Farnham got his start in film through his business relationship with theatre empresarios Gustave and Daniel Frohman who owned The Frohman Amusement Corporation In the 1st Academy Awards of 1929, nominees could be considered for an Oscar for an award on the basis of multiple films within the year. This was the only year that an Oscar for title cards would be awarded.
He died of a heart attack while living in Los Angeles, California and was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.
He was also a founding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Joseph won his Best Writing - Title Cards award for the films Fair Company-Education Laugh, Clown, Laugh; and Telling the World. Joseph Farnham has the unfortunate distinction of being the very first Academy Award-winner to die.
