Trivia

In 1935, she and husband Joel McCrea separated, but soon reconciled. In 1966, he filed for divorce, charging her with cruelty; however, the couple stayed married until his death.

Had three sons by Joel McCrea: Jody McCrea (born 1934), David McCrea (born 1935) and Peter McCrea (born 1955). Son Peter married Jack Lemmon's daughter Courtney Lemmon on March 24, 2001. Both Jody, David and their families reside in New Mexico. Frances passed away in Connecticut where she was staying with son Peter.

She accepted the role in I Walked with a Zombie (1943) so that she could use her salary to purchase a new automobile for her mother.

Met future husband Joel McCrea on the set of The Silver Cord (1933). He had been smitten after seeing her in An American Tragedy (1931) and requested that she be cast in his movie. However, during filming, she was dating co-star Eric Linden. She and McCrea began dating after the movie was completed and her romance with Linden was over. It was her relationship with McCrea that compelled her to sign with RKO Pictures.

Her husband Joel McCrea died on their 57th wedding anniversary.

In 1995, she donated 220 acres of her Thousand Oaks (CA) ranch to the Conejo Recreation and Park District to be preserved as parkland. In 1981, she and husband Joel McCrea had given 75 acres to the District.

Initially had a screen test for the role of Scarlett O'Hara and was actually George Cukor's first choice for the role of Melanie Hamilton in Gone with the Wind (1939), but was deemed by David O. Selznick as being too similar in beauty to Vivien Leigh to play the role. Olivia de Havilland was then given the role.

Was a huge hit at the 1998 Memphis Film Festival in Tunica, MS. Dee's biographer Andrew Wentink said she gained new fame in the 1990s for her role in films that forced the adoption of a Hollywood code on morality in the 1930s.

Born in Los Angeles, she and older sister Margaret (born 1908) moved when she was quite young to Cincinnati (OH), then to Washington (DC) before finally settling in the Hyde Park area of Chicago, where the sisters attended Shakespeare Grammar School.

Sister of Margaret Dee, who appeared with her in Becky Sharp (1935).

First grew interested in acting when she was cast as the lead in a senior play at Hyde Park High School.

She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7080 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on February 1, 1994.

Auditioned for the role of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939) and filmed a screen test on March 24, 1938.

Attended at the University of Chicago, where she participated in dramatic activities.

Many sources misreported Dee's year of birth as 1907.

Grandmother of Wyatt McCrea.

Paramount produced a promotional short about the musical scoring of the 1937 feature "Wells Fargo". Featured in the short were the movie's director Frank Lloyd, composer Victor Young, musical director Boris Morros and actors Bob Burns, Porter Hall, Frances Dee, and Joel McCrea. The short was narrated by Gayne Whitman.