Frances Farmer
A brilliant and rebellious Hollywood actress whose career was tragically dismantled by mental illness and a brutal institutional system.
1913–1970 (age 57)·American actress·Birthday: September 19·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Frances Farmer arrived in Hollywood with the fierce independence and talent to become a major star. Signed by Paramount in the mid-1930s, she delivered compelling performances in films like 'Come and Get It' and 'The Toast of New York,' known for her naturalistic style and refusal to conform to studio publicity demands. Her outspoken political views and rebellious nature, however, put her at odds with the system. A series of personal crises and confrontations with police led to a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia and her involuntary commitment to a Washington state asylum in 1944. The following years were a nightmare of alleged abuse, including insulin shock therapy and solitary confinement. Though she was eventually released and made a few attempts to return to performing, her career never recovered, and her life became a cautionary tale about the treatment of mental health and the price of nonconformity.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Frances was born in 1913, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Frances Was Born
The biggest hits of 1913
Frances's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1913Born
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1918Started school
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1926Became a teenager
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1929Could drive
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1931Could vote
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1934Turned 21
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1943Turned 30
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1953Turned 40
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1963Turned 50
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1970Died at 57
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
Key Achievements
- Starred in the 1936 film 'Come and Get It,' for which her performance is still critically praised.
- Delivered a notable Broadway performance as Lorna Moon in Clifford Odets's 'Golden Boy' in 1937.
- Won a state-wide high school essay contest with a controversial piece titled 'God Dies,' which argued against organized religion.
Did You Know?
Her life story inspired the 1982 Nirvana song 'Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle.'
She worked as a receptionist in a hotel after her release from institutional care.
A 1978 biography and subsequent TV movie popularized, but also sensationalized and disputed, many claims about her institutional abuse.
“They sell you a bill of goods, then they own the goods.”
