Picture Show was a weekly film fan magazine from the United Kingdom that ran from 1919 to 1960. Picture Show also released an annual magazine with film highlights from the year. Many of the Picture Show Annual magazines are available digitally through the Media Lantern Digital History Project. I search through the MLDH project regularly and digitized indexing doesn't always catch every instance of a person's name. I decided to browse all of the Picture Show Annuals this week and discovered that Franchot was included in many of the years, and even more exciting, some of the photos were new poses for me.
In other fan magazines I've come across, Franchot had a highly active period of features and interviews in 1933-1935 when he first came to Hollywood and was a sought after leading man. Once Franchot married Joan, most of the fan magazines focused on photos of the couple dining and dancing and attention to Franchot as an individual performer dwindled—at least to those reading at home. Moving forward several years, Franchot became an eligible bachelor and immersed in Hollywood's nightlife. This season of Franchot's life as well as the early days of his marriage to Jean Wallace resulted in frequently published photos in the fan magazines once again.
Here is a timeline of Franchot as featured in Picture Show Annual. Because the periodical was released annually and because it was based in the United Kingdom, you'll notice that some of the film news may seem to be reported on a delay.
1934: Franchot is pictured with the cast of Today We Live at one of Joan's parties.
1935: "Franchot Tone began his screen career as Joan Crawford's brother in Today We Live. Since then he has climbed rapidly to success. The 'T' is silent in his unusual first name, which is actually his third, and his mother's maiden name."
1936: "Franchot Tone, during the three years that he has been making films, has become one of the most sought-after leading men in Hollywood. His previous experience was on the stage. He took part in University dramatics, then appeared in stock companies and in the 'little theatre' movements. This he did in preference to an easy job in his father's big and flourishing business. He had made a film in New York—The Wiser Sex—but he was none too keen on it. However, he went to Hollywood and made his debut with Joan Crawford and Gary Cooper in Today We Live. Since then he has been at work almost continuously, his latest films including Lives of a Bengal Lancer and One New York Night. He lives in a beach house with a friend from New York, a Scottie named Woo-Woo, and a dachshund. Franchot Tone has never lacked money. Even when he ran short, his family was behind him to supply what was lacking. He does not think that this has been in any way detrimental to his character or talents. Relief from the worry of wondering how you are going to get your next meal leaves the mind free to develop far more quickly."
1937: "Franchot Tone brings intelligence and sincerity to every role he plays. His work in Mutiny on the Bounty as Midshipman Byam and in Exclusive Story alone proves his brilliance and versatility."
1938: Franchot Tone and Katharine Hepburn are featured in Quality Street.
1939: Franchot's portrait was featured.
1940: "Franchot Tone, who has recently been on the New York stage, smokes a contemplative pipe."
1942: "Unstarlike Star. Franchot Tone returned to films, after a year on the stage, in Trail of the Vigilantes, followed by Nice Girl with Deanna Durbin. Thirty-five films in the previous seven years, he'd decided, had earned him the change which is proverbially as good as a rest. He is quite untypical of a Hollywood star. He is slow to make friends, his few close ones including Robert Taylor and Barbara Stanwyck, James Stewart, Francis Lederer and Henry Fonda. He says he's not 'high hat' and he adds that he's not 'low brow.' He doesn't like small talk or people who talk about subjects they know nothing about. Among his likes are chess and horse racing. Music is one of his chief interests, sleep another. When is working in a film, he is always in bed by nine-thirty.'
1943:"Individual. Franchot Tone is one of the most individual stars Hollywood has seen--and it's not for effect. He seeks the best in music and literature and he seeks to give the best in his work. He is not what is known as a 'good mixer' and between scenes of a film, when the majority of players gossip or play cards, he can usually be found concentrating on a complicated chess problem in lonely state. He says he is not unsocial, but he is content with a few friends instead of many. He enjoys talk, but not small talk or gossip. He has a subtle, satirical humour, and enjoys discussions on politics, economics and philosophy. He dislikes emotional displays and the broadcasting of private affairs. Born on the American side of Niagara Falls, he chose acting as his profession when he was at college and was given his first job in a stock company owned by his mother's cousin. He has recently been in Nice Girl, This Woman is Mine."
1948: Franchot's portrait with signature was featured. Picture Show Annual included signed photos (many signed specifically for and dedicated to the magazine) of their favorite stars.
Source:Picture Show Annual. Media Lantern Digital History: https://lantern.mediahist.org/
