The Thundering Wave is a 1957 Playhouse 90 production starring Franchot, Joan Bennett, and James Mason. I wrote a little bit about its origin in my post on Sylvia Sidney (here). The Thundering Wave is only available for viewing in-house at The Paley Center for Media. Sadly, I've not been able to make the trip to see it and the many other Franchot television works that are housed at the Paley. Lucky for us, Kayla (a.k.a. Joan Bennett aficionado and awesome lady behind the Appreciating Joan Bennett website) did get to make the trip earlier this year and wrote a wonderful post (with some great pictures!) about the show that you can read by clicking here.
You can follow Kayla's JB accounts here:
Website: https://www.joanbennettfan.com/
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Showing posts with label joan bennett. Show all posts
Showing posts with label joan bennett. Show all posts
Monday, July 29, 2019
Sunday, August 26, 2018
Franchot and Sylvia Sidney
Sylvia Sidney was born on August 8, 1910 in New York and, like Franchot, never abandoned her first love of the theater. In fact, Franchot and Sylvia had a lot of connections throughout the years as you'll see. Sylvia successfully juggled theater, film, and television from the mid-1920's all the way up to her last role the 1998 tv reboot of Fantasy Island. (Sylvia would argue with me that it was simply a "part," not a role...she was particular about that.)
Sylvia is a member, along with Loretta Young and Natalie Wood, of my trio of favorite actresses. I could watch her work without end. I'm fortunate that Franchot worked with all three in his lifetime. I've watched a lot of Sylvia over the last several years and wrote about the Tone-Sidney 1939 play The Gentle People back in 2016 (here.) This summer I finally read Scott O'Brien's biography Sylvia Sidney: Paid by the Tear which I highly recommend. Sylvia was beautiful, driven, talented, and very outspoken. As she grew older, she became especially cantakerous, but sometimes her quips to reporters and fans were delivered with an ounce of humor and mischief. If you've ever watched 1990's interviews of her on Youtube, you know what I am talking about here. Let's just say if I had had the opportunity to meet her, she may have very well made me cry. O'Brien writes that when a fan approached Sylvia in Bloomingdale's and told he had hundreds of photos of her, Sylvia replied, "You're f'***ing crazy! Your house must be a mess!" Reading that passage made me laugh out loud, but if I were that fan, I would've been shocked. Without further ado, all of the Sylvia Sidney photos and play-related scans in this post are from my own collection. I assure you I'm not crazy and my house is mostly tidy.
In 1939 after many years focused on films, Franchot returned to the stage in The Gentle People, a Group Theatre production co-starring Sylvia. On February 6, 1939, Life magazine reported:
During the play's run that included 141 performances from January to May 1939 at the Belasco Theatre, Franchot and Sylvia were frequently seen out together socializing for fun as well as for a cause. Sylvia was married to actor and director Luther Adler at the time and would give birth to their only son Jody whom she absolutely adored by the end of the year. Still, Franchot and Sylvia were photographed together in restaurants and many wondered if a romance was afoot.
Franchot and Sylvia took the social causes that drew them to the Group Theatre to heart. They were committed to using their fame to bring awareness to injustice. Just two months before The Gentle People's opening night, German Jews were brutally attacked by paramilitary and civilians in retaliation for the assassination of a Nazi German diplomat. We know now that this horrific persecution would only get worse. To encourage the United States government to take a stand against Nazis and brutal acts such as these, Franchot and Sylvia hosted a fundraiser for Committee of 56. The 56 was named for the number of original signers of the Declaration of Independence. The Committee aimed to rally against acts of Nazism and boycott anything associated with Germany until those acts were prevented.
Franchot and Sylvia also traveled to Washington, D.C. together. They met with President Roosevelt to protest the budget cuts against the Federal Theatre Project.
Having spent a great deal of time together in 1939, Franchot and Sylvia went their separate ways but still took such similar paths. Sylvia had her son Jody with Luther Adler. In 1946, Sylvia divorced Luther and was married to Carlton Alsop from 1947 to 1951. Franchot would marry actress Jean Wallace in 1941 and have two sons. He and Jean would divorce in 1948 and he would later marry Barbara Payton and then Dolores Dorn. Franchot would balance a life in films, theater, and television as would Sylvia.
