For a period of years before and (most notably) after her film career, Kay Francis has a distinguished career on the stage. While photos of her stage work are scarce, I have pieced together as much as I could find (hopefully, in time, I will be able to find more playbills and photographs).

Many thanks to authors Scott O’Brien, Lynn Kear, and John Rossman, as well as the Internet Broadway database for providing a lot of information.

1920/1921:

Let’s Not and Say We Did. Performed at the Catholic School of St. Mary in Garden City, Long Island for two performances. [Kay was credited as Katie Gibbs.] Kay played the male lead.

1925:

Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Opened on November 9, 1925 at the Booth Theater in New York and ran for 88 performances. Kay, credited as Katharine Francis, appeared as a Player Queen.

The School for Scandal. Opened on December 2, 1925 at the Knickerbocker Theatre for only one performance. Kay had only a bit part, did not appear in the playbill.

1926:

[April-September of this year, Kay toured with the Stuart Walker Company. Performances were brief.]

White Collars. Opened and closed the week of April 26, 1926 at the Grand Opera House in Cincinnati, Ohio. Kay, credited as Katherine Francis, played Sally Van Luyn.

White Collars. Opened and closed the week of May 3, 1926 at B.F. Keith’s Theatre in Indianapolis, Indiana. . Kay, credited as Katherine Francis, played Sally Van Luyn.

The Outsider. Opened and closed the week of May 10, 1926 at B.F. Keith’s Theare in Indianapolis, Indiana. Kay’s character is undetermined.

Seventh Heaven. Opened and closed the week of May 17, 1926 at B.F. Keith’s Theatre, Indianapolis, Indiana. Kaye Francis played Arlette.

They Knew What They Wanted. Opened and closed the week of May 24, 1926 at B.F. Keith’s Theatre in Indianapolis, Indiana. Katharine Francis played Second Italian Mother.

The Goose Hangs High. Opened and closed the week of May 31, 1926 at B.F. Keith’s Theatre in Indianapolis, Indiana. Kay’s character is undetermined.

Polly Preferred. Opened and closed the week of June 14, 1926 at B.F. Keith’s Theatre in Indianapolis, Indiana. Katharine Francis played A Young Lady.

White Collars. Opened and Closed the week of June 21, 1926 at the Victory Theatre in Dayton, Ohio. Katherine Francis played Sally Van Luyn.

Puppy Love. Opened and closed the week of July 5, 1926 at B.F. Keith’s Theatre in Indianapolis, Indiana. Katherine Francis played Ivy.

Puppy Love. Opened and closed the week of July 12, 1926 at the Victory Theatre in Dayton, Ohio. Katherine Francis played Ivy.

The Fall Guy. Opened and closed the week of July 19, 1926 at the Victory Theatre in Dayton, Ohio. Katherine Francis played Lottie.

The Old Soak. Opened and closed the week of July 26, 1926 at the Grand Opera House in Cincinnati, Ohio. Katherine Francis played Ina Heath.

Maid Errant. Opened and closed the week of August 2, 1926 at the Grand Opera House in Cincinnati, Ohio. Katherine Francis played Janet Wickham.

Justice. Opened and closed the week of August 9, 1926 at the Grand Opera House in Cincinnati, Ohio. Kay’s character is undetermined.

Dancing Mothers. Opened and closed the week of August 16, 1926 at the Grand Opera House in Cincinnati, Ohio. Katharine Francis played Irma Raymond.

Love is Like That. Opened and Closed the week of August 23, 1926 at the Grand Opera House in Cincinnati, Ohio. Katharine Francis played Kay Gurlizt.

Beatrice and the Blackguard. Opened and closed the week of August 30, 1926 at the Grand Opera House in Cincinnati, Ohio. Katharine Francis played Francesca.

[Kay’s days at the Stuart Walker Company end.]

1927:

Damn the Tears. Opened January 21, 1927 at the Garrick Theatre in New York. Ran for twenty-two performances. Kay’s work is undetermined.

Crime. Opened at the Eltinge Theater in New York on February 22, 1927 and ran for 186 performances. Katherine Francis played Marjorie Grey.

