Frances Farmer in jail (1-14-43)

The Los Angeles Times (January 14, 1943)

Frances Farmer resists arrest

Officers get actress to jail after being forced to clothe her

Frances Farmer, 29-year-old stage and screen actress, was arrested in a Hollywood Knickerbocker Hotel apartment yesterday by Santa Monica police on a warrant charging violation of parole from a drunk-driving sentence imposed last November.

The actress, located by Detective Earl Reinbold and Policewoman Martha Maus at the apartment, refused to clothe herself for the trip to jail, and had to be forcibly attired, the officers reported.

Violated dimout

Miss Farmer, held in the San ta Monica Jail without bail, was arrested two months ago and charged with drunk driving when found operating her car with bright lights in a dimout zone on Pico Blvd.

She pleaded guilty and was given 180 days in jail and fined $230. The jail term was relaxed to probation for two years, and she was given time to pay a $130 balance of the fine.

Two-week hunt

A condition of probation was that she refrain from drinking. When police were informed, according to their statement, that she was not observing this prohibition, a two-week hunt was launched for her.

More trouble loomed for Miss Farmer as a result of her asserted unprovoked attack on a studio hairdresser last Tuesday on a film set.

The victim, Edna Marie Burge of 11161 Dickens Ave., North Hollywood, complained to Deputy City Attorney John H. Carter yesterday that while she was dressing the actress hair the latter suddenly jumped up, struck her in the face and knocked her down According to the victim, Miss Farmer then flew into a tantrum and work on the picture was canceled for the day.

As a result of this flare of temper, producer Frank King of B-K Productions, who is producing No Escape on the Monogram lot, said he ejected Miss Farmer from the picture and replaced her with Mary Brian.

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Brooklyn Eagle (January 15, 1943)

‘When are you going to start the torture?’ asks Frances in jail

Hollywood, California (UP) –
Frances Farmer, tempestuous screen actress, awoke after a quiet night in jail, her first of a 180-day sentence, drank a cup of jail coffee which she eyed with disdain and asked:

Well, where are the instruments? When are you going to start the torture? I thought you would brand me with a hot iron.

Matron Vada Sullivan said the actress slept as though she were completely exhausted after going to bed at 11 p.m.

Mrs. Sullivan said Miss Farmer would not be put to work in the jail because she is in a high-strung condition and requires rest.

It was disclosed today that Dr. Thomas H. Leonard, psychiatrist, had visited Miss Farmer late yesterday and had questioned her. Friends and relatives were attempting to work out a rehabilitation program for Miss Farmer, who was led in a straitjacket to a solitary confinement cell to begin her sentence for violation of probation on a drunken driving charge.

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Even when the planet is engulfed in the biggest & bloodiest war in human history, the world of celebrity scandals still goes on.

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Not just this one, there’s actually two prominent celebrity scandals as of January 1943. The other one is Errol Flynn’s trial.

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Frances had a very troubled life. It was sad. Not sure all of what is true whether there were really mental issues but just sad.

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Brooklyn Eagle (January 16, 1943)

Frances Farmer held for sanity hearing

Hollywood, California (UP) –
Frances Farmer underwent observation in General Hospital today awaiting a hearing on an insanity petition filed at the request of her sister-in-law.

Dr. Thomas Leonard, psychiatrist, described the tempestuous blonde actress as:

…mentally ill, hyperemotional and dangerous to others and probably to herself.

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