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.

Most Known For

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet

as Uncle John

Boston Blackie

as Inspector Faraday

Double Dynamite

as Mr. Kofer

Roxie Hart

as Bar Client #2 (uncredited)

Buyer Beware

as Smith (uncredited)

Houdini

as Mr. Hunter

His Girl Friday

as Duffy

Brother Orchid

as Waiter at Fat Dutchy's (uncredited)

The Strawberry Blonde

as Baxter - Livery Stable Owner (uncredited)

Greenwich Village

as Ordway

Sergeant York

as Drummer (uncredited)

Bride for Sale

as Police Sergeant (uncredited)

Cheaper by the Dozen

as Higgins (uncredited)

Father of the Bride

as Joe

The Big Clock

as Burt

They Died with Their Boots On

as Barfly (uncredited)

The Lost Weekend

as Opera Cloak Room Attendant

The Ox-Bow Incident

as Larry Kinkaid (uncredited)

Unwelcome Stranger

as Jackson

Tales of Manhattan

as Secondhand Clothes Dealer