He Dealt With Difficult Women
Hollywood headliner Franchot Tone seemed to go out of his way to get involved with some of the most problematic women in movies. They were his wives, co-stars or, on many occasions, both. In fact, some say Tone started one of the most notorious Hollywood feuds of all time. When he finally found a wife who was dealing with a full deck, Tone made a colossal blunder and let her slip through his fingers.
1. He Was Born Wealthy
Stanislaus Pascal Franchot Tone entered the world on February 27, 1905, in Niagara Falls, New York. His father, Dr Frank Jerome Tone, headed the Carborundum Company, and his mother, Gertrude Van Vrancken Franchot, came from a socially prominent family. The family was wealthy, but that didn’t mean that Tone was a model child. Far from it.
David Bransby, Wikimedia Commons
2. They Asked Him To Leave
Tone traveled extensively with his parents and then ended up at The Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. During his fall term, the school gave him the boot for being a "subtle influence for disorder”. What Tone did at school didn’t matter, because his next stop was the prestigious Cornell University.
The Hill School, Wikimedia Commons
3. He Became A Drama Queen
Tone entered the prestigious—and Ivy League—Cornell University where his plan was to study romance languages. Instead, he hit the stage, became president of the drama club, and acted in Shakespearean plays. Tone didn’t really have to worry about studying something that would get him a job. His future was already laid out before him.
Published by The Albertype Co., Brooklyn for Student Supply Store, Ithaca, Wikimedia Commons
4. He Wanted To Get Serious
In 1927, Tone graduated from Cornell and everyone expected him to take up the family’s thriving business. Well, that didn’t happen. Tone had an acting bug, and he announced that he was moving to New York to get serious about acting. The surprising thing was that he wasn’t moving to Manhattan to be near Broadway. Nope, he was starting in the much less prestigious Buffalo, New York.
He was joining a theater stock company.
Russell Ball, Wikimedia Commons
5. He Was Underpaid
Sadly, Tone only earned $15 a week working for the acting company in Buffalo, but he was living his dream of being a starving artist. He learned what he could in Buffalo and then headed for the mothership of acting communities: Greenwich Village. Here, his real career could begin. In 1929, Broadway called his name.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Wikimedia Commons
6. He Was In A Flop
Tone’s first appearance on Broadway was in The Age of Innocence, which would later get the Hollywood treatment by Martin Scorsese. Tone followed this success with a flop. Even though Green Grow the Lilacs would later become the musical Oklahoma!, it was a flop on Broadway.
For his next endeavor, Tone needed to bring his A-game.
Trailer screenshot, Wikimedia Commons
7. He Needed A Method
Tone had seen both success and failure on Broadway and he was hoping for more of the former. To make sure this happened, he wanted to get better at acting. One of his castmates in Green Grow the Lilacs was Lee Strasberg, who would later develop the “Method” for actors that would propel the careers of James Dean and Dustin Hoffman to superstardom.
But Strasberg was just starting out, and Tone put his fate in his hands.
Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons
8. He Was Number One
Strasberg and some others started the Group Theater and Tone eagerly joined up. With Strasberg’s Group Theater, Tone found success, By the time he appeared in the company’s Success Story, he was one. Strasberg himself said that of all the members of the company, Tone was the best.
But there was an even better compliment coming his way.
Trailer screenshot, Wikimedia Commons
9. He Was Better Than Brando
Years later, one of the founding members of the Group Theater, Clifford Odets, had an even better compliment for Tone. He said that his top two performers in American theater were Tone and Marlon Brando. He then suggested that Tone was the better of the two.
It certainly was time for Tone to get a call from Hollywood.
Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons
10. He Wasn’t A Draw
With his success on the stage, MGM called Tone up and brought him to Hollywood. Even though it was MGM that brought him over, it was Paramount that would give him his first role. While The Wiser Sex was a mild success, the people at Paramount did not see Tone as a big box office draw.
It was back to MGM to see if he could make a career in the pictures.
SomedayMyLove, Wikimedia Commons
11. He Met A Star
Tone’s first feature with MGM was the Howard Hawks-helmed Today We Live. While this film was a disappointment, Tone got something out of it: he fell in love with the leading lady. This was no ordinary actress. With her, Tone would have a tumultuous relationship that would continue until the end of his life.
12. He Had To Persuade Her
The lead female actor in Today We Live was Joan Crawford. She had just ended her marriage with Douglas Fairbanks Jr, so she wasn’t quite gung-ho from the start. But Tone won her over and there were marriage bells by 1935. But Crawford was about to discover something strange about her new companion.
