Claire Niesen

Claire Niesen
Niesen as Mary Noble in Backstage Wife
Born	c. 1920 Phoenix, Arizona
Died	October 4, 1963(1963-10-04) (aged 42–43) Encino, California
Spouse	Melville Ruick ​ (m. 1949)​
Children	1

Claire Niesen (c. 1920 – October 4, 1963)[1] was an American actress, primarily on radio.

Early years

Born in Phoenix, Arizona,[2] she wanted to be an actress from age 4.[3]

She was valedictorian of her class at a high school in New York City[4] and attended the Feagin School of Dramatic Art.[5] She had experience in vaudeville before she began working in radio.[6]

Radio

Niesen debuted on radio on a small station when she was 15 years old, having roles in works by Ibsen and Shakespeare.[3] She starred on network soap operas for two decades.[7] She first acted on network radio in Joyce Jordan, M.D.[6] Her roles on radio programs included those shown in the table below.

Program	Role
Backstage Wife	Mary Noble
Her Honor, Nancy James	Laura[8]
The O'Neills	Peggy
The Second Mrs. Burton	Terry Burton
We Who Dream	Dream Girl[9]

Source: Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960,[1] except as noted.

In his book, Historical Dictionary of American Radio Soap Operas, Jim Cox wrote: "Mary Noble's alter ego, Niesen, consistently projected the appealing inflections required by the role: invariably soft-spoken, tenderhearted, and forgiving. Her empathetic expressions contributed to winning the part and helping her keep it for the final 14 years the serial was on the air (1945–59)."[10]

Other programs in which Niesen was heard included Life Can Be Beautiful, The Right to Happiness,[1] Light of the World, Meet Miss Julia, Into the Light, The Man I Married, We, the People, March of Time and Manhattan at Midnight.[6]

Stage

Niesen's Broadway credits include The Talley Method (1940) and Cue for Passion (1940).[11]

Recognition

In 1943, Niesen won the Philco Hall of Fame Award.[12]

Personal life

Niesen married the actor Melville Ruick on March 11, 1949, in New York City.[3]

Death

Niesen died of cancer in Encino, California on October 4, 1963. She was survived by her husband, a daughter and a sister.[13]

References

1. DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960. McFarland & Company, Inc.; ISBN 978-0-7864-2834-2, pg. 203.
2. "Radio Guide". Altoona Tribune. Pennsylvania, Altoona. May 6, 1947. p. 11. Retrieved July 28, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
3. Gayle, Gene (June 1952). "Claire Niesen -- Backstage Wife" (PDF). Radio-TV Mirror. 38 (1): 36, 89–90. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
4. "(untitled brief)". Harrisburg Telegraph. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. March 16, 1946. p. 21. Retrieved July 28, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Say Hello To ..." (PDF). Radio Mirror. 12 (1): 45. May 1939. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
6. "Star of Joyce Jordan Show Has Own Dramatic Story". Harrisburg Telegraph. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. July 3, 1942. p. 24. Retrieved July 28, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Claire Niesen Dies, Radio's 'Mary Noble'". New Castle News. New Castle, Pennsylvania. United Press International. October 7, 1963. p. 9. Retrieved July 28, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
8. Buxton, Frank and Owen, Bill (1972). The Big Broadcast: 1920-1950. The Viking Press. SBN 670-16240-x. P. 110.
9. Terrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-4513-4. P. 350.
10. Cox, Jim (2005). Historical Dictionary of American Radio Soap Operas. Scarecrow Press. pp. 159–160. ISBN 9780810865235. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
11. "Claire Niesen". Playbill Vault. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
12. "Deaths" (PDF). Billboard. October 14, 1963. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
13. "Claire Niesen, Favorite Of Soap Opera Fans, Dies". The San Bernardino County Sun. California, San Bernardino. Associated Press. October 6, 1963. p. 21. Retrieved July 28, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.