FRANCHOT TONE BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:
Franchot Tone was born on February 27th, 1905 in Niagara Falls, New York with the birth name Stanislas Pascal Franchot Tone, born to parents, Dr. Frank Jerome and Gertrude Van Vrancken Franchot Tone. As a child he lived in various places with his family and attended a number of different schools. After completing high school he enrolled at Cornell University and studied language. He also became involved with the drama club and began to develop more of an interest in theater.
His parents had hoped he would follow in the family footsteps and pursue a career in electro-chemical business, however he had other career goals. He decided to join a stock company and learned everything he could about the entertainment industry.
Tone then decided to relocate to Greenwich Village and auditioned for his first Broadway role in, "The Age of Innocence" in 1929. He followed with role with another Broadway stage production in, "Green Grow the Lilacs" which later became the musical, "Oklahoma!".
As his career progressed he was involved in the co founding of the Group Theatre in New York with lee Strasberg and Harold Clurman which was a school that taught method acting.
In 1931 he starred in one of the theater's productions called, "The House of Connelly" followed by roles in, "Big Night" and "Success Story". Soon an offer for a contract came from MGM studio's followed by his film debut in, "The Wiser Sex" (1932).
Franchot relocated to Hollywood, California and began making appearances in such films as, "Today We Live" (1933), "Dancing Lady" (1933), "Sadie McKee" (1934) and "Dangerous" (1935).
He was seen on screen with such female entertainers as, Claudette Colbert, Joan Crawford, Miriam Hopkins and Jean Harlow. As his career progressed in the mid 30's he continued to work on 'A' rated films such as, "The Lives of a Bengal Lancer" (1935), "Mutiny on the Bounty" (1935), "Five Graves to Cairo" (1943) and "Phantom Lady" (1944).
Not only was he a working film actor he also tried working as a film producer for such films as, "The Man of the Eiffel Tower" (1949) and Uncle Vanya" (1957). His personal life was in such turmoil with many different relationships with various Hollywood woman that it began to take a total on his film career.
Tone soon turned his sites on working as a television actor. He worked on a number of TV Playhouse Productions, "Twilight Zone" (1959), "Wagon Train" (1962), "The Virginian" (1965) and "Ben Casey" (1962-1966).
Along with television he still could be seen on such stage productions as, "A Moon For The Misbegotten" (1957). He did not neglect film entirely with his final film role in, "The High Commissioner" (1968). This same year he had not yet retired from acting, but was unable to beat his battle with lung cancer and passed away on September 18th, 1968 in New York City, New York.
His professional life was quite successful, but his personal life especially with woman was quite the contrary. Franchot married a total of four times. His first wife was actress Joan Crawford from 1935 through 1939 and the couple appeared in a number of films together. His second marriage was to Jean Wallace from 1941 through 1948. He then briefly married Barbara Peyton in 1951, although many of his colleagues and even his ex-wife advised against this marriage, he chose not to listen and soon in 1952 this marriage also came to an end, after he was physically beaten up by Peyton's ex boyfriend, Tom Neal. His final wife was Dolores Dorn in 1956 and again this marriage only lasted until 1959.
Filmography
1968 The High Commissioner
1968 Shadow Over Elveron
1967 Run for Your Life
1962-1966 Ben Casey
1965 Mickey One
1965 In Harm's Way
1965 The Virginian
1965 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
1964 The Reporter
1964 See How They Run
1962-1964 The DuPont Show of the Week
1964 La bonne soupe
1962 The Eleventh Hour
1962 Advise & Consent
1962 Wagon Train
1961 Twilight Zone
1960 Bonanza
1956-1960 Playhouse 90
1960 Goodyear Theatre
1959 The DuPont Show of the Month
1959 Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1958 Pursuit
1958 Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1958 Armchair Theatre
1958 Bitter Heritage
1950-1958 Studio One in Hollywood
1957 Uncle Vanya
1954-1957 Climax!
1956-1957 The Alcoa Hour
1957 The Kaiser Aluminum Hour
1956 Hallmark Hall of Fame
1954-1956 The United States Steel Hour
1956 G.E. True Theater
1955 Playwrights '56
1955 Robert Montgomery Presents
1955 Four Star Playhouse
1955 The Best of Broadway
1955 The Ford Television Theatre
1955 The Elgin Hour
1955 The Colgate Comedy Hour
1953 The Philip Morris Playhouse
1953 The Revlon Mirror Theater
1953 Hollywood Opening Night
1950-1952 Suspense
1952 Tales of Tomorrow
1952 Lights Out
1951 Here Comes the Groom
1951 Starlight Theatre
1951 Danger
1950 Lux Video Theatre
1950 The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
1949 The Man on the Eiffel Tower
1949 Without Honor
1949 Jigsaw
1948 Every Girl Should Be Married
1948 I Love Trouble
1947 Her Husband's Affairs
1947 Honeymoon
1947 Lost Honeymoon
1946 Because of Him
1945 That Night with You
1944 Dark Waters
1944 The Hour Before the Dawn
1944 Phantom Lady
1943 True to Life
1943 His Butler's Sister
1943 Pilot #5
1943 Five Graves to Cairo
1942 Star Spangled Rhythm
1942 The Wife Takes a Flyer
1941 This Woman Is Mine
1941 She Knew All the Answers
1941 Nice Girl?
1940 Trail of the Vigilantes
1939 Fast and Furious
1938 The Girl Downstairs
1938 Three Loves Has Nancy
1938 Three Comrades
1938 Love Is a Headache
1938 Man-Proof
1937 The Bride Wore Red
1937 Between Two Women
1937 They Gave Him a Gun
1937 Quality Street
1936 Love on the Run
1936 The Gorgeous Hussy
1936 Suzy
1936 The King Steps Out
1936 The Unguarded Hour
1936 Exclusive Story
1935 Dangerous
1935 Mutiny on the Bounty
1935 No More Ladies
1935 Reckless
1935 One New York Night
1935 The Lives of a Bengal Lancer
1934 Gentlemen Are Born
1934 Straight Is the Way
1934 The Girl from Missouri
1934 The World Moves On
1934 Sadie McKee
1934 Moulin Rouge
1933 Dancing Lady
1933 Bombshell
1933 Stage Mother
1933 The Stranger's Return
1933 Midnight Mary
1933 Gabriel Over the White House
1933 Today We Live
