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.