No one ever came to me and said,
"You're a fool. There isn't such a thing as God."
"Somebody's just been stuffing you."
It wasn't murder. I think God just died of old age.
And when I realized that He wasn't any more,
it didn't shock me. It seemed natural and right.
Maybe it's because I was never
properly impressed with the religion.
I went to Sunday school, and I liked the stories
about Christ and the Christmas Star.
They were beautiful.
But I didn't believe them.
Religion was too vague.
God was different, though.
He was something real, something I could feel.
But there were only certain times that I could feel it.
I used to lie between cool, clean sheets at night,
after I'd had a bath, after I'd scrubbed my knuckles
and fingernails and teeth,
and talk to God.
"I'm clean now."
"I've never been this clean,"
"and I'll never be cleaner."
And somehow, it was God. I wasn't sure that it was.
Just something cool and dark and clean.
That wasn't religion, though.
There was too much of the physical about it.
After a time, even at night,
the feeling of God didn't last.
I began to wonder what the minister meant
when he said, "God the father"
"sees even the smallest sparrow fall."
"He watches over all His children."
That jumbled it all up for me.
If God were a father with children,
then that cleanness I'd been feeling wasn't God.
So at night, when I went to bed,
I would think, "I'm clean. I'm sleepy."
And then I went to sleep.
And it didn't keep me
from enjoying the cleanness any less.
I just knew that God wasn't there.
"Sometimes, I found Him useful to remember,
"especially when I lost things that were important.
"After slamming through the house,
"breathless and panicky from searching,
I could stop and... ".
Good night, princess.
Lillian.
See you next weekend, Dad.
"I could stop in the middle of the room and shut my eyes.
"'Please, God, help me find my red hat with the blue trimmings'.
It usually worked."
"That satisfied me until I began to figure out
"that if God loved all His children equally,
"then why did he bother about my red hat,
"and let other people lose their fathers and mothers for always?
"I began to see that He didn't have much to do
"about people's dying, or hats, or anything.
"They happened whether he wanted them to or not.
"And He stayed in Heaven and pretended not to notice." Outrageous.
"I wondered a little why God was such a useless thing."
Well!
"It seemed a waste of time to have him.
"I felt rather proud to think
"that I had found the truth myself
"without help from anyone.
"It puzzled me that others hadn't found out, too.
"God was gone. Why couldn't they see it?
It still puzzles me."
You're going straight to Hell, Frances Farmer!
Heathen! Blasphemer!
If this is what our schools are coming to, well...
As bread lines and unemployment rolls
get longer and longer,
violence is erupting around the nation,
and left-wing politicians are gaining strength.
In Seattle, congressional candidate Martoni Kaminski works the crowd.
No!
Is it radical for the wealth of this country
to be turned back to the people who built this country?
No!
Good! Because, brothers, that's you!
Yay!
Judging from the crowd reaction,
the U.S. Congress had better prepare
for men like Kaminski.
Want Kaminski!
We want Kaminski!
Seattle is in the news again,
as a high school junior wins a national competition
and the $100 prize, with an essay denying God.
This is exactly the sort of thing
Seattle does not need.
Now, I don't know who's responsible,
but the notion that God is dead
seems a very sinister one to me,
and far beyond the sophistication
of a mere high school girl.
No. I would not be at all surprised to learn
that this essay was written by some anarchist,
some agitator.
You know, Frances is not havin' a war with God.
Miss Frances Farmer was unavailable for comment,
but her mother, Lillian Farmer,
a well-known local dietician,
stepped to her daughter's defense.
Unlike in the dark countries to the East,
freedom of speech
is alive and well in America...
and in my home.
Hi, Emma.
- Hey, there's that girl from the news. - Who cares?
Hey, where ya goin'? Hey, York!
Hey, lover boy! Hey, hey, hey!
Think you can handle her?
Hey!
Come here! I wanna talk to you.
Mama told you not to talk to strangers?
Hey!
Don't touch me.
I'm not gonna hurt ya. I just wanna talk.
All right, then.
You're causin' a lot of trouble, you know?
I'm causing trouble?
You're a pain in the butt.
You newshounds have been after me and my folks
ever since I won that dumb contest.
I'm only 16 years old.
Who the hell cares what I think?
Not me, but some people seem to.
Well, if you didn't put it in the papers...
Wait a second, sweetie. Do I look like a newshound to you?
No, you look more like a cop.
Well, that's rich. If I was a cop,
I'd be packin', wouldn't I?
You see a gun?
Go ahead. Search me.
Pat me down.
I'll take your word for it.
Well, so who are you, then?
Harry York.
I work for Martoni Kaminski.
He's running for Congress here.
Yeah, I saw that. I saw you in that newsreel.
Yeah.
You know, my dad's done some work for Kaminski.
Yeah, now you're puttin' it together, see?
You don't wanna get your daddy in hot water, do ya?
What do you mean?
Well, the newspapers are tryin' to make us out to be pinkos, see?
Then you come along, the friendly neighborhood atheist.
Well, I'm not. It's just the newspapers... Yeah, I know.
You're no more an atheist than my man's a Red,
but they're tryin' to put together
their version of your ideas as their version of ours.
Could look bad for your daddy.
Could look bad for you and Kaminski, too, I guess.
You're pretty smart for 16.
Well, aren't you the smoothie.
I suppose now you're gonna ask for my number?
No, I suppose not.
I've gotta ask you this, though.
It'd be better for all our sakes
if you kept your trap shut.
I'll give it a try, Mr. York.
Harry.
Well... bye.
Sure don't walk like 16, either.
Frances stayed on my mind
for a long time, after that day.
I kept in touch with her off and on
over the next few years.
Then I heard she'd taken up acting.
So I took up seein' plays.
She got real big on three things:
Russian theatre, Broadway, and me.
Then out of the blue,
she wins this first prize trip to Moscow
from some Commie newspaper.
She was thrilled to death, 'cause the return trip
landed her off in New York City.
You sure had to admire this girl.
She had a whole lot of moxie.
Ooo!
She'd give you that big ol' smile,
and it seemed like she could do just about anything.
Anything at all.
Yeah, it's a gift.
You gotta do somethin' with it.
If I win this trip, Ma would kill me.
She hates Russians.
But I do wanna go, you know.
Especially to New York.
But I just wanted to do it quietly.
You're not exactly the quiet type, are ya?
So you think I should go.
Yeah, I would.
Try this acting thing out, you know?
You could make some good money at it.
I got you somethin'.
For those cold Russian nights.
Look at this.
Harry!
Silk stockings?
Yep. Pure silk.
Harry York, where the hell did you find silk?
Had a friend.
Yeah, I bet you do.
Hey! What are ya doin'?
Well, what do you think? I'm gonna try 'em on.
I haven't had silk stockings before.
They got a seam in 'em.
I don't know anything about a seam.
In the back.
No daughter of mine is going to Communist Russia.
Ma, it's just a trip.
A trip.
And Mother the last to know.
