Irene Kane

Irene Kane was an actress who later became a respected journalist and author under the name of Chris Chase.

She was born Chris Greengard in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up primarily in Forest Hills, Queens.

After graduating from high school, she found work at Modern Screen magazine, where she was spotted by renowned fashion photographer Bert Stern, who asked her to model for him. This led to appearances in Vogue and other fashion publications.

Through a friend, she met director Stanley Kubrick, who cast her in the 1955 film Killer's Kiss. She went on to appear in the television series Love of Life, Look Up and Live and Naked City. Many years later she had a small role in the 1979 feature film All That Jazz.

In 1962, she married Michael Chase, a television production director. She took his name both professionally and legally, and shifted her professional focus to journalism.

As Chris Chase, she became a frequent contributor to the New York Times, often covering entertainment figures. In addition, she co-wrote books about actress Rosalind Russell, singer Josephine Baker and former First Lady Betty Ford, as well as a 1974 memoir, How to Be a Movie Star, or A Terrible Beauty Is Born. She later became a culture commentator on the CBS Morning News and the first anchor of CNN’s Media Watch.

She died October 31, 2013, at age 90.