When I'm asked which two actors I'd liked to have seen in a film together, I've always immediately answered Franchot and Sylvia. I'm so disappointed that they didn't do something together in the 1930's. I think they would've been perfect in a romantic drama together. Look at Franchot's movies that include messages about the human condition and moral dilemma. I could easily picture Sylvia as Franchot's leading lady in Exclusive Story or Gentlemen are Born or Straight is the Way. Equally, I could envision Franchot as Sylvia's leading man in Street Scene, Jennie Gerhardt, and One Third of a Nation.
It seems I was almost granted my wish in the 1940's. O'Brien's book reveals that Franchot and Sylvia nearly did co-star in a film in 1946. They both signed on to co-star in the film Repeat Performance. After the film was delayed, Sylvia dropped out to film Love from a Stranger instead. Franchot would film Honeymoon, Lost Honeymoon, and Her Husband's Affairs in 1947. Repeat Performance went on to star Louis Hayward and Joan Leslie and was released in 1947. It as a film noir that includes elements of time travel and science fiction.
In 1956, Luther Adler and Sylvia reunited to co-star in the play A Very Special Baby. There was a lot of tension and bickering between the two exes and although the play was noted for Sidney and Adler's superb acting, critics found the play to be "overwrought." Playwright Robert Alan Aurthur witnessed the battles and ended up writing The Thundering Wave, an episode of Playhouse 90. The Thundering Wave was about two exes who are reunited on the stage and clashes ensue. Those two exes, based on Sylvia and Luther, were performed by Joan Bennett and....Franchot Tone.
Sources:
Sylvia was so much more than a grouchy workaholic (look how exuberant her smile is in the candids above) and O'Brien's biography really delves into her familial and professional experiences and her dedication to her son, dogs, and career. I also think it's telling that Sylvia liked to attend celebratory film events and then criticize its attendees for living in the past. She didn't have to attend these events or be interviewed. But she did and I think it's because she secretly liked it. There were disappointments throughout her life that I believe hardened her shell a bit so that she increasingly spouted these harsh, irascible comments as a shield of protection. As a fan myself, I wish that she would've been more receptive to and outwardly appreciative of her fans' interest in her, but I must admit that I really admire how she lived her life on her own terms. I wish that I had an ounce of the audacity she possessed.
Like Franchot, Sylvia grew up in a household without financial issues and very early on dedicated herself to being an actor. Both Franchot and Sylvia could've coasted through life, but possessed the drive to embrace their own paths and be discovered through hard work on the stage instead. They would both state how disenchanted the film world made them feel at times and continuously worked at improving their skills while delivering plays with important social messages through the Group Theatre. Both Franchot and Sylvia refused to take fame too seriously and embraced their transformation into character actors. On top of their personal and professional similarities, Franchot and Sylvia simply liked each other.
Ten years before they teamed up for their Group Theatre comebacks in The Gentle People, 24-year old Franchot and 19-year-old Sylvia acted together in Cross Roads. It ran for 28 performances at the Morosco Theatre in November and December 1929. Written by Martin Flavin, the play would be adapted into the 1932 film The Age of Consent. Eric Dressler played a first-year medical student Michael who wants to quit school to marry Pat. When Pat (Sylvia Sidney) wants to wait, Michael is caught in a clandestine evening with a waitress and his life at school and with Pat is threatened.
On November 6, Variety called it a "poignant, wistful little comedy...Excellently acted, the dialog, easy and natural, and it has all been staged superbly." By November 27, the play had grossed $8,500 (Measuringworth.com rates that around 1 million today.)
The dialogue may have not been the only aspect that came "easy and natural" to its actors. Author O'Brien reveals that Franchot told interviewer Gladys Hall in 1933 that he had been "seriously in love" with a co-star:
We didn't marry, because I felt it would be unfair to the girl. She was very talented. She had a big career ahead of her. We broke it off and she has gone on, as I knew she should. She is a very successful star right now.
