Frank Orth

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

126

Gender

Male

Birthday

1880-02-20

Day of death

1962-03-17 (82 years old)

Place of Birth

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Frank Orth

Biography

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.

Known For

  • Sergeant York

    Sergeant York

  • Brother Orchid

    Brother Orchid

  • Mr. Chump

    Mr. Chump

  • Wilson

    Wilson

  • Red Light

    Red Light

  • Heartaches

    Heartaches

  • The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet

    The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet

  • Greenwich Village

    Greenwich Village

  • Doll Face

    Doll Face

  • Florian

    Florian

  • Buyer Beware

    Buyer Beware

  • Roxie Hart

    Roxie Hart

  • Boston Blackie

    Boston Blackie

  • Michael Shayne: Private Detective

    Michael Shayne: Private Detective

  • Orchestra Wives

    Orchestra Wives

  • Prairie Thunder

    Prairie Thunder

  • Unwelcome Stranger

    Unwelcome Stranger

  • Rings on Her Fingers

    Rings on Her Fingers

  • Double Dynamite

    Double Dynamite

  • Stanley and Livingstone

    Stanley and Livingstone

  • Young Mr. Lincoln

    Young Mr. Lincoln

  • Hello, Frisco, Hello

    Hello, Frisco, Hello

  • Cheaper by the Dozen

    Cheaper by the Dozen

  • Houdini

    Houdini

  • Nancy Drew… Detective

    Nancy Drew… Detective

  • The Big Clock

    The Big Clock

  • Pillow to Post

    Pillow to Post

  • Coney Island

    Coney Island

  • Polo Joe

    Polo Joe

  • Father Is A Prince

    Father Is A Prince

  • Lady in the Lake

    Lady in the Lake

  • Thunder Afloat

    Thunder Afloat

  • Hot Money

    Hot Money

  • Within the Law

    Within the Law

  • His Girl Friday

    His Girl Friday

  • Roger Touhy, Gangster

    Roger Touhy, Gangster

  • You, the People

    You, the People

  • Summer Storm

    Summer Storm

  • Henry and Dizzy

    Henry and Dizzy

  • The Lost Weekend

    The Lost Weekend

  • Father of the Bride

    Father of the Bride

  • Sweet Rosie O'Grady

    Sweet Rosie O'Grady

  • The Ox-Bow Incident

    The Ox-Bow Incident

  • At the Circus

    At the Circus

  • The Strange Love of Martha Ivers

    The Strange Love of Martha Ivers

  • The Strawberry Blonde

    The Strawberry Blonde

  • They Died with Their Boots On

    They Died with Their Boots On

  • Tales of Manhattan

    Tales of Manhattan

  • Tall in the Saddle

    Tall in the Saddle

  • I Wake Up Screaming

    I Wake Up Screaming

  • Boom Town

    Boom Town

  • Bride for Sale

    Bride for Sale

  • Young Dr. Kildare

    Young Dr. Kildare

  • Idiot's Delight

    Idiot's Delight

  • Come Live with Me

    Come Live with Me

  • Broadway Serenade

    Broadway Serenade

  • Blue, White, and Perfect

    Blue, White, and Perfect

  • It Had to Be You

    It Had to Be You

  • Missing Witnesses

    Missing Witnesses

  • Taking Ways

    Taking Ways

  • Springtime in the Rockies

    Springtime in the Rockies

  • The Impatient Years

    The Impatient Years

  • 'Til We Meet Again

    'Til We Meet Again

  • Nancy Drew... Reporter

    Nancy Drew... Reporter

  • Something to Live For

    Something to Live For

  • The Meanest Man in the World

    The Meanest Man in the World

  • Fast and Furious

    Fast and Furious

  • The Great Rupert

    The Great Rupert

  • San Quentin

    San Quentin

  • Dust Be My Destiny

    Dust Be My Destiny

  • The Hoodlum Saint

    The Hoodlum Saint

  • The Guilt of Janet Ames

    The Guilt of Janet Ames

  • The Doctor Takes a Wife

    The Doctor Takes a Wife

  • She Went to the Races

    She Went to the Races

  • Calling Dr. Kildare

    Calling Dr. Kildare

  • The Payoff

    The Payoff

  • Dr. Kildare's Crisis

    Dr. Kildare's Crisis

  • Fast and Loose

    Fast and Loose

  • Ever Since Eve

    Ever Since Eve

  • Comet Over Broadway

    Comet Over Broadway

  • Murder in the Music Hall

    Murder in the Music Hall

  • Torchy Blane in Panama

    Torchy Blane in Panama

  • The Devil's Saddle Legion

    The Devil's Saddle Legion

  • The Magnificent Dope

    The Magnificent Dope

  • Here Come the Girls

    Here Come the Girls

  • My Gal Sal

    My Gal Sal

  • Dr. Kildare Goes Home

    Dr. Kildare Goes Home

  • Pier 13

    Pier 13

  • Dr. Kildare's Strange Case

    Dr. Kildare's Strange Case

  • Talent Scout

    Talent Scout

  • Born to Speed

    Born to Speed

  • The Bride Wore Boots

    The Bride Wore Boots

  • Over My Dead Body

    Over My Dead Body

  • Marry the Girl

    Marry the Girl

  • Two Against the World

    Two Against the World

  • Tell No Tales

    Tell No Tales

  • Broadway Limited

    Broadway Limited

  • Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase

    Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase

  • Gallant Sons

    Gallant Sons

  • Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant

    Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant

  • The Secret of Dr. Kildare

    The Secret of Dr. Kildare

  • The Girl from Manhattan

    The Girl from Manhattan

  • Think It Over

    Think It Over

  • The People Vs. Dr. Kildare

    The People Vs. Dr. Kildare

  • Dr. Kildare's Victory

    Dr. Kildare's Victory

  • Let's Make Music

    Let's Make Music

  • Blondie's Secret

    Blondie's Secret

  • Footlight Serenade

    Footlight Serenade

  • Land Beyond the Law

    Land Beyond the Law

  • Gold Rush Maisie

    Gold Rush Maisie

  • Storm Over Lisbon

    Storm Over Lisbon

  • Ride on Vaquero

    Ride on Vaquero

  • La Conga Nights

    La Conga Nights

  • Mexican Spitfire Out West

    Mexican Spitfire Out West

  • Know Your Money

    Know Your Money

  • The Petty Girl

    The Petty Girl

  • The Gas House Kids in Hollywood

    The Gas House Kids in Hollywood

  • The Patient in Room 18

    The Patient in Room 18

  • Wake Up and Dream

    Wake Up and Dream

  • Burn 'Em Up O'Connor

    Burn 'Em Up O'Connor

  • Tell It to a Star

    Tell It to a Star

  • A Bird in the Hand

    A Bird in the Hand

  • The Footloose Heiress

    The Footloose Heiress

  • Respect the Law

    Respect the Law

  • It's Great to Be Young

    It's Great to Be Young

  • The Victim

    The Victim