George Hurrell, Wikimedia Commons
13. Something Was Missing
Even before they were husband and wife, Crawford began to help Tone with his career. But there was something strange about Tone. He wanted to act, but he didn’t really want to be famous. Crawford didn’t know what to do with a man who didn’t want to be a star, so they focussed on starting a family.
But that didn’t quite work out either.
Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons
14. They Were On The Rocks
Tone and Crawford made seven films together, but they couldn’t make a baby. Crawford got pregnant twice, but both pregnancies ended in a miscarriage. Maybe due to this, the marriage was on the rocks. Tone had the perfect way to take a break from his troubled marriage.
He was about to get on board a ship and sail away.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Wikimedia Commons
15. He Joined The Stars
In 1935, Tone got a coveted role in a very big film. This was Mutiny on the Bounty and he’d be appearing with big stars like Charles Laughton and Clark Gable. The filming site was near the beautiful Catalina Island in California, which gave him a break from Crawford.
There was soon trouble on the high seas. As it turned out, Tone and Clark had history.
Trailer screenshot, Wikimedia Commons
16. He Met Up With A Rival
Back when Tone was courting Crawford, Gable had his eyes on her as well. This happened when the three of them were filming Dancing Lady. Gable never forgot losing Crawford to Tone, and he was not about to forgive him while making Mutiny on the Bounty. To make matters worse, Tone had got the role that Gable had originally wanted.
And then the oddest thing happened.
Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons
17. They Had Something In Common
The closest town to where they were filming Mutiny on the Bounty was Avalon, on Catalina Island. This is where Tone and Gable spent some time together having a little R and R from the film. Tone and Gable realized they had something in common: they both liked booze and women.
The two became friends.
Trailer screenshot, Wikimedia Commons
18. It Was A First
Mutiny on the Bounty was a huge hit and something remarkable happened at that year’s Oscars. All three male lead actors received nominations for Best Actor. This was the only time this has ever happened and because of it, the Academy decided to create the Best Supporting Actor category.
Tone’s career was really taking off.
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935): Roger Byam Condemned, Max Cady
19. He Came In Second
In 1936, Tone was in a supporting role, but got second billing anyway. The star of Suzy is obviously Jean Harlow, but, of the two love interests, Tone was the more famous at the time. So, he got second billing instead of third. The man he topped was none other than future heartthrob Cary Grant. But when the film came out, Tone was second to no one.
Unknown author, distributed by: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Wikimedia Commons
20. He Stood Out
Audiences liked Suzy, but critics did not share their enthusiasm. In spite of his on-screen competition—Harlow and Grant—it was only Tone who got a special mention from a critic. The New York Times said he was “the only convincing and natural character”. This little tidbit made Tone a very in-demand actor.
And a very famous actress desperately needed his help.
Franchot Tone, Jean Harlow, Suzy (1936), eddies Movies77
21. He Helped Her Out
Tone was still riding high off his Mutiny on the Bounty Oscar win and got the call from MGM to help out a failing career. This was Bette Davis who was looking for a hit film. The movie they made together had the title Dangerous, and it was so in many ways.
Studio Publicity, Wikimedia Commons
22. He Caught Her Attention
When Davis laid eyes on her co-star, she felt a romantic stirring. The fact that Tone was already involved with Crawford didn’t dissuade Davis and may have actually encouraged her. Davis later said that she fell completely in love with Tone. It was his “elegance” that got her. But Davis must have known that she was playing with fire.
Warner Bros., Wikimedia Commons
23. She Was Jealous
Davis was getting Tone’s full attention while on set but off set was a totally different matter. Tone would go for lunch with Crawford and, much to Davis’ horror, return covered in Crawford’s lipstick. Tone’s face may have been red, but Davis was green with jealousy. Davis was no quitter. She set her sights on round two.
George Hurrell, Wikimedia Commons
24. He Got Caught
The producer of Dangerous had an interesting story to tell. He said that he surprised Tone and Davis while they were in a “compromising position”. So Tone was cheating on Crawford, something that one can assume was not good for one’s health. Then, Crawford somehow found out about Tone and Davis.
Something was about to hit the fan.
Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons
25. She Found Out
Rumors were swirling that Crawford found out about Tone and Davis getting caught in each others’ arms. You’d expect that the hot-tempered Crawford would have Tone’s head on a platter. Nope, she did something out of the blue: she announced their engagement. Now the ball was back in Davis’ court.