Although Franchot didn't name the costar, Hall then and O'Brien later guessed that Sylvia may be the girl. By 1933, Sylvia had become a big star in Hollywood. 1931 to 1933 saw Sylvia in such classics as An American Tragedy, City Streets, Merrily We Go to Hell, Street Scene, Madame Butterfly and Jennie Gerhardt. In 1934, movie magazines declared that Sylvia was the Hollywood beauty with the most ideal face. I believe that it is very likely that Franchot is referring to Sylvia in this interview. Although a great deal of his costars were very successful in theater, Sylvia's the only one of his early theater costars that comes to mind who had that level of stardom in Hollywood in 1933. Franchot had many, many love affairs—some not so serious and some very serious, some well-publicized and some very secretive. But I have a feeling he may be talking about Sylvia here, too.
In 1939 after many years focused on films, Franchot returned to the stage in The Gentle People, a Group Theatre production co-starring Sylvia. On February 6, 1939, Life magazine reported:
Where The Gentle People lags, it is supported by radiant acting from Franchot Tone, Sylvia Sidney and Sam Jaffe, all returned from Hollywood to Broadway, and from the Group company who have become past masters at U.S. realism.Variety, on January 11, 1939, reported:
Franchot Tone returned from Hollywood to play Goff, giving the part a clear reading and believable type of tough guy...Sylvia Sidney is the willful Stella, an assignment which she excellently delivers.
Franchot and Sylvia also traveled to Washington, D.C. together. They met with President Roosevelt to protest the budget cuts against the Federal Theatre Project.
Having spent a great deal of time together in 1939, Franchot and Sylvia went their separate ways but still took such similar paths. Sylvia had her son Jody with Luther Adler. In 1946, Sylvia divorced Luther and was married to Carlton Alsop from 1947 to 1951. Franchot would marry actress Jean Wallace in 1941 and have two sons. He and Jean would divorce in 1948 and he would later marry Barbara Payton and then Dolores Dorn. Franchot would balance a life in films, theater, and television as would Sylvia.
When I'm asked which two actors I'd liked to have seen in a film together, I've always immediately answered Franchot and Sylvia. I'm so disappointed that they didn't do something together in the 1930's. I think they would've been perfect in a romantic drama together. Look at Franchot's movies that include messages about the human condition and moral dilemma. I could easily picture Sylvia as Franchot's leading lady in Exclusive Story or Gentlemen are Born or Straight is the Way. Equally, I could envision Franchot as Sylvia's leading man in Street Scene, Jennie Gerhardt, and One Third of a Nation.
It seems I was almost granted my wish in the 1940's. O'Brien's book reveals that Franchot and Sylvia nearly did co-star in a film in 1946. They both signed on to co-star in the film Repeat Performance. After the film was delayed, Sylvia dropped out to film Love from a Stranger instead. Franchot would film Honeymoon, Lost Honeymoon, and Her Husband's Affairs in 1947. Repeat Performance went on to star Louis Hayward and Joan Leslie and was released in 1947. It as a film noir that includes elements of time travel and science fiction.
In 1956, Luther Adler and Sylvia reunited to co-star in the play A Very Special Baby. There was a lot of tension and bickering between the two exes and although the play was noted for Sidney and Adler's superb acting, critics found the play to be "overwrought." Playwright Robert Alan Aurthur witnessed the battles and ended up writing The Thundering Wave, an episode of Playhouse 90. The Thundering Wave was about two exes who are reunited on the stage and clashes ensue. Those two exes, based on Sylvia and Luther, were performed by Joan Bennett and....Franchot Tone.
Sources:
- "Cross Roads." Variety. November 6, 1929. pg 63.
- Doherty, Thomas. "Remembering the Hollywood Mogul who Rescued Hundreds of Germany's Jews." The Hollywood Reporter. December 29, 2015.
