Welcome to Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge: On Seattle's News Coverage of Farmer's Fall. This blog is (obviously) dedicated to presenting how The Seattle Times and Seattle Post-Intelligencer covered Seattle-born actress Frances Farmer's fall from stardom into insanity. This blog is not concerned with the history of Frances Farmer, but rather how she was portrayed by Seattle's main newspapers of the time.
All of the newspaper clippings shown here are from the University of Washington's microfilm newspaper collection and unfortunately are not available elsewhere online (unless you want to pay The Seattle Times' archive fee). Any information provided not found directly in the newspaper articles was found on HistoryLink.org in their articles concerning Frances Farmer (see sidebar for links).
Enjoy.
The Seattle Times, 1/15/43
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Farmer's Drunk Drive: 10/20/42
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| Seattle P-I, 10/20/42 |
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| The Seattle Times, 10/20/42 |
On October 20, 1942, Frances Farmer was pulled over for driving with headlights on in a dim-out zone and was then jailed briefly for drunken driving. Both The Seattle Times and Seattle P-I covered her drunken driving story, detailing a similar story of how Farmer was "bored" by the dim-out regulations, as well as the police's questions. The Seattle P-I featured a picture of the actress as well.
Farmer's Arrest: Seattle P-I, 1/13/43
On January 13, 1943, Frances Farmer was arrested for violation of her probation and failure to pay the remainder of her drunken driving charge. The Seattle P-I ran a short article the day of her arrest, describing how Farmer asked the police permission to bathe before being jailed, then emerged from the bathroom without clothes in the presence of the officer. Rather than emphasizing the actress' outstanding fees or her violation of probation, the article focuses on her 'scandalous' behavior of appearing naked before a man, "a tirade he won't forget for some time."
The Seattle Times did not detail the nature of Farmer's arrest until the following day, when they covered both her arrest and her trial.
The Seattle Times did not detail the nature of Farmer's arrest until the following day, when they covered both her arrest and her trial.
Frances Farmer Arrested and Tried: 1/14/43
On January 14, 1943, Frances Farmer was tried for violation of her probation and failure to pay the remainder of her previous drunken driving fine. Her sarcastic retorts and violent behavior made her trial sensational in both The Seattle Times and Seattle P-I. The Seattle Times featured its article, "Ex-Seattle Girl Cries She 'Drank Everything'" on its front page.
Both articles (Times and P-I) cover the main points of her trial in a very similar fashion, emphasizing her sarcasm and belligerence. Both contain the following quotes by Farmer:
"'Have you ever had a broken heart?' she screamed."
"'I'm an actress, hadn't you heard?'"
"'The judge sentenced me to 180 days. Where do I eat,
where do I sleep, where do I brush my teeth?'"
"'Since you appeared in this court last October 24,' Judge
Marshall Hickson asked her, 'have you had anything to
drink?'
Her answer was a shout:
'Yes, I drank everything I could get, including benzedrine!'"
"'What do you expect me to do? I get liquor in my orange
juice - in my coffee. Must I starve to death to obey your
laws?'"
"'Yes, I was fighting for my country and myself.'"
From here, the articles differ slightly. The article in the P-I continues with Farmer in court as she makes sardonic remarks about avoiding her parole officer, and it also quotes her asking, "What I want to know is do I have any civil rights?" after she was prohibited from calling a lawyer.
The Seattle Times' article instead details the scene of her arrest the day before, where she asked the police for permission to bathe before going to jail and then left the bathroom with nothing on in the presence of the officers. Like the P-I the day before, The Times emphasized how inappropriate her (lack of) clothing was rather than her outstanding fees and probation violation. The Times' article did not mention Farmer's outcry about civil rights.
Both articles (Times and P-I) cover the main points of her trial in a very similar fashion, emphasizing her sarcasm and belligerence. Both contain the following quotes by Farmer:
"'Have you ever had a broken heart?' she screamed."
"'I'm an actress, hadn't you heard?'"
