Kay Francis
Biography
Kay Francis was an American actress of stage and screen who became Warner Bros.' leading female star in the early 1930s. Born in Oklahoma City to an actress, she adopted her mother's maiden name professionally. She made her Broadway debut in a modern-dress Hamlet in 1925, then worked with Stuart Walker's Portmanteau Theatre and in Crime and Elmer the Great. After a screen test for Gentlemen of the Press, she appeared in that film and The Cocoanuts (1929) before moving to Hollywood. At Paramount she frequently co-starred with William Powell, making 21 films with him from 1930 to 1932. Warner Bros. brought her over in 1932, and she became the studio's top female star; she was loaned back to Paramount for Trouble in Paradise (1932). Her other notable roles included a troubled doctor in Mary Stevens, M.D. (1933), a supporting part in In Name Only (1939), and the lead opposite Humphrey Bogart in King of the Underworld (1939).
63years old at death
- Born Oklahoma City
- Died New York City
- Star sign: CapricornThe sign runs December 22 to January 19
- Katharine Edwina Gibbs (birth name)Also credited as Katharine Francis
Movie Career
- Films
- 10
- Career span
- 11 years1929 to 1940
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First role
Kay Francis made her Broadway debut in November 1925 as the Player Queen in a Hamlet staged in modern dress. She said she landed the role by telling plenty of lies to the right people.
A first
Between 1930 and 1937, Francis was on the front of 38 film magazines. Only child sensation Shirley Temple topped that, with 138 covers.
Kay Francis movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Lloyd Bacon directed two of these films. Six actors appear in two of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Spencer Charters's page
William Powell's page
Arthur Aylesworth's page
Henry Kolker's page
Ruth Donnelly's page
Helen Vinson's page
All films by Lloyd Bacon
Awards
One award and honor.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame | Honored | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.