- "Low Tide Totals of Between Holiday Period Expected by B'way Legits." Variety. November 27, 1929. pg 59.
- O'Brien, Scott. Sylvia Sidney: Paid by the Tear. Bear Manor Media, 2016.
- Smith, Wendy. Real Life Drama: The Group Theatre and America, 1931-1940; New York: Knopf, 1990.
Saturday, March 17, 2018
She Knew All the Answers (1941)
She Knew All the Answers is a lighthearted romantic comedy starring Franchot Tone and Joan Bennett. Released in 1941, the film is directed by Richard Wallace, who would team up with Tone and Bennett again a year later for the war comedy The Wife Takes a Flyer. Neither film has been released commercially on DVD and I'm not sure if that will ever be something slated for the future at all, but I would love to see a Bennett/Tone double feature DVD one day. In addition to these two early 40's films, Franchot and Joan would go on to costar in a 1957 episode of Playhouse 90 entitled The Thundering Wave.
In She Knew All the Answers, we are first introduced to playboy Randy Bradford (John Hubbard) and chorus girl Gloria Winters (Joan Bennett), both eager to elope. There's just one problem standing in their way and that problem's name is Mark Willows. Willows (Franchot Tone) was Randy's father's partner in a lucrative financial firm on Wall Street, and was appointed Randy's guardian when his father died. As guardian, Mark gets approval over the woman Randy marries and if he doesn't approve, Randy loses his millions. Mark is a mild-mannered, conventional man who doesn't approve of Gloria's chorus girl status and nixes their plans.
Gloria knows that Randy will never make it as a working class man and she's not willing to be a working class wife, so she hatches a plan. She will get a job—under the name of a roommate—as the switchboard operator at Willows' office long enough for him to sign a letter of recommendation for her, then she will use that signed letter to marry Randy without consequence. Expecting an older, unattractive guardian, Gloria is surprised to find that Mark Willows is a young, attractive man—albeit, a reserved, bespectacled one. Although focused on stocks and investments, Mark is clearly befuddled by his blossoming attraction to Catherine Long (Gloria's assumed name.)
Beginning to feel confident with the switchboard and around her coworkers, Gloria—unaware of Wall Street lingo—accidentally spreads false news about the firm causing Mark to lose a large amount of investments. Mark fires her, then, after her suggestion for a solution is successful, visits her apartment to ask her to return to the firm. This is the scene where many men would've caught on to Gloria's tricks, but Mark is gullible. Randy is hiding in the kitchen while the real Catherine Long, Gloria's roommate played by the infallible Eve Arden, feigns a disability to substantiate Gloria's lies.
Randy sees that his guardian is falling for Gloria and has a prank call placed to the restaurant where Mark and Gloria are dining one evening. Mark decides to get revenge and talks Randy into staying in the office all night in order to "save the business." Gloria's eyes light up when she realizes that the typically straight-laced Mark, whom she's convinced to ditch the glasses, is up to mischief. As Randy waits by the phone all night, Mark and Gloria go to Coney Island and act like total goofballs. This is my favorite part of the film! They pose for silly pictures, ride the Tunnel of Love, eat cotton candy, and both Franchot and Joan are really adorable in these scenes. They fall for each other, but then Mark learns the truth about Gloria and her scheme. In the final scenes, an unusual dream sequence for all three main characters follows leading to a wedding in which those dream alter egos call the shots.
The film was lukewarm with critics. Bosley Crowther warned audiences that it was an "inconsequential little comedy," which was actually much kinder than he'd be a year later when he deemed The Wife Takes a Flyer a "painfully labored comedy." She Knew All the Answers would be neither Franchot nor Joan's most successful comedy, but they, as evidenced in their incredibly expressive faces throughout, embrace the lightness of the picture. It's a joy to watch from start to finish and the two stars are very well-matched in their comedic timing. I hate to call it a "cute movie," but it just is. I watched it again this week when I was ill with a virus, and—even though the quality of my old copy leaves much to be desired—it proved to be the fantastic spoonful of sugar I required.
