A Franchot Tone Holiday Gift Guide

Have a Franchot Tone fan in your life or want to treat yourself to a new Franchot DVD this holiday season? Here are my picks for the movies that should be wrapped under your tree!

 

• Wish you had been able to see Franchot in a live play? Buy the 1957 film Uncle Vanya. The film is staged like the play in which Franchot performed multiple times and was dear to his heart.

• Enjoy a little music with your comedy? Try Because of Him, a 1946 musical comedy teaming Franchot with the delightful Deanna Durbin and Tone's chum Charles Laughton.

• Eager to see Franchot in a darker role? Look for Phantom Lady, a 1944 film noir with Franchot in a deliciously devious part.

• Want to see footage that captures some of that Crawford-Tone magic? You must watch The Bride Wore Red, a 1937 romantic comedy starring Franchot as a sweet postman and Joan as his complicated dreamgirl.

• Looking for more of a period piece? Look no further than Quality Street which was written by J.M. Barrie and costars Franchot with a young Katharine Hepburn.

• Intrigued by political drama and scandal? Advise & Consent is the way to go! This 1962 film directed by Otto Preminger stars an older Franchot as the U.S. President.

• Hoping for a mixture of war, romantic, and gangster drama in one film? You'll love 1937's They Gave Him a Gun starring Franchot, Spencer Tracy, and Gladys George.

• Ready to laugh out loud at a fast-paced, quick-quipped comedy? Fast and Furious, a 1939 comedy pairing Franchot with Ann Sothern is charming. Bonus: The DVD comes with two other films in the Joel and Garda Sloane series. (The other films in the series do not feature Franchot, however.)

• Avid for adventure? See Franchot as a lieutenant in India during the British Raj in The Lives of a Bengal Lancer, a 1935 film featuring Gary Cooper and Richard Cromwell.

• Collect Oscar Best Picture Winners on DVD? Make sure you have the 1935 Oscar winner Mutiny on the Bounty! Franchot was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in this sea adventure.

Already own every single Franchot DVD available? Think about using eBay or another auction/used goods site to add some original photos, lobby cards, playbills, or movie posters to your collection!