Frank Albertson
Encyclopedia
Frank Albertson was an American character actor
who made his debut in a minor part in Hollywood at age 13.
Francis Healy Albertson was a native of Fergus Falls, Minnesota
, the first child of Frank B. and Mary Healy Albertson. He spent his childhood first in Frazee, Minnesota
and then in Puyallup, Washington
. As a young man in Los Angeles, he got work as a photography laboratory assistant, which resulted in contacts leading to his acting career.
Albertson made well over one hundred appearances (1923–1964) in movies and television. He is probably best remembered for his role as Sam Wainwright, the businessman fond of saying "Hee-Haw" in the movie It's a Wonderful Life
(1946). He played the wealthy rancher, Tom Cassidy, at the start of Psycho
(1960), who provides the cash that Janet Leigh
's character later steals. Albertson portrayed future U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt
in the 1956 episode "Rough Rider" of CBS's My Friend Flicka
television series.
He served in the U.S. Army Air Forces' First Motion Picture Unit
making training films during World War II
.
Albertson died in his sleep at his home in Santa Monica, California
. He was survived by his wife Grace and four children.
For contributions to the motion picture industry, Frank Albertson was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
at 6758 Hollywood Boulevard
.
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
who made his debut in a minor part in Hollywood at age 13.
Francis Healy Albertson was a native of Fergus Falls, Minnesota
Fergus Falls, Minnesota
Fergus Falls is a city in and the county seat of Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 13,138 at the 2010 census.-Today:...
, the first child of Frank B. and Mary Healy Albertson. He spent his childhood first in Frazee, Minnesota
Frazee, Minnesota
The United States Census Bureau estimated the population to be 1,385 in 2007. As of the census of 2000, there were 1,377 people, 504 households, and 318 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,593.2 people per square mile . There were 553 housing units at an average density of...
and then in Puyallup, Washington
Puyallup, Washington
Puyallup, Washington is a city in Pierce County, Washington about five miles east of Tacoma. The population was 37,022 at the 2010 Census. Named after the Puyallup Tribe of Native Americans, Puyallup means "the generous people."-History:...
. As a young man in Los Angeles, he got work as a photography laboratory assistant, which resulted in contacts leading to his acting career.
Albertson made well over one hundred appearances (1923–1964) in movies and television. He is probably best remembered for his role as Sam Wainwright, the businessman fond of saying "Hee-Haw" in the movie It's a Wonderful Life
It's a Wonderful Life
It's a Wonderful Life is a 1946 American Christmas drama film produced and directed by Frank Capra and based on the short story "The Greatest Gift" written by Philip Van Doren Stern....
(1946). He played the wealthy rancher, Tom Cassidy, at the start of Psycho
Psycho (1960 film)
Psycho is a 1960 American suspense/psychological horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins. The film is based on the screenplay by Joseph Stefano, who adapted it from the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch...
(1960), who provides the cash that Janet Leigh
Janet Leigh
Janet Leigh , born Jeanette Helen Morrison, was an American actress. She was the wife of actor Tony Curtis from June 1951 to September 1962 and the mother of Kelly Curtis and Jamie Lee Curtis....
's character later steals. Albertson portrayed future U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
in the 1956 episode "Rough Rider" of CBS's My Friend Flicka
My Friend Flicka (TV series)
My Friend Flicka is a 39-episode western television series set at the fictitious Goose Bar Ranch in Wyoming at the turn of the 20th century. The program was filmed in color but initially aired in black and white on CBS at 7:30 p.m. Fridays from February 10, 1956, to February 1, 1957. It was a...
television series.
He served in the U.S. Army Air Forces' First Motion Picture Unit
First Motion Picture Unit
The First Motion Picture Unit was the first unit of the United States Military to be made up entirely of motion picture personnel. It was also the title of a 1943 documentary about the unit.-Organization:...
making training films during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Albertson died in his sleep at his home in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
. He was survived by his wife Grace and four children.
For contributions to the motion picture industry, Frank Albertson was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
at 6758 Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard
-Revitalization:In recent years successful efforts have been made at cleaning up Hollywood Blvd., as the street had gained a reputation for crime and seediness. Central to these efforts was the construction of the Hollywood and Highland shopping center and adjacent Kodak Theatre in 2001...