Amateur Anne. Opened the week of October 5, 1927 at the Shubert Theatre in Wilmington, Delaware. Katharine Francis played Lele Davis.

Amateur Anne. Opened at The Bronx Opera House in New York the week of October 10, 1927. Katherine Francis played Lele Davis.

Amateur Anne. Opened at Parson’s Theatre in Hartford, Connecticut the week of October 17, 1927. Katharine Francis played Lele Davis.

Venus. Opened at the Theatre Masque in New York on December 26, 1927 the play ran for eight performances. Katharine Francis played Diana Gibbs.

1928:

Fast Company. Opened in Worcester, Massachusetts, theater information unknown, on May 3, 1928. The performances ended on May 5, 1928.

Fast Company. Opened at the Tremont Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts on May 3, 1928. Performances ended on June 16, 1928.

Elmer the Great. A retitled version of “Fast Company.” Opened at the Blackstone Theatre in Chicago. Katharine Francis played Evelyn Corey.

Elmer the Great. Opened at the Lyceum Theatre in New York on September, 1928 and ran for forty performances. Katharine Francis played Evelyn Corey.

1945:

Windy Hill (tour). Opened at the Shubert Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut (after a try-out in Montclair, New Jersey at the Montclair Theatre on August 13, 1945) on September 20. A theatrical tour, “Windy Hill” played in 37 locations around the country. The last stop on the tour was the Harris Theatre in Chicago on May 25, 1946.

  

 

 

1946:

[See 1945 entry for “Windy Hill” productions during this year.]

State of the Union. Opened at the Hudson Theatre in New York City on September 2, closing on September 16, 1947. When Kay’s health proved a problem, she was briefly replaced with Edith Atwater from December 1, 1946—January 19, 1947. Kay returned on the 20th until the cast was given vacation time on May 17, 1947. They returned on June 16, 1947 and completed the play’s run at the Hudson Theatre on September 16, 1947.

 

 

1947:

State of the Union (tour). Began its theatrical tour on September 18, 1947 at the Playhouse in Wilmington, Detroit. The tour played in an outstanding 54 locations, a huge commercial success. It all ended on January 23, 1948 at the Hartman Theatre in Columbus, Ohio.

1948:

The Last of Mrs. Cheyney (tour). Began its theatrical tour on June 7, 1948 at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey. The tour played in fourteen different locations on the East Coast only. The last performance on this tour was at the Montclair Theatre in Montclair, New Jersey on September 20, 1948.

Favorite Stranger (tour). Began its theatrical tour on December 25, 1948 at the Strand Theatre in Elmira, New York. The tour played in 35 locations (mostly over the course of 1949), the last stop being on April 2, 1949 at the Nixon Theatre in Pittsburgh.

1949:

Let Us Be Gay (tour). Began its theatrical tour on June 3, 1949 at the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, Pennsylvania. The tour played in 18 different locations on the East Coast only. The last performance on this tour was at the Penthouse Theatre in Jacksonville, Florida on March 27, 1950.

1950:

Good-Bye, My Fancy (tour). Began its theatrical tour on May 23 at the Flatbush Theatre in Brooklyn, New York. The tour played in 7 different locations on the East Coast only (mostly in New York State, however). The last performance on this tour was at the Summer Theatre in Somerset, Maryland on July 10.

 

The Web and the Rock. Opened in Saratoga Springs, New York at the Spa Theatre on August 14. The only other location in which Kay performed this play was at North Shore Players in Marblehead, Maryland on August 21. When the summer ended, so did this play’s run.

1951:

Mirror, Mirror (tour). Opening at the Westhampton Playhouse on Long Island on July 9, Kay hoped that this production would bring her back to Broadway. Unfortunately, mixed reviews and public response limited the play’s chances. Mirror, Mirror played in nine locations along the East Coast before closing on September 3 at the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, Pennsylvania.

1952:

Theatre (tour). Began its theatrical tour on March 5 at the Central Florida Drama Festival in Winter Park, Florida. The play was a major success, Kay’s greatest triumph as an actress. The tour stretched into 1953, and played in 20 locations across the country before ending its summer stock run in Skowkegan, Maine at the Lakewood Playhouse on August 4, 1953.

