News!     Kayriffic: Biographer Scott O’Brien on Kay Francis – An interview with Moira Finney – September 4, 2008                 Click here to see the interview September 26, 2008     The Library of Congress film archive at Mt. Pony (Culpeper, VA) invited Scott to introduce the Kay Francis film Trouble in Paradise. Their new Art Deco theatre opened in early September and has screened many classic film favorites. The Culpeper Star Exponent interviewed Scott beforehand. The article, “The Many Facets of Kay Francis,” by Allison Brophy Champion, can be read at: www.starexponent.com/cse/entertainment/movies/article/the_many_facets_of_kay_francis/21722/ KAY FRANCIS – TCM “Star of the Month” September 2008 Turner Classic Movie host Robert Osborne, who wrote the foreword to Kay Francis – I Can’t Wait to be Forgotten, will be introducing a plethora of Kay film on Thursday evenings in September. 42 films. “That’s more samples of the work of a single performer than we’ve ever shown before during one of our Star of the Month salutes,” says Osborne. Kay’s persona creates what Osborne refers to as a “unique world” on film. Osborne contacted Scott in July commenting, “Your Kay Francis book will be invaluable to me when I start writing those intros. I also plan to let people know about it. What an impact she still has on many of us. Again, congratulations on all your good work.”     SCOTT O’BRIEN GUESTING ON SILVER SCREEN OASIS – June16-20, 2008 Silver Screen Oasis is a wonderful venue for film lovers to ask questions of authors who write about classic Hollywood.  Moira Finnie has invited Scott for an on-line “Interlude with Kay Francis.”  Get aboard and join in on the fun by logging on at “Silver Screen Oasis.”  Silver Screen Oasis Silver Screen Oasis     Our Visiting Guest Star Author in June moirafinnie Moderator Joined: 09 Apr 2007 Posts: 1336 Location: Isle of Skye & Upstate NY         Many a classic movie lover may have wished to spend an evening with a unique actress from the studio era, Kay Francis. The Silver Screen Oasis is pleased to offer a reasonable facsimile this June when we host biographer Scott O'Brien, the author of: Kay Francis: I Can't Wait To Be Forgotten (BearManor Media). Mr. O'Brien will be on hand here for a week from Monday, June 16th-Friday, June 20th to discuss all things "Kayriffic". Kay Francis was a misty cinematic figure, barely remembered by older audience members, until TCM began to air her entertaining and enlightening films from the '20s, '30s and '40s regularly on their network. Her reputation has since spawned a minor renaissance as new fans have learned to cherish her sophisticated style and independent spirit in everything from The Cocoanuts (1929) to Trouble in Paradise(1932) to In Name Only(1939) to Four Jills in a Jeep(1944)  .  Scott O'Brien, who maintains a website at http://www.kayfrancisbiography.com/ , has written his biography of Miss Francis with clear-eyed affection, offering readers a great deal of insight into her public and private adventures, her withdrawal from show business, and her singular cinematic persona, (not to mention her dazzling clothes sense). One of the SSO's distinguished former guests, Mick LaSalle, has written that Scott O'Brien's book is: "Extensively researched, considered, [and] well-written. He talked to everybody. He nailed down facts (such as her real birthday: She was actually younger than some books have said), and he did right by his subject. Kay Francis was an actress who said she couldn't wait to be forgotten, but she doesn't deserve to be forgotten, and thanks to Turner Classic Movies her films have found a new audience. She was one of the great pre-Code women, and if you're curious about her, Scott O'Brien has written the book that has everything you want to know." Naming the book one of the Best of 2006, Laura Wagner wrote in Classic Images magazine that "O'Brien has a way with words as he beautifully examines Kay's films. He treats her private life with respect, without shying away from some unpleasantries. He skillfully uses Kay's own diary to paint a picture of an independent woman ahead of her time." Kay Francis: I Can't Wait To Be Forgotten is now available in its second edition through bookstores, libraries and online through such sites as Amazon, Barnes and Noble and the publisher, BearManor Media. While we can't offer anyone a One Way Passage with the lovely Kay Francis on a cruise, we hope that you'll join us in June for the next best thing--a cyber-cruise with Mr. O'Brien to discuss all things Kay at our non-profit website, The Silver Screen Oasis from June 19-20, 2008! We'll have the Paradise cocktails ready. (Images courtesy of the author, Scott O'Brien).       