MANNERS & MORALS
For most of his 46 years, Franchot Tone, a well-bred man and an able actor, pursued happiness, usually in the form of blondes. Last week, pursuit of a blonde landed him in a Los Angeles hospital with a brain concussion, a broken nose, and a fractured cheekbone. Against doctor's orders, the blonde climbed a fire escape, spent two hours with Tone, then announced that she would stick by him. From what newspaper readers had learned of the blonde during the preceding 24 hours, this would seem to be a fate somewhat worse than a brain concussion and a broken nose.
Barrel of Monkeys. The blonde's name was Barbara Payton, 25, who has been playing around Hollywood for three years in & out of grade-B pictures. Her latest is called The Bride of the Gorilla. What she mainly does is to run, scantily clad, through jungles while an ape-man pursues her. It also came natural for her to be seen cooing with Franchot Tone in the places where Hollywood people go to be seen cooing with each other. During a court battle with his exwife, another blonde named Jean Wallace, Tone was asked about Barbara. "How many times have you seen her naked?" asked his wife's lawyer. "I couldn't estimate," answered Tone, "but I would say frequently." Hollywood columnists chattered happily about a marriage as soon as Barbara divorced her husband, an automobile salesman back in Iowa.
Those happy days were eight long weeks ago, before Barbara got a second look at Actor Tom Neal, a 37-year-old cowboy actor and onetime amateur boxer. The first look had been disappointing. "Last year, Tom and I have a date." Barbara explained a few weeks ago. "and he's playing it real nothing, you know? I think to myself: What have we here, dear? From then on, I avoid him."
The trouble with the first date was that Tom had his clothes on. On the second occasion, explained Barbara, "I see him at the Sunset Plaza swimming hole. He's in a pair of bathing trunks. Honey, I just take one look at him and positively flip." She sighed. "More fun than a barrel of monkeys."
Six days & nights later. Tone was out and Neal was in. Neal spent the next month and a half lolling around Barbara's patio doing nip-ups with bar bells while Barbara gazed adoringly. The gallant Neal later told friends: "Barbara asked me to marry her. It wasn't the other way round. She said she was in love with me."
Franchot Tone, however, is no man to step aside for an actor who plays supporting roles to range ponies. A triangle was in the making. Though most such triangles tend to be lopsided, this one was isosceles, the two men apparently equal in Barbara's heart. Isosceles love triangles can be static or dynamic. This was dynamic. Barbara made up her mind differently every day, and sometimes several times a day. As Neal tells the story: "We all met at a party and it was Franchot again with her." A few nights later, Neal said he got a phone call at 3 a.m. "Look. Tom," groaned Barbara, "I can't take it with this
Tone. I want to go back with you, you're so exciting." Next day, she called again: "This Tone is too dull. I can't go this route, see?" Neal decided to wait a little while.