Who Is Frances Farmer? Age, Biography and Wiki
Frances Farmer was born on September 19, 1913, and tragically passed away on August 1, 1970. This means that in 2025, she would have celebrated her 112th birthday. A former actress who rose to fame in the 1930s, Frances was often characterized by her striking beauty and immense talent. Her tragic life story—marked by mental health struggles and a complex relationship with fame—has kept her legacy alive in popular culture. For more detailed information about her life and career, you can visit her Wikipedia page.
| Occupation | Stage Actress |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | September 19, 1913 |
| Age | 56 Years |
| Birth Place | Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Virgo |
| Country | India |
| Date of death | 1 August, 1970 |
| Died Place | Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. |
Popularity
Frances Farmer's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
Frances Farmer stood at an impressive height of 5 feet 7 inches (170 cm), a stature that complemented her elegant on-screen presence. Although precise measurements of her weight during her active years are not readily available, she maintained a slim silhouette that was typical of leading actresses of her time. Her physical attributes—striking dark hair, high cheekbones, and captivating eyes—made her a notable figure in Hollywood’s golden era.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Frances Farmer’s personal life was turbulent, marked by both romantic relationships and familial challenges. She was married twice; first to bandleader and composer Léonard T. Murphy in 1936, an union that ended in divorce in 1939. In 1942, she married the actor and producer R. D. Weston, but this marriage too met its end. As of 2025, with her passing in 1970, she remains a symbol of resilience and artistic spirit rather than a figure entwined in contemporary relationship statuses.
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 made her film debut in the B film Too Many Parents (1936), followed by another B picture, Border Flight, before being given the lead role opposite Bing Crosby in the musical Western Rhythm on the Range (1936).
Unhappy with the opportunities the studio gave her, Farmer returned to stock theater in 1937 before being cast in the original Broadway production of Clifford Odets's Golden Boy, staged by New York City's Group Theatre.
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.
Net Worth and Salary
Despite her struggles and career ups and downs, Frances Farmer left behind a legacy that resonates to this day. Her estimated net worth at the time of her death was substantial for a leading actress of her era. With the renewed interest in her films and story, it's believed that her estate has generated income through various retrospectives and film releases. While exact figures are challenging to determine given the passage of time, her financial legacy continues to inspire discussions about the plight of artists in Hollywood.
After graduating from high school, Farmer enrolled at the University of Washington, initially majoring in journalism. She worked various jobs to pay her tuition, including as an usherette in a cinema, a waitress, a tutor, a laborer in a soap factory, and a singing waitress at Mount Rainier National Park.
During her sophomore year, Farmer became involved with the university's drama department productions. She starred in numerous UW plays, including Helen of Troy, Everyman, and Uncle Vanya. In late 1934, she starred in UW's production of Alien Corn, which earned her favorable reviews in local press.
Career, Business and Investments
Frances Farmer’s career spanned a tumultuous decade during the 1930s and early 1940s, where she appeared in several notable films, including "Come and Get It" and "Son of Fury." After her struggles with her mental health stymied her career, she later found solace in writing. In the latter part of her life, Frances produced works reflecting her experiences and transition into the public narrative about mental health. Although her business ventures were minimal, her influence as a pioneer for artists dealing with similar issues remains impactful in Hollywood.
Frances Elena Farmer (September 19, 1913 –August 1, 1970) was an American actress. She appeared in over a dozen feature films over the course of her career, though she garnered notoriety for sensationalized accounts of her life, especially her involuntary commitment to psychiatric hospitals and subsequent mental health struggles.
Social Network
While Frances Farmer does not have contemporary social media accounts, her legacy is perpetuated through various fan pages and film-related communities on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. These outlets are dedicated to sharing her work and educating new generations about her impact on cinema and culture, showcasing her films and discussing her life’s trials and tribulations.
Later that year, Farmer was cast in her first "A" feature, Rhythm on the Range, a musical Western starring Bing Crosby.
She recalled of the film: "I had had a crush on him [Crosby] since my high school days, and stood in awe of the fact that in my first important film I was actually working as his leading lady." Rhythm on the Range earned favorable reviews and brought Farmer an enhanced public reputation.
After its release, Paramount studio head Adolph Zukor phoned her and told her, "now that she was a rising star she'd have to start acting like one." Farmer was resistant, however, and spent most of her time at her home in Laurel Canyon with Erickson, forgoing invitations to Hollywood parties and events.
In an attempt to make her marketable, Paramount chose to brand her in press releases as "the star who would not go Hollywood," focusing on her "eccentric" fashion tastes.
Education
Frances Farmer attended the University of Washington, where she initially pursued a career in journalism before transitioning to acting. This background in critical thinking and public engagement influenced her later work and advocacy, especially in relation to mental health awareness. Her educational journey is a reminder of the complexities behind the image of an iconic celebrity.
In 1931, while a senior at West Seattle High School, Farmer entered and won $100 from The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, a writing contest sponsored by Scholastic Magazine, with her controversial essay "God Dies".
It was a precocious attempt to reconcile her wish for, in her words, a "superfather" God, with her observations of a chaotic and godless world. In her autobiography, she wrote that the essay was influenced by her reading of Friedrich Nietzsche: "He expressed the same doubts, only he said it in German: Gott ist tot. God is dead.
This I could understand. I was not to assume that there was no God, but I could find no evidence in my life that He existed or that He had ever shown any particular interest in me. I was not an atheist, but I was surely an agnostic, and by the time I was 16, I was well indoctrinated into this theory."