Franchot and Joan shared not only these films, but also the same birthday. As I wrote about a few weeks ago, Franchot and Joan celebrated their birthdays together two years in a row—with surprise cakes for each other on the set of this film in '41 and by cohosting a massive party for servicemen with Feb. 27 birthdays a year later in '42.
Finally, a pal who has been a kind supporter of my Franchot efforts (and antics) happens to be an out-of-this-world knowledgeable and passionate expert on all things Joan Bennett (as well as some other fantastic film ladies) and recently devoted a website to Joan B. at http://www.joanbennettfan.com. Check it out!
Sources:
Crowther, Bosley. "The Screen in Review." The New York Times. June 20, 1941.
Crowther, Bosley. "The Screen." The New York Times. .June 19, 1942.
In She Knew All the Answers, we are first introduced to playboy Randy Bradford (John Hubbard) and chorus girl Gloria Winters (Joan Bennett), both eager to elope. There's just one problem standing in their way and that problem's name is Mark Willows. Willows (Franchot Tone) was Randy's father's partner in a lucrative financial firm on Wall Street, and was appointed Randy's guardian when his father died. As guardian, Mark gets approval over the woman Randy marries and if he doesn't approve, Randy loses his millions. Mark is a mild-mannered, conventional man who doesn't approve of Gloria's chorus girl status and nixes their plans.
Gloria knows that Randy will never make it as a working class man and she's not willing to be a working class wife, so she hatches a plan. She will get a job—under the name of a roommate—as the switchboard operator at Willows' office long enough for him to sign a letter of recommendation for her, then she will use that signed letter to marry Randy without consequence. Expecting an older, unattractive guardian, Gloria is surprised to find that Mark Willows is a young, attractive man—albeit, a reserved, bespectacled one. Although focused on stocks and investments, Mark is clearly befuddled by his blossoming attraction to Catherine Long (Gloria's assumed name.)
Beginning to feel confident with the switchboard and around her coworkers, Gloria—unaware of Wall Street lingo—accidentally spreads false news about the firm causing Mark to lose a large amount of investments. Mark fires her, then, after her suggestion for a solution is successful, visits her apartment to ask her to return to the firm. This is the scene where many men would've caught on to Gloria's tricks, but Mark is gullible. Randy is hiding in the kitchen while the real Catherine Long, Gloria's roommate played by the infallible Eve Arden, feigns a disability to substantiate Gloria's lies.
Randy sees that his guardian is falling for Gloria and has a prank call placed to the restaurant where Mark and Gloria are dining one evening. Mark decides to get revenge and talks Randy into staying in the office all night in order to "save the business." Gloria's eyes light up when she realizes that the typically straight-laced Mark, whom she's convinced to ditch the glasses, is up to mischief. As Randy waits by the phone all night, Mark and Gloria go to Coney Island and act like total goofballs. This is my favorite part of the film! They pose for silly pictures, ride the Tunnel of Love, eat cotton candy, and both Franchot and Joan are really adorable in these scenes. They fall for each other, but then Mark learns the truth about Gloria and her scheme. In the final scenes, an unusual dream sequence for all three main characters follows leading to a wedding in which those dream alter egos call the shots.
Franchot and Joan shared not only these films, but also the same birthday. As I wrote about a few weeks ago, Franchot and Joan celebrated their birthdays together two years in a row—with surprise cakes for each other on the set of this film in '41 and by cohosting a massive party for servicemen with Feb. 27 birthdays a year later in '42.
Finally, a pal who has been a kind supporter of my Franchot efforts (and antics) happens to be an out-of-this-world knowledgeable and passionate expert on all things Joan Bennett (as well as some other fantastic film ladies) and recently devoted a website to Joan B. at http://www.joanbennettfan.com. Check it out!Sources:
Crowther, Bosley. "The Screen in Review." The New York Times. June 20, 1941.
Crowther, Bosley. "The Screen." The New York Times. .June 19, 1942.