.
Partial filmography
- The Covered Wagon (1923) (uncredited)
- Words and MusicWords and Music (1929 film)Words and Music is a 1929 American musical comedy film, directed by James Tinling, and starring Lois Moran, David Percy, Helen Twelvetrees, and Frank Albertson...
(1929) - Salute (1929)
- Men Without WomenMen Without Women (film)Men Without Women is an American drama film directed and written by John Ford, from the script by James Kevin McGuinness. The film also starred Kenneth MacKenna, Frank Albertson, and J. Farrell MacDonald.-Cast:...
(1930) - Son of the GodsSon of the GodsSon of the Gods is a black-and-white romantic drama film with Technicolor sequences. It was adapted from the novel of the same name by Rex Beach...
(1930) - Born RecklessBorn Reckless (1930 film)Born Reckless is a American crime comedy directed by Andrew Bennison and John Ford, from a screenplay written by Donald Henderson Clarke based on his novel Louis Beretti. The film starred Edmund Lowe and Catherine Dale Owen.-Plot:...
(1930) - Just ImagineJust ImagineJust Imagine is a 1930 science-fiction musical comedy directed by David Butler, to console audiences distressed by the Great Depression. The film is probably best known for its art direction and special effects in its portrayal of New York City in an imagined 1980...
(1930) - So This Is LondonSo This Is London (1930 film)So This Is London is a 1930 American comedy film directed by John G. Blystone and starring Will Rogers, Irene Rich, Frank Albertson and Lumsden Hare. It was based on a play by Arthur Goodrich, which was adapted again in 1939. An American and an Englishman clash over which country is the greater,...
(1930) - Traveling HusbandsTraveling HusbandsTraveling Husbands is a 1931 American comedy film directed by Paul Sloane and starring Evelyn Brent.- Cast :* Evelyn Brent as Ruby Smith* Frank Albertson as Barry Greene* Constance Cummings as Ellen Wilson* Hugh Herbert as Hymie Schwartz...
(1931) - A Connecticut YankeeA Connecticut Yankee (film)A Connecticut Yankee is a 1931 American film adaptation of Mark Twain's 1889 novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. It was directed by David Butler to a script by William M. Conselman, Owen Davis, and Jack Moffitt...
(1931) - The BratThe BratThe Brat is a 1931 comedy film directed by John Ford. It is based on the 1917 play by Maude Fulton. A previous silent film had been made in 1919 with Alla Nazimova. This 1931 screen version has been updated to then contemporary standards i.e...
(1931) - Way Back Home (1931)
- AirmailAirmail (film)Air Mail is a 1932 American adventure film directed by John Ford and starring Ralph Bellamy and Gloria Stuart.-Cast:* Ralph Bellamy - Mike Miller* Gloria Stuart - Ruth Barnes* Pat O'Brien - Duke Talbot...
(1932) - The Lost SpecialThe Lost Special (serial)The Lost Special is a Universal movie serial based on the story The Lost Special by Arthur Conan Doyle. This adaptation does not include Conan Doyle's character Sherlock Holmes, and moves events to the American West....
(1932 serial) - The Cohens and Kellys in TroubleThe Cohens and Kellys in TroubleThe Cohens and Kellys in Trouble is a 1933 comedy film starring George Sidney, Charlie Murray, and Maureen O'Sullivan. The film is the last in the Cohens and Kellys series, and the first director credit for George Stevens.-Cast:...
(1933) - Ever in My HeartEver in My HeartEver in My Heart is a 1933 drama film starring Barbara Stanwyck and Otto Kruger. An American girl marries a foreigner, but anti-German sentiment during World War I drives them apart.-Cast:*Barbara Stanwyck as Mary Archer Wilbrandt...
(1933) - Enter MadameEnter MadameEnter Madame is an American romantic comedy film directed by Elliott Nugent, starring Elissa Landi and Cary Grant, and released by Paramount Pictures....
