KAY FRANCIS - AUTOGRAPHED SIGNED PHOTOGRAPH - HFSID 323270

KAY FRANCIS
Vintage signed photograph of a rarely fair-haired Francis in The House on 56th Street (1933)
Photograph signed: "Kay Francis", in blue ink, B/w 10x8. Brunette and deep-voiced American actor Kay Francis (1903-1968), born Katherine Edwina Gibbs, had a brief stage career in the late 1920s, including several Broadway appearances, before debuting in films in 1929. She became a leading and glamorous star of the 1930s (despite a slight speech impediment that reportedly led to her nickname "the wavishing Kay Fwancis"). She appeared in a total of 70 movies and TV shows between 1929 and 1951, including The Cocoanuts (1929) and Raffles (1930). But Francis didn't show much care in selecting scripts and often took projects that other leading ladies rejected. Bette Davis gradually took over her place in Hollywood's pantheon, and Francis was relegated to B-movies by the 1940s. She did a lot of USO touring during World War II; her experiences were chronicled by fellow trouper Carole Landis in the book and then 1944 film Four Jills in a Jeep, but even this failed to revive her career. Her career was pretty much over by 1946, with only a few appearances on TV in the early 1950s. Pin holes in corners. Corners worn and creased. Slightly toned. Torn on top left corner. Bowed. Ink notes (unknown hand) on bottom margin. Ink print on verso. Stain on bottom right margin. Slightly soiled. Surface scratches and dents (not seen head on). Signature faint, but legible. Sticker affixed on verso. Otherwise, fine condition.