I was gonna... I came home...
I want you to hear me.
Listen good!
Do you know that those Reds at that newspaper are using you?
Mom! They're not using me!
My God! It's my ticket out of Seattle.
It's a chance to travel, to see things.
I mean, The Moscow Art Theater.
Why can't you try and understand?
Besides, it's a way to New York.
I can get you to New York.
I can! Mom, I don't want your money!
I've saved enough of my own money.
My God, I'm working three jobs.
Can't you see I wanna do this my own way?
See? I learned your lesson very well.
To do what you think is right,
everybody else be damned?
Little sister, you had better wise up.
This is gonna be out of my hands.
It isn't in your hands, Momma.
It's my life now.
Frances.
Prominent people are concerned...
I don't care!
Judge Hillier and his cronies...
I don't care!
Well, you will care!
What am I gonna do?
You really wanna go?
Of course I wanna go.
You think it's worth all this?
If I didn't, I wouldn't put you through it.
Well...
then I think you should go.
So for the first time in her life,
Frances bucked up against her mother.
Not only that, she hit the headlines again.
Caused quite a big stink up here in Seattle.
On top of being branded an atheist,
now she was a pinko sympathizer to boot.
I guess she had a good time over there in Russia,
but when she hit New York,
things didn't quite click the way she thought they would.
Finally, she landed a job as a contract player for a movie studio.
Well, that meant one thing:
Send her out to Hollywood and give her the full treatment.
But Frances didn't exactly fit the mold they had in mind.
Now that you've obtained your life's ambition...
But I haven't.
I mean, I see Hollywood as a stepping stone.
My real ambition is Broadway.
And then fill in your empty spaces.
You ready?
Let's get her ready for the leg art stuff.
What is leg art?
Leg art?
Bathing suits, miss.
No. I'm not gonna do any bathing suits.
Yeah.
Really. I don't even look good in a bathing suit. Honest.
I'm not the glamor girl.
What has all this got to do with acting?
Good morning, Mr. Bebe.
Who's this?
Frances Farmer.
Contract player. 6-month option.
Good tits.
Wet your lips. Hold it. Hold it.
Fire Chief test. Robert Metts. Take 5.
How many more of these do we have?
- Action. - 14.
Excluding Robert Metts? I'm afraid so.
Follow those trappers. They'll take you safely down the mountain.
But, Kurt, I'm afraid...
If there's a way back, I'll find it.
But those men are counting on me.
There's a forest. A burning forest.
And you know what I must do.
- God. - Kurt...
Angela. My...
My own Angelie.
Cut...
I'm sorry... Can we go back?
Hey, who's the girl?
Fire Chief test... Frances Farmer.
Take 3.
Contract player.
She's all right. Yeah.
Jimmy. Would you run that again?
Not too wild about her name.
I just think I should look more rumpled.
I'm supposed to be hiding in boxcars, sleeping on the floor.
It just seems to me I look too neat.
This is the suit we fitted on you, Miss Farmer.
I know that. I know that.
But it just seems to me that...
I don't... I could look more realistic.
It'll do. No one will notice.
No! I notice!
Mr. Bebe! Good morning!
Come along with me, Fanny.
Frances.
You know, I'm not the cookbook.
You see? We've got to change that name.
I intend to make a great deal of money off you.
Since I've got ya on a seven-year contract,
I'm planning long-range.
I'm gonna loan you out to Sam Goldwyn.
He's making a picture called Come and Get It.
It's a great book. It could make a terrif...
Never mind that.
I'm concerned about you.
- Your attitude. - Hey, you bums!
Society's falling apart, Miss Farmer.
People have to buckle down,
do their jobs.
You see, I view myself
as the Henry Ford of the motion picture industry.
This is my factory.
And I can't have the fellow
who puts the wheels on
arguing with the man who installs the headlights, now can I?
But I'm concerned with everything, Mr. Bebe.
No.
I am concerned with everything.
But I'm the one up there on the screen.
That's right.
You... are an actress, Miss Farmer.?
And your job is to act.
Tootsie.
We want work! We want work!
So in spite of herself, Frances became a movie star.
They held the big premiere right here in her home town.
The local swells welcomed her back with a big to-do.
Same jerks who drove her off two years before.
And I figured it was par for the course.
So did Frances, I guess.
Sure did want to see her again,
just to talk to her for a little while.
Fat chance of gettin' past that army of tuxedoes.
I guess it's no, secret
that I'm proud.
I like to think that she got some of it from me.
I used to have,
theatrical aspirations myself, you know.
You're kidding.
No. Yes!
And not only did Frances come home a star,
but she brought this big handsome lug
of a son-in-law with her.
Mr. Farmer, what was your reaction
when Frances told you she had married Dick,
Richardson?
Dwayne. Dwayne Steele.
I, I was, pleased, of course.
Richard... Dwayne...
Is a real gentleman.
And all I can say is I feel like I've known these two for years.
Just like a fairy tale!
And now here they are, folks!
Frances Farmer's mom and pop, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Farmer,
accompanied by Frances Farmer's handsome husband,
Mr. Dwayne Steele!
And now here she is... How does it feel to be back in Seattle, Frances?
Miss Frances Farmer!
How's your movie, Frances?
Miss Farmer, I can't tell you
how proud I am to meet you.
Ahem.
On behalf of the Seattle Ladies' Club,
as a token of our vast admiration...
Excuse me.
Yes?
Haven't we met before?
No. I don't believe so.
Weren't you the one that damned me straight to Hell?
No, my dear.
You must be mistaken.
Bullshit.
I beg your pardon?
I'm the same girl that wrote the essay.
Same girl that went to Russia.
You folks aren't pleased to meet me at all.
What are you doin' out here?
What are you doing back in Seattle, York?
Well, I didn't wanna miss your big opening.
You got people pretty worked up back there.
Damn hypocrites.
You see my ma?
God.
My God, you'd think this fuss was for her.
You see Dick?
Yeah.
It's one thing to sleep with the guy.
Did'ja have to marry him?
And the studio told me not to.
Lemme have one.
That's why you did it?
Who ever thought they'd be rightfor once, Harry?
You know, the thing is,
it's not a great movie.
I'm not proud of it.
I did what they told me.
That's all they'd let me do.
Yeah.
And I know all my friends are gonna tell me
how much they loved it, and...
Well, maybe they'll mean it.
Not everybody lies, you know.
Not everybody.
You know, you're a movie star now.
If you give them what they want, you can get anything.
Harry, I don't have what they want.
I don't have what they want.
How can I keep making movies when people are starving?
What're you gonna do, join The Salvation Army?
I mean, come on!
You gotta make use of what you got.
You can do that.
Yeah, if I don't make too big an ass of myself.
Look.
Let's ditch the limo.
Let me drive you up to that red carpet
in my old Chevy. Okay?
Come on.
Come on!
I don't want to go, York.
Come on.
Woo!
Come on, York. I've got a better idea.
You can't swim now.
Come here. Come and get it, Harry.