1954:

[Kay was still touring in Theatre .]

Theatre. Performed at the Biltmore Playhouse in Miami, Florida on May 25, 1954.

Black Chiffon. Opened at the Biltmore Playhouse in Miami, Florida on June 22, 1954. Kay played Alicia Christie. The play closed on July 4, 1954.

Theatre. Performed at Pickwick Players in Birmingham, Alabama on July 12, 1954.

Theatre. Performed at the Town and Country Playhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana on July 27, 1954.

Theatre ends its run at the Grove Theatre in Lake Nuangola, Pennsylvania on August 9, 1954. This performance marked the end of Kay’s stage career.

Kay Francis’ career on the radio stretched twelve years (1935-1947). Below, I have information regarding only major radio appearances of special note. The others, which can be read in The Complete Kay Francis Career Record, briefly featured Kay as a guest star. The appearances listed below have Kay either performing or promoting the war effort.

January 4, 1935. Hollywood Hotel.

CBS. Hosted by Dick Powell. Kay Francis and George Brent reenact scenes from and promote Living on Velvet , their new picture.

November 1, 1935. Hollywood Hotel.

CBS. Hosted by Dick Powell. Kay Francis, Ian Hunter, and Sybil Jason reenact scenes from and promote I Found Stella Parish.

May 29, 1936. Hollywood Hotel.

CBS. Hosted by Dick Powell. Kay Francis, Ian Hunter, and Donald Woods reenact scenes from and promote The White Angel.

September 25, 1936. Hollywood Hotel.

CBS. Hosted by George Burns and Gracie Allen. Kay Francis and George Brent reenact scenes from and promote Give Me Your Heart.

November 26, 1937. Hollywood Hotel.

CBS. Hosted by Ken Murray. Kay Francis, Preston Foster, and Verree Teasdale reenact scenes from and promote First Lady.

May 13, 1938. Hollywood Hotel.

CBS. Hosted by Frank Parker. Kay Francis, Bonita Granville, and John Litel reenact scenes from and promote My Bill.

March 6, 1939. Lux Radio Theatre.

CBS. Hosted by Cecil B. DeMille. Kay Francis and William Powell perform One-Way Passage. Kay stepped in when Norma Shearer, original set to star, became ill.

March 26, 1939. Gulf Screen Guild Show.

CBS. Hosted by George Murphy. Kay Francis, Leslie Howard, and Virginia Weidler perform Never in This World.

December 11, 1939. Lux Radio Theatre.

CBS. Hosted by Cecil B. DeMille. Cary Grant, Carole Lombard, and Kay Francis reenact scenes from and promote In Name Only.

December 17, 1939. The Silver Theatre.

CBS. Hosted by Conrad Nagel. Kay Francis performs Twice Upon a Time.

March 3, 1940. The Silver Theatre.

CBS. Hosted by Conrad Nagel. Kay Francis performs A Lady By Preference.

March 18, 1940. Lux Radio Theatre.

CBS. Hosted by Cecil B. DeMille. Kay Francis, George Brent, and others reenact scenes from and promote The Rains Came. Interestingly, Kay was considered for the lead in the actual movie version, but the part went to Myrna Loy instead.

December 15, 1940. The Silver Theatre.

CBS. Hosted by Conrad Nagel. Kay Francis performs in Four on a Match.

March 3, 1941. Lux Radio Theatre.

CBS. Hosted by Cecil B. DeMille. Kay Francis and Warren William, among others, perform My Bill, a movie Kay had made in 1938 for Warner Brothers.

May 18, 1941. The Jack Benny Program.

NBC. Hosted by Jack Benny. Kay Francis and Benny reenact scenes from and promote Charley’s Aunt, their new picture from Twentieth Century-Fox.

October 13, 1941. The Cavalcade of America.

NBC. Kay Francis stars in Waters of the Wilderness, based on the 1941 novel by Shirley Seifert.

February 11, 1943. Stage Door Canteen.

