Frances Farmer

Frances Farmer , born the September 19th 1913 with Seattle and deceased the 1970, is an American actress . She is the girl of Ernest and Lillian Farmer. She has a sister, Edith, a Wesley brother and a half-sister, Rita.

Beginnings

In 1931, then raises West Seattle High School , it gains the Contest of creative writing with its test discussed God Dies (God Dies). The Security services National bring back the facts; titrating “ The girl of Seattle rejects God and gains First Prix. ” She enters to the University of Washington, becomes member of the dramatic Theater and becomes acquainted with professor Sophie Rosenstein. Criticisms are extasient on its play of actress in Helen off Troy and Alien Corn . She changes speciality and passes from the Journalisme to the Dramaturgie. In 1935, it leaves for the Russia in boat after having gained the contest of the newspaper " Voice off Action". The Security services (once again) raise the history and qualify Frances Farmer of Communist. Frances remains with New York after its voyage and is discovered by a denichor of talents. It signs a seven year old contract with the Paramount.

In 1936 it Marie with the actor Leif Erickson and turns in its first film Too Many Parents. Later Frances plays the counterpart of Bing Crosby in Rhythm one the Range and of Edward Arnold in Like and Get It . It is described like “ exceptional lucky find of the screens of 1936. ” In 1937, it interprets the main role in the theatrical production Golden Servant boy written by Clifford Odets.

Enfermement

Jean Ratcliffe, author of the work " choc" who describes the years of enfermement of Frances Farmer, admitted to have exaggerated certain details. All this is thus to consider with precautions.

In 1942 it is stopped for control without license in a state of intoxication and disobedience to the orders in a zone of restriction. She is condemned to 180 days of detention and handing-over in freedom under monitoring.

In 1943 it is stopped for violation of release on probation and aggression. The sanitary services qualify Frances of “ patient mentale ” and recommend to place it in the Sanatorium of Crescenta. It there receives 90 treatment-shock with the Insuline and returns to the Western Washington State Hospital in Steilacoom from where it escapes.

In 1944, his/her mother - who is her legal guardian - carries secretly felt sorry for against it and makes it return to the asylum where it would have sudden treatments of electric shocks and of Hydrothérapie (naked in an icy water bath during six to eight hours) during several months. She is declared “ completely guérie ” and becomes the model of the “ Movement for Mentale Health; ”.

In 1945, terrified with the idea to be imprisoned again, it flees several times of in his/her mother who gradually convinces it to turn over to the Psychiatric hospital where it remained the five following years. For it a true hell would start then:

in addition to the cruel conditions (criminals and mentally ills units, food for the patients thrown to same the ground…) and of the continual treatments of electric shocks, it would have been prostitute with local soldiers who would have misused it, the Viol ant and the brutalisant.
Elle would also have been used as guinea-pig to test drugs such as Thorazine, Stelazine, Mellaril and Prolixin.

One tells that one of the last people to visit Frances before she is declared “ saine ” was Doctor Walter Freeman, a psycho-surgeon developing the process of the trans-orbital Lobotomie (insertion of an ice pick under the eyelid to bore to the brain). At the time of its second visit, Freeman would have treated Frances in a part separately. However, these assertions are regarded as false: the evidence brought appeared false, and this history enters in contradiction with the medical registers and testimonys of the infirmères.

The return to freedom

In 1950, Frances, slackened, go back to Seattle to deal with his/her parents. It Marie with Alfred Lobley in 1954. In 1957 it works as an employee in a hotel of San Francisco. In 1958, it appears in the series TV " This Is Your Life " and its last film The Party Crashers turns. It Marie with Lee Mikesell and appears in another televised series Tongues off Angels with James MacArthur. It presents a television program of afternoon, Frances Farmer Presents , with Indianapolis until in 1964.

In 1968, it starts to work on its autobiography with the assistance of Kibbee Laws. Two years later, she dies of a cancer of the esophagus, at the 56 years age.

Anecdotes

In 1982, the film Frances , realized by Graeme Clifford, tells the martyrdom and the forfeiture of Frances Farmer. The title role is interpreted by Jessica Lange.
the singer Mylène Farmer chose this name of scene in homage to Frances Farmer
the singer Kurt Cobain pays to him homage with the song " Frances Farmer will cuts her revenge one Seattle".

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