(1935) - Alice AdamsAlice Adams (film)Alice Adams, also known as Booth Tarkington's Alice Adams, is a 1935 romantic film made by RKO. It was directed by George Stevens and produced by Pandro S. Berman from a screenplay by Dorothy Yost, Mortimer Offner adapted by Jane Murfin from the novel, Alice Adams, by Booth Tarkington...
(1935) - Waterfront LadyWaterfront Lady- Cast :*Ann Rutherford as Joan O'Brien*Frank Albertson as Ronny Hillyer aka Bill*J. Farrell MacDonald as Capt. O'Brien*Barbara Pepper as Gloria Vance*Charles C. Wilson as Jim McFee aka Mac*Grant Withers as Tod*Purnell Pratt as Dist. Atty. Shaw...
(1935) - Ah, Wilderness!Ah, Wilderness! (film)Ah, Wilderness! is a 1935 screen adaptation of the Eugene O'Neill play of the same name starring Wallace Beery. The movie was filmed in Grafton, Massachusetts and directed by Clarence Brown. Beery plays the drunken uncle later portrayed on Broadway by Jackie Gleason, and the film features Lionel...
(1935) - Kind LadyKind Lady (1935 film)Kind Lady is a 1935 drama film starring Aline MacMahon and Basil Rathbone. It is based on the play of the same name by Edward Chodorov and a short story called "The Silver Mask" by Hugh Walpole....
(1935) - Fury (1936)
- The PlainsmanThe PlainsmanThe Plainsman is a 1936 American Western film directed by Cecil B. DeMille, and starring Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur. The film presents a highly fictionalized account of the adventures and relationships between Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, Buffalo Bill Cody, and General George Custer, with a...
(1936) - Hold His For 1 Hour Kiss (1938)
- Mother Carey's ChickensMother Carey's Chickens (film)Mother Carey's Chickens is a 1938 drama film starring Anne Shirley and Ruby Keeler. The film was directed by Rowland V. Lee and based upon a 1917 play by Kate Douglas Wiggin and Rachel Crothers, which in turn was adapted from Wiggins' novel of the same title.Originally Katharine Hepburn was...
(1938) - Room ServiceRoom Service (1938 film)Room Service is an RKO film comedy starring the Marx Brothers and based on the 1937 play of the same name by Allen Boretz and John Murray. It co-stars Lucille Ball, Ann Miller, Alexander Asro, and Frank Albertson.-Plot outline:...
(1938) - The Shining HourThe Shining HourThe Shining Hour is a 1938 MGM film, based on a 1934 play by Keith Winter. The film starred Joan Crawford, Margaret Sullavan, Robert Young, Melvyn Douglas, and Fay Bainter.-Plot summary:...
(1938) - Bachelor MotherBachelor MotherBachelor Mother is an American comedy film directed by Garson Kanin, and starring Ginger Rogers , David Niven, and Charles Coburn. The screenplay was written by Norman Krasna based on a Academy Award nominated story by Felix Jackson...
(1939) - Behind the NewsBehind the News (film)Behind the News is a 1940 drama film directed by Joseph Santley. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Sound Recording .-Cast:* Lloyd Nolan as Stuart Woodrow* Doris Davenport as Barbara Shaw* Frank Albertson as Jeff Flavin...
(1940) - When the Daltons RodeWhen the Daltons RodeWhen the Daltons Rode is a 1940 western film starring Randolph Scott as a family friend who tries to dissuade the Daltons from turning outlaw...
(1940) - Man Made MonsterMan Made MonsterMan-Made Monster is a science fiction horror film released by Universal Pictures. The film stars Lon Chaney Jr. in his horror debut. Man-Made Monster was re-released under various titles including Electric Man and The Mysterious Dr. R...
(1941) - Father Steps OutFather Steps Out (1941 film)Father Steps Out is a 1941 American comedy film directed by Jean Yarbrough and starring Frank Albertson, Jed Prouty, Lorna Gray and Frank Faylen. It was a remake of the 1934 film City Limits.-Cast:* Frank Albertson - Jimmy Dugan...
