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Frank Orth
Born · February 20, 1880
Died · March 17, 1962 (82 years old)
Known For: Acting
Place of Birth: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Bio
Frank Orth was an American actor born in Philadelphia. He is probably best remembered for his portrayal of Inspector Faraday in the 1951-1953 television series “Boston Blackie”. By 1897, Orth was performing in vaudeville with his wife, Ann Codee, in an act called “Codee and Orth.” In 1909, he expanded into song writing, with songs such as “The Phone Bell Rang” and “Meet Me on the Boardwalk, Dearie.” His first contact with motion pictures was in 1928, when he was part of the first foreign-language shorts in sound produced by Warner Bros. He and his wife also appeared together in a series of two-reel comedies in the early 1930s. Orth's first major screen credit was in “Prairie Thunder,” a Dick Foran western, in 1937. From then on, he was often cast as bartenders, pharmacists, and grocery clerks, and always distinctly Irish. He had a recurring role in the Dr. Kildare series of films and also in the Nancy Drew series as the befuddled Officer Tweedy. Among his better roles were the newspaper man Cary Grant telephones early in “His Girl Friday,” one of the quartet singing “Gary Owen” in “They Died with Their Boots On” (thereby giving Errol Flynn as Gen. Custer the idea of associating the tune with the 7th Cavalry), and as the little man carrying the sign reading “The End Is Near” throughout Colonel Effingham's Raid. However, Orth is probably best remembered for his portrayal of Inspector Faraday in the 1951-1953 television series “Boston Blackie.” A short, plump, round-faced man, often smoking a cigar, Orth as Faraday wore his own dark-rimmed spectacles, though rarely in feature films. In 1959, Orth retired from show business after throat surgery. His wife died in 1961 after around fifty years of marriage. Orth died on March 17, 1962. He is buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in the Hollywood Hills next to his wife.
Here Come the Girls
Mr. Hungerford
4.4
1953
Houdini
Mr. Hunter
6.5
1953
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
Uncle John · (1 episode)
5.8
1952
Something to Live For
Waiter (uncredited)
6.8
1952
Double Dynamite
Mr. Kofer
6.2
1951
The Adventures of Boston Blackie
(58 episodes)
4.0
1951
The Petty Girl
Moody (process server)
4.1
1950
Father of the Bride
Joe
7.0
1950
Cheaper by the Dozen
Higgins (uncredited)
6.3
1950
The Great Rupert
Mr. Frank Dingle
5.7
1950
Bride for Sale
Police Sergeant
6.0
1949
Red Light
Wallace 'Wally' Stoner
5.5
1949
Blondie's Secret
Mr. Philpotts
6.5
1948
The Girl from Manhattan
Oscar Newsome
5.0
1948
The Big Clock
Burt
7.3
1948
It Had to Be You
Conductor Brown
6.5
1947
The Gas House Kids in Hollywood
Police Captain
6.0
1947
Heartaches
Mike Connelly, Vic's Agent
5.2
1947
The Guilt of Janet Ames
Danny
5.6
1947
Born to Speed
Breezy Bradley
0.0
1947
Lady in the Lake
Floyd Greer (Uncredited)
6.0
1946
Wake Up and Dream
Milkman
6.5
1946
It's Great to Be Young
Franklin Johnson
0.0
1946
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
Hotel Clerk
7.1
1946
The Bride Wore Boots
Judge (uncredited)
5.9
1946
Murder in the Music Hall
Henderson
4.6
1946
The Hoodlum Saint
Chronicle Editor (uncredited)
5.2
1946
Doll Face
Peters
4.5
1945
The Lost Weekend
Opera Cloak Room Attendant
7.6
1945
She Went to the Races
Skelly
5.5
1945
Tell It to a Star
Augustus T. Goodman
0.0
1945
Pillow to Post
Clayfield Taxi Driver
5.5
1945
Storm Over Lisbon
Murgatroyd
4.8
1944
Greenwich Village
Ordway
6.0
1944
The Impatient Years
Counterman
6.3
1944
Wilson
Smith (uncredited)
5.5
1944
Summer Storm
Cafe Maitre d' at End (uncredited)
5.1
1944
Roger Touhy, Gangster
. Comic in Theater (uncredited)
6.0
1944
Sweet Rosie O'Grady
Taxi Driver
6.0
1943
Coney Island
