In May, the National Board of Review Magazine featured Franchot's speech in full. The entire speech is really interesting and can be read online (link at bottom of this post). At the end of his speech, Franchot took questions from the audience. Here are his responses to those questions:
Q: Can you tell me whether you feel more relaxed on the legitimate stage than you do before the camera?
A: I feel more relaxed on the legitimate stage because, after all, on the legitimate stage the actor carries all the burden of creation at the time of performance. He need have no fears of what may happen to his performance, because it is right there. It is much easier to relax with the results immediate, than when they are quite a way off, and in the hands of so many other people.
Q: If an actor has a strong feeling about the emotion of a picture, is he allowed to express that when it is contrary to the director's idea? Suppose you were asked to do a performance in a way that you did not feel was the right one, would you be allowed to suggest a change?
A: Yes, of course. Often scenes are shot two or three different ways. If a director feels very strongly that the scene should be shot as one emotion, and the actor feels strongly that it should not be, it depends on the bargaining power of the actor. However, the directors that I have met are generally very willing to take suggestions from actors as to their feeling about their parts. If there is a disagreement the director will very often shoot the scene two different ways. One or the other will be junked in the cutting room.
Q: Could you tell us something of the difference between stage acting and screen acting?
A: Well, I do not think there is much difference, except in the question of continuity and the contact with an audience. The latter is a great stimulation, and may often cause a variety in performance which one would not get away from an audience. The stage has much more of a feeling of spontaneity about it because of the audience, because of peculiar factors, of which I know nothing, but which make themselves apparent in a difference in audiences. For instance, on the stage, a Thursday matinee audience is an entirely different entity from a Saturday night audience. This makes you act differently. You get a feeling from the audience. You begin to feel what particular angles of the character they like, what particular angles of the play they like. It is sometimes impossible to change your performance, to do it minutely, but still importantly. As for technique I believe the same problems apply on both stage and screen.
Q: How much ad libbing are you allowed when you are appearing before the cameras and on the stage?
A: I would say not. Perhaps there is more ad libbing for the camera. Very often in the heat of a performance and as a result of quick preparation, the actor will come out with better lines than were intended, but very often you will find that the lines, as given, are much better than anything anybody can ad lib.
Q: Do you like acting in New York better than in Hollywood?
A: I cannot say that I do, no. I would hate to be cut off from any part of the entertainment business. In fact, what I am looking for is a little bit of variety.
Q: Is there any role that you played that you like particularly well, and why?
A: Well, I was in Hollywood six years, and made 36 pictures, and it would be awfully hard to choose one out of those. I had three or four parts that I liked very much. I liked Mutiny on the Bounty, Bengal Lancer, and a little number called Love on the Run. That was really my favorite picture.
Source: Tone, Franchot. "The Actor's Work." National Board of Review Magazine. May 1939. p. 4-8. Available in the Media History Digital Library.
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