Show f II p hL L Looking g at HOLLYWOOD 01 TONE suave man mail I about town society's pet sophisticate sophist cate this cate-this this is the way Hollywood first typed Franchot so this is the way we think of him true Franchot Franchot Fran Fran- chot would grace anybody's cocktail cock cock- tail party make no mistake about that He has perfect passing manners man man- ners Is ners is also a good mixer of people plus lus cock cocktails taUs But graceful manners manners and uncultivated uncultivated poise are automatic with Fran chot He wears them as easily as you and I wear that old outfit weve we've had many years And like those old clothes Franchot is tired of being accepted solely on on the basis basis basis ba ba- ba- ba sis of these sur stir face impressions Especially when Franchot Tone these impressions are all the producers seem to remember remember re re- member when casting pictures Franchot is no different from the rest of us which means hes he's really just a plain real person Franchot cast aside his bonds ol oj aristocracy if he ever had them when he gave up a career as assistant assistant as to the head of Romance languages languages lan Ian at Cornell university for a starvation diet of used scripts and black coffee During lean years that followed his turn to the theater he learned to respect and admire the so-called so little man who wasn't afraid to work and starve if necessary necessary sary for what he wanted He became became became be be- came one of them in fact But his struggles didn't begin here Born into a family of means means the son of the late Frank J J. J Tone scientist scientist scientist and president of the famous company Franchot was more serious-minded serious objective and studious than most children born with a silver sUver spoon you know where He sweated his way through Cornell in three years He so impressed impressed impressed im im- im- im pressed the faculty that he was appointed appointed ap ap- pointed to his teaching post in the Romance languages before graduation Did It the Hard Way Franchot burned plenty of midnight midnight midnight mid mid- night oil before he learned to shout 0 how I loved my alma mater His was no snap letters and science curriculum dealing only with study of the drama physical education and bleep building though that drama course at Cornell is tea ro cinch ch Franchot majored in drama His lIis course included French and Latin a ahalt half halt dozen courses dealing with drama ranging from its history to real to honest-to-goodness play acting topped off with a few courses in mu mu- sic Franchot left teft eft Cornell's halls after a years year's try at teaching shook some of the ivy out of his hair and invaded invaded invaded in in- Broadway He can laugh at atit atit atit it now he couldn't then His invasion invasion invasion inva inva- sion almost came a cropper But Franchot was determined he had what it took and so Broadway succumbed succumbed succumbed suc suc- when he jolted the critics from their well grooved seats with his first performance in Age of Innocence Innocence In In- with Katharine Cornell Prelude to Success Before he won this opportunity he did several years of solid training with the New Playwrights' Playwrights theater in Greenwich Village got 15 weekly week week- ly He did a stint with the Garry McGarry Players in Buffalo kept busy doing stock work until he got his Broadway call After Alter the Kit Cornell show Franchot appeared with Sylvia Sydney Irene Purcell and Peggy Shannon in Cross CrossRoads CrossRoads CrossRoads Roads He Joined the Theater guild in fn 1929 and did a series of shows Franchot was not only an earnest actor but an idealist in his attitude toward his work He was an originator originator originator of the Group theater With this organization which still remains remains remains re re- re- re mains close to his heart he appeared In House of Connolly Night Over Taos and Success Story Hollywood Next Stop By this time motion pictures were bidding for talented Broadway actors actors actors ac ac- ac- ac tors so he signed with Paramount to play in The Wiser Six with Claudette Claudette Clau Clau- dette Colbert and i William Boyd Ooyd rom From then on Franchot Franchot Franchot Fran Fran- chot cast his lot with movies and proved himself an excellent per per- former A term long-term contract with brought Tone to Hollywood and what followed is a familiar story Producers Pro called him Smoothie They Immediately put him in smooth Parts and its it's a tribute to Franchot's Franchot's Franchot's Fran- Fran chot's ability plus his patience that he made himself outstanding despite the fact that he worked too often with mediocre material What Price Youth I Kenny Baker is no longer a kid although he still looks like one Hes He's married and has two children but when h he bought a ranch out here the owner insisted on getting an affidavit affidavit affidavit affi affi- davit from Kenny's father that he was over 21 and would be able to Pay for it Kenny's just about to close for a mighty good screen part Sonja Henle insists she wants to do 00 a 11 straight dramatic part If our I little skaters skater's set her mind on it- it I shell she'll do it I I |