Bartender
5.3
1943
Hello, Frisco, Hello
Lou, Bartender at Sharkey's
6.2
1943
The Ox-Bow Incident
Larry Kinkaid (uncredited)
7.7
1943
The Meanest Man in the World
Bartender
6.4
1943
Springtime in the Rockies
Bickel (uncredited)
6.7
1942
Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant
Mike Ryan
5.3
1942
Orchestra Wives
Rex Willet
5.8
1942
Tales of Manhattan
Secondhand Clothes Dealer (Rogers sequence)
6.3
1942
Footlight Serenade
Mike
0.0
1942
The Magnificent Dope
Messenger
7.2
1942
Henry and Dizzy
Joe McGuire
0.0
1942
My Gal Sal
McGuiness
5.8
1942
Rings on Her Fingers
Kellogg
6.5
1942
Roxie Hart
Bar Client #2 (uncredited)
6.9
1942
Dr. Kildare's Victory
Mike Ryan
5.8
1942
Over My Dead Body
Detective
0.0
1942
Blue, White, and Perfect
Mr. Toby
6.3
1942
They Died with Their Boots On
Barfly (uncredited)
6.6
1941
I Wake Up Screaming
Cemetery Caretaker
6.8
1941
Sergeant York
Drummer (uncredited)
7.2
1941
Broadway Limited
Lou, Cafe Proprietor
5.1
1941
The People Vs. Dr. Kildare
Mike Ryan
7.0
1941
Ride on Vaquero
Auctioneer
4.2
1941
Come Live with Me
Jerry
6.9
1941
Respect the Law
Peter Brennan
6.0
1941
Michael Shayne: Private Detective
Steve
6.5
1940
You, the People
Soda Jerk
5.7
1940
Dr. Kildare's Crisis
Mike Ryan, Cafe Owner
6.0
1940
Father Is A Prince
Drugstore Proprieter
5.0
1940
Gallant Sons
Newspaper Foreman (uncredited)
7.2
1940
Mexican Spitfire Out West
Window Washer
4.6
1940
Dr. Kildare Goes Home
Mike Ryan (uncredited)
6.8
1940
Boom Town
Barber
6.9
1940
Buyer Beware
Smith (uncredited)
6.0
1940
Pier 13
Dead Pan Charlie
5.0
1940
Gold Rush Maisie
Harris
6.5
1940
Brother Orchid
Waiter at Fat Dutchy's (uncredited)
6.4
1940
Florian
Detective
1.0
1940
La Conga Nights
Dennis O'Brien
7.5
1940
The Doctor Takes a Wife
New York Editor (uncredited)
6.5
1940
'Til We Meet Again
Hong Kong Bartender (uncredited)
6.2
1940
Dr. Kildare's Strange Case
Mike Ryan, Sullivan's Hospital Cafe
4.8
1940
Know Your Money
Tobacconist (uncredited)
9.0
1940
His Girl Friday
Duffy
7.4
1940
The Secret of Dr. Kildare
Mike Sullivan
5.6
1939
At the Circus
Chef in Diner (uncredited)
6.3
1939
Fast and Furious
Captain Joe Burke
5.1
1939
Dust Be My Destiny
Wedding Witness on Stage (uncredited)
6.2
1939
Thunder Afloat
Old Sailor in Bilge Area (uncredited)
5.9
1939
Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase
Captain Tweedy
6.8
1939
Stanley and Livingstone
Newspaperman with Pills
6.4
1939
Tell No Tales
Vic - Bartender (uncredited)
5.3
1939
Young Mr. Lincoln
Loafer (uncredited)
7.2
1939
Calling Dr. Kildare
Mike Sullivan - Hospital Cafe Owner (uncredited)
6.1
1939
Broadway Serenade
Mr. Fellows
6.2
1939
Within the Law
Jim Jenks
6.0
1939
Nancy Drew... Reporter
Captain Tweedy (uncredited)
6.2
1939
Fast and Loose
Detective Hendricks (uncredited)
5.6
1939
Idiot's Delight
Benny Zinsser
6.1
1939
Burn 'Em Up O'Connor
Tim McKelvy
5.0
1939
Comet Over Broadway
Cab Driver (uncredited)
5.0
1938
Nancy Drew… Detective
Captain Tweedy
6.3
1938
Young Dr. Kildare
Mike Ryan (uncredited)
6.5
1938
Mr. Chump
Sheriff Frank Hinton
0.0
1938
Think It Over
Brown, Clothing Store Owner
6.5
1938
Torchy Blane in Panama
First Leopard (uncredited)
5.3
1938
The Patient in Room 18
Joe Higgins - Night Watchman
5.1
1938
Missing Witnesses
Gordon (uncredited)
5.5
1937
The Footloose Heiress
Justice Abner Cuttler
4.3
1937
Prairie Thunder
Wichita
3.5
1937
The Devil's Saddle Legion
Judge Barko
0.5
1937
Talent Scout
Burlesque Theatre Manager (uncredited)
6.0
1937
Ever Since Eve
Cocktail Waiter (uncredited)
5.8
1937
Marry the Girl
Bar owner
5.0
1937
San Quentin
Convict in Bunkhouse (uncredited)
6.5
1937
Land Beyond the Law
Shorty Long
7.0
1937
Polo Joe
Bert
0.0
1936
Hot Money
Hank Ford
4.0
1936
Two Against the World
Tommy - Bartender
5.8
1936
Unwelcome Stranger
Jackson
0.0
1935
The Payoff
Porter (uncredited)
4.9
1935
Taking Ways
0.0
1930
A Bird in the Hand
0.0
1929