Frank Cady

Biography

Although Frank Cady's most famous role would be that of general-store owner Sam Drucker, one of the less nutty residents of Hooterville in both Green Acres (1965) and Petticoat Junction (1963), he had a history as a film, stage and television actor long before those shows. Cady also appeared on some radio programs including Gunsmoke. In the 1950s, Cady played Doc Williams in The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952), along with numerous supporting parts in movies and also appeared in television commercials for (among other products) Shasta Grape Soda. Cady has been most prolific in television and was the only actor to play a recurring character on three TV sitcoms at the same time, The Beverly Hillbillies (1962), Green Acres (1965), and Petticoat Junction (1963). Usually cast as a gregarious small-town businessman, druggist, store clerk or other type of all-around Midwestern-type good guy, Cady was actually a California native, born in Susanville in 1915. The acting bug bit him when he sang in an elementary school play, and after graduating from Stanford University he headed to London, England, to train in the theater. When World War II broke out he was already in Europe, so he enlisted in the Army Air Force and spent the next several years in postings all over the continent. After his discharge he returned to the US and headed for Hollywood. An agent saw him in a local play, signed him, and he was on his way. One of his earlier--and more atypical--roles was as a seedy underworld character pulled in for questioning in a cop's murder in the noir classic He Walked by Night (1948), and he played a succession of hotel clerks, bureaucrats, henpecked husbands and the like for the next 40+ years. He did much television work from the mid-'50s onward. Cady resided in Wilsonville, Oregon and at the time of his death had two children, three grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

Most Known For

Perry Mason

as Joe Widlock / Hiram Widlock

The Andy Griffith Show

as Luke

The Andy Griffith Show

as Farley Upchurch

Hawaii Five-O

as Judge Bergstrom

Wagon Train

as Hiram

Maverick

as Hamelin

The Virginian

as Mr. Hardy

Cheyenne

The Untouchables

as Larry Croft

The Beverly Hillbillies

as Sam Drucker

Rawhide

as Storekeeper

Green Acres

as Sam Drucker

Green Acres

as Sam Drucker / Ben Drucker

Green Acres

Gunsmoke

as Webb

Petticoat Junction

as Sam Drucker

The Colgate Comedy Hour

as Self

Dennis the Menace

Hazel

Trackdown

as Bob-Tail