Francis Xavier Shields
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Francis Xavier Shields (18 November 1909 - 19 August 1975) was a handsome and aristocratic American tennis player, and a dashing performer who spent some time in Hollywood in bit movie roles on the early 1930s. He was born in New York City.
Mr. Shields was the only Wimbledon finalist to lose without going onto the court. Between 1928 and 1945 he was ranked eight times in the U.S. Top Ten, #1 in 1933, and #2 in 1930. He competed for the Davis Cup in 1931, 1932 and 1934, winning 19 of 25 matches, and was non-playing captain in 1951 when the team won four matches.
His first wife was Rebecca Tenney; they were married in 1932 and divorced in 1940, on the grounds of his "habitual intemperance." His second wife, whom he married in 1940 and later divorced, was the italian princess Donna Marina Torlonia di Civitella-Cessi (later Mrs. Edward W. Slater, died 1960)— a daughter of prince Don Marino Torlonia, 4th prince di Civitella-Cessi and of the American heiress Mary Elsie Moore (1888-1941), and a sister of Don Alessandro Torlonia, 5th prince di Civitella-Cessi, the husband of the Spanish Infanta Beatrix de Borbón. His third wife, whom he married in 1949 and also later divorced, was Katharine Mortimer, a daughter of financier Stanley Grafton Mortimer Sr. and the former wife of Oliver Cadwell Biddle.
Shields had two children by his second marriage: a son, Francis Alexander Shields, who married firstly Teri Schmon, and secondly Diana "Didi" Lippert, former wife of Thomas Gore Auchincloss; and a daughter, Cristiana Marina Shields, who married the Italian lawyer Giovanni D´Onofrio.
By his third marriage he had a daughter, Katharine Shields, and a son, William Xavier Shields.
His eldest granddaughter is the actress and model Brooke Shields.
He died in New York City.
His appeared in the following films:
- Murder in the Fleet - 1935 as "Lieutenant Arnold"
- I Live My Life - 1935 as "outer office secretary"
- Come and Get It - 1936 - as "Tony Schwerke"
- The Affairs of Cappy Ricks - 1937 - as "Waldo Bottomley, Jr."
- Hoosier Schoolboy - 1937 - as "Jack Matthews. Jr."
- Dead End - 1937 - as "well-dressed man"
- The Goldwyn Follies - 1938 - as "assistant director"