Monday, January 18, 2016

Jean on Franchot, Part 1


"After six-and-a-half years of marriage, Franchot Tone is the most exciting, handsome, lovable, exasperating, beguiling and challenging man in my world. His poise is a Gibraltar of strength—now that we've each done a little reforming. He's taught me to be more controlled—I've helped him discover the release an occasional outburst can be. He actually allowed himself to be angry when a business associate double-crossed him recently, and I was mighty proud of him! Never making a fuss, never aggressive about privileges he's earned—that I can cheer him for. But I've been burned to a crisp when he's allowed people to take advantage of his generosity and kindness. And I don't burn silently. Not Mrs. Tone!
His knowledge of subjects as unrelated as the ballet and the pruning of fig trees, acting and a recipe for frijoles, politics and the intricate mechanism of television, blown glass and the history of rare gems, religion and psychiatrics—no longer amazes me. Proving you can get used to anything.
Franchot's rather particularly unpredictable, I'd say. Just when you think he's a mind he makes some ridiculous off-beam investment—like the winery. We have heaven knows how many cases of wine in storage, all we have to show for quite a tidy investment he made one smart day. He won't drink a drop of the stuff. "It cost about a thousand dollars a case," says he. "And no drink is worth it."
His independence is colossal. Even when he has a cold in the head he remains aloof from any evidence of needing help or attention. He can always tie his dress tie expertly without getting the househould into an uproar. He never goes barging around blaming elusive dress shirt studs or collar buttons on my carelessness, or the kids' explorations into his dresser drawers. Of course, he doesn't have to plant any blame—he always knows just where they are!"
 Jean Wallace Tone

Source: "Franchot's Femmes: Four Women in His Life Tell All, About the Suave and Elegant Mr. Tone." Screenland. July 1948. Vol 52, No.9.Page 42-43, 64-65.

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