Yeah...
Hollywood! I just love it!
I can't believe I met Jack Oakie today.
He's so much handsomer in person.
And a devil.
Really?
What he said to me...
For God's sakes!
Well. For God's sakes.
You never could take a joke.
Frances.
Now you would you like to go out and work up a little...
Come on, honeybunch!
No. No.
I'm so...
Come on. Just one. I am so tired...
Come on. Please? Please.
I'd like to leave. I've gotta get up real early.
I have an early call in the morning.
How 'bout you, Lil? Come on. Let's go.
Hey!
Hot dog!
I warn you! I'm a killer on the dance floor!
Ahem.
You know, I...
Can't help feeling we came at a bad time.
It's okay, Dad.
You...
Rich... Dwayne...
Dick.
Dick seems to have
a lot of time to show us around.
How's his career goin'?
It's not what he expected it to be.
Things'll pick up?
Dad, don't you ever get...
angry?
What do you mean?
Like at Ma. Don't you ever feel like just...
hauling off and busting her one, right in the chops?
No?
Yeah. I tried it once.
You did? Yeah.
Tears, hysteria, recriminations, accusations.
I never thought I'd hear the end of it.
Pardon me. Your photos.
They're $2.50 apiece.
There you go. Thank you, sir.
I'd like to find a...
A more gentlemanly way to do things.
We are home.
- Home home... - Home.
Dick, if it's for me, just tell 'em I'm not here. I don't care.
Tell 'em I'm in Berlin or Haiti or...
Little sister, where are you going?
She's tired.
That was your agent on the phone.
He said the summer stock deal's all set.
So you're going, back east?
Dick, I think we need some time apart.
Yeah.
I'm not a complete fool, you know. I know...
I know you're going sour on me.
But every time I try to do something about it,
you just turn your back, and...
Dick, I can't even breathe...
Dwayne! My name's Dwayne now!
You call me Dwayne.
Did it ever occur to you
maybe I wanted to leave here and go east
and do summer stock, and do theater?
No. It never did, 'cause you don't want me along,
and the reason has nothing to do with the summer stock.
No?
It's all about that night, isn't it?
That night?
Yeah, the premiere.
I never pressed you about it,
but you're gonna tell me right here and right now where you were.
And what the hell you were doing.
What do you want, his name?
You bitch!
What do you mean?
What do you mean, you do something like...
Bastard!
You goddamn bitch!
You god... damn...
You whore!
You ruined it!
Bravo!
We set out to entertain,
but we also set out to enlighten.
To challenge. To change:
Change the way in which people perceive their lives,
their responsibilities. I know.
And if we are going to change society,
make the world a better place,
first we have to change people!
She knows.
She knows, Harold.
You don't have to sell me on The Group Theater, Mr. Clurman.
Forgive my indulgence.
Seems we always lecture those who are on time for those who are tardy.
But the point is.
Mr. Odets here has written a wonderful play.
Although most of the roles are cast,
we still haven't found our leading lady.
What's the part?
Lorna Moon.
She's a tramp from Newark.
Excuse me.
I think you'd be perfect for the part.
What do you think, Mr. Odets?
I think you're very beautiful, Miss Farmer.
And Harold is convinced that your movie background
would make you a big draw.
I certainly want the show to be successful.
But you don't think I'm right for the part?
Miss Farmer,
for me, this is not a play, it's an assault,
a seduction,
a plea for understanding.
I think we live in a time when new works of art should shoot bullets.
And you...
make very attractive ammunition.
What's the name of this seduction,
this assault?
Golden Boy.
Harold. Everyone get a good night's sleep.
What is it?
I just wanted to, sooner or later,
get a chance to talk to you about that speech.
Which speech? In the second act.
Don't worry about it.
Please, please, ma'am? Please.
Anything you can spare?
We'll work on it? Don't worry about it.
Clifford, don't keep her up too late?
Anything. Anything.
I have a family I have to support.
Please, my mother's gonna have an operation.
What's the matter?
Why'd you walk out of rehearsal, Clifford?
Please, sir, please? Anything.
Look at that girl.
What do you see?
What do I see?
Look at her. What do you see?
What are you talking about?
What do you see?
Desperation.
Whose sweater is she wearing?
Something she found?
No, it's her older brother's.
It's too big for her.
Her shoes new or old?
They're old.
They're not shoes, they're bedroom slippers.
You see, you walk by that person every day,
and you never even see her.
If you want to be an artist,
you want to be a true actress,
you have to see things that other people don't,
then you can show it to them.
Then they'll see it, then they'll remember it.
They can experience her through you, with you.
I don't want to have to sit in there again
and watch you acting desperate.
I want to see you be desperate,
and there's a very big difference between those two.
And if you can't do it, my play is not gonna work.
It's really so simple.
Forget your private life, forget your problems,
your mother, your lover, your this, your that.
Forget that you're making money, making sense,
having children, forget everything.
Just dedicate yourself.
'Cause that's what really makes art, Frances,
is total dedication.
You're not just some pretty bauble up there
for people to admire.
You're not in Hollywood, thank God.
You want another one?
Yeah.
Sometimes I can feel it,
smell it.
My wife...
great actress...
so they say.
She's never got it.
You see, also,
I don't want to just entertain people.
I want to change their lives.
I want them...
In the middle of the night
and think that everything they're doing is wrong.
Do you know that I've never made a living in the theater?
Hollywood supplies all my money...
and all my indigestion.
But, this is where I belong.
Sometimes I think I would have been better off
if there had been no movies to write.
I would have scrounged around everywhere.
Gotten out from under this big... tent
and... pitched smaller tents
in many wild, undiscovered places.
That's what you've got to do, Frances.
I'll never do it, but you might.
You have an explorer's heart.
I wish I could tell you how to be brilliant,
but I can't.
It's got to come from you...
and what you believe in...
what you are.
Let's go to bed.
But we must donate as much as we can afford.
An artist to be vital must be a soldier, too.
Hear, hear.
And now to present our ammunition,
our check to the Spanish consul,
Se?or Leon Juarez Alendros,
our very own leading lady, Miss Frances Farmer.
Frances?
Ahem.
On behalf of The Group Theater,
it gives me great personal pleasure
to be able to present a check
for $1,000 for the Loyalist cause.
No pasar?n.
A pleasure, Se?or.
She won't come back from New York.
And on top of all of her political activities,
now she's got a lawyer.
She wants out of her contract, Mr. Bebe.
She says she's through with motion pictures.
I'm sure it wasn't me.
It wasn't me.
Excuse me, sir?
I don't know who she fucked to get where she is,
but I don't think it was me.
We can always dump her.
Teach her a lesson.
There are a million beautiful girls out there
who don't give a damn about politics.
That isn't the point.
Frances Farmer has the world by the tit because of this studio,
and now she thinks she can just waltz off without even a thank-you.
I think it's time to take the gloves off.
Get me some reporters.
Particularly Louella Parsons.
Good night.
Miss Farmer? Autograph right here, Miss Farmer?