CBS. Kay Francis was a guest star.

March 1, 1943. Lux Radio Theatre.

CBS. Hosted by Cecil B. DeMille. Kay Francis and George Brent, among others, perform The Lady is Willing.

March 24, 1943. Stage Door Canteen.

CBS. Kay Francis was a guest star.

April 5, 1943. Great Gildersleeve.

NBC. Kay Francis makes a speech about the importance of War Bonds. Her speech can be read in Lynn Kear and John Rossman’s The Complete Kay Francis Career Record, page 224.

May 3, 1943. Cavalcade of America.

NBC. Kay Francis, Mitzi Mayfair, and Martha Raye perform in Soldiers in Greasepaint.

July 4, 1943. The Silver Theatre.

CBS. Hosted by Conrad Nagel. Kay Francis performs in Murder Unlimited.

November 25, 1943. Soldiers in Greasepaint.

NBC. Hosted by Jack Benny and Bob Hope. Kay Francis, Al Jolson, Fredric March, Martha Raye, Carole Landis, Mitzi Mayfair, Merle Oberon, John Garfield, and others promote the war effort. Bob Hope personally thanks Kay and the girls for their work on their USO tour of Europe and Africa.

November 28, 1943. The Silver Theatre.

CBS. Hosted by Conrad Nagel. Kay Francis performs in The Lady Grew Up.

December 11, 1943. The Globe Theatre.

CBS. Hosted by Herbert Marshall. Kay Francis and Walter Pidgeon perform in Strange Victory.

Kay Francis resisted the television at first, noting in her diary why she found it a bad medium (noting how horribly photographed her fellow contemporaries appeared on the small screen). But she didn’t resist for long. With her stage career dwindling down, and film offers practically non-existent, Kay Francis decided to venture into the television world but never found much interest in it. Her work included mostly guest appearances. (Unlike her friend Ruth Chatterton who had a major 1953 production of Hamlet, which cost a reportedly $180,000, then a record-high for a TV project.)

Unfortunately, none of Kay Francis’ early television appearances have survived.

Following this is a list of Kay Francis movies scheduled for air on Turner Classic Movies.

---

 

May 14, 1950. This is Show Business.

A variety show which was shown on Sundays on CBS, Kay appeared with Herb Shriner and Patice Munsel.

November 7, 1950. The Prudential Family Playhouse.

This show—formatted in a similar way to Robert Montgomery Presents—had actors performing small plays. In this episode, which aired on Tuesday on CBS, had the cast performing Call It a Day. Kay Francis is the only notable actor in the credits.

January 8, 1951. Hollywood Screen Test.

A talent show for Hollywood hopefuls, this episode aired on Monday on ABC. Kay and an unknown actor appeared in a skit titled “The Long Way Round.”

May 24, 1951. Betty Crocker Show.

Kay more than likely appeared as herself, since this was a show which basically featured cooking and cleaning tips for wannabe Stepford wives (it’s a joke).

June 4, 1951. Lux Video Theatre.

This series was a Television spin-off of the legendary Lux Radio Theatre (which featured Kay on several occasions). Kay’s skit was titled Consider the Lilies, and featured her then-lover Joel Ashley.

October 20, 1951. Beat the Clock.

A game show in which Kay’s appearance is unknown. (She probably just appeared as a special guest, nothing more.)

October 31, 1951. The Frances Langford-Don Ameche Show.

This series was co-hosted by Kay’s Feminine Touch (1941) costar, Don Ameche.

November 11, 1951. Celebrity Time.

Legendary stage actor Conrad Nagel hosted this program, a quiz/talk show.

April 2, 1952. The Stork Club.

Hosted by Sherman Billingsley, Kay appeared as an interviewed guest.

May 10, 1952. The Ken Murray Show.

A variety show which featured Kay in a skit with Lola Albright.

September 1, 1953. Anyone Can Win.

Hosted by Al Capp, this game show featured a celebrity hiding behind a mask, and panelists guessed who was underneath. Kay probably appeared as a masked guest.

December 24, 1954. Strike it Rich.

