Frank Orth
from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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.
Mr. Hunter
Mr. Hungerford
Waiter (uncredited)
Mr. Kofer
Mr. Frank Dingle
Higgins (uncredited)
Joe
Moody (process server)
Wallace 'Wally' Stoner
Police Sergeant (uncredited)
Burt
AJ Gluskoter
Oscar Newsome
Mr. Philpotts
Breezy Bradley
Danny
Mike Connelly, Vic's Agent
Police Captain
Conductor Brown
Shaving Kit Salesman (uncredited)
Chronicle Editor (uncredited)
Henderson
Judge (uncredited)
Hotel Clerk
It's Great to Be Young
Franklin Johnson
Milkman
Floyd Greer (Uncredited)
Clayfield Taxi Driver
Augustus T. Goodman
Skelly
Opera Cloak Room Attendant
Peters
. Comic in Theater (uncredited)
Cafe Maitre d' at End (uncredited)
Smith (uncredited)
Counterman
Ordway
'Shorty' Davis (uncredited)
Murgatroyd
Songs
Bartender (uncredited)
Larry Kinkaid (uncredited)
Lou, Bartender at Sharkey's
Bartender
Taxi Driver
Mr. Toby
Detective
Pete
Mike Ryan
Bar Client #2 (uncredited)
Kellogg
McGuiness
Joe McGuire
Messenger
Mike
Secondhand Clothes Dealer
Rex Willet
Mike Ryan
Bickel (uncredited)
Peter Brennan
Mr. Botts
Jerry
Baxter - Livery Stable Owner (uncredited)
Auctioneer
Mike Ryan
Lou, Cafe Proprietor
Drummer (uncredited)
Cemetery Caretaker
Barfly (uncredited)
Duffy
Tobacconist (uncredited)
Mike
Hong Kong Bartender (uncredited)
New York Editor (uncredited)
Dennis O'Brien
Detective
Waiter at Fat Dutchy's (uncredited)
Harris
Dead Pan Charlie
Smith (uncredited)
Barber
Mike Ryan (uncredited)
Window Washer
Newspaper Foreman (uncredited)
Drugstore Proprieter
Mike Ryan, Cafe Owner
Soda Jerk
Steve
Tim McKelvy
Benny Zinsser
Detective Hendricks (uncredited)
Captain Tweedy (uncredited)
Jim Jenks
Mr. Fellows
Mike Sullivan - Hospital Cafe Owner (uncredited)
Loafer (uncredited)
Vic - Bartender (uncredited)
Newspaperman with Pills
Captain Tweedy
Old Sailor in Bilge Area (uncredited)
Wedding Witness on Stage (uncredited)
Captain Joe Burke
Chef in Diner (uncredited)
Mike
Joe Higgins - Night Watchman
First Leopard (uncredited)
Brown, Clothing Store Owner
Sheriff Frank Hinton
Mike Ryan (uncredited)
Captain Tweedy
Cab Driver (uncredited)
Shorty Long
Convict in Bunkhouse (uncredited)
Bar owner
Cocktail Waiter (uncredited)
Burlesque Theatre Manager (uncredited)
Judge Barko
Wichita
Justice Abner Cuttler
Gordon (uncredited)
Tommy - Bartender
Hank Ford
Bert
Porter (uncredited)
Jackson
The Victim
The Husband
Taking Ways
(Unknown)
(Unknown)