Frances Mercer

Mercer was born in New Rochelle, New York, on October 21, 1915. Her father was sports writer Sid Mercer. From beginning modeling as a teenager, she became one of New York's leading models before she turned to acting in the late 1930s. Her film debut was in Vivacious Lady (1938), and she debuted on Broadway in Very Warm for May (1939). She was featured on the cover of Redbook magazine's October 1940 issue.

She appeared in the films Blind Alibi, Crime Ring, Smashing the Rackets, The Mad Miss Manton, Annabel Takes a Tour, Beauty for the Asking, Society Lawyer, The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle, Piccadilly Incident, There's Always Tomorrow and Young and Dangerous.

Television series in which Mercer appeared included For Better or Worse and Dr. Hudson's Secret Journal. She had a radio program, Sunday Night at Nine, in New York. In her later years, when acting jobs became less available, she took other work, including being a medical assistant and a bank teller and dealing in antiques.

Mercer was married to G. Robert Fleming, who was the Republican nominee for California's 16th congressional district in 1956, losing to Democratic incumbent Donald L. Jackson. She died on November 5, 2000, in Los Angeles, California at age 85.