Coleman Francis returned to his home town in April of 1949, While visiting his family, he took the time to act in a local stage production, “The Light Eternal”. It was presented as the Mangum High School Auditorium.

Coleman took the time to do a short interview for the local paper, the Mangum Star. In this story, I found information about Coleman doing a play in High School, joining a stock company in Texas, and his time in the Army.

April 25, 1948

Actor Learns Art in Stock Company

ACTOR—Coleman Francis, actor and ex-GI, is preparing to join a stock company in New York after spending a vacation with his mother in Mangum. Like many other actors, he believes a stock company in the cherry phosphate belt is the world’s best school.

In a recent hometown play, a young man in the biblical costume of Joseph stepped in the footlights and said in a tone of strange compassion. “Praise be to God for his infinite kindness and mercy to use and all men.”

After the play was over, members of the audience kept remembering that line uttered with the restrained fervor of personal conviction. Few of the spectators that night knew that the actor was a professional who was here to visit his mother, Mrs. Scytha Francis, 205 Kentucky.

And perhaps only one person in the audience realized that his compelling utterance was linked intimately with his service in the army medic corps during four major Pacific island battles. His job was to administer first aid to the wounded with the shells screaming overhead.

Like most theater people and musicians, Coleman became an actor because he had to. Even when he was a junior in Cityview highschool and was cast as the young man who finds the ghost in “The Mystery of Marvel Meadows,” he knew what his life would be.

And do the spring of 1937 found him signing with the Monroe Hopkins stock company in Dallas, Texas. It was a strenuous life with the company hauling its properties in ancient motor trucks for a series of one-night stands over the cherry phosphate belt.

Between acts, members of the cast hawked “Nuit d’Amour” perfume, one bottle for a quarter, two for 35 cents.

“We ate hamburgers and it was a great life,” Coleman recalled.

In any event that hard life of the road taught the young man the art of the theater.

“We knew that we had to learn our parts or we didn’t eat,” he explained.

Coleman also learned the versatility other actors have envied him in later years.

“I always tried to avoid being typed or being cast in only one type of role such as the villain of the hero,” he added.

After three years in stock and barnstorming 24 states, he decided to investigate other branches of the theater. So he played with the Dallas Little Theater and later the Pasadent, Calif. Playhouse.

And then the wat intervened. After four years with the medical corps in the Pacific Theater, he went to Hollywood to become associated with the Ben Nards Players, who at one time claimed Allen Ladd and Jack Carson. Later, he was with the Geliner Theater in Hollywood and worked as a bit player for the film studios. He appeared as the office boy in Blondie’s Reward, Columbia pictures, and was cast in the Fox production, Kiss of Death.

A month ago Coleman decided to move to New York for another season with a stick company. At present he’s taking it easy for a few weeks, although he couldn’t turn down the role in the amateur play offered him.

“Most of the men in the cast were ex-servicemen, too.” He pointed out.

Even during his four years of army service Coleman found some opportunity for acting. He appeared in the all-army show, “Love Ride the Rails”  as well as a Shakespearean production in Hawaii.

Actors actually have most of the superstitions people ascribe to them, the city man reveals.

“We won’t whistle in the theater the opening night because it’s unlucky,” he recalled. “Nor will we wear the same shoes we wore in the opening night.”

And here is something you learn early in the theater—Comedy is a hundred times harder to present than tragedy.

“I suppose the reason in that anyone can visualize grief,” said Coleman.

More on Coleman Francis Here!

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The post In 1949, Coleman Francis returns to Magnum, Oklahoma, acts in local play! first appeared on Coffee With Jeff.