Autograph right here?
You were wonderful. Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Luther, good night.
Good night, Frances. See you tomorrow.
Excuse me, Miss Farmer,
I'm sorry. I've never done this before, but...
I just had to tell you you're great.
Thanks.
I'm really sad the play's closing.
What am I gonna do on Tuesday nights?
Why don't you come see us in London?
Only if you're in it. Are you?
Of course. I wouldn't miss it for anything.
Boy, that would be great.
But... I'm going to Hollywood.
Are you an actor?
Hell, yes.
Well, I'm still in school, but...
When I graduate, California, here I come.
Are you serious about acting?
Well, yes.
Don't go to Hollywood.
Why?
'Cause it'll crush you.
You sound as if you hate it.
No, I'm just not that anxious to get back.
You're gonna break a lot of hearts.
I guess they'll mend.
Well, what about your husband?
What?
Are you gonna get back together?
When you quit Hollywood, I mean.
What is this?
Is it true you're getting a divorce...
comrade?
You little bastard.
Thanks for the chat, Miss Farmer.
Be seeing you.
Hey, wait a minute.
You're wasting your time, lady.
Nothing's off the record with me.
Shit.
I think if I was standing still in that town,
I'd go mad.
They're gonna force me to go back there, Clifford,
and they have no idea what to do with me.
Sure. They know you've got something.
But they don't know what it is.
Do you?
Hello, Harold.
Hello, Frances.
Where's Clifford?
He's not here.
What's up?
Bourbon?
Okay.
It's getting cold out.
Yep.
Pretty, aren't they?
Lovely, just lovely.
Thank you.
I hear you're meeting with the studio lawyers
to try to get out of your contract.
Well, I just don't wan them breathing down my neck
when we're in London.
Yeah, well, you see, that's the point.
You won't be going to London.
Don't you think I'm good enough, Harold?
Well, of course you are. It's not that.
It's just...
It's money.
We needed backing, and, we found it.
Who?
An actress.
A rich actress?
Yes.
That's the deal. She plays Lorna Moon.
I thought we were supposed to be different, Harold.
Clifford says this company is different:
A group working together.
I know, I know.
Isn't that what this play is about,
what money and greed do to people?
Right now, we have to be practical.
Well, then, I'll give you the money, Harold.
I'll back the production.
Unfortunately, it's too late, Frances.
Besides, you don't have that kind of money anymore.
What did Clifford say about this?
He doesn't even know, does he?
Where is he? I'm gonna find him.
Frances...
he knows.
He approved it.
Now, look, I... I'm sorry.
Frances, you have done a great service for The Group.
Your name has helped to draw people.
You've helped us grow. You've grown yourself.
Swell, but, Harold, this theatre is everything to me.
Don't you understand?
What am I gonna do now?
Well, Hollywood wants you back, right?
You prick.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Just a minute. Just a minute.
Yeah. What do you want?
The third race at Hollywood Park?
Sweet Lady? Yeah.
Yeah.
No.
Phone call for you.
Yeah? Who is it?
It... it's, personal.
Personal.
Yo.
Harry?
Two lines he writes me.
Two fucking lines he writes me!
Frances?
"The affair is now ended.
My wife has returned from Europe."
What?
Those bastards, Harry.
They tricked me.
I hate being in love!
I don't even want to be in love again.
Frances.
You okay?
I suppose it's funny.
I'm laughing.
Yeah, Whoop.
Cut. Do it again.
First positions, everybody.
31 Apple, take 10.
31 Apple, take 12.
Cut. Let's do it again.
And cut.
Print that scene.
How was that?
Good, good.
One more time.
For God's sake, why?
Because we want to get it perfect.
The right combination of fury and confusion.
You can understand that, can't you, Miss Farmer?
We're serious artists here, right?
Right.
Everybody back tomorrow.
Try later.
Let's do it again now?
Come on. Let's go.
Come on.
This was a mistake.
This is just what you need.
Let everybody see you. Talk to 'em.
You know, live it up.
I've been at it since 5 this morning.
At least I could have gone home
and changed my clothes or take a shower.
Look at me.
Frances, I didn't want this job.
Think I'm crazy?
You begged me. Improve your image.
So please, let me try?
Hold it just a second, would you, chief?
Frances.
All right. Let's go get 'em.
Take one of these.
They make 'em in the studio basement.
Helps keep the fat off.
Come on. They'll make you feel nice and peppy.
What, like you, Barnes?
Yeah, like me. Come on.
Swell layout they got here.
Good evening. Hi.
Thank you.
Frances! Hello!
Connie, hello.
Hey, Bob Barnes here.
A pleasure to see you.
Hi. Hi, Bob. Nice to meet you.
Swell party you got going here.
Yeah, come on in.
Who's here?
The usual vermin, I'm afraid.
Whoops. Don't get away.
Can I use the bathroom for a minute, Connie?
Sure, sure. Go ahead.
Nice party.
Hey, Mike. How are you? Good to see you.
Hey, how are you?
You wouldn't believe the offers.
They're piling in.
I mean piling.
Really?
Some of the best scripts
I've read in years.
Well, my employer will be very glad to hear that.
Louella? Is she here?
Of course. How could you miss her?
L.P.
Make this one last.
Zip me up.
You'll be no good blotto.
Does Connie know you have her dress?
Frances.
Great to see you again.
My employer would like to know one thing.
Does your friend Clifford really sleep in the nude?
You know, you seem like an intelligent young man.
Can't you find a more dignified way
to make a living?
What are you, nuts?
He's a zero. Forget him.
She wants to do an interview live on the radio.
You want something out of the car?
Where the hell is she going?
What, do you want some air?
Hey, come on. Let me come.
Let me drive.
Frances, what am I supposed to tell Louella?
Pull over!
Hey! Pull over!
Okay.
Where's the fire, sister?
In my eyes, officer.
Hey, beautiful.
Didn't you see the sign back there
that says dim out zone?
There's a war on, you know.
You bet your ass there is.
I didn't make the law, lady.
I just... enforce it.
You bore me.
Hey.
Don't touch me!
Hey, lady.
Hey.
You want lights on,
You think the Japs can't find us
without my headlights?
Take it easy, lady. Take it easy.
Hey.
Get that damn thing out of my eyes, you jerk!
Lady, give me that flashlight.
Bastard!
Hey.
Thanks.
That cop weighed 200 pounds?
I never noticed.
You just went in swinging?
You got to pick your battles
a little better, you know?
Fight the ones that count.
They all count, Harry.
Not if you lose in the first round.
Look, you got to set the record straight here
before it's too late.
They're just gonna railroad you
with this scandal stuff, you know?
Paint you right into a corner.
It's gonna have to wait. I got to go to Mexico.
What the hell for?
My agent figured it was a good idea
if I get out of town
till this arrest thing blows over.
So he's lined up some cheapo movie south of the border.
Very diplomatic.
Maybe by the time I get back,
the newspapers will find somebody else
to tear to shreds.
