Who Was Frances Farmer? Her Unique Journey & Enduring Legacy
Explore the tumultuous life and undeniable talent of Frances Farmer, a Hollywood actress whose unique journey challenged norms and left a complex legacy in cinema.
Frances Farmer (born in Seattle in 1914) was a stunningly beautiful and successful actress, achieving recognition on both Broadway and in Hollywood. Her career, however, was tragically derailed by a series of conflicts with authorities. In 1942, she was unjustly declared “mentally incompetent” and committed by her parents to a succession of public sanatoriums and psychiatric hospitals. Despite various treatments, none were able to “tame” her or bring her to “normality.”
Frances Farmer’s Lobotomy and Later Life
In October 1948, at the tender age of 34, while at the obscure Western State Hospital in Washington, Frances Farmer underwent a notorious procedure. The hospital director enlisted the renowned neurosurgeon Walter Freeman, largely responsible for popularizing the lobotomy in the U.S., to perform his infamous transorbital lobotomy on her.
She was released from the hospital in 1953, no longer perceived as a threat to society. Initially, she supported herself with temporary jobs, including working as a hotel receptionist. However, she eventually managed to reintegrate into show business, appearing on TV programs and even hosting her own talk show. The former actress passed away in 1970. In 1982, Jessica Lange starred in ** Frances**, a compelling drama based on Farmer’s tumultuous life.
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