26. He Broke Her Heart
Of course, Davis took the engagement of Tone and Crawford as a direct hit. She was sure that Crawford was only doing it to get at her. Davis ended up getting nominated for the Best Actress Oscar for her performance in Dangerous, but it didn’t help with her broken heart over losing Tone.
But the Oscars that year would be where the two faced each other full-on, with Tone stuck in the middle again.
27. He Was Caught In the Middle
Davis was sure she wouldn’t win that night at the Oscars, so she just wore a simple dress. In the meantime, Tone and Crawford had become husband and wife and were there in the audience. To Davis’ surprise, they announced her as the winner of the award. Davis stood up and hugged Tone.
Crawford decided to take the low road.
Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons
28. It Was A Circus
While Davis was walking up to collect her statue, Crawford’s body language suggested that she didn't care about the win at all. Tone had had enough and was brave enough to tell Crawford that she was being unreasonable. A livid Crawford could only sneer at Davis. Her evil taunt was to tell Davis—her voice dripping in sarcasm—that she “had a lovely frock”.
But this feud didn’t end at the Oscars.
Elmer Fryer, Wikimedia Commons
29. She Spoke For Him
The mean-spirited Crawford had to get her digs in whenever she could. Someone asked her what her husband Tone thought of Davis. She said that Tone acknowledged that Davis could act, but “he never thought of her as a woman”. Ouch.
These were fighting words.
Studio Publicity, Wikimedia Commons
30. He Started A Legend
The hatred between Crawford and Davis was legendary and eventually made its way to television in Ryan Murphy’s anthology series Feud. Some believe that it was their mutual attraction to Tone—and their fight to keep him in their beds—that started this epic feud.
While Crawford had certainly won, their love affair would be short-lived.
31. He Borrowed A Joke
By 1939, Tone’s marriage to Crawford was over and they divorced. Tone’s memories of Crawford were not exactly fond. To describe his marriage to Crawford, Tone borrowed an old joke that was usually told as an insult about Philadelphia. He said that first prize is four years with Crawford, and second prize is eight.
You’d think that Tone would have given up on women altogether. Nope, he just wasn’t that smart.
32. He Found Another
Tone’s next wife was also a co-star in films. This was model and actress Jean Wallace. Wallace’s star didn’t shine as bright as Crawford’s did, but she was certainly a beauty. And there was something she could do that Crawford couldn't: make babies.
But there was trouble on the horizon.
Joseph H. Lewis, Wikimedia Commons
33. She Wasn’t Stable
Tone and Wallace had two sons, but it soon became clear that Wallace was not stable. When they divorced in 1948, Tone received custody of the two boys. It was unusual for a man to get custody and maybe the reason was Wallace’s instability. In 1946, she tried to take her own life with sleeping pills.
But after the divorce, things got even worse.
Studio Publicity, Wikimedia Commons
34. She Tried Again
Once Tone and Wallace were through with their marriage and Tone had the boys, Wallace once again tried to end her life. This time, she tried with a “self-inflicted knife wound”. Luckily, it was a failed attempt and Wallace went on to have two more husbands.
Tone’s next attempt at a marriage had a very shaky start.
35. There Was Another Man
In 1951, Tone had his eye on actress Barabra Payton. But after she had accepted his proposal of marriage, Payton started dating another actor: Tom Neal. The media had a heyday with Payton’s flipping back and forth between Tone and Neal.
Of course, Tone and Neal were not happy campers, and Neal finally had had enough.
Los Angeles Times, Wikimedia Commons
36. He Took A Beating
One day, Neal caught up with Tone and Payton at her apartment—and he went at Tone with his fists. The thing was, Neal had once been a boxer, so his fists were very dangerous weapons. When the dust had settled, Tone was in very rough shape.
S. A. Hixon, Los Angeles Times, Wikimedia Commons
37. He Had A Lot Of Injuries
Neal was obviously very angry with Tone, and he delivered his punishment with incredible force. In the end, Tone had a broken cheekbone and nose, and a concussion. Worse still, he was in a coma that lasted 18 hours. Upon recovery from the coma, Tone needed plastic surgery to put his face back together.
When he was finally back to normal, he got a big surprise.
What about Giulio? / The Bride Wore Red (1937), numy na
38. He Walked
Payton must have felt pretty bad about what Neal had done to Tone. She felt so bad that she chose him over Neal. On September 18, 1951, Payton and a still recovering Tone walked down the wedding aisle. It was a happy ending for Tone, but it actually wasn’t the end.