A CBS morning show. Kay tripped over a dolly track and injured herself. She filed a lawsuit against the studio, which was headlined in 1957 in Variety (June 14, 1957) and Billboard (June 17, 1957). [Thanks to Scott O’Brien for the info.]

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Kay Francis on TCM:

A ** next to a title indicates a film of Kay’s which I think you should particularly try to see or record for later viewing.

**ONE WAY PASSAGE (1932) DECEMBER 12, 6:00 AM (ET)
THE COCOANUTS (1929) DECEMBER 31, 8:15 AM (ET)

Birthday Tribute to Kay on TCM!
January 13, 2016:

6:00 AM **A Notorious Affair (1930)
7:15 AM **Guilty Hands (1931)
8:30 AM **Jewel Robbery (1932)
9:45 AM **Mary Stevens, M.D. (1933)
11:00 AM I Loved A Woman (1933)
12:45 PM **Mandalay (1934)
2:00 PM **Confession (1937)
3:30 PM **Stolen Holiday (1937)
5:00 PM **Another Dawn (1937)
6:15 PM Always In My Heart (1942)

The Kay Francis Box Office Information
This is one of the most difficult projects to complete for any classic film star, finding out how much money their films actually made upon initial release. Unfortunately, it is very time consuming and involves a lot of help from outside sources, for those who helped me I am truly grateful. This list is far from complete, but I want to thank the staff at the University of Southern California Film Library (especially Ned Comstock) for sending me the majority of the grosses for Francis’ films from Warner Bros. Click here to visit their webpage for their Cinematic Arts collection. The financial information I received from USC was taken directly from the William Schaefer ledger, the financial records for the Warner Bros. film studios during the time of Kay Francis’ employment.

For the features Passion Flower (1930), Guilty Hands (1931), and Storm At Daybreak (1933), I took the information from an article titled “MGM Film Grosses, 1924 – 1948” published in the Historical Journal of Film, Television, and Radio, Vol. 12, No. 2 [1992]. The article was written by H. Mark Glancy. That information was taken from the Eddie Mannix financial information for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) film studios. Unfortunately, in the article there was no information for The Feminine Touch (1941).The information for In Name Only (1939), made at RKO, was taken from “RKO Film Grosses 1929-1951”, published in the Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Volume 14, Issue 1, [1994]. The article was written by Richard B. Jewell, with a commentary by C.J. Trevlin. Thanks to Jewell for sending me numbers for the other films Francis completed for RKO: Transgression (1931), Little Men (1940), and Play-Girl (1941).

Regarding the two features Kay Francis completed for 20th Century-Fox, Charley’s Aunt (1941) and Four Jills in a Jeep (1944), the financial information available was from Aubrey Solomon’s Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History, published in 1988 by Scarecrow Filmmaker Series.

Information for Trouble In Paradise (1932) came from The Complete Kay Francis Career Record, by Lynn Kear and John Rossman, published in 2008 by McFarland. Information regarding profits from Mandalay, Wonder Bar, and Doctor Monica (all 1934) was pulled directly from Mark Vieira’s Sin in Soft Focus, published in 1999 by Abrams. I am not aware of how Mr. Vieira received the numbers for the profits made from those three films.

It should be noted by all readers that the William Schaefer ledger does not include information regarding profits or losses for the film information recorded. In the article “Warner Bros. Film Grosses, 1921-1951”, also published in the Historical Journal of Film, Radio, and Television, the top ten grossing movies of each year were presented. The films on the following chart in purple text represent the movies which were on that list, indicating that they were indeed on the top-ten list of the highest-grossing films for Warner Bros. in their released years.

The blank spaces on the chart below represent missing data from the films Miss Francis completed between in which no information could be currently found. Please note that this chart begins with Passion Flower, her 14th movie, because no information from her previous films is in my collection. For simplicity, I left the gaps instead of listing the numerous titles for which I have no information. Some films which I have no information are on this because it followed her filmography without leaving enormous blank spaces on the chart. A “-” on the chart indicates I do not have a number for that figure.

If you have any information on where I can obtain box office information for any films of Kay Francis in order to complete this chart, please email me.