MAXIMUM STRENGTH MICK  Friday December 14, 2007 Mick LaSalle So Few People Do What They Say They'll Do                [San Francisco Chronicle film critic Mick LaSalle]          I meet lots of people who tell me they have a book idea or that they're writing a book or a book proposal, but few people ever go beyond the old "half a page of scribbled lines" that Pink Floyd talks about. Even if they do, they rarely have the talent and the relentlessness required to actually get published. So far only two people who've told me they wanted to write a book actually did. One was a university lecturer and the other is Scott O'Brien. I met Scott about nine or ten years ago, when I was researching my first book. Someone put me in touch with him because he had an extensive collection of Kay Francis films on video. He was also, clearly, an expert on Kay Francis and, according his account -- this part I don't remember -- I told him he should write a book.  However, I didn't think he ever would for two reasons: 1) Few people do what they say they're going to do, even if they really, really want to; and 2) The market for a book on Kay Francis struck me as fairly non-existent. I thought there SHOULD be a book on Kay Francis, but I wasn't sure that such a book could ever be published. Well, he's done it, and it's good: Extensively researched, considered, well-written. He talked to everybody. He nailed down facts (such as her real birthday: She was actually younger than some books have said), and he did right by his subject.  Kay Francis was an actress who said she couldn't wait to be forgotten, but she doesn't deserve to be forgotten, and thanks to Turner Classic Movies her films have found a new audience. She was one of the great pre-Code women, and if you're curious about her, Scott O'Brien has written the book that has everything you want to know.  By: Mick LaSalle  | December 14       Classic Images:  "BEST OF 2006"  The December 2006 issue of Classic Images magazine listed "Kay Francis - 'I Can't Wait to be Forgotten'" among its "Best Book List" for 2006.  Book reviewer Laura Wagner, who reviews over 50 film related books each year for the publication, wrote:                         "O'Brien has a way with words as he beautifully examines Kay's films.  He treats                           her private life with respect, without shying away from some unpleasantries.                             He skillfully uses Kay's own diary to paint a picture of an independent woman                            ahead of her time."  Eight other books also received honors for 2006. They were: "No More Little White Lies: The Life of Dick Haymes," by Ruth Prigozy "Diane Keaton: Artist and Icon," by Deborah C. Mitchell "The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre," by Stephen D. Youngkin "I Love the Illusion: The Life and Career of Agnes Moorhead," by Charles Transberg "Bring in the Peacocks: Memoirs of a Hollywood Producer," by Hank Moonjean "Fiasco: A History of Hollywood's Iconic Flops," James Robert Parish "Serial Film Stars: A Biographical Dictionary, 1912-1956," by Buck Rainey "My Fifteen Minutes: An Autobiography of a Child Star of the Golden Age of Hollywood," On Saturday September 16th, 2006, Scott O'Brien will be signing Kay's biography at the Sonoma County Book Festival (10am - 5pm).  The event is held at Santa Rosa's Courthouse Square.  The popular annual event, sponsored by Sonoma County Libraries and KRCB (PBS Radio), draws authors, poets and book distributors in the North Bay.  Come and join us at the Kay Francis Booth and enjoy the festivity.   Scott O'Brien, the author of  "Kay Francis - I Can't Wait to Be Forgotten" Her Life on Film and Stage,  will be at the 2006 San Francisco Silent Film Festival doing a Book Signing on Sunday, July 16th.  Don't miss this opportunity to get your book signed and meet the author.     Now Available: April-June issue #110 2006 Filmfax  magazine pays tribute to Kay’s role as producer at Monogram films (1944-46) featuring an article by Scott O’Brien titled “Kay Francis at Monogram -- To Make a Buck, She Bucked the System ! ”   Silver Screen Audio   Interviews author Scott O'Brien. Silver Screen Audio devoted exclusively to the golden age of Hollywood, Reviews, upcoming releases of vintage DVD Movie Film Classics from the 1930's, 1940's, 1950's, 1960's and 1970's from Columbia, Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, MGM and the other studio factories that turned dreams into reality.  Silver Screen Audio airs each Monday night on WGBB Radio 1240 AM Freeport New York.  The audio of this interview is available here April 3 2006 broadcast.   January, 2006 TCM www.turnerclassicmovies.com “Movie News” offers a sneak preview of BearManor Media’s release for “Kay Francis- I Can’t Wait to be Forgotten” by Scott O’Brien.  An all day Kay marathon of Kay Francis films is planned for her birthday, January 13th.   September, 2005 issue of Classic Images features the article “I Can’t Wait to be Forgotten - The Legacy of Kay Francis” by Scott O’Brien.  The article gives an overview of Kay’s life and a preview of her biography published by BearManor Media.   Spring 2005 issue of The Seeing Eye Guide offers the article “Kay Francis - From Dark World to a Life of Service” by Scott O’Brien.  Learn how Kay’s legacy to The Seeing Eye in Morristown, New Jersey came about.

