Franchot Tone
- Known For
- Acting
- Born
- February 27, 1905 in Niagara Falls, New York, USA
- Died
- September 18, 1968
- Active Years
- 1932–1996 (65 Years)
- Total Credits
- 116 credits in database
Biography
Stanislaus Pascal Franchot Tone was an American actor, producer, and director who worked in stage, film, and television. Born in Niagara Falls, New York, on February 27, 1905, he served as the president of the Dramatic Club at Cornell University before pursuing an acting career. He made his Broadway debut in The Age of Innocence and his film debut in the 1932 production The Wiser Sex. Tone was a prominent leading man during the 1930s and early 1940s, often cast in gentlemanly sophisticate roles. By the 1950s, he transitioned into supporting parts. His film credits include Mutiny on the Bounty. During the early 1960s, he appeared in television dramas such as Bonanza, Wagon Train, The Twilight Zone, and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. He died on September 18, 1968.
Career overview
Stanislaus Pascal Franchot Tone was an American actor, producer, and director who worked across stage, film, and television. Born in Niagara Falls, New York, on February 27, 1905, he served as the president of the Dramatic Club at Cornell University before pursuing a professional acting career. He made his Broadway debut in The Age of Innocence and subsequently transitioned into film, making his screen debut in the 1932 Paramount Pictures production The Wiser Sex. During his time at MGM, he established himself as a leading man throughout the 1930s and early 1940s. At the height of his career, he was recognized for portraying gentlemanly, sophisticated characters.
As his career progressed into the 1950s, Tone shifted toward supporting roles. He is noted for his work in the 1935 film Mutiny on the Bounty and appeared in many other motion pictures throughout his life, including The Lives of a Bengal Lancer. In the early 1960s, he expanded his work into television, taking on character roles in various dramas such as Bonanza, Wagon Train, The Twilight Zone, and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. Tone continued his career in film and television until his death on September 18, 1968, at the age of 63.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
116 titles- Joan Crawford: Always the Star (1996) as Self (archive footage)
- Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker (1991) as actor 'Advise and 'Consent' (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre (1989) as Self
- That's Entertainment, Part II (1976) as (archive footage)
- Hollywood: The Dream Factory (1972) as Self (archive footage)
- Brasileiros em Hollywood (1970) as Self (archive footage)
- Nobody Runs Forever (1968) as Ambassador Townsend
- Shadow Over Elveron (1968) as Barney Conners
- Run for Your Life (1965) as Judge Taliaferro Wilson
- In Harm's Way (1965) as CINCPAC I
- Mickey One (1965) as Rudy Lopp
- The Making of A Movie (1965) as Self
- The Big Parade of Comedy (1964) as Gifford in 'Bombshell' (archive footage)
- See How They Run (1964) as Baron Frood
- How to Make a French Dish (1964) as John K. Montasy Jr
- The Virginian (1962) as Murdoch
- The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962) as Rudolph Bitzner
- Advise & Consent (1962) as The President
- Ben Casey (1961) as Daniel Freeland
- Witchcraft: The Doll in Brambles (1961) as Your Host
- The Shape of the River (1960) as Mark Twain
- Bonanza (1959) as Denver McKee
- The Twilight Zone (1959) as Col. Archie Taylor
- Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (1958) as Candy Lombe
- Bitter Heritage (1958) as Frank James
- Uncle Vanya (1957) as Dr. Mikhail Lvovich Astroff
- Uncle Vanya (1957) Director
- Uncle Vanya (1957) Producer
- Armchair Theatre (1956) as Joe
- Rendezvous in Black (1956) as Hugh Strickland
- The Little Foxes (1956) as Horace
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) as Oliver Mathews
- Too Old for Dolls (1955) as Mike Ramsay
- Climax! (1954) as Henry Hutton
- Climax! (1954) as Dr. Ken Jaynes
- Climax! (1954) as Kurt Baumann / Scott Malone
- Twelve Angry Men (1954) as Juror #3
- General Electric Theater (1953) as Charles Proteus Steinmetz
- Four Star Playhouse (1952) as Ben
- Tales of Tomorrow (1951)
- Here Comes the Groom (1951) as Wilbur Stanley
- Robert Montgomery Presents (1950)
- The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950) as Self
- Lux Video Theatre (1950) as Meredith Whitehouse
- Suspense (1949) as Markheim
- Lights Out (1949)
- The Man on the Eiffel Tower (1949) as Johann Radek
- The Man on the Eiffel Tower (1949) Producer
- Jigsaw (1949) as Howard Malloy