If you're lucky.
I'm beginning to wonder
if there's something wrong with me.
I can't figure it out anymore, you know?
And it hurts.
And I look at these people...
and I wonder if anybody really loves anybody.
Beats me.
Do you miss me, Harry?
Well, Frances went down to Mexico, all right.
Just turned out to be another disappointment.
They kept her down there for weeks.
Never had a script.
Never even started shooting the damn movie.
So Frances discovered tequila.
Got into some pretty good barroom scraps, I guess,
if you believed all the stories in the papers.
Well, finally, she got sick of it.
Came back to her house on the beach.
Coming back to Hollywood
wasn't exactly the same thing as coming home.
Who are you?
I live here.
You're Farmer?
Well, they came in to pick up all your stuff,
and, now it's at a hotel.
What?
Yeah. The studio's moving in a new actress.
She arrives tomorrow.
I'm sorry.
Harry, they've gone through my papers,
my letters.
The letters you wrote me.
They've taken my diary.
They stole my diary, Harry!
That's my life.
Harry, they've stolen my life.
Come on, Al. Put yourself in my place.
Four and a half weeks to make a picture.
She doesn't show up a half day,
the whole day's shot.
Nobody can make a picture.
Come on, Al. I've heard this before.
You're calling every 10 minutes, aren't you?
I'm gonna kill her when she gets here.
It'll be all right, Max.
They're gonna blame me for this.
You know that.
I'm gonna talk to the front office.
Do you know that you are four and a half hours late?
What are you trying to do to me?
This is insane. It's unprofessional!
I'd say I was behaving as professionally
as anybody else in this town.
Where were you?
I overslept.
Gentlemen, I overslept.
I'm terribly, terribly sorry.
Overslept.
What is this fine entertainment
we're all so involved in?
Yes. No Escape.
That's it, doll. No Escape.
That's it. That's right.
No Escape.
Come on.
Sweetheart, you can't do this.
You can't oversleep a half day.
Four and a half hours.
A whole day of shooting is completely gone.
All right, come on.
I want to make a picture.
Get back to work, everybody!
Take it back to Number 1! Let's go!
Well, look who's here.
You're not the star of this show,
you know that?
It's not up to me to say anything.
I mean, I'm just crew.
Your hair's so thin, you're gonna lose it if you're not careful.
It's a wonder to me you all don't,
the things you do to yourselves.
You know, I think you're losing yours already.
I think you ought to tell him
you're gonna wear a hat for this scene.
Raah!
I quit!
I'm not taking this shit anymore!
God damn you! Geez!
You bastards!
Errr!
Bastards!
Fuck you all!
What?
Who is it?
Come on with me, God damn it!
Give us a break.
Come on!
Open the door!
Don't kill me!
Open the damn door, lady!
No!
Get your clothes on.
You've got no right!
You've got no fucking right!
You get out!
Come on. You're under arrest.
You bastard!
You've got no fucking...
You've got no fucking right!
Can we get the camera inside to get the picture?
Hurry up!
Hey, Dan! Hold it up, fellas, will you?
Hey!
Miss Farmer! Miss Farmer!
This way!
You knocked her out, is that true?
Turn around, Miss Farmer.
This woman, how did you...
One more, honey.
Weren't you still on probation?
Frances, over here. Smile for the birdie.
I'm not here for your pleasure.
Hubba-hubba! Hey!
Your name.
You jerks dragged me down here
in the middle of the night,
and you don't know who I am?
Your name, lady.
Frances Elena Farmer.
Want me to spell it?
Your address.
Put me down as a vag:
Vagrant, vagabond.
What is this, a joke?
It's a joke?
Assault and battery?
I barely touched that bitch. Yeah, yeah.
Tell us about it. Come on, Frances.
Occupation.
Cocksucker.
Woo!
Show me where I'm gonna be.
I want to get in there,
brush my teeth, start to live.
Hey, you're a... pretty thing.
Hey! I'd like a wake-up call,
say around 10 A.M.
I'll take my bread and water in bed.
Real class.
Yeah.
Frances, why don't you comb your hair
for the next one?
Why don't you leave her alone?
Take me the way I am.
Hey, cutie, got a cigarette?
And have you driven a car
since you were placed on probation?
No, but only because I couldn't get my hands on one.
Have you visited your probation officer
as directed?
I never saw him.
I don't know why he didn't show up.
You expected him to look you up?
I expected him to come by
so I could get a look at his face.
You're headed for a contempt citation, young lady.
Is it true you resisted arrest
at the Hotel Knickerbocker last night?
Yes, it's true.
I was fighting for my country
as well as myself.
You caused trouble on a movie set in Mexico?
Yes, I was fighting there, too...
The same reason, but a different scene.
Miss Farmer, in light of the flagrant disregard
of the conditions of your probation,
coupled with the unwarranted assault on the plaintiff here,
you leave me no choice
but to order you to spend 180 days
in the county jail.
Court adjourned.
I haven't got a lawyer.
Hey!
I haven't got a lawyer!
What I want to know is if I got any civil rights!
Have I got any civil rights?
I want to make a phone call!
I've got a right to make a...
She's on her way.
Don't I have any civil rights here?
You got to get down here right now.
It's gonna be too late.
Just give me my civil rights!
God damn you!
Rat! Rat!
I've got a right to make a phone call! God, she's loose!
She's attacking your correspondent
right here in the court building!
Help me!
Hey!
Help me!
I'm being kidnapped!
Let's go. Let's go. Get out of here.
With what must surely be the final act of madness,
the curtain falls on Frances Farmer's once-promising career.
The crazed blonde who, at 27...
Can you hold it a second?
Now, because of her present excited state,
her mother is not able to control her.
We don't want her institutionalized,
but the Meadow Wood Convalescent Home
is willing to take her. Yes.
And we feel that would be more appropriate.
Well, a difficult decision,
but I'm sure the proper one.
Thank you. Good.
The judge has agreed to Meadow Wood.
You can take her now.
It's all gonna be all right.
It's just gonna be fine, little sister.
The judge has given you into my care,
and I'm gonna see you get the rest you need.
Please take me home, Mom.
See, little sister?
Everything's just lovely here.
The countryside and the... views.
Thank you.
Good afternoon, Miss Farmer.
I'm Dr. Symington.
Hello, Doctor.
I'm, Lillian Farmer.
I'm very pleased to meet you, Mrs. Farmer.
I'm sure we'll have more of a chance to talk later.
Right now I think it's important
that your daughter have a chance to settle in.
Perhaps it would be best
if you said your goodbyes right here.
No. No.
I have a lot of background material
that you're going to find very important
in... in treating my daughter.
I have no doubt, Mrs. Farmer.
Now, if you'll just speak to the girl at the desk,
I'm sure she'll arrange for an appointment.
Well.
I will see you very soon.
You be a good girl.
Momma.
Yes?
I want you to take me home now.
Everything's going to be fine, Frances.
Doctor knows best?