An Incredible Job of Research and Writing, March 19, 2007

Scott O'Brien has pulled off an amazing feat. Kay Francis lived a vigorous and, for the time, unconventional life that could easily be turned into the sleazy tabloid fare all too common (and popular) today. Yet O'Brien has managed to present a vivid, highly readable, and scrupulously researched account without a single trace of nudge-nudge-wink-wink salaciousness or its nearly as unpleasant opposite, sycophantic can-do-no-wrong fan worship. I confess I had started reading with the plan to hop-skip to films I know and love, but I found myself engrossed on every page. I have long been a great fan of Miss Francis's films, but I now appreciate her work far more. (The ONLY small flaw with the book is the typos noted by other reviewers, but this could easily be fixed in a subsequent edition.) The writing is bright and lively. The pictures are great. The author's ability to present a complex and fascinating personality in the context of her times is superb.

Speak, Memory, (August 1, 2006)

 by Kevin Killian, (author/playwright, San Francisco)

Scott O'Brien--you magnificent, astonishing fool you! Imagine spending so many years of your life researching the life of a forgotten screen actress from the 1930s, a woman who is barely remembered nowadays! Why fling your undoubted energies after such a quixotic goal? If you must write about old Hollywood, why not write about someone people have heard of, like Joan Crawford, Garbo, Clark Gable? If you want to go obscure, how about Norma Shearer? But for goodness sake, Kay Francis!?! Scott O'Brien, you have labored in the vineyards where angels fear to tread!

As it turns out, I CAN'T WAIT TO BE FORGOTTEN is starlore of a very high order, and if you want an engrossing examination of a great Hollywood personality, this is the book for you. Kay Francis may be little remembered today, but all that is about to change as succeeding generations pick up on the glory that is her screen presence. Born in Oklahoma City ("by mistake," she bitterly commented) in 1905, Francis dabbled in high society and became the social secretary to rich dowagers while pining for Broadway stardom in New York. Her own madcap ways were fueled by the great rush to sexual and economic freedom pursued by many women in the wake of World War I, in which they had been asked for so many sacrifices without even having the right to vote. Scott O'Brien is a sensitive cultural historian and writes with perception about this, the so-called "flapper era," showing us that Kay Francis' fabled and open sexuality was part and parcel of the times in which she grew up.

After an interesting apprenticeship at Paramount Studios, Francis signed a long-term contract with Warner Brothers, and for a time in the early 1930s she became the queen of the lot, eventually rising in salary and status to the absolute heights of success. She was the highest paid actor of them all, and therein lay her tragedy, for Jack Warner turned against her and forced her against her will to play out her contract in increasingly shabby B movies. Late in life, she and her Warner Bros rival, Bette Davis, sat down and let down their hair about their disputes with Warners. Why did you keep making those B movies, Bette asked Kay. Because she was in it for the money, Kay replied. Bette said she walked away, because she was in it for the career.

