Quick Facts
Biography
Chris Chase (born Irene Greengard; January 12, 1924 – October 31, 2013), also known by the stage name Irene Kane, was an American model, film actress, writer, and journalist. Her best-known role was in Killer's Kiss. She later wrote advice books and co-authored several celebrity autobiographies. Her younger brother is Nobel Prize winner Paul Greengard.
Life and career
Born to Pearl (née Meister) and Benjamin Greengard in New York City in 1924, Irene Greengard was a model for Vogue. In the mid-fifties photographer Bert Stern, who had photographed her for this magazine, introduced her to film director Kubrick when he was looking for the female lead in Killer's Kiss. She took the professional name Helen Kane, and went on to appear in several Broadway productions.
Marriage
On June 3, 1962, Kane married Michael Chase (born 1932), an educational television producer, and the son of playwright Mary Chase. She took her husband's surname professionally as well as legally. As Chris Chase, she moved into journalism, working at the New York Times, and writing advice books on weight loss and getting into film acting. Chase and her husband were seriously injured in a car accident near Poughkeepsie, New York in April 1975.
After a short stint at CBS Morning News, Chase joined CNN in 1980 and stayed until 1986, serving as the first anchor of Media Watch in 1985. She co-authored several celebrity autobiographies, including books by Rosalind Russell, Betty Ford, and Alan King Name Dropping ISBN 0-684-83278-X. She co-authored a biography of Josephine Baker with Baker's son, Jean-Claude Baker.
Death
She died of pancreatic cancer on October 31, 2013 at her home in New York City, aged 89. She was survived by her husband, siblings, and extended family.
Acting
Films and television
- Killer's Kiss (1955)
- Love of Life (1962–65)
- Naked City (1958, 1963)
- All That Jazz (1979; as Chris Chase)
- Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures (2001; as Chris Chase)
Stage
- Tenderloin (1960)
- The Ponder Heart (1956)
- Threepenny Opera (1955)
Books
- The Great American Waistline
- Life Is A Banquet with Rosalind Russell
- Times of My Life with Betty Ford
- Betty: A Glad Awakening with Betty Ford
- How to Be a Movie Star, or A Terrible Beauty Is Born
- Josephine: The Josephine Baker Story with Jean-Claude Baker
- Name Dropping with Alan King
