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Tanis Chandler
Tanis Chandler
Tanis Chandler
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Tanis Chandler (born Tannis Anne Goldthwaite; August 29, 1924 – May 7, 2006)[1] was a French-born American film actress. She is perhaps best known to today's audiences as the ingenue in low-budget features with The Bowery Boys and Charlie Chan, and for incidental roles in major Warner Bros. features.

Key Information

Early years

[edit]

Chandler was born in Nantes, France. Her father was musician Chandler Goldthwaite, who was billed as Rex Chandler for his performances of popular music. Her mother was Leon Lorfray De Rousier. Chandler was educated initially by private tutors in Paris and, after the family moved to the United States in 1936, at the Westlake School for Girls in Los Angeles. After her father's illness interrupted his work on radio programs, she became a model to help with finances.[1]

Acting

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In 1940, Chandler acted in a production of Prison Without Bars at the Troupers theater. Her film debut came in Devotion (1943),[1] and she appeared in Cinderella Jones (1946),[2] George White's Scandals and Wanderer of the Wasteland. She also used her fluency in French and Spanish to dub parts for foreign versions of approximately 30 films.[1]

Chandler pulled off a hoax on film executives when she obtained a part in The Desert Song (1943) by pretending to be a male, Robert Archer. A wire-service news story distributed nationwide explained, "She was aided in the deception by the fact that she and most of the other players were clad in flowing robes and burnooses ..."[3] Her success was such that the casting office sent Archer for work in another 1944 film, My Reputation (released 1946). That venture ended, however, when a scene called for being shirtless while mowing a lawn. At that point, Chandler admitted to being a female, ending her male-impersonation efforts. Her explanation for the hoax was that studio executives frequently complained about a lack of men, and she hoped for a better opportunity for roles in films.[3]

In 1945 RKO Radio Pictures signed her for one year; she worked mostly in budget features for staff producer Herman Schlom, and generally appeared as hostesses, waitresses, and showgirls. Described as an "up-and-coming Hollywood starlet", Chandler was featured on the cover of Parade magazine's April 7, 1946, issue.[4] She then signed with Monogram Pictures for more prominent roles in "B" features, in which she sometimes spoke with a French accent. Her highest-profile film is probably the 1946 Warner Bros. feature The Big Sleep.

Personal life

[edit]

Tanis Chandler journeyed to France is 1949, where she was hired by a production crew making the multi-part feature Return to Life; she played a British army captain.

In October 1949, Chandler married Paul Mills.[5] Chandler worked for a stock brokerage firm for a year, and she and her mother operated a kindergarten in which she taught when she was not working in films.[1] She returned to Monogram for one more assignment in 1951, and to RKO for her final film, released in 1952.

She died in May 2006 at the age of 81.[6]

Filmography

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1943 Higher and Higher Debutante Uncredited
1944 Janie High School Girl Uncredited
1944 Music for Millions Orchestra Member Uncredited
1945 Wanderer of the Wasteland Chito's Friend Uncredited
1945 George White's Scandals Showgirl Uncredited
1945 Cornered Airline Hostess Uncredited
1945 Dick Tracy Miss Stanley Uncredited
1946 The Madonna's Secret Singer Uncredited
1946 Cinderella Jones Waitress Uncredited
1946 Devotion French Student Uncredited
1946 Ding Dong Williams Hostess Uncredited
1946 The Catman of Paris Yvette
1946 Shadows Over Chinatown Mary Conover
1946 The Big Sleep Waitress Uncredited
1946 Spook Busters Mignon Moreno
1946 Affairs of Geraldine Liza Jane Dennis
1946 The Trap Adelaide
1947 Lured Lucy Barnard
1947 The Spirit of West Point Mildred
1948 16 Fathoms Deep Simi
1949 Return to Life Capitaine Betty (segment 2 : "Le retour d'Antoine")
1951 According to Mrs. Hoyle Angela Brown
1952 At Sword's Point Mimi Uncredited, (final film role)

References

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Tanis Chandler

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''Tanis Chandler'' is a French-born American film actress known for her roles in Hollywood motion pictures during the 1940s and early 1950s, including a notable appearance in the classic film noir The Big Sleep (1946). Born in Nantes, France, on August 20, 1924, Chandler began her career in uncredited roles before gaining parts in features at studios such as RKO and Monogram, often playing ingenues or supporting characters in low-budget productions. Her filmography includes titles such as Shadows Over Chinatown (1946), The Spirit of West Point (1947), 16 Fathoms Deep (1948), and According to Mrs. Hoyle (1951). She appeared in approximately 23 films between 1943 and 1952 before retiring from acting, after which limited information is available about her later life.