Kay became a victim of public scrutiny for her shabby studio treatment was the talk of the nation. Eventually she left Warners, and the films she made afterwards, for other studios, are indeed, as O'Brien points out, among the best and most rewarding of her career, culminating in the "Monogram Trilogy" (DIVORCE, ALLOTMENT WIVES, WIFE WANTED) which sound like horrors but instead crackle with noir energy and a gritty raw realism miles removed from the somewhat grand products (like THE WHITE ANGEL, a biopic of Florence Nightingale) of Warners' A list.

Despite love affairs with Fritz Lang, Otto Preminger, and even gay stars like Nils Asther, Kay's great love seems to have been a German nobleman who broke off their engagement, as the Second World War loomed, to go back and fight for Hitler. Although she never knew it, he killed himself shortly after Pearl Harbor, far away in Nazi Germany. It was like a scene from one of her great romantic movies, but twisted somehow, bizarre and bewildering.

It turns out that she wasn't even a lesbian, not really, though she had some passionate interludes with a woman here and there. That she was a lesbian O'Brien traces back to a canard propagated by Phil Silvers, her co-star in FOUR JILLS AND A JEEP.

When Kay Francis said, "I can't wait to be forgotten," could she have somehow known that indeed the halls of memory would have been so thoroughly scrubbed clean? No matter now, for thanks to the incredible, noble efforts of author Scott O'Brien, and the hard work of the folks at Bear Manor Media, O'Brien's publisher, a new star has risen, and her name is Kay Francis. You can't keep genius down, even if it speaks with a lisp that turns all one's "r"s to "w"s.

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Classic Images - (July 2006) - Review by Laura Wagner

Scott O’Brien, whose writing is almost poetic, adores Kay and her movies.  That is, he realizes some of her films are stinko (Playgirl, When the Dalton’s Rode, Women Are Like That), but he finds something good to say amid the bad.  I don’t normally enjoy reading plots written out in detail ... Yet, O’Brien has a way about him, and his words vividly express how he feels about Kay’s performances.  His comments are often lively and he uses film dialogue to great advantage.  You want to see the movies after he expressively describes them.  Some might call this a book written by a fan, and to an extent that is true.  O’Brien, however, sees Kay’s faults and balances this remarks when it comes to her personal life. ... Kay is given ... respect in O’Brien’s book ... Nowhere is this more evident than in the closing chapters.  After Kay’s film career, she appeared on the stage and finally retired.  O’Brien interviewed a friend of Kay’s, Jetti Ames, and paints a beautiful and often complex portrait of her last years. 

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(Amazon) MONUMENTAL ... TRANSPORTING ... INTO THE WORLD OF KAY FRANCIS (May 29, 2006)
Jack Schmidt (Connecticut)

      Anyone interested in film history, the benevolent and duplicitous Hollywood studio system and the glamorous stars of motion pictures’ early years must read Scott O’Brien’s biography of Kay Francis, “I Can’t Wait To Be Forgotten” – and not just because I’ve been a big fan of Kay from boyhood to geezerhood.  This book will transport you back to the Golden Age of movies, to magic names like Garbo, Shearer, Bette Davis, Anna May Wong, Joan Crawford, Dolores Del Rio, Fay Wray, Joan Blondell, Tallulah, and male stars like Herbert Marshall, Cary Grant, Dick Powell, Clifton Webb, Lyle Talbot, William Powell, Basil Rathbone, Errol Flynn, and on and on. You’ll also learn of Kay Francis’ successful stage appearances early on and into the 50s, as well as stints on radio and television.