I find these initial meetings much easier
without the concerned relatives in attendance.
Am I supposed to say thank you?
Thanks are hardly necessary.
Shucks, ma'am. T' whatnot.
I'm glad to see you haven't lost your sense of humor.
Ain't for lack of trying.
So it seems.
May we be serious for just a moment?
Doctor, we... we just met.
Well, I feel like I've known you for a long time.
You see, I've followed your career.
You...
You're a fascinating case.
I'm looking forward to solving your predicament.
Are you really?
Among persons such as yourself,
creative people under great stress,
erratic behavior is not at all uncommon,
and certainly nothing to be ashamed of.
It's just that the anxieties which...
Doctor...
do you expect me for one moment
to believe that you have greater insight into my personality
than I do?
Would you sit back down?
You may discuss my predicament, Doctor.
You may discuss it with anybody you like,
but not with me.
I'm not interested.
I can solve my problems
without recourse to a veterinarian.
I see.
Besides, I don't want to be
what you want to make me.
And what's that?
Dull, average, normal.
All right.
Would you take your seat, please?
Symington says.
Did you actually say that?
It's just a little joke, Miss Farmer.
It's a fucking thing as a joke!
Stay calm, please.
No, you stay calm, Doctor.
But you're finding that difficult, aren't you?
I'm not doing what's expected of me.
I'm not sitting there in awe
while you carefully dissect my personality.
Now you listen to me.
All I want is a little rest,
a little peace and quiet,
and I don't have to talk to you
or anybody else about my goddamn anxieties.
You got that?
I'll have someone show you to your room.
Well, that's good. That's very good.
Very professional and controlled.
But those...
tiny little beads of sweat on your upper lip
give you away.
You really should get some rest now.
The nurse will meet you outside.
Good day.
Is there something else?
Well, you didn't say "Symington says."
Symington says.
Well, what is it?
It's just vitamins:
A, C, B complex, certain minerals.
Now just relax.
There. Now that wasn't too bad, was it?
What did they give me?
They gave you insulin.
It throws your body into shock.
My God.
It's all right, dear. I'll be here.
This one is from Duluth, Minnesota.
It's from a war widow with two small children.
She works in a defense plant.
She's very concerned about you.
I wrote her, and I told her
not to worry so much about you,
that, she had to get on with their war work,
and you would be back on the silver screen
before she knew it.
That's that one.
This is that sweet Mr. Zeiss.
Why are all these opened?
What?
Why are all these opened?
Well, they're opened, Frances,
because they needed to be answered immediately.
I mean, that's just good manners
and common sense.
Well, you don't want to be bothered with this
at this time, do you?
Then why did you bring them?
Well, it's your fan mail.
You kill me, Momma.
Thank you.
Mom.
Go on.
Eat your oatmeal cakes.
So sorry to keep you waiting.
Staff review ran over.
Well...
Did...
did you enjoy your mother's visit last week?
Yeah, it was real nice to see her.
Really?
Any problems?
None at all.
She brought me my fan mail.
I was surprised to see how many people there are
that are concerned about me.
I guess that's the best thing about working in the movies
is you make so many friends.
I'd really like to get back to work now
so I can prove to them
that the faith they've put in me wasn't a mistake.
You...
You're telling me you feel guilty?
No. Not at all.
It's just that I'm excited about...
going on with my life.
Do you really think
that your mother's trying to kill you?
What?
She told me you said, "Momma, you're trying to kill me."
It's a figure of speech, you know, Doctor.
I... We were talking, and she said something funny,
and I...
And you accused her
of tampering with your mail.
Christ.
I'm sorry she misunderstood.
But you tell me that you had a pleasant visit,
and your mother says that you were sullen and uncommunicative.
Whom do you think I should believe?
Well, Doctor, I hate to break this to you, you know,
but my ma's a little batty.
Frances...
You're still filled with anxiety.
You have feelings of hostility and guilt
towards your family and friends,
and consequently...
I couldn't recommend your release
at the staff review.
You what?
Mental illness, it's such an illusive thing,
and although I'm... I'm pleased
that you're feeling more capable,
I think perhaps it's unrealistic
to think you could be cured in so short a time.
Don't you agree?
I'm sure you'll see it my way in the end.
Now listen.
You got to go back there
and tell them to let me out...
'cause I'm ready...
I'm ready to get out now,
so you go back in there,
and you tell them that you're gonna let me out of here!
Frances, I'm warning you.
No, I'm warning you!
Who do you think you are, God?
You bumble around with your goddamn pencils!
You're nothing! You have no authority!
You're zero!
Zero!
Hi.
I brought you some... candy.
I look awful.
Well, you've looked a whole lot better,
that's for sure.
They're doing this to me, Harry.
Did you see it?
They've given me stuff,
and trying to put thoughts in my head and...
they're trying to...
rearrange what's going on in my head.
They're trying to... I don't know...
Drive me crazy.
Look...
let's go take a walk in the woods, okay?
Come on.
Miss Farmer!
Time for your bath, Miss Farmer.
Listen, straight over the hill, there's a wall...
to the left.
Car's right behind the gate there, okay?
Time for your bath.
The best thing here, Harry...
The baths.
Sir, this area's off-limits.
Frances, did you hear what I said?
Of course.
You want crazy?
I'll give you crazy.
Hey!
What are you doing?
I always lead in New York.
Really? I'm dancing backwards.
You should stick around, sometime, you know,
and take care of me.
Look...
I'm only gonna ask you this one time, okay?
Then I'm never gonna ask you again.
Well, what?
Will you marry me?
Boy, you sure pick your moments. You're...
People will tell you get back on track first,
tie up some loose ends, you know?
I can't just run away again.
Sooner or later, I'll have to go home.
Besides...
nobody can screw things up the way I can,
you know what I mean?
Well, I'll act like I do until I do.
There's one more thing.
Yeah?
Will you marry me?
Well...
This is it.
This is the one. No.
This is it.
What are you doing?
I thought you didn't want to get married.
Where are you going?
To here, dear.
I'll turn it on and...
Put her in reverse.
Still not too late
to keep going up to Vancouver, you know.
Be the smartest thing.
Yeah. Thanks, Harry.
It's just that I gotta...
I can't explain it. It's... She's my mother,
and...
I can't give up on her that easily.
You wouldn't give up on her?
Yep. It's just something I got to do, I guess.
Frances.
You're crazy.
Don't tell anybody.
If you need anything...
Got your number, Mr. Man.
Welcome home, little sister.
Who have we here?
Frances, you know my lawyer Alma Styles.
Hello, Frances.
You seem to be having quite a time of it.
I, called Alma
because I thought we might need some legal advice.
Frances, the doctors at Meadow Wood
have petitioned the court for your return.
Your mother has asked me to intervene
so you can stay here.
I swear I didn't know
what they were gonna do to you there.
I would not have... Momma, don't.
You realize, of course,
that your mother's now your legal guardian
in the eyes of the law.
You no longer have any rights as an adult.
