Frances' Place

Whenever I relate stories about Frances E. Williams, one of the first questions I’m asked is, “Who is Frances?” These pages will not only tell you a bit more about this fascinating lady who stood at the crossroads of some of the most intriguing and turbulent times in our history, but also will invite you into her world, a world peopled with well-known as well as lesser-known African Americans, folks like Paul Robeson, Charlotta Bass, Langston Hughes, and Margaret Bonds. Frances knew them all personally.

This site will profile some of these exceptional individuals, and include some of Frances’s favorite anecdotes.  Chapter Excepts from her biography Meet it, Greet it, and Defeat it! include a look at two films from Frances’s film career (Showboat and Salt of the Earth) and “Frank’s Place”, a 1980’s TV series.  Also included are  notable works from the Harlem Renaissance with annotations.  Several of the authors during that period were her personal friends.    Available from Amazon.com

 Dadielte Production P.O. Box 1266    Moreno Valley, CA 92556-1266

Frances E. Williams, Actress, Activist, Organizer, Community Worker was one of the most colorful and knowledgeable stage and screen personalities of our time. Perhaps best known for the role of Miss Marie on the television series, Frank’s Place in the late 1980’s, Williams’s acting career spanned more than six decades beginning in the 1920’s at Karamu House, the oldest black theater in the United States, through stage, screen, and television. In addition to studying theater in Moscow in the 1930, she

* became the first black woman to run for the California State Assembly in 1948 on the Progressive ticket.

* traveled and performed throughout Europe and Africa.

* appeared in over one hundred stage, screen, and television productions.

* represented the World Peace Council at the first Angola Independence Celebration in 1975.

* co founded the Art Against Apartheid Movement in Los Angeles in the 1980’s.

Frances fought continuously to expand and elevate the roles portrayed by African American actors and other minorities in Hollywood. Whether working as an actor in film, as wardrobe mistress on stage productions, or as the Assistant Director on the landmark film Salt of the Earth, she was always attuned to injustices and didn’t hesitate to voice her disapproval. As a result, while she made many in authority uncomfortable, she had a host of friends among whom were Paul Robeson, W.E.B.DuBois, Langston Hughes and many more. Her motto Meet it, Greet it, and Defeat it! sums up the rich life of this fantastic lady.

During the 1950’s, Senator Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-AmericanActivities Committee sought to rid the film industry of anyone thought progressive or left-leaning. Several blacklisted members of the industry formed a film production company. Among them were Herbert Biberman, Paul Jarrico, Albert Maltz, Michael Wilson, and Adrian Scott.  One of their projects was the film Salt of the Earth.

Salt of the Earth was a groundbreaking film that realistically portrayed the real-life struggles of striking zinc mineworkers fighting for equality in all areas. In the film, the mineworkers call a strike against the company for which they worked, protesting low wages, poor working conditions, inadequate and unsanitary living facilities.  Threatened with loss of job and eviction if they continue the strike, the men are on the verge of giving up when their wives, led by Esperanza, wife of Ramon Quintero, president of the union, join the men on the picket line.  The strike is successful.

Frances was a progressive and an activist in both stage and film communities.  She was on the board of Actors’ Equity, Actors’ Lab, The Circle Theatre, and Cosmos.  She’d helped form the black caucus in the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), and she had lectured twice at the Lee Strausberg Studio in New York.  Because of her impeccable credentials, Frances was hired as assistant director.  Though at the time she was doing another film, she looked forward to working on this new exciting project.  Casting for the film began at her home in Los Angeles.  It included both professional and non professional actors, many of  It included both professional and non professional actors, many of whom were actual zinc mine workers.

In the original script, an Anglo couple were supposed to play the lead. However, that was changed. Then Sonja Dahl was hired to play Esperanza Quintero, the lead role. She insisted on having a professional actor play opposite her. Bert Corona was hired by the company to search for a Mexican lead to play opposite Dahl. When no one could be found, Dahl dropped out. Rosaura Revueltas, an actress whose family were activists, accepted the role of Esperanza.  Juan Chacon, president of Local 890 and a non-professional actor, was selected to play Ramon Quintero.

As assistant director, Frances would get the actors together to go over their lines and set the tempo.  Because of her role, she was able to build rapport with many of the non-professional workers on the film. However, she was constantly running into problems with members of the production company. Whenever there was a conflict, she interceded on behalf of the miners and succeeded in elevating their role in the film.According to Lorenzo Torrez, who played himself, one of the striking mine workers, had it not been for Frances’s presence, their role would have been minute. While the filmmakers included Frances on their project, “she was never really accepted.”Throughout the production both internal and external conflicts threatened to kill the project. Corporate heads tried to stop production, the actors and technicians were harassed, sound recordings were ruined by planes flying over shooting locations, and Rosaura Revueltas was deported on a phony charge of not having her visa properly stamped.

Despite the obstacles, the film makes a positive statement about unions, relationships, and equality for women.  Also it highlighted the plight of Hispanic workers. While the filmmakers have been honored for their artistic achievement, little recognition has been given to the mine workers. As a result of the strike, while not all their problems were resolved, they did achieve a contract based on the Fair Employment Practices Commission. A number of other things were achieved; for example, housing was no longer segregated and mine workers were able to gain participation on the executive board. Most importantly, the film helped garner support for the trade union movements throughout the South and Southwest.

I am an author, educator, writing consultant and  freelance writer.  I have seven published books including Mrs. Griffin is Missing and Other Stories, The Newcomer, Mr. Moore’s Menagerie –  Bobby and Sonny Mystery series; The Big Table, a picture book for children. The Big Table was first a children’s play which was produced at Frances Williams Corner Theater; Daniel’s Wife; and Then Sings My Soul, both adult contemporary fiction. 

It was my participation with Frances Williams’s Writers Workshop that I came to know this fascinating lady. Her anecdotes about the people she knew and the things she had done prompted me to ask her if I could write her biography. She was truly a renaissance woman.

Meet it, Greet it, and Defeat it is the result of seven years work with Ms. Williams. There are so many unsung heroes that pass through our lives unnoticed. I was privileged to have known one.   Anna Christian