(1941) - Louisiana PurchaseLouisiana Purchase (film)Louisiana Purchase is a 1941 film adaptation of the musical theater play, Louisiana Purchase. A Paramount Pictures production, the film was directed by Irving Cummings with Robert Emmett Dolan serving as musical director as he had done for the play. Starring comedian Bob Hope, the film featured...
(1941) - Junior G-Men of the AirJunior G-Men of the AirJunior G-Men of the Air is a Universal film serial starring the Dead End Kids and the Little Tough Guys.-Plot:Japanese sabateurs attack America in preparation for an invasion during World War II. They are discovered by "Ace" Holden and The Dead End Kids, who do not trust the police enough to help...
(1942 serial) - Wake IslandWake Island (1942 film)Wake Island is a 1942 American film written by W. R. Burnett and Frank Butler, and directed by John Farrow. The film tells the story of the United States military garrison on Wake Island and the onslaught by the Japanese following the attack on Pearl Harbor...
(1942) - Rosie the RiveterRosie the Riveter (film)Rosie the Riveter is a 1944 American film starring Jane Frazee.-Cast:* Jane Frazee as Rosalind "Rosie" Warren* Frank Albertson as Charlie Doran* Barbara Jo Allen as Vera Watson* Frank Fenton as Kelly Kennedy* Lloyd Corrigan as Clem Prouty...
(1944) - And the Angels SingAnd the Angels SingAnd the Angels Sing is a classic example of a film musical written to capitalize on the title of a previously popular song; in this case Benny Goodman's 1939 number one hit song, "And the Angels Sing" by Ziggy Elman and Johnny Mercer, and sung by Martha Tilton although the song is not sung in the...
(1944) - Flight Characteristics of the P-51 Airplane (1944)
- They Made Me a KillerThey Made Me a KillerThey Made Me a Killer is a 1946 B-movie directed by William C. Thomas, and written by Daniel Mainwaring, Winston Miller and Kae Salkow, based on story by Owen Franes. The film was made by Pine-Thomas, the B-movie unit of Paramount Pictures.- Plot :...
(1946) - It's a Wonderful LifeIt's a Wonderful LifeIt's a Wonderful Life is a 1946 American Christmas drama film produced and directed by Frank Capra and based on the short story "The Greatest Gift" written by Philip Van Doren Stern....
(1946) - The HuckstersThe HuckstersThe Hucksters is a 1947 MGM film directed by Jack Conway and starring Clark Gable that marked the debut of Deborah Kerr in an American film. It also featured Sydney Greenstreet, Adolphe Menjou, Keenan Wynn, Edward Arnold and Ava Gardner...
(1947) - Killer DillKiller DillKiller Dill is a 1947 American film directed by Lewis D. Collins.- Cast :*Stuart Erwin as Johnny 'Killer' Dill*Anne Gwynne as Judy Parker*Frank Albertson as William T...
(1947) - NightfallNightfall (1957 film)Nightfall is a film noir directed by Jacques Tourneur. It features Aldo Ray, Brian Keith, and Anne Bancroft. The low-budget film is remembered today for camera work by cinematographer Burnett Guffey...
(1957) - The Enemy BelowThe Enemy BelowThe Enemy Below is a 1957 war film which tells the story of the battle between the captain of an American destroyer escort and the commander of a German U-boat during World War II. It stars Robert Mitchum, Curt Jürgens, David Hedison and Theodore Bikel. The movie was directed and produced by Dick...
(1957) - The Last HurrahThe Last Hurrah (1958 film)The Last Hurrah is a 1958 film adaptation of the novel The Last Hurrah by Edwin O'Connor. It was directed by John Ford and starred Spencer Tracy as a veteran mayor preparing for yet another election campaign...
(1958) - PsychoPsycho (1960 film)Psycho is a 1960 American suspense/psychological horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins. The film is based on the screenplay by Joseph Stefano, who adapted it from the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch...
(1960) - Bye Bye BirdieBye Bye Birdie (film)Bye Bye Birdie is a 1963 musical comedy film from Columbia Pictures. It is a film adaptation of the stage production of the same name. The screenplay was written by Michael Stewart and Irving Brecher, with music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams....
(1963)