Background

Ilka Chase was born on April 8, 1905 in New York City, New York, United States to Francis Dane Chase, a hotel manager, and Edna Alloway Woolman, editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine. Her parents divorced early in her life, and although her ancestry and upbringing had been Quaker.

Education

She was sent to convent schools, where she was first introduced to the theater and starred in the school plays. Later, she went to Mrs. Dowe's School in Briarcliff Manor and then, at the age of sixteen, she went to France to study for two years rather than go to college.

Career

In 1923 she returned to the United States and devoted herself to becoming an actress. Her new career began slowly, with bit parts in the acting company of Henry Miller, whom she considered a great actor-manager. While in Hollywood, she appeared in such movies as Fast and Loose (1930), Once a Sinner (1931), The Animal Kingdom (1932), and, her most popular, Now Voyager (1942). But her creative talents were not dedicated to just one medium. During this time, she also acted on Broadway in such shows as Days Without End (1934), The Women (1936), Forsaking All Others with Tallulah Bankhead, and Present Laughter (1975). With Murray's support, Chase started her own radio program called "Luncheon at the Waldorf, " designed for the "upper middle class and the slightly educated" even though it aired during the daytime. On the show, which aired from 1938 to 1945, she offered women advice on careers and interviewed a variety of professionals, including a Harvard anthropologist, the head of a New York department store, religious leaders, socialites, and female business owners. Eventually, the program was moved to the evening hours, and the name was changed to "Penthouse Party. " Shortly after her appearance with Bette Davis in Now Voyager, Chase went on the lecture circuit discussing her philosophy of being a woman. Chase even tried a few musicals, Revenge with Music and Keep Off the Grass. She later adapted one of her own novels, In Bed We Cry (1943), for the stage and played the leading role in its first production on Broadway at the Belasco Theatre, opening on November 14, 1944. Along with In Bed We Cry, Chase wrote numerous other novels and two autobiographies, Past Imperfect (1942) and Free Admission (1948), books on travel, and an entertainment guide. She also authored a syndicated weekly newspaper column. In 1945, Chase's marriage to Murray ended in divorce, and in 1945 she married a doctor, Norton Sager Brown. During the 1950's, Chase appeared on television from time to time. Critics of the new medium, who claimed that television was demoralizing society with its sex and violence, took aim at her when she and Faye Emerson appeared on television in low-cut dresses. Chase came out of the brouhaha with an interview show on CBS called "Glamour-Go-Round" (1950). Another of her shows on television was "Masquerade Party" (1952 - 1958), a popular show in which she appeared as a panelist trying to identify the guests, who had been disguised by makeup artists for the production. In addition, in 1957 she appeared in the television special "Cinderella, " starring Julie Andrews and Jon Cypher. Chase was concerned about social issues. Among the causes and organizations she supported were the protection of wildlife, United Hospital Funds, and the Council of Actors Equity. Chase and Brown traveled extensively together and published books on their travels. She chronicled their trips and he took the photographs, in such places as the Balkan countries (Fresh from the Laundry, 1967), Italy and Greece (The Varied Airs of Spring, 1969), and North Africa, India, and Japan (Around the World and Other Places, 1970). She died in Mexico City.

Achievements

• In 1960 she was the recipient of two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for her work in motion pictures and one for her work in the television industry during the 1950s.

Works

More photos

• book

  • New York 22;: That district of the City which lies between Fiftieth and Sixtieth Streets, Fifth Avenue, and the East River

    (A novel about a woman, her lover, her Vassar College daug...)

  • I love Miss Tilli Bean

    (I Love Miss Tilli Bean)

  • The care and feeding of friends

    (hardcover)

  • book

  • Free admission
  • The Sounds of Home

Connections

In 1926 she married Louis Calhern, an actor. They divorced later that year.

On July 13, 1935, Chase married William B. Murray, a radio advertising executive, whom she had met in Hollywood. They made their home in New York.

Father:

Francis Dane Chase

He was a hotel manager

Mother:

Edna Alloway Woolman

She served as editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine

Spouse:

Louis Calhern

He was an actor

Spouse:

William B. Murray

He was a radio advertising executive