Kay Francis

Biography

Kay Francis was a pioneering American actress who achieved her greatest success on screen between 1930 and 1936, becoming the number one female star at Warner Brothers studio and the highest-paid American film actress of her time. Born Katharine Edwina Gibbs in Oklahoma City in 1905, she grew up traveling with her mother, a successful actress and singer, before pursuing a career on Broadway and eventually in film. She adopted her mother's maiden name as her professional surname.