On Record: This is the UN

Franchot had a distinctive voice which grew more resonant and authoritative with age. Fortunately, Franchot's voice was captured in many radio programs and used to great effect as narration on records. When I began collecting Franchot-related items, I knew that I wanted to obtain all of the old records featuring Franchot. Currently in my collection I have The Jazz Age of F. Scott Fitzgerald: Readings by Franchot Tone, the full 1963 cast recording of Strange Interlude, and This is the UN: Its Actual Voices. Franchot also appears on the "If Men Played Cards the Way Women Do" skit with Ray Milland, Fred MacMurray and Lynne Overman on the soundtrack album for Star Spangled Rhythm. (If you are aware of another album featuring Franchot's voice, please comment on this post. I may be missing some!)

My copy is a bit worn, but the record plays fine.

This is the UN: Its Actual Voices was a 1950 audio documentary produced by Tribune Productions and written by Saul Carson and Eleanor Gardiner. The documentary was released on 33 1/3 rpm nonbreakable, long playing microgroove under the supervision of the United Nations Department of Public Information. A compilation of 40,000 official recordings, the record highlights historic speeches of world leaders "placed in perspective against the U.N.'s aims and achievements by the sensitive and clear narrative of Franchot Tone." The LP is divided into 10 parts:

1. San Francisco; the Charter
2. Proclaiming Principles
3. Facing Atomic Energy
4. Independence for Indonesia
5. Parade of the Nations
6. Toward Economic and Social Progress
7. Toward Economic and Social Progress (continued)
8. Trusteeship Council
9. Universal Declaration of Human Rights
10. Permanent Headquarters; the Korean Situation

I took a video of Franchot's first track of the album as it played on my record player this morning. If you can't see the embedded video below, you can watch it on Youtube.

Has Marriage Helped Joan Crawford?

In 1936, Film Pictorial featured a loving photograph of Franchot and Joan on its cover and an article about the newlyweds inside.

Source: my collection

The article was written by Jerry Asher, an MGM publicity man and member of Franchot and Joan's inner circle of friends. Asher shared the contents of the telegram he received from Franchot announcing the couple's marriage. Franchot wrote:

You are the very first person we've told. Our happy moment came this morning at ten-fifteen in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Nick Schenck made all the arrangements and the secrecy was complete. The ceremony was performed on the lawn of the residence of ex-Mayor White, overlooking the Hudson River from the Palisades—and Mayor Jenkins of Fort Lee conducted the ceremony. We exchanged rings, Joan's a narrow diamond and platinum, mine a plain platinum circle. Mr. Schenck and his associate, Mr. Friedman, were the witnesses. After they ceremony they toasted us in champagne and we rushed right back to New York to get Joan to a rehearsal of a radio broadcast. We each wore a red carnation. We had visited the place the preceding Wednesday night to sign the application for a license. The moon was shining over the Hudson and outlined the slender sweet of the George Washington Bridge in the background. It really was a heavenly spot.

Asher writes how elated Joan was as they drove to their house (newly decorated by William Haines) and how once situated there, Franchot and Joan would dance around the dining table to the radio.

According to Asher, when the newly married couple entered their home for the first time, the butler asked Franchot where he should put Mrs. Tone's trunks.

For a minute Franchot looked startled. 'Oh-h-h-oh, the trunks,' he repeated hesitatingly, as the full significance of just who Mrs. Tone was swept over him. Then swallowing hard and looking a trifle embarrassed, Franchot replied,'Put my wife's trunks in her room, please.' Turning to me he winked, as he continued, 'I haven't the courage to call her Mrs. Tone yet. Guess I'll try that tomorrow.'

Describing his bride, Franchot said:

I had never hoped to find so much beauty in one person. Besides her physical beauty Joan possesses a beautiful mind and a spiritual quality that is going to carry her to supreme heights. Joan has a talent that hasn't as yet been touched. When I came to Hollywood, I merely wanted to make money. I had no intention of remaining, and little dreamed that such happiness could be in store for me. In Joan I found everything I had ever hoped to find—all in one woman. 

Joan said:

Franchot never ceases to amaze me. He is the most honest person I have ever met and I do admire honesty. He has a wonderful perspective on everything. We are so good for each other because, when I get upset, I think emotionally. Franchot has a reserve that is a godsend. It saves him so much and allows him to handle a situation so much better. His ideas are good and he has such a nice way of carrying them out. He is a highly interesting conversationalist. Besides loving him as a husband, I have great admiration for him as a man.

Sources:

• Asher, Jerry. "Has Marriage Helped Joan Crawford? Film Pictorial. June 6, 1936.
• "Jerry Asher." The Best of Everything: A Joan Crawford Encyclopedia. www.joancrawfordbest.com

Franchot's Lemon Pie Merengue (or so they say!)

I have a booklet titled Foods and Fashions of 1936 that the Fox Crane Theatre (Carthage, Missouri) sold for $1.00 in 1936. It includes a dedication to the recently deceased Will Rogers in the front. The rest of the booklet is all foods and fashions as the title suggests.  A photo of Franchot accompanies the recipe for lemon pie merengue. I think readers of the day were led to believe that movie stars personally provided these recipes, but it's much more likely that whoever created the booklet just paired a star's photograph with a recipe.

It's a neat little souvenir item, so I thought I'd share the Franchot page here and list all of the other actors/actresses featured.