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Franchot's Leading Ladies
Throughout his career, Franchot starred with some of the most talented and beautiful actresses in Hollywood (and even married a few!). Today, I thought it would be fun to highlight and share some stats on the ladies who shared the screen with Franchot.
Joan Crawford (b. 1905 d. 1977)
Between 1933 and 1937, Joan Crawford and Franchot made 7 films together. Franchot and Joan were married from 1935 to 1939. Although their divorce was somewhat bitter, the two rekindled a close friendship that would last until Franchot's death in 1968.
Notable Films: Our Dancing Daughters, Dancing Lady, Grand Hotel, The Women, Humoresque, Mildred Pierce, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?
Films with Franchot: Today We Live, Dancing Lady, Sadie McKee, No More Ladies, The Gorgeous Hussy, Love on the Run, The Bride Wore Red
My personal favorite FT-JC film: The Bride Wore Red
Jean Harlow (b. 1911 d. 1937)
Jean Harlow and Franchot Tone costarred together in 4 films between 1933 and 1936. The platinum blonde and amazing comedienne tragically died of uremic poisoning in 1937.
Notable Films: Hell's Angels, Platinum Blonde, Bombshell, Red Dust, Dinner at Eight, The Public Enemy, Libeled Lady
Films with Franchot: Bombshell, The Girl from Missouri, Reckless, Suzy
My personal favorite FT-JH film: The Girl from Missouri
Deanna Durbin (b. 1921 d. 2013)
Noted for her skills as a lyric soprano who could deliver both hit ballads and complicated arias, Deanna Durbin was paired with Franchot in three romantic comedies in the 1940s. Deanna retired from the screen while still in her late 20s in 1949.
Notable Films: One Hundred Men and a Girl, Three Smart Girls, Mad About Music, It's a Date, It Started with Eve
Films with Franchot: Nice Girl?, His Butler's Sister, Because of Him
My personal favorite FT-DD film: His Butler's Sister
Gladys George (b. 1904 d. 1954)
An Oscar-nominated actress yet often overlooked today, Gladys George costarred with Franchot in 3 films between 1934 and 1938. Before pursuing a career in Hollywood, Gladys performed across the country with her parents' stage act.
Notable Films:Valiant is the Word for Carrie, Madame X, The Best Years of Our Lives, The Maltese Falcon, Marie Antoinette
Films with Franchot: They Gave Him a Gun, Love is a Headache, Straight is the Way
My personal favorite FT-GG film: They Gave Him a Gun
Loretta Young (b. 1913 d. 2000)
20-year-old Loretta Young was already a film veteran when she costarred with Franchot in the 1933 film Midnight Mary. The two would costar again in 1936, were spotted out on the town in the late 1930s, and starred in several radio productions in the 1940s.
Notable Films: Laugh Clown Laugh, Midnight Mary, Taxi!, The Call of the Wild, The Farmer's Daughter, The Bishop's Wife
Films with Franchot: Midnight Mary, The Unguarded Hour
My personal favorite FT-LY film: Midnight Mary
Karen Morley (b. 1909 d. 2003)
Another classic film actress whose contributions are often neglected, Karen Morley acted with Franchot in two films in the early 30s and was married to director Charles Vidor. In the the late 1940s, she refused to answer questions for the House Un-American Activities Committee and was blacklisted.
Notable Films:Mata Hari, Scarface, Dinner at Eight, The Littlest Rebel, Arsene Lupin, Pride and Prejudice
Films with Franchot: Gabriel Over the White House, Straight is the Way
My personal favorite FT-KM film: Straight is the Way
Maureen O'Sullivan (b. 1911 d. 1998)
Awarded the George Eastman Award for her film contributions, Maureen O'Sullivan was Jane to Johnny Weismuller's Tarzan, but made time to play Franchot's leading lady in 1933 and 1937. With writer-director John Farrow, Maureen had seven children, including actress Mia Farrow.