- Without Honor (1949) as Dennis Williams
- Studio One (1948) as Juror #3
- Studio One (1948) as Rev. Lockman
- Studio One (1948) as Douglas Thompson
- Studio One (1948) as Bill Gibson
- Studio One (1948)
- The Philco Television Playhouse (1948)
- The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) as Self
- I Love Trouble (1948) as Stuart Bailey
- Every Girl Should Be Married (1948) as Roger Sanford
- Her Husband's Affairs (1947) as William Weldon
- Honeymoon (1947) as David Flanner
- Lost Honeymoon (1947) as Johnny Gray
- Because of Him (1946) as Paul Taylor
- That Night with You (1945) as Paul Renaud
- Phantom Lady (1944) as John 'Jack' Marlow
- Dark Waters (1944) as Dr. George Grover
- The Hour Before the Dawn (1944) as Jim Hetherton
- Five Graves to Cairo (1943) as Cpl. John J. Bramble / Paul Davos
- His Butler's Sister (1943) as Charles Gerard
- Pilot #5 (1943) as George Braynor Collins
- The Voice That Thrilled the World (1943) as Self (segment 'Dangerous') (archive footage)
- True to Life (1943) as Fletcher Marvin
- Star Spangled Rhythm (1942) as John
- The Wife Takes a Flyer (1942) as Christopher Reynolds
- Nice Girl? (1941) as Richard Calvert
- She Knew All the Answers (1941) as Mark Willows
- This Woman Is Mine (1941) as Robert Stevens
- Trail of the Vigilantes (1940) as Kansas
- Fast and Furious (1939) as Joel Sloane
- Three Comrades (1938) as Otto Koster
- Three Loves Has Nancy (1938) as Robert 'Bob' Hanson
- The Girl Downstairs (1938) as Paul Wagner
- Man-Proof (1938) as Jimmy Kilmartin
- Love Is a Headache (1938) as Peter Lawrence
- Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 6 (1938) as Self
- Quality Street (1937) as Dr. Valentine Brown
- They Gave Him a Gun (1937) as James 'Jimmy' Davis
- The Romance of Celluloid (1937) as Self (archive footage)
- The Bride Wore Red (1937) as Giulio
- Between Two Women (1937) as Allan Meighan
- The Gorgeous Hussy (1936) as John H. Eaton
- Exclusive Story (1936) as Dick Parton
- Suzy (1936) as Terry
- The King Steps Out (1936) as Emperor Franz Josef
- Love on the Run (1936) as Barnabus Pells
- The Unguarded Hour (1936) as Sir Alan Dearden
- Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) as Roger Byam
- The Lives of a Bengal Lancer (1935) as Forsythe
- Dangerous (1935) as Don Bellows
- Reckless (1935) as Robert 'Bob' Harrison Jr.
- One New York Night (1935) as Foxhall Ridgeway
- No More Ladies (1935) as Jim 'Jimsy Boysie' Salston
- Gentlemen Are Born (1934) as Bob Bailey
- Sadie McKee (1934) as Michael
- The World Moves On (1934) as Richard Girard - 1825 / Richard Girard - 1914
- The Girl from Missouri (1934) as T.R. Paige, Jr.
- Straight Is the Way (1934) as Benny
- Moulin Rouge (1934) as Douglas Hall
- Dancing Lady (1933) as Tod Newton
- Bombshell (1933) as Gifford Middleton
- Midnight Mary (1933) as Tom
- Stage Mother (1933) as Warren Foster
- Gabriel Over the White House (1933) as Hartley Beekman - Secretary to the President
- Today We Live (1933) as Ronnie Boyce-Smith
- The Stranger's Return (1933) as Guy Crane
- The Wiser Sex (1932) as Phil Long
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Franchot Tone best known for?
Franchot Tone is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including That's Entertainment, Part II (1976), The Tattoo (1968), In Harm's Way (1965), Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking (2010).
When and where was Franchot Tone born?
Franchot Tone was born on February 27, 1905 in Niagara Falls, New York, USA. They passed away on September 18, 1968.
How many credits does Franchot Tone have?
Franchot Tone has accumulated over 116 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1932 to 1996.
What is Franchot Tone's background in cinema and television?
Stanislaus Pascal Franchot Tone was an American actor, producer, and director who worked in stage, film, and television. Born in Niagara Falls, New York, on February 27, 1905, he served as the president of the Dramatic Club at Cornell University before pursuing an acting career. He made his Broadway debut in The Age of...
Franchot Tone by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- The Twilight Zone (1959) as Col. Archie Taylor — aged about 54
- The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962) as Rudolph Bitzner — aged about 57
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) as Oliver Mathews — aged about 50
- Bonanza (1959) as Denver McKee — aged about 54
- Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) as Roger Byam — aged about 30
- The Big Parade of Comedy (1964) as Gifford in 'Bombshell' (archive footage) — aged about 59
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