News Summary

• Frances Farmer was a beautiful woman who became a movie star in the 1930s.
• She could not abide the Hollywood studio system that had her under contract.
• They told her what to wear, who to talk to, and even who to marry.
• Eventually, it became too much.
• She was sent to a series of mental institutions, where she underwent electroconvulsive therapy.
• She came out with stories of neglect, rape, and abuse that were common to such institutions at the time.
• She still made comebacks, in film, in television, and then on stage, but she never lost her rebellious streak.