New Year, New Franchot Content

Happy New Year! It's been a while since I've posted to the blog, but hopefully you've been seeing the photos on my Franchot Facebook and Instagram in the meantime. I thought I'd kick off the year by posting some Franchot items I added to my collection in 2020. I've been working on getting my research more organized—I seem to have little bits of Franchot spread across laptops and hard drives and tablets and printed in folders. It's very lovely to find a little Franchot sprinkled everywhere I look, but makes it extremely ineffective for posting to the blog in a timely manner.

I spent very little on Franchot memorabilia last year—partly due to an effort to cut back on my spending  (no fun!) but also due to the fact that there was more competition in the Franchot listings that popped up in my eBay feed. 

2020 marked the first year in the five that I've been writing about Franchot that I received really nasty comments, some about Franchot and others directed at me. The internet is a weird place but after four really positive years blogging about FT and encountering so many kind, fantastic Franchot fans, I must admit the random hate took me by surprise.  And, for a while there, it took the joy out of blogging to the point that I thought about just adoring Franchot in private. Then, I received the kindest anonymous comment on a post I did back in September. To that anonymous person I would like to say thank you. Your comment makes it all worth it. 

Here’s what I added in 2020:

Franchot in a publicity portrait for Gabriel Over the White House, 1933.

Franchot walking on the set of Between Two Women, 1937. I had a small Ross collectors 

card of this shot but was thrilled to find this 8x10.

This autographed photo of a very handsome, smiling Franchot. 

I love that he inscribed it to Ann with “Better late than never.”

An envelope commemorating the birth of Franchot that includes an image of Franchot as Byam in Mutiny on the Bounty. The great thing is that not only does it indicate Franchot's birthday as February 27th, the sender also sent it on February 27. It is stamped February 27, 1937 from Brooklyn, New York.

A used matchbook promoting the 1939 play The Gentle People starring Franchot and Sylvia Sidney. Reverse side promotes Rocket to the Moon.

I was over the moon to find this 1930 playbill for one of Franchot's early plays Pagan Lady! 

Star Lenore Ulric graces the cover and would team up with Franchot again 10 years later

 for the play The Fifth Column.

A lovely portrait of Franchot in the 1944 film The Hour Before the Dawn.

Franchot on horse for the 1940 comedy-western Trail of the Vigilantes.

Franchot and Loretta Young during the recording of the radio broadcast Remember the Day in 1943. 

This photo is signed by Loretta.

Franchot photographed in his Brentwood home. I ordered this in December and it just arrived today so I quick a took shot of it. I promise to upload a nice quality scan of it soon.

Happy New Year and all the best to you. Check back for more Franchot!