You're going to have to hold your tongue,
and be selective about whom you mix with.
That man who drove you here, for instance...
Leave... Ahem.
Kindly just leave him out of this.
Baby.
Frances.
Play, Flow Gently, Sweet Afton, would you?
I'm so tired of that song, Mother.
Please.
I want you to.
Make me so happy,
Please?
You know, it's just a Flow Gently, Sweet Afton day.
Life's been so good to me.
I can't think of anything I could wish for.
What's wrong?
Nothing.
I thought maybe I'd... go out for a while.
Where are you going?
Just for a walk, Momma.
How long will you be gone?
Not long.
I'm going to have luncheon ready at 1:00.
I'll be back.
Promise?
Sure.
Well, say promise. "I promise."
I promise, Momma.
Frances, remember,
the surest way to lose an appetite is to drink.
Yes, Momma.
I don't want you drinking, Frances.
Yes, Momma.
So what do you think?
I... I don't know, honey.-
Y-Your mother has...
She still has such big plans for you.
What... What you have to understand is that...
she wanted so much for herself, too.
A-And for me.
But she never got it.
She could have been a...
If times were different, she could have been a...
A politician, or a lecturer, or a...
Dad.
I'm talking about me now.
I'm asking you what I should do.
Ahem.
Well...
You know, sometimes you get your heart set on something,
and... and you really go after it.
But then, when you...
get it in your hands, it...
It doesn't look the same.
I guess... I guess you already know that.
So anything I... decide
would be all right with you?
Always.
I...
I don't have a...
A... a desk in my room,
and this is not a proper office for a lawyer...
And I...
It's okay, Dad.
I love you.
I love you, too, princess.
Frances? Is that you?
Yeah. I'm home, Ma.
Oooh!
I have such good news for you.
Wait, Ma.
Wait. There's something I wanna tell you first.
What?
I decided something. What?
Momma, I decided that I'm not gonna go back to Hollywood.
You know, I thought that's what I wanted, Ma,
and I went after it with all my soul,
and it nearly killed me.
So I'm done with it now.
It's over. I don't want it anymore.
Ma, I need a different kind of life.
You know, maybe I could find somewhere in the country.
I could have... I could have dogs again out there.
Maybe even plant a garden.
It's just... I feel so...
right for the first time in years, Ma.
I love you more than anything in the world.
Frances, honey, I think you've gone crazy.
You know what happened while you were out?
Your agent called.
Yes, they want you back!
They're send scripts!
And he wants to come up here next week
with the publicity people.
Frances, you can't do that.
You can't do that to your fans.
I mean, they stuck through this whole nightmare with you!
You can't turn your back on them.
They love you!
Ma!
Haven't you heard what I said?
I told him that he could come up here,
and that you would prove that you're all right!
That's you're cured!
I'm not cured!
I was never sick!
They had no business putting me in there!
Now the only responsibility I have is to myself now!
You selfish, selfish child.
At least see him.
Hear what he has to say!
No.
I've watched you throw it all away.
Just throw it away?
You had it all!
Beauty, a brilliant career, a wonderful husband.
You are a movie star! Mother, shut up!
You're just gonna throw it away?
Just throw it away and become a nobody!
Have you any idea what it's like to be a nobody?
Have you?
My God, Ma!
You'd send me back, wouldn't you?
You'd send me back.
I'm goin'. I'm leaving.
You're going! You're not going anywhere.
You get out of my way!
You...
Get out of my way, old woman!
Get out of my way!
No!
I swear to God!
You follow me this time,
Momma, I will fucking kill you!
Now you have really...
done it, little sister.
Doctor, you see...
All my life,
I have been trying to live up to my parents'...
sense of excellence.
I mean, the sense of
independent thought and spirit
that built our country.
And I...
I taught these things to Frances.
Yes. Yes, Mrs. Farmer.
Frances has always been a battleground, Lillian.
The point is...
it's your opinion
Frances is getting worse every day.
Yes.
And you feel you're unable to control her any longer.
No!
Dear, remember, you did sustain bodily harm.
And the only course left open to you
is to commit your daughter for a period of time,
to a mental institution.
Alma says it's the only way she'll...
Well. Well, it seems to coincide
with what Dr. Symington had to say,
and I think that's all I need to know
about Miss Frances Farmer.
Good.
Now, perhaps you can tell us
where we can find Frances.
No! No!
Momma!
What's she getting anyway?
Standard series to start.
15?
Now.
Hey, how about a white girl next time?
Whatever you like, boys.
See you next week?
Woo-ee!
Frances!
It's me, Harry!
Watch out, Harry!
Let me look her over.
I'm gettin' her out of here right now.
The hearing is set for tomorrow.
She gets out legally, they can't collect her.
Look at her. She really gonna pass that test...
I am taking care of that, Harry. Now just hold her.
Reserpine.
Guarantee you, this'll clear her head.
She'll wake up feeling calm,
and sail straight through that hearing.
No...
Shut her up, Harry!
It'll be all right. It'll be all right.
He's just givin' you something to make you think
so you can tell 'em what they wanna hear in the morning, okay?
Take me!
Tell 'em you were crazy,
and they cured you, and you're grateful, okay?
This drug takes pretty quick. Now let's go.
Harry... Take me. Take me!
I'll lose my job, Harry! Let's go!
Take me! Remember what I was telling you.
What are you gonna tell 'em?
Frances, what're ya gonna tell 'em?
Take me!
Hey!
Harry! I'm grateful...
Take me!
I'm grateful.
I love you, Frances.
I realize now that I was a very sick woman,
that I didn't...
relate to other people in a normal way.
I wasn't normal! But I'm normal now!
I'm normal!
I knew it! She's already healed!
And... I wasn't...
taking responsibility for my actions.
I've been thinking a lot about these treatments.
I feel that they're not doing me any good.
I feel now that, thanks to your treatment here,
that I'm ready to face myself again and...
ready to resume the career
that I so singlehandedly shattered.
We really like her performance!
One of her great performances! Yeah!
Great performances, I hope!
I just hope that...
that I can make you all...
Very, very proud of me.
All right!
Thank you!
Thank you.
Thank you all...
very much.
I think this case demonstrates
just how successful the antisocial behavior
can be modified.
Not long ago,
Miss Farmer seemed
totally unresponsive to treatment.
And today, we're sending her home to her family,
completely cured.
I believe this is a significant victory
for the mental hygiene program
here in the state of Washington.
Thank you.
There she is!
My precious daughter.
You come on up here to your mother.
Come on!
Frances gave me this box down in Hollywood.
I filled it with my own dried fruit.
Herb, would you pass that?
Sure. Thanks.
Are you going to be going back to Hollywood, Miss Farmer?
We haven't decided exactly what we're going to do,
yet.
No, I don't know.
It all depends on what offers I get.
Who did your hair, Frances?
I did.
I like to try different styles.
Sometimes I find that if you're
old-fashioned enough
that you're modern again.
Right, Momma? Yes.