Last, but certainly not least, thanks to Scott O’Brien, author of Kay Francis: I Can’t Wait to be Forgotten, for putting me in touch with James Robert Parish who co-wrote, among numerous other books, the first retrospect article ever written on Kay Francis. Parish’s “Kay Francis’ Complete Career” was published in the February, 1964 edition of Films in Review. That article is of major importance not only because it was the first of its kind, but because Parish was also able to send a copy to Miss Francis personally. Click here to visit O’Brien’s site. Click here to visit Parish’s site.

A big thanks to Parish for putting me in touch with the right people.

Amounts given in $1,000 increments—e.g., “259” = $259,000 and “1,108” = $1,108,000.

[The cost of production for Trouble in Paradise, as well as the profits listed for Mandalay, Wonder Bar, and Doctor Monica are listed in
the whole numerical amounts.]

Film	Cost of Production	Domestic Gross	Foreign Gross	Total Gross	Profit/(Loss)
–	–	–	–	–	–
–	–	–	–	–	–
Passion Flower (1930)	$259	$470	$172	$642	$138
–	–	–	–	–	–
Transgression (1931)	$279	$269	$41	$310	($85)
Guilty Hands (1931)	$152	$452	$234	$686	$282
–	–	–	–	–	–
–	–	–	–	–	–
Man Wanted (1932)	$171	$258	$59	$317	–
Street of Women (1932)	$195	$250	$89	$339	–
Jewel Robbery (1932)	$308	$316	$110	$426	–
One-Way Passage (1932)	$350	$791	$371	$1,108	–
Trouble In Paradise (1932)	$519,706	$475	–	–	–
Cynara (1932)	–	–	–	–	–
The Keyhole (1933)	$167	$301	$227	$528	–
Storm at Daybreak (1933)	$280	$302	$334	$636	$121
Mary Stevens, M.D. (1933)	$150	$360	$139	$499	–
I Loved A Woman (1933)	$338	$381	$168	$549	–
The House on 56th Street (1933)	$211	$410	$284	$694	–
Mandalay (1934)	$294	$346	$273	$619	$83,462
Wonder Bar (1934)	$675	–	–	$2,035	$756,962
Doctor Monica (1934)	$167	$294	$140	$434	$70,962
British Agent (1934)	$475	$532	$390	$922	–
Living on Velvet (1935)	$276	$334	$170	$504	–
Stranded (1935)	$348	$349	$217	$566	–
The Goose and the Gander (1935)	$245	$329	$177	$506	–
I Found Stella Parish (1935)	$392	$461	$374	$835	–
The White Angel (1936)	$506	$886	$530	$1,416	–
Give Me Your Heart (1936)	$436	$633	$402	$1,035	–
Stolen Holiday (1937)	$524	$502	$272	$774	–
Another Dawn (1937)	$552	$572	$473	$1,045	–
Confession (1937)	$513	$457	$187	$644	–
First Lady (1937)	$485	$322	$102	$424	–
Women Are Like That (1938)	$403	$315	$117	$432	–
My Bill (1938)	$197	$376	$183	$559	–
Secrets of An Actress (1938)	$345	$273	$115	$388	–
Comet Over Broadway (1938)	$258	$196	$149	$345	–
King of the Underworld (1939)	$235	$319	$179	$498	–
Women in the Wind (1939)	$301	$260	$88	$348	–
In Name Only (1939)	$772	$926	$395	$1,321	$155
It’s a Date (1940)	–	–	–	–	–
When the Daltons Rhode (1940)	–	–	–	–	–
Little Men (1940)	$424	$216	$118	$334	($214)
Play Girl (1941)	$221	$219	$95	$314	($16)
The Man Who Lost Himself (1941)	–	–	–	–	–
Charley’s Aunt (1941)	$650	$2,400	–	–	–
The Feminine Touch (1941)	–	–	–	–	–
Always in My Heart (1942)	$515	$524	$1,574	$2,098	–
Between Us Girls (1942)	–	–	–	–	–
Four Jills in a Jeep (1944)	$1,125	–	–	–	–