"'The judge sentenced me to 180 days. Where do I eat,
where do I sleep, where do I brush my teeth?'"
"'Since you appeared in this court last October 24,' Judge
Marshall Hickson asked her, 'have you had anything to
drink?'
Her answer was a shout:
'Yes, I drank everything I could get, including benzedrine!'"
"'What do you expect me to do? I get liquor in my orange
juice - in my coffee. Must I starve to death to obey your
laws?'"
"'Yes, I was fighting for my country and myself.'"
From here, the articles differ slightly. The article in the P-I continues with Farmer in court as she makes sardonic remarks about avoiding her parole officer, and it also quotes her asking, "What I want to know is do I have any civil rights?" after she was prohibited from calling a lawyer.
The Seattle Times' article instead details the scene of her arrest the day before, where she asked the police for permission to bathe before going to jail and then left the bathroom with nothing on in the presence of the officers. Like the P-I the day before, The Times emphasized how inappropriate her (lack of) clothing was rather than her outstanding fees and probation violation. The Times' article did not mention Farmer's outcry about civil rights.
Farmer's Arrest: Seattle P-I, 1/14/43
While each paper covered the story of Farmer's tumultuous trial on January 14, 1943, only Seattle P-I provided pictures.
Though difficult to see, the picture on the left shows Farmer battling police after she was sentenced to 180 days in jail. Police Officer T. W. MacDonald is shown holding Farmer as she kicks out in protest.
The picture on the right shows her in jail and was taken on the night of her arrest.
Losing Sanity? The Seattle Times, 1/15/43
On January 15, 1943, an article in The Seattle Times covered Farmer's first case of questionable sanity. It ran on the front page, and began with, "A complaint was filed in Superior Court today asking a hearing to determine the sanity of Frances Farmer... Dr. Thomas Leonard, a psychiatrist, filed the complaint, and Miss Farmer was ordered removed immediately to General Hospital pending a hearing next Wednesday."
The article then moved on to mention the sympathy Farmer was receiving, as well as her quiet night in prison.
Three photos accompanied the piece - two were before/after arrest shots, and one was a full body photo of her arrest.
Seattle P-I did not run any article stating that Farmer was having a hearing questioning her sanity at all during this period of time.
Mother's Reaction: Seattle P-I, 1/26/43
Eight days after her daughter was committed to an institution in California for mental recuperation, Farmer's mother spoke with Seattle P-I concerning her daughter's mental health. According to the article, Mrs. Farmer said, "Consistently being cast as a professional harlot in motion pictures caused Frances Farmer to be overcome by nervous exhaustion." The article detailed Mrs. Farmer's complaints with her daughter's roles, and it noted her hope for new roles for her daughter in the future after her release from the hospital. The article also included Mrs. Farmer's complaint of being "besieged by quacks" after Farmer's episode in the courtroom.
The Seattle Times did not publish any article about Mrs. Farmer's concerns over her daughter's roles as the causation of her "mental exhaustion."
From 1943 to 1944
After her arrest in January 1943, Frances Farmer was committed to a hospital in California rather than prison for mental instabilities. She stayed there six months before her mother was able to get Farmer released home. Farmer remained stable at home for months before her mother realized she could not handle her daughter's "insanity" in March 1944. No articles were published concerning Farmer during that time by either The Seattle Times or Seattle P-I.
Farmer Committed to Western State Hospital: 3/24/44
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| The Seattle Times, 3/24/44 |
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| Seattle P-I, 3/24/44 |
When Frances Farmer was committed to Western State Hospital on March 24, 1944, both The Seattle Times and Seattle P-I covered the event; however, each took its own approach.
While Seattle P-I featured Farmer's institutionalization on its front page, the article was rather short. It mentioned Farmer's history, including her time as a student as well as her arrest and her visit to a California hospital after her trouble began in 1942. The article indicates Farmer's mental health concerns started after her arrest in 1942, and Farmer's mother is reported as the one who filed the insanity complaint.