     The research that O’Brien has done is monumental. You’ll read reviews of Kay’s every movie, taken from newspapers and movie magazines of the period. You’ll be privy to Kay Francis’ thoughts, mundane and secret, rankings of her many lovers, and insights into her fatalistic philosophy of living for the present, all culled from her diaries. And when you see the photos – film stills and snapshots – you’ll be there in Kay’s world.   In the end, Kay Francis was better than most of her movies. Watch them when you can on Turner Classic Movies, hosted by Robert Osborne. To quote Mr. Osborne from his foreword to O’Brien’s brilliant book: “Magic is what Kay Francis gave us…At long last Kay.”                                                                                    

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“Lucky Kay Francis Fans” (May 2, 2006)

by Charles M. Tranberg (Author of  I Love the Illusion - The Life and Career of Agnes Moorehead)

Scott O’Brien made me rediscover Kay and want to see as many of her films as possible and I think that is the best praise a biographer can get.  Mr. O’Brien offers a good balance between using [Kay’s] diaries to discuss her personal life along with other respected resources and doesn’t let the diaries drive the narrative.  His writing about the later years of Kay’s life -- when she appeared increasingly in stage productions along with her declining health makes fascinating reading.  He offers fans a superb log of Kay’s movies, radio, television and stage appearances with a detailed listing of sources.  This is one of those can’t-put-down books.

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Russian River Monthly (April 1, 2006)

“Kay Who?” by Frances Werner

“Kay Francis - I Can’t Wait to be Forgotten” is a meticulously researched, well-written biography of one of the most interesting, intelligent actresses of all time.  What stands out most in her biography is that Kay Francis was a professional with integrity.  She treated acting as a job to be performed well, and uniformly won praise from the stage crews and staff she worked with for her decency and generosity.  She refused to divulge information to reporters about her private life, which was fascinating in the extreme, preferring instead to talk about ideas.  Modern-day feminists would be proud of the roles Kay Francis played in those earlier days, which very much reflected her own, opinionated, independent and assertive self.  Scott O’Brien has done a fine thing by bringing to life a vivid portrait of a great actress and human being.  He not only makes you want to see her movies, but he leaves you with a profound regret that she has lost the high esteem in which her contemporaries held her.

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We The People (March 2006) (excerpt)

“Movie Queen’s Turbulent Career Exposed by Local Author” by Hal Campbell

It isn’t often that I get to read a book written by one of our local residents.  Even better is the fact that the book in question turned out to be a terrific read ... a really interesting and obviously extensively researched biography of Kay Francis.  But how is it possible that an actress whose name above a film’s title drew in enormous crowds, whose acting ability was consistently praised by critics, and whose sense of style placed her regularly on the best-dressed lists, and then became forgotten by an industry she helped to rescue during some of Hollywood’s darkest days?  ... the roles Jack Warner offered her became more and more ridiculous ... there was Warner paying a queen to do maid’s work.  Kay collected every penny due her by contract and then left Burbank without a glance back.  No one can say that Kay didn’t taste every bon bon in the candy store.  Hopefully Scott O’Brien’s biography will stir up some interest for a Kay Francis film festival somewhere.

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(Amazon) KAY FRANCIS (February 11, 2006)

by Craig Smith (San Francisco)
 

I've only seen three of her films and thought her elegant and charming.  But now feel I know her. Scott O'Brien couldn't have written a more loving portrait of this almost forgotten actress. I think perhaps she would be pleased that her story is told so candidly and thoroughly. We know so much about the 'greats': Garbo, Grant, Bogart...Kay deserves to be included with them again. Her generous and earthy spirit will live on...thanks to the author. I hope that many will get a chance to know her too