Notable Films: Tarzan the Ape Man, The Thin Man, Anna Karenina, A Day at the Races, Maisie Was a Lady, Pride and Prejudice
Films with Franchot: Stage Mother, Between Two Women
My personal favorite FT-MO film: Between Two Women
Joan Bennett (b. 1910 d. 1990)
Best remembered as a mid-to-late 1940s femme fatale, Joan Bennett performed on stage before seeking work in films. Sister of Constance Bennett, Joan appeared as a blonde in her 1930s films, before switching to the dark hair and sultry look that became her trademark in film noirs.
Notable Films: Bulldog Drummond, Little Women, The House Across the Bay, The Man I Married, Man Hunt, The Woman in the Window, Father of the Bride
Films with Franchot: The Wife Takes a Flyer, She Knew All the Answers
My personal favorite FT-JB film: Unfortunately, I've not seen either of their films! I'll update this after I have watched them.
Jean Wallace (b. 1923 d. 1990)
Married to him for the majority of the 1940s, Jean Wallace starred in two films with Franchot, but found greater success in her films with third husband Cornel Wilde. Before she entered films, Jean worked as an Earl Carroll showgirl. Jean and Franchot had two sons during their union.
Notable Films: Jigsaw, The Man on the Eiffel Tower, The Good Humor Man, The Big Combo, Lancelot and Guinevere
Films with Franchot: Jigsaw, The Man on the Eiffel Tower
My personal favorite FT-JW film: Jigsaw
Actresses who were one-film costars of Franchot include:
Miriam Hopkins | Constance Bennett | Madeleine Carroll
Margaret Lindsay | Bette Davis | Madge Evans |Grace Moore
Katharine Hepburn | Virginia Bruce | Myrna Loy |Margaret Sullavan
Franciska Gaal | Janet Gaynor | Ann Sothern | Carol Bruce
Peggy Moran | Anne Baxter | Marsha Hunt | Mary Martin
Ella Raines | Veronica Lake | Merle Oberon | Susanna Foster
Ann Richards | Shirley Temple | Lucille Ball | Janet Blair
Betsy Drake | Laraine Day | Jane Wyman | Dolores Dorn
Una Merkel (Una costarred in two films, but only one as a leading lady.)
 | |
| Joan costarred with Franchot in 7 films |
Between 1933 and 1937, Joan Crawford and Franchot made 7 films together. Franchot and Joan were married from 1935 to 1939. Although their divorce was somewhat bitter, the two rekindled a close friendship that would last until Franchot's death in 1968.
Notable Films: Our Dancing Daughters, Dancing Lady, Grand Hotel, The Women, Humoresque, Mildred Pierce, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?
Films with Franchot: Today We Live, Dancing Lady, Sadie McKee, No More Ladies, The Gorgeous Hussy, Love on the Run, The Bride Wore Red
My personal favorite FT-JC film: The Bride Wore Red
 |
| Jean costarred with Franchot in 4 films |
Jean Harlow and Franchot Tone costarred together in 4 films between 1933 and 1936. The platinum blonde and amazing comedienne tragically died of uremic poisoning in 1937.
Notable Films: Hell's Angels, Platinum Blonde, Bombshell, Red Dust, Dinner at Eight, The Public Enemy, Libeled Lady
Films with Franchot: Bombshell, The Girl from Missouri, Reckless, Suzy
My personal favorite FT-JH film: The Girl from Missouri
 |
| Deanna and Franchot costarred in 3 films. |
Noted for her skills as a lyric soprano who could deliver both hit ballads and complicated arias, Deanna Durbin was paired with Franchot in three romantic comedies in the 1940s. Deanna retired from the screen while still in her late 20s in 1949.
Notable Films: One Hundred Men and a Girl, Three Smart Girls, Mad About Music, It's a Date, It Started with Eve
Films with Franchot: Nice Girl?, His Butler's Sister, Because of Him
My personal favorite FT-DD film: His Butler's Sister
 | |
| Gladys played Franchot's love interest in 3 films. |
An Oscar-nominated actress yet often overlooked today, Gladys George costarred with Franchot in 3 films between 1934 and 1938. Before pursuing a career in Hollywood, Gladys performed across the country with her parents' stage act.