Early life

Tanis Chandler was born Tanis Anne Goldthwaite on August 29, 1924, in Nantes, France. Some sources, including IMDb, give her birth date as August 20, 1924. She was the daughter of Chandler Goldthwaite, an American composer, pianist, organist, and conductor who used the professional name Rex Chandler for his work in popular music. Her mother was French. Limited verifiable information is available about her childhood, education, or family relocations. She later moved to the United States and began her career in modeling and acting.

Career

French dubbing and entry into acting

Tanis Chandler began her career in entertainment with radio work starting in 1937. She later moved into film, initially providing French-language dubbing for over 40 American films during her early Hollywood years, leveraging her native fluency in the language as a French-born performer. This dubbing work involved creating French versions of Hollywood pictures for international distribution, allowing her to establish a foothold in the industry before pursuing on-screen roles. She also took early uncredited roles at RKO under her birth name Tanis Anne Goldthwaite, though these parts remained minor and off-screen in billing. Her uncredited on-screen film debut followed in the Warner Bros. production Cinderella Jones, filmed in 1943 but not released until 1946. These early steps in dubbing and bit acting marked her gradual entry into Hollywood performing, building toward more visible opportunities.

The 1944 publicity stunt

In early 1944, Tanis Chandler executed a widely reported publicity stunt by disguising herself as a man under the name Robert Archer to obtain male extra roles amid the severe shortage of male actors caused by World War II enlistments. She successfully secured a small part in the Warner Brothers production The Desert Song (1943), portraying a sheik in long flowing robes and a burnoose that effectively concealed her gender and allowed her to perform convincingly. The ruse advanced further when casting personnel, impressed by her work, sent her to audition for a role in the upcoming film My Reputation directed by Curtis Bernhardt. During the process, which involved a scene requiring the character to mow a lawn in hot California weather, Bernhardt instructed "Robert Archer" to remove his shirt, prompting Chandler to reveal her true identity by admitting she was a woman. The story gained national attention through a syndicated Associated Press article published on January 26, 1944, which detailed her motivations and the revelation. Chandler herself explained the stunt by remarking, “The studios are always yelling about the lack of men. I thought I’d have better luck in male roles.” This episode occurred during her early career phase of seeking uncredited extra work.

Film roles and highlights

Tanis Chandler's film career extended from 1943 to 1952, during which she appeared in numerous low-budget features and B-movies, often in supporting, character, or uncredited roles. She frequently worked in popular series of the era, including the Charlie Chan mysteries and the Bowery Boys comedies, as well as other programmer productions typical of Hollywood's lower-tier output during the post-war years. Her notable credited performances include Mary Conover in the Charlie Chan film Shadows Over Chinatown (1946), Adelaide in the Charlie Chan entry The Trap (1946), and Mignon in the Bowery Boys comedy Spook Busters (1946). She also played Lucy Barnard in the Douglas Sirk-directed film noir Lured (1947) and Simi in the adventure 16 Fathoms Deep (1948). Chandler occasionally secured more prominent supporting or leading parts in such films, though much of her work remained in smaller capacities. She had a brief uncredited appearance as a waitress in the classic film noir The Big Sleep (1946), directed by Howard Hawks. Her final film role was an uncredited part as Mimi in At Sword’s Point (1952). These credits reflect her consistent presence in the B-film circuit of the 1940s and early 1950s, where she contributed to genre pictures and series installments.

Television appearances

Tanis Chandler's television career was brief and confined to the formative years of the medium. She appeared in one episode of the anthology series Your Show Time in 1949. Her most prominent television work consisted of three guest-starring roles in the syndicated Western series The Cisco Kid between 1950 and 1951. In these episodes, she played the characters Marge Lacey, Paula Bonnard, and Melinda Weaver. These appearances represented the entirety of her known television credits. Her final acting credit overall was recorded in 1952, after which she retired from performing.

Personal life and retirement

Marriage and family

Tanis Chandler married music publisher Paul Mills in October 1949 in Beverly Hills. Her acting roles became less frequent after her marriage as she focused on family life. The couple had two daughters together. Paul Mills died in 1999. Tanis Chandler died in 2006.

Death

Final years and passing

In her final years, Tanis Chandler resided in Sedona, Arizona. She passed away on May 7, 2006, at the age of 81. Chandler was predeceased by her husband.
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