Corday and Irna Phillips; on the writers and cast of the show

Chapter 3

On the production schedule of Days of Our Lives; on the storylines of Days of Our Lives; on the death of Macdonald Carey during the run of Days of Our Lives, and on how her character "Alice Horton" changed over the years
On the legacy of her Days of Our Lives character "Alice Horton" and on the success of the show; on her acting style, and her career; on her involvement with the AFTRA union
On advice she would give an actor on a soap opera today; on how she would like to be remembered
Shows

Actors Studio

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Frances Reid on appearing in various live productions of the '50s, including Actors Studio and Berkeley Square
03:24

Alfred Hitchcock Presents aka The Alfred Hitchcock Hour

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Frances Reid on appearing on several episodes of Wagon Train and on working on Alfred Hitchcock Presents
02:22

As the World Turns

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Frances Reid on appearing on As the World Turns
03:51

Days of Our Lives

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Frances Reid on appearing on Days of Our Lives
02:08
Frances Reid on her Days of Our Lives character "Alice Horton"
03:32
Frances Reid on her Days of Our Lives costar Macdonald Carey
01:18
Frances Reid on working with Days of Our Lives' Betty and Ken Corday and Irna Phillips
02:16
Frances Reid on the writers of Days of Our Lives
00:51
Frances Reid on working with the cast of Days of Our Lives
06:04
Frances Reid on the production schedule of Days of Our Lives
05:38
Frances Reid on the storylines of Days of Our Lives
05:10
Frances Reid on the death of Macdonald Carey during the run of Days of Our Lives, and on how her character "Alice Horton" changed over the years
04:07
Frances Reid on the legacy of her Days of Our Lives character "Alice Horton" and on the success of the show
02:05

Edge of Night, The

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Frances Reid on appearing on Edge of Night
00:28

NBC Matinee Theater

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Frances Reid on appearing on NBC Matinee Theater
01:33

Perry Mason

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Frances Reid on appearing on Perry Mason with Bette Davis and on The Defenders
03:14

Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse

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Frances Reid on appearing in the Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse production of “Cyrano” produced by Fred Coe
01:59

Portia Faces Life

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Frances Reid on being cast as Portia Blake Manning on Portia Faces Life
00:50
Frances Reid on starring in Portia Faces Life and the state of early TV soap operas
02:22
Topics

Anthology Drama

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Frances Reid on the challenges of working on live television
02:39

Hollywood Blacklist

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Frances Reid on the Hollywood Blacklist
01:49

Industry Crossroads

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Frances Reid on the Hollywood Blacklist
01:49

TV's Golden Age (1940s & '50s)

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Frances Reid on the challenges of working on live television
02:39

Television Industry

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Frances Reid on the Hollywood Blacklist
Professions

Actor

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Frances Reid on advice she would give an actor on a soap opera
00:37

Actress

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Frances Reid on her acting style, and her career
01:15

Performers

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Frances Reid on her acting style, and her career
01:15
Frances Reid on advice she would give an actor on a soap opera
00:37
Genres

Classic Anthology Series

View Genre
Frances Reid on appearing in the Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse production of “Cyrano”
01:59
Frances Reid on appearing on NBC Matinee Theater
01:33
Frances Reid on appearing on several episodes of Wagon Train and on working on Alfred Hitchcock Presents
02:22

Daytime/Primetime Serials

View Genre
Frances Reid on being cast as Portia Blake Manning on Portia Faces Life
00:50
Frances Reid on starring in Portia Faces Life and the state of early TV soap operas
02:22
Frances Reid on appearing on As the World Turns
03:51
Frances Reid on appearing on Edge of Night
00:28
Frances Reid on playing "Alice Horton" on Days of Our Lives
16:09
Frances Reid on playing "Alice Horton" on Days of Our Lives
17:00

Western Series

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Frances Reid on appearing on several episodes of Wagon Train and on working on Alfred Hitchcock Presents
02:22
People

Macdonald Carey

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Frances Reid on appearing on Perry Mason with Bette Davis and on The Defenders
03:04
Frances Reid on her Days of Our Lives costar Macdonald Carey
01:18
Frances Reid on the death of Macdonald Carey during the run of Days of Our Lives, and on how her character "Alice Horton" changed over the years
04:07

Sylvester L. "Pat" Weaver

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Frances Reid on Sylvester L. Weaver and on working with various television producers
03:38

All Interviews

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