So...
what do you think about all this, Mrs. Farmer?
I think it's a miracle.
Just a miracle.
Frances, could you get in a little closer with your mother?
Harry.
Doesn't matter.
I'm sorry, Harry.
I don't care about what's happened before, you know?
I just want you to stay with me now, okay?
Will ya?
I can't.
Why?
I mean, you've gambled with every other part of your life.
Why don't you try me for a change?
'Cause I'd lose. You don't know that.
What are you afraid of anyway?
I'm not afraid of anything, Harry.
Just that that place nearly killed me.
There were so many people, all the time.
Every time I turned around,
someone was pressing up against me,
or touching me.
Sticking things in me... You know, well, I'm not one of those people.
Well, I know that.
You either stay with me this time...
What?
- This is it. - Thank you.
Pretty morning.
Yeah, it's always beautiful this time of day.
No people.
That's for sure.
Where ya goin'?
Wherever.
Yeah, I know what that's like.
Where ya been?
Been down south of here, pickin' fruit.
What's the matter? They lookin' for you?
Yeah.
What did you do?
You know, I've never been able to figure that out.
Say.
I have a little whiskey here. It'll warm you up.
That's great.
Makes it better. Yeah.
Run.
Good morning! How are ya?
Listen. She didn't do anything. She really didn't.
Sir? Sir, she really didn't do anything.
She really didn't.
Do I have to go right away,
or do I have time to take a bath?
No word for your mother, of course?
You were hoping for a word, Mother?
What would you like to hear?
Lillian, we have to talk.
Frances?
I am trying to get you back on your feet.
No, you're not.
You're trying to break my spirit.
You're trying to turn me into you, Lillian.
But I'm not you...
and I never will be.
And I thank God for that.
And that goes for you, too, Ernest.
Frankly, I don't understand how,
with the two of you, I turned out as sane as I am.
I gotta tell you, Lillian...
that one day, before you die,
you're going to realize what you've done.
And you'll hang your head in shame.
When you get well, you're going to thank me...
No, you are not talking now.
You listen.
Now, you can send me away,
and you can pretend I'm crazy,
and you can pretend I am still your little girl
who can't take care of herself.
But, Lillian,
There is one thing
that you cannot pretend anymore...
and that is that I love you.
Because I don't.
I can't. Not after what you've done to me.
See, because I am still me.
I've been trying real hard all this time to be me.
And you, little sister...
you haven't been any help at all.
Is that them?
Hey, boys. I'm ready.
Mr. Farmer.
Easy. Easy. Easy.
Close the door.
This way.
Come on, Ricky, move it, move it!
Best deal I ever made.
20 bucks to fuck a fucking movie star?
See the whole sky shining...
She's crazy, ain't she?
You know something, Ernest?
We've got to repaint Frances' room.
She's coming home any day now.
We've got to repaint.
The operation is simplicity itself.
One merely inserts the leucotome beneath the eyelid,
breaking through the bone,
pressing it up into the prefrontal lobe...
manipulating it
so as to sever the nervous connections
of the thalamofrontal radiation
to the body of the brain.
To demonstrate not only the simplicity
but also the speed of the process,
I will perform transorbital lobotomy
on 10 patients within an hour.
These patients will be given
mild doses of electroshock to sedate them,
although I should point out
that the procedure is completely painless.
I have performed it many times
while the patient remained awake.
From a clinical standpoint,
it is quite fascinating
to watch the change take place.
Now we know that lobotomy works,
but now we can apply it on a much larger scale.
The old way, prefrontal technique,
required a full day's work by a surgical team
to treat a single patient.
In the same time, working alone,
I can treat 50.
My method is inexpensive, it's fast, and it's safe:
Only a little more dangerous than operating
to remove an infected tooth.
In plain language, my ice pick technique
severs the nerves
that deliver emotional energy to ideas.
Along with the cure comes a loss of affect,
a kind of emotional flattening
with diminished creativity and imagination.
After all, it is their imaginations and emotions
that are disturbed.
However, this patient here
will soon be leaving the hospital.
Lobotomy gets 'em home.
Well, hello, everybody.
Tonight, we'd like for you to meet a beautiful lady
whose life could have served as a model
for a play by Eugene O'Neill
or a novel by Theodore Dreiser.
The talented star of Broadway and Hollywood,
Miss Frances Farmer.
Hello, Frances.
Hello there.
Now, we know
that there are certain periods in your life
which have left unhappy scars on your memory.
What, then, prompted you
to come and relive your life with us here tonight, Frances?
Well, Ralph, I...
wanted to be able to,
tell something of my own experiences
to help, people who have...
I know of in the same kind of predicament.
I've received so many letters
from people who want... hope or advice,
even which perhaps I might be able to suggest
where they can find it.
Other stories accuse you of being an alcoholic.
Were you, Frances?
No. I was never an alcoholic.
Did you ever take dope?
No. Never.
Can you tell us what happened next, Frances?
Well, Ralph, I...
didn't think then, and I still don't,
that I was actually sick.
But there were so many people
who seemed to think I was mentally ill
that I just had to find out why.
You know, if you're treated like a patient,
why, you're apt to act like one,
because, after all, any effective cure
is based on faith in one's self,
which... means faith in God.
Well, your faith has been rewarded, Frances.
We've wired 125 Hollywood producers,
urging them to look in on This Is Your Life tonight,
and keep you in mind
for an important new dramatic role.
You're gonna be a busy gal, Frances,
dashing from interview to interview,
so the Ford Motor Company wants to give you a helping hand
by presenting you with the beautiful
brand-new 1958 four-door Edsel Pacer.
With its ease of handling
and above all its dependability,
this Edsel will get you where you want to go.
Thank you so much.
And now, Frances,
as your friends gather around you,
I know that they join me
in wishing you only the best in your new career.
We're hosting a party for you and your friends
right after the show tonight
at Hollywood's own Roosevelt Hotel.
Your life certainly proves...
Do you need a ride home, Frances?
No, I'm fine.
Okay.
Bye-bye.
Take care, dear.
Good night.
Frances.
Harry York.
It's nice to see you again.
How are you doing, Farmer?
I'm doing just fine, Harry.
Did you see the show?
Yeah, sure. That's why I came down here.
How did I look?
You always looked like a million bucks.
Well, you look good, Harry.
I got a new car, only it's white.
Did you know Momma died?
Yeah, I, heard about that.
Dad, too.
I sold the house.
I'm a faceless sinner, Harry.
Why do you say that?
I'd ask you to take me home,
but, well, I'm a faceless sinner.
You smell good, Harry.
Familiar, you know?
I'd ask you to take me home, but...
Frances.
Don't be mad, Harry.
Some things just happen for the best.
Things are gonna be slow from now on.
Do you know what I mean?
No, I'm not sure.
Very slow.
But we're not going to stop, are we, Harry?
No.
No, we're not.
Well, bye.
It's very nice to see you again.
Frances?
Would you mind if I walked with you a little ways?
That would be all right.
Just a little ways.