Notable Films:Valiant is the Word for Carrie, Madame X, The Best Years of Our Lives, The Maltese Falcon, Marie Antoinette
Films with Franchot: They Gave Him a Gun, Love is a Headache, Straight is the Way
My personal favorite FT-GG film: They Gave Him a Gun
 |
| Loretta and Franchot made two films together. |
20-year-old Loretta Young was already a film veteran when she costarred with Franchot in the 1933 film Midnight Mary. The two would costar again in 1936, were spotted out on the town in the late 1930s, and starred in several radio productions in the 1940s.
Notable Films: Laugh Clown Laugh, Midnight Mary, Taxi!, The Call of the Wild, The Farmer's Daughter, The Bishop's Wife
Films with Franchot: Midnight Mary, The Unguarded Hour
My personal favorite FT-LY film: Midnight Mary
 |
| Karen Morley was Franchot's leading lady twice in the 1930s. |
Another classic film actress whose contributions are often neglected, Karen Morley acted with Franchot in two films in the early 30s and was married to director Charles Vidor. In the the late 1940s, she refused to answer questions for the House Un-American Activities Committee and was blacklisted.
Notable Films:Mata Hari, Scarface, Dinner at Eight, The Littlest Rebel, Arsene Lupin, Pride and Prejudice
Films with Franchot: Gabriel Over the White House, Straight is the Way
My personal favorite FT-KM film: Straight is the Way
 |
| Maureen O'Sullivan was a 2-time costar of Franchot's. |
Awarded the George Eastman Award for her film contributions, Maureen O'Sullivan was Jane to Johnny Weismuller's Tarzan, but made time to play Franchot's leading lady in 1933 and 1937. With writer-director John Farrow, Maureen had seven children, including actress Mia Farrow.
Notable Films: Tarzan the Ape Man, The Thin Man, Anna Karenina, A Day at the Races, Maisie Was a Lady, Pride and Prejudice
Films with Franchot: Stage Mother, Between Two Women
My personal favorite FT-MO film: Between Two Women
 |
| Joan Bennett played Franchot's other half in 2 early 1940s films. |
Best remembered as a mid-to-late 1940s femme fatale, Joan Bennett performed on stage before seeking work in films. Sister of Constance Bennett, Joan appeared as a blonde in her 1930s films, before switching to the dark hair and sultry look that became her trademark in film noirs.
Notable Films: Bulldog Drummond, Little Women, The House Across the Bay, The Man I Married, Man Hunt, The Woman in the Window, Father of the Bride
Films with Franchot: The Wife Takes a Flyer, She Knew All the Answers
My personal favorite FT-JB film: Unfortunately, I've not seen either of their films! I'll update this after I have watched them.
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| Jean Wallace married and costarred with Franchot in the 1940s. |
Married to him for the majority of the 1940s, Jean Wallace starred in two films with Franchot, but found greater success in her films with third husband Cornel Wilde. Before she entered films, Jean worked as an Earl Carroll showgirl. Jean and Franchot had two sons during their union.
Notable Films: Jigsaw, The Man on the Eiffel Tower, The Good Humor Man, The Big Combo, Lancelot and Guinevere
Films with Franchot: Jigsaw, The Man on the Eiffel Tower
My personal favorite FT-JW film: Jigsaw
Actresses who were one-film costars of Franchot include:
Miriam Hopkins | Constance Bennett | Madeleine Carroll
Margaret Lindsay | Bette Davis | Madge Evans |Grace Moore
Katharine Hepburn | Virginia Bruce | Myrna Loy |Margaret Sullavan
Franciska Gaal | Janet Gaynor | Ann Sothern | Carol Bruce
Peggy Moran | Anne Baxter | Marsha Hunt | Mary Martin
Ella Raines | Veronica Lake | Merle Oberon | Susanna Foster
Ann Richards | Shirley Temple | Lucille Ball | Janet Blair
Betsy Drake | Laraine Day | Jane Wyman | Dolores Dorn
Una Merkel (Una costarred in two films, but only one as a leading lady.)
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