Stage Career

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:

1926kaystuart27[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.

1928 with Walter Huston in Elmer the Great.
1928 with Walter Huston in Elmer the Great.

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.


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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.

 

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Kay and Ralph Bellamy

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.