Curiously, Seattle P-I also chose to incorporate a photo; however, the picture chosen was an old one from Farmer's "Happy Days" (see below) and is just another picture of Farmer during her acting career. There was no current/contrasting photo provided.
The Seattle Times, on the other hand, did not include an article about Farmer on its front page, but instead chose to run her article a couple of pages into the paper. The Times' article also touched upon Farmer's time as a student, but it provided a clearer timeline of Farmer's troubles since 1942. The article quoted Farmer's mother, saying Farmer's mental health issues began emerging after her run-in with the law in 1942, then continuing on through the present. The Times explained how, after removing Farmer from the California hospital, her mother tried to care for Farmer until she became unmanageable at home. The article then described an incident between Farmer and her mother, after which her mother filed an insanity complaint, as she was "entirely unable to control her at home." The Times even quotes doctors describing Farmer's form of insanity as schizophrenia.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Institutionalized: Seattle P-I, 3/24/44
While Seattle P-I featured Farmer's institutionalization on its front page, The Seattle Times hid the article a couple of pages into their paper. Seattle P-I also included a picture of Farmer from "Happier Days."
Farmer's Release from Western State Hospital: 7/2/44
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| Seattle P-I, 7/2/44 |
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| The Seattle Times, 7/2/44 |
Farmer was released from Western State Hospital on July 2, 1944. Both The Seattle Times and Seattle P-I covered her return home. Both papers placed her story on the bottom in the center of their front pages, almost mirroring each other.
Farmer's Release From Western State Hospital: 7/2/44
Both The Seattle Times and Seattle P-I covered Farmer's release from Western State Hospital. The two articles were almost identical, and even ran on the same page in the same place on July 2, 1944.
The article in The Seattle Times states that Farmer was released to her mother after being "completely cured." The article then goes on to lightly discuss Farmer's plans for the future, including her desire to eventually get back into filmmaking and her possible interest in nursing. The article focuses on her future and does not address her experiences, and Farmer's mother is quoted often, even mentioning how much healthier Farmer appears.
Similarly, the Seattle P-I article states that after Farmer's complete cure, she was released from the hospital to her mother. Like the article in The Seattle Times, it discusses Farmer's desire to return to acting; however, it never acknowledges any desire on Farmer's part to pursue nursing, and features her mother less prominently than The Seattle Times does. Instead, the P-I briefly mentions how Farmer's "split personality was reportedly mended in the Steilacoom institution," and how Farmer's mother saw the "psychopathic results... as almost miraculous."
Pictured below, the articles are strikingly similar, with slightly differing approaches: the P-I focuses on Farmer's actual recovery, and The Times focuses on Farmer's future.
The article in The Seattle Times states that Farmer was released to her mother after being "completely cured." The article then goes on to lightly discuss Farmer's plans for the future, including her desire to eventually get back into filmmaking and her possible interest in nursing. The article focuses on her future and does not address her experiences, and Farmer's mother is quoted often, even mentioning how much healthier Farmer appears.
Similarly, the Seattle P-I article states that after Farmer's complete cure, she was released from the hospital to her mother. Like the article in The Seattle Times, it discusses Farmer's desire to return to acting; however, it never acknowledges any desire on Farmer's part to pursue nursing, and features her mother less prominently than The Seattle Times does. Instead, the P-I briefly mentions how Farmer's "split personality was reportedly mended in the Steilacoom institution," and how Farmer's mother saw the "psychopathic results... as almost miraculous."
Pictured below, the articles are strikingly similar, with slightly differing approaches: the P-I focuses on Farmer's actual recovery, and The Times focuses on Farmer's future.
