Frances Farmer

Frances Farmer
Frances Farmer in a publicity headshot
Born	Frances Elena Farmer (1913-09-19)September 19, 1913 Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Died	August 1, 1970(1970-08-01) (aged 56) Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Cause of death	Esophageal cancer
Resting place	Oaklawn Memorial Gardens Cemetery
Education	West Seattle High School
Alma mater	University of Washington
Occupation	Actress, television host
Height	5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Spouse(s)	Leif Erickson (m. 1936; div. 1942) Alfred Lobley (m. 1951; div. 1958) Leland Mikesell (m. 1958; div. 1963)

Frances Elena Farmer (September 19, 1913 – August 1, 1970) was an American actress and television host. She is perhaps better known for sensationalized accounts of her life, especially her involuntary commitment to a mental hospital. Farmer began her career as a stage actress, performing in New York and later appearing on Broadway. She made her film debut in Too Many Parents (1936), and was subsequently featured in a starring role in the musical western, Rhythm on the Range (1936) opposite Bing Crosby, and The Toast of New York (1937) with Cary Grant.

After signing a contract with Paramount Pictures, Farmer appeared in Exclusive (1937), World Premiere (1941), and the film noir Among the Living (1941). In 1942, publicity of Farmer's reportedly erratic behavior began to surface, and after several arrests and committals to psychiatric institutions, Farmer was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. At the request of her family, she was relocated from Los Angeles to an institution in her hometown of Seattle, Washington, where she was a patient until 1950. Farmer attempted an acting comeback, mainly appearing as a television host in Indianapolis on her own series, Frances Farmer Presents. Her final film role was in the 1958 drama The Party Crashers. Farmer died of esophageal cancer in 1970, at the age of 56.