Los Angeles Times, Wikimedia Commons
39. She Was A Hot Mess
People didn’t call Payton “one of the all-time great hot messes” for nothing. Once she had chosen Tone and married him, she secretly went back to Neal. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Tone was through with Payton, and he got a divorce in May 1952. Payton and Neal received their punishment: a Hollywood blacklist for their bad behavior.
Certainly, it was time for Tone to commit to being a bachelor for the rest of his life.
Los Angeles Times, Wikimedia Commons
40. He Refused To Give Up
After divorcing his hot mess wife, Tone found love again. This time, the courtship was quite complicated. You see, Tone had decided to do an off-Broadway version of Chechov’s Uncle Vanya. During the casting, in walked Dolores Dorn, who was famous for a provocative blonde versus brunette cat fight in The Bounty Hunter. Tone’s heart started fluttering.
He had to do something with this stunning beauty.
unknown (Continental Distributing), Wikimedia Commons
41. He Hired Her
All Tone could offer Dorn was a part as an understudy for the character he was supposed to fall in love with. What Tone didn’t know was that Dorn’s heart was fluttering just as hard as his was. She was thankful for the understudy just so she could stay near the man that she’d fallen in love with.
film trailer screenshot (Columbia Pictures), Wikimedia Commons
42. She Was Lucky
Most understudies rarely get to see the stage but Dorn was lucky. The actress playing Elena had to step down, and Dorn got a chance to act. This also got her the chance to get even closer to Tone and the two started a passionate love affair.
Uncle Vanya (1957) Full drama | Franchot Tone, | Chekov classic, The Sprocket Vault
43. He Was In Paradise
Next, Tone made the unusual decision to make a film version of Uncle Vanya while it was still running off-Broadway. Dorn was happy to be working even more with Tone. The actors worked on the film in the daytime and performed the play at night. Tone and Dorn were in a lover’s paradise.
Sadly, this wouldn't last.
Uncle Vanya (1957) Full drama | Franchot Tone, | Chekov classic, The Sprocket Vault
44. They Kept It A Secret
Everyone associated with Uncle Vanya could see the romance building between Tone and Dorn. Dorn’s mom was against the match as Tone was almost 30 years older than Dorn. So, the two tied the knot in secret on May 14, 1956, in Quebec. After the wedding, they honeymooned in Tone’s nearby Canadian summer home.
Tone had finally met a sane woman—let’s see how he messed this up.
CBS Television, Wikimedia Commons
45. He Behaved Badly
Tone’s film version of Uncle Vanya wasn’t a success and it soured their marriage. At the San Francisco International Film Festival, Tone’s performance received little attention while Dorn took home a trophy for her acting. Tone’s behavior over the loss that night—while intoxicated, he made some very nasty remarks—took a toll on the marriage. They divorced in 1959.
Uncle Vanya (1957) Full drama | Franchot Tone, | Chekov classic, The Sprocket Vault
46. He Watched Him Suffer
In 1965, Tone got a role in Otto Preminger’s WWII film In Harm’s Way. Everyone was wondering why Tone’s co-star, John Wayne, had such a low-key performance in this film. The truth later came out that Wayne had received a diagnosis of lung cancer and was in pain.
Well, this was one of Hollywood’s weirdest coincidences.
Photo by Ned Scott, Wikimedia Commons
47. He Turned To Her
As it turned out, it wasn’t just Wayne who was suffering. Tone had received the same diagnosis. In his hour of need, Tone turned to the woman that he felt closest to: he gave Crawford a call. Despite their divorce, Crawford cared for him and even paid for some medical treatments. Tone was ready to remarry her, but she declined.
Tone didn’t have many days left.
In Harm's Way (1965) Kirk Douglas , Franchot Tone , Clip 2 , HD, Eddie 68
48. He Was On The Shelf
On September 18, 1968, lung cancer ended Franchot Tone’s life. Tone’s son had him cremated and his ashes found an appropriate home on a shelf in his son's library, surrounded by the works of Shakespeare. In 2022, Tone’s ashes, along with his son’s, found their final resting place near his cottage in Quebec, Canada.
Tone had had a life full of distinctions—some of them rather surprising.
film screenshot (Columbia Pictures), Wikimedia Commons
49. He Gave Them A Laugh
Of Tone’s many distinctions, one came from his 1939 film Fast and Furious. No, this wasn’t about street racing—it was a comedy about a beauty pageant, and it was the first Hollywood movie that the people of Copenhagen saw after being under German rule for five grueling years during WWII.
They’d needed a laugh, and Tone provided one.
A scene from Fast and Furious (1939), Tim DeForest
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