Profile via TMDB · Courtesy of TMDB
OverviewAI-generated
Frances Farmer was an American film, stage, and television actor. Born in Seattle, Washington, in 1913, she began her work period in 1936. She was educated at the University of Washington and spoke English. Farmer was married to Leif Erickson and identified as an atheist.
She died in Indianapolis in 1970 due to esophageal and laryngeal cancer. Her manner of death was natural causes, and she suffered from schizophrenia. Farmer is buried in Indiana.
Synthesized by Vinony from 24 facts across 2 sources: Wikidata, TMDb. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.
Film & TV
Seattle, Washington, USA
Frances Elena Farmer (September 19, 1913 – August 1, 1970) was an American actress of stage and screen. She is perhaps better known for sensationalized and fictional accounts of her life, and especially her involuntary commitment to a mental hospital. Farmer was the subject of three films, three books, and numerous songs and magazine articles. Description above from the Wikipedia article Frances…
Known for
- Nirvana - In Utero: Under Review — Lotta Morgan (archive footage) (uncredited)2006
- Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies — (archive footage) (uncredited)1988
- The Party Crashers — Mrs. Bickford1958
- Frances Farmer Presents — Host1958
- Studio One1948
- The Ed Sullivan Show — Self1948
- Studio One — Sarah Walker1948
- Studio One — Laura Nelson1948
- Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake — Isabel1942
- Among the Living — Elaine Raden1941
via TMDB
Key facts
- Born
- Frances Elena Farmer , ( 1913-09-19 ) September 19, 1913, Seattle , Washington , U.S.
- Died
- August 1, 1970 (1970-08-01) (aged 56), Indianapolis, Indiana , U.S.
- Resting place
- Oaklawn Memorial Gardens Cemetery, Fishers, Indiana , 39°55′48″N 86°03′49″W / 39.9301°N 86.0636°W / 39.9301; -86.0636
- Alma mater
- University of Washington
- Occupation
- Actress
- Years active
- 1935–1965
- Spouses
- Leif Erickson ( married</span>"}]]}'>m. 1936 ; divorced</span>"}]]}'>div. 1942 ) Alfred Lobley ( married</span>"}]]}'>m. 1954 ; divorced</span>"}]]}'>div. 1958 ) Leland Mikesell ( married</span>"}]]}'>m. 1958 ; divorced</span>"}]]}'>div. 1963 )
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- human
- Given name
- Frances
- Family name
- Farmer
- Gender
- female
- Citizenship
- United States
- Place of birth
- Seattle
- Place of death
- Indianapolis
- Spouse
- Leif Erickson
- Occupation
- television actor
- Languages spoken
- English language
- Religion
- atheism
- Image
- Frances Farmer - Golden Boy publicity shot.jpg
Show 8 more facts
- cause of death
- laryngeal cancer
- date of birth
- 1913-09-19
- date of death
- 1970-08-01
- Commons category
- Frances Farmer
- manner of death
- natural causes
- name in native language
- Frances Farmer
- start of work period
- 1936-00-00
- medical condition
- schizophrenia
via Wikidata · CC0
~40 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Frances Elena Farmer (September 19, 1913 – August 1, 1970) was an American actress. She appeared in over a dozen feature films and three significant Broadway plays over the course of her career. Farmer gained greater notoriety posthumously for having had a nervous breakdown and undergone a five-year involuntary commitment in a state-run mental institution. She was said to have suffered abusive conditions, which have remained the subject of much controversy and speculation.
A native of Seattle, Washington, Farmer began acting in stage productions while a student at the University of Washington. After graduating, she began performing in stock theater before signing a film contract with Paramount Pictures on her 22nd birthday in September 1935. She debuted in the B films Too Many Parents and Border Flight, before co-leading with Bing Crosby in the musical Rhythm on the Range (both 1936). Unhappy with the opportunities the studio gave her, Farmer returned to stock theater in 1937 before being cast in the Broadway production of Clifford Odets's Golden Boy. She followed this with two Broadway productions directed by Elia Kazan in 1939, but a battle with depression and binge drinking caused her to drop out of a subsequent Ernest Hemingway stage adaptation.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Frances Farmer” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.