Home Sweet Home: The Seattle Times, 7/3/44
The Seattle Times published a story concerning Farmer's return home from Western State Hospital on July 3, 1944. The article, which was essentially a fluff piece, focuses upon Farmer's appearance and her proper place as an actress. The article begins, "Looking as though she just had stepped from a stage set, comely, blonde Frances Farmer, 30-year-old former stage and screen star..." Already the focus is upon appearance and her role within society. One of the only descriptions of her experiences within the hospital itself was a quote: "It's all been like a terrible dream and it's wonderful to be home again." However, even through the quote it chose, The Seattle Times is emphasizing the importance of a woman's proper place - within the home. While Farmer briefly mentions her experiences in the hospital, she is only partially quoted and the article softens the blow of the true nature of mental institutions by saying "she didn't enjoy the confinement, the close quarters and the lack of privacy."
What the Press Didn't Cover: 1945-1950
After she was "cured" and released from Western State Hospital on July 3, 1944, Frances Farmer moved back in with her mother. However, in 1945 she was readmitted to the hospital. She would not leave for five years. In 1950, Farmer was released on the hospital's equivalent of parole, but she was not officially discharged until 1953.
Her long-term hospital stay was of no interest to the press, and she dropped off The Seattle Times' and Seattle P-I's radars as suddenly as she had appeared. As a patient, Farmer lost her 'glamor,' as well as her ability to cause mayhem, and she subsequently lost all press appeal.
I was unable to locate any articles from 1945 or 1950 in either The Seattle Times or Seattle P-I covering her re-admittance to or release from Western State Hospital. The (assumed) absence of any such articles emphasizes both the Times' and the P-I's interest in Farmer only as a celebrity, focusing either on Farmer's thriving (and acceptable) career or her 'disgraceful' fall from stardom. Interest in her mental illness only interested the press so long as she remained famous, pertinent, relevant.
Her long-term hospital stay was of no interest to the press, and she dropped off The Seattle Times' and Seattle P-I's radars as suddenly as she had appeared. As a patient, Farmer lost her 'glamor,' as well as her ability to cause mayhem, and she subsequently lost all press appeal.
I was unable to locate any articles from 1945 or 1950 in either The Seattle Times or Seattle P-I covering her re-admittance to or release from Western State Hospital. The (assumed) absence of any such articles emphasizes both the Times' and the P-I's interest in Farmer only as a celebrity, focusing either on Farmer's thriving (and acceptable) career or her 'disgraceful' fall from stardom. Interest in her mental illness only interested the press so long as she remained famous, pertinent, relevant.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Western State Hospital Exposed: Seattle P-I, 2/18/49
Exposing Western State Hospital: Seattle P-I, 2/18/49
In a strictly investigative piece, the Seattle P-I covers
the wretched condition of the hospital and lists out the shortfalls of the
institution, focusing on the drastic numbers in overcrowding and understaffing.
“On the payroll are 249 ward
attendants. The mental hygiene committee
recommends a minimum of 446 for the hospital’s case load.”
“Patients are put to bed around 4 pm and kept
there 12 hours because of staff shortages.”
Exposing Western Continued: Seattle P-I, 2/18/49
The photos show how the patients' beds "are jammed in, one almost touching the other," and how "drastic overcrowding forces use of open areaways for sleeping quarters."
The captions detail how canvas covers open apertures through which wind and rain blow in, and describes how the hospital is forced to use both gyms and extremely vulnerable "fire traps" of buildings to house the 510 extra patients.
The captions detail how canvas covers open apertures through which wind and rain blow in, and describes how the hospital is forced to use both gyms and extremely vulnerable "fire traps" of buildings to house the 510 extra patients.
Exposing Western State Hospital: The Seattle P-I, 2/18/49
The investigative exposure of Western State Hospital was
completely a product of the Seattle P-I, not the Seattle Times. While Farmer was indeed “being treated” in
the hospital during the investigation and publication of this article, she was
never mentioned throughout the piece, which had a focus on the conditions of
the hospital itself, rather than focusing upon one [famous] person’s
experience.
The End
While The Seattle Times and the Seattle P-I each emphasizes various aspects of Farmer's descent into "insanity" and temporary recovery, they both cover much of the same material and focus on her as a star rather than as a person. Instead of analyzing her potential insanity in depth, both papers focus instead on her fall from glamor.
The End.
The End.
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