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(Amazon) A FITTING TRIBUTE  (February 10, 2006) by Michael R. (Rochester, New York) At long last, a little-remembered star receives a most fitting tribute!  Once considered "one of Hollywood's best actresses" during her heyday in the 1930s, Kay Francis has been unfairly relegated to "forgotten status" in the years following her death in 1968.  Like Author O'Brien, I discovered the magic artistry of Kay Francis during the 1970s. Imagine my surprise and delight when I discovered Kay as the cold-hearted and scheming wife in "In Name Only". Carole Lombard and Cary Grant may have been the stars of this finely produced marital drama, but it was Kay Francis who stole the film with her suave handling of an unpleasant and fascinating character. From that point on, I was hooked and began my own search for more information about her life. Much to my disappointment, however, most movie books written since the 70s either dismiss her talents as inferior or omit her altogether. Even in books where she was given more coverage, such as George Eels' excellent book, "Ginger, Loretta, and Irene Who?", her life came across with a bitter and depressing tone. At last, someone has written a book that paints a fair and accurate picture of an actress whose life has been subjected to unsubstantiated rumors and one-sided stories. Author Scott O'Brien should be congratulated for having written an insightful book that focuses on her human qualities as well as properly recognizing her unique contributions to the movies of the 1930s and 1940s. Anyone who has seen her performances in films such as "Girls About Town", "One Way Passage", "Trouble in Paradise", "Cynara", "Dr. Monica", "Give Me Your Heart", "Confession" and countless other classic films, know of the emotional connections she still makes with the viewer. Few movie actresses from that era can still move me with such heartfelt portrayals as Kay Francis. Deftly utilizing her own diary entries, personal anecdotes, and his own opinions, Mr. O'Brien has written a highly entertaining book that is hard to put down! Rarely has someone's own voice been so vividly reproduced for the reader. His detailed coverage of her career in films, stage, radio and television is most impressive and illuminating. All in all, "I Can't Wait to Be Forgotten" must rank as one of the most complete and satisfying biography on a movie star. I can't ever recall having enjoyed any movie star biography as much as I have this one. Kudos to Scott O'Brien for a job well done!

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(Amazon) A WORTHY BIOGRAPHY FOR A GREAT STAR!   (February 5, 2006) By James Stettler (Los Angeles)

Scott O'Brien has worked very hard to produce a tremendous biography of the beautiful actress and film star Miss Kay Francis. There are many wonderful photographs and ads, the most interesting being the material from the plays that Kay Francis starred in on Broadway and on tour. There are also several photographs of Kay Francis taken after her retirement and they show her to be a beautiful woman. Some years ago, George Eells produced a book entitled "Ginger, Loretta, and Irene Who?". This book contained a chapter on Kay Francis that provided a compelling life and career history. However, Eells focused on the negative aspects of Kay's life. Scott O'Brien accessed the actress' diaries and had the cooperation of Kay's close friend actress Jetti Preminger Ames and her family. Scott has done a superb job with this biography of an actress who is fondly remembered by some of us. You won't be disappointed with this book! It is one of the greatest biographies of an actress that I have read! --------------------------------------------- FINALLY ... (January 22, 2006) by jtk (of Pre-Code Cinema Blogspot) Finally, a long overdue full-length biography has been written about this fascinating personality.  Author Scott O’Brien has fashioned a detailed biography that deftly balances her film, stage and television work along with her charity work and private life.  Comprehensive and well researched, the author relies heavily on contemporary interviews, reviews, and articles, along with Kay’s own diary and memories of her close friends, to give a glowing, though not uncritical view of Kay’s life an career.  Peppered throughout with juicy tidbits about her love life without being lurid or sensationalist, it also covers her contract struggle with Warner Bros., her tireless and often overlooked charity work during WW2, and features many rare, photos, including several of Kay in her later years.  This book is a must have for any Kay Francis fan, and for anyone who enjoyed reading about early Hollywood. --------------------------------------------------

Greenbriar Picture Shows: (January 12, 2006)

by J. McElwee

There’s a nice new bio of Kay that just been published ... It’s called I Can’t Wait to be Forgotten, and it looks mighty definitive to us.  Author Scott O’Brien consulted Kay’s personal diaries for inside info, and hoo boy, there’s some sizzlers in here!  Hard to put down.  We’ve been gone on Kay for years anyway.  She’s great in all those pre-codes.  What a shame it had to end with the beginning of strict PCA enforcement, and what a raw deal she got from Warners when they set out to wreck her career in the late thirties.  That’s quite a drama in itself, and O’Brien tells all about it.

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