Recipes (listed in order of appearance)
Richard Arlen: Shrimp a la Maryland
Ann Harding: English Tea Cake
George O'Brien: Swiss Steak Special
Carole Lombard: Clam Chowder
Warner Baxter: Veal en Casserole
Ruby Keeler: Cold Ham with Egg Salad
Franchot Tone: Lemon Pie Merengue
Norma Shearer: Jellied Pineapple Salad
Dick Powell: Corn Chowder
Dolores del Rio: Rice Spanish
Shirley Temple: Mammy's Pecan Squares
Bobby Breen: Strawberry Shortcake
Jane Withers: Party Chocolate Cake
Edward Everett Horton: Corned Beef and Potato Mixture
Fred Astaire: Chicken & Oysters a la Metropole
Ginger Rogers: Pimento Salad a la Parisian
James Cagney: Cream Onion Soup
Barbara Stanwyck: Cheese Cake Delight
Edward Arnold: Oyster Cocktail
Miriam Hopkins: Date Pudding Special
John Boles: Southern Entree
Rochelle Hudson: Spiced Plum Pudding
Gary Cooper: English Stuffing for Goose
Mae West: Salada de Tuna
Fredric March: Spiced Cheese Mould
Janet Gaynor: Vienna Coffee
Jack Benny: Southern Fried Chicken
Patsy Kelly: Angels on Horseback
Bing Crosby: Sponge Cake Surprise
Claudette Colbert: Frozen Graham Cracker Fruit Cake
Herbert Marshall: Norwegian Sturgeon
Sylvia Sidney: Chicken Livers and Mushrooms
Lanny Ross: Italian Macaroni
Glenda Farrell:  Jellied Fruit Salad
Joel McCrea: Frigoles with Cheese
Gracie Allen: Carmel Rhubarb Pie
George Burns: Beefsteak Pie

Fashion (listed in order of appearance)
Veree Teasdale
Adolph Menjou
Ida Lupino
Elissa Landi
Wendy Barrie
Frances Langford
Charlotte Henry
Marsha Hunt
Gail Patrick
Gertrude Michael
Florence Rice
Alrine Judge
Rosalind Keith
Patricia Ellis

The middle section includes general beauty tips, menu ideas, and cocktail recipes.

Strange Interlude (1963)

Eugene O'Neill's Strange Interlude was presented by members of The Actors Studio Theatre in 1963. The hit play ran for 97 performances at the Revival Hudson Theatre and then the Martin Beck Theatre from March 11, 1963 through June 29, 1963 (with a preview performance on March 9).

The Tony Award nominee starred many well-known actors, including Betty Field, Jane Fonda, Ben Gazzara, Pat Hingle, Geoffrey Horne, Geraldine Page, William Prince, and Franchot Tone. The Pulitzer Prize-winning play focuses on Nina Leeds (Geraldine Page), a young woman who throws herself into unsavory relationships after the death of her first love in World War I. Pregnant with her unstable new husband's (Pat Hingle) child, Nina decides to secretly terminate the pregnancy and replace Sam's baby by immediately getting pregnant by an intelligent physician (Ben Gazzara).

Pretty intense stuff, eh? Especially for a play that was written in 1923 and first produced on Broadway in 1928. Because of its content, the play was banned in certain cities in its initial run. When the Actors Studio took it over in 1963, the play was heralded as one of the finest of the theater. Richard Severo, in his column "Theatre Review" dated March 16, 1963, insisted that "no one interested in good theatre can afford to miss it...the Actors Studio has scored a major triump, for 'Strange Interlude' is a production of the first rank". In the March 13, 1963 article, "Actors Studio's First 'Child' is a Hefty and Healthy Success", William Glover raved that the play "hit the bull's-eye of superb theatrical excitement...The long, tumultuous drama shows some signs of vintage quaintness. And although the play may still be the thing, this time the playing is even more important". Praising the "stellar cast", Glover remarked, "...each has created an unforgettable portrait and fused them into a colorful tapestry of dark splendor".

As a member of the stellar cast, 57-year-old Franchot Tone played the part of Nina's father, Professor Henry Leeds. His character was responsible for preventing Nina from marrying her first love before he went off to war. Strange Interlude lasted more than four hours and even included an extra break for dinner between the 5th and 6th acts. Franchot, however, only appeared in Act 1 and could often be seen in the audiences of other plays around town after his scenes were finished.

Source: eBay

In researching this fascinating play I discovered that it was actually recorded in its entirety and sold as a record! I do not own a copy, but it immediately went to the top of my wishlist!  How perfect an evening would it be to sit back and listen to Franchot and the cast act out this play in the comfort of your own home?

I do own an original Strange Interlude playbill and am including a few photos of that here. Although I would love to eventually own an autographed photo or handwritten note of his, right now it doesn't really match my budget and there haven't been a lot available on auction sites when I've browsed (Update: I have one now!!!). Knowing Franchot's extensive career in the theater and mourning the fact that I would never get to watch him in a play (apart from the Uncle Vanya film), I chose to start my own little FT theater collection. It's very small so far, but I really cherish the playbills I have! I bought Bicycle to Nevada back in October. Near Christmas, my husband told me to show him my top 4 coveted playbills and that he would surprise me with 1 of the 4. I was shocked to open up ALL FOUR on Christmas Eve! So, now my glorious little collection includes Bicycle to Nevada, Strange Interlude, The Fifth Column, The Second Man playbills and an unused feedback postcard for The Gentle People.

Strange Interlude playbill

 

Strange Interlude playbill

 

Strange Interlude playbill

 

Strange Interlude playbill

Photos from the Play in NYPL's Collection

 

Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library. "Strange interlude. [1963]" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1963. http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/d3e64530-d8f0-012f-1266-58d385a7bbd0

Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library. "Strange interlude. [1963]" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1963. http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/e0a46bb0-d8ef-012f-576d-58d385a7bbd0

Source: Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library. "Strange interlude. [1963]" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1963. http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/e7e1ec80-d8f0-012f-c70c-58d385a7bbd0

Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library. "Strange interlude. [1963]" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1963. http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/03835d70-d8f1-012f-a7a4-58d385a7bbd0