Frank Orth
Known for Acting · 127 credits
- Born
- 1880-02-20
- Died
- 1962-03-17
- Place of birth
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Also known as
- Frank Kaiser 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
TV Shows (2)
Movies (125)
Sergeant York
1941
as Drummer (uncredited)
His Girl Friday
1940
as Duffy
Cheaper by the Dozen
1950
as Higgins (uncredited)
The Strawberry Blonde
1941
as Baxter - Livery Stable Owner (uncredited)
Summer Storm
1944
as Cafe Maitre d' at End (uncredited)
Wilson
1944
as Smith (uncredited)
The Lost Weekend
1945
as Opera Cloak Room Attendant
Father of the Bride
1950
as Joe
Young Mr. Lincoln
1939
as Loafer (uncredited)
Tall in the Saddle
1944
as 'Shorty' Davis (uncredited)
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
1946
as Hotel Clerk
The Ox-Bow Incident
1943
as Larry Kinkaid (uncredited)
Dust Be My Destiny
1939
as Wedding Witness on Stage (uncredited)
Hot Money
1936
as Hank Ford
Houdini
1953
as Mr. Hunter
They Died with Their Boots On
1941
as Barfly (uncredited)
Doll Face
1945
as Peters
Missing Witnesses
1937
as Gordon (uncredited)
Broadway Serenade
1939
as Mr. Fellows
The Hoodlum Saint
1946
as Chronicle Editor (uncredited)
Boom Town
1940
as Barber
Lady in the Lake
1946
as Floyd Greer (Uncredited)
Brother Orchid
1940
as Waiter at Fat Dutchy's (uncredited)
Orchestra Wives
1942
as Rex Willet
Double Dynamite
1951
as Mr. Kofer
Fast and Furious
1939
as Captain Joe Burke
The Magnificent Dope
1942
as Messenger
Florian
1940
as Detective
At the Circus
1939
as Chef in Diner (uncredited)
Roger Touhy, Gangster
1944
as . Comic in Theater (uncredited)
Springtime in the Rockies
1942
as Bickel (uncredited)
Tell No Tales
1939
as Vic - Bartender (uncredited)
Marry the Girl
1937
as Bar owner
Fast and Loose
1939
as Detective Hendricks (uncredited)
The Doctor Takes a Wife
1940
as New York Editor (uncredited)
The Patient in Room 18
1938
as Joe Higgins - Night Watchman
Nancy Drew... Reporter
1939
as Captain Tweedy (uncredited)
Torchy Blane in Panama
1938
as First Leopard (uncredited)
Thunder Afloat
1939
as Old Sailor in Bilge Area (uncredited)
Father Is A Prince
1940
as Drugstore Proprieter
The Guilt of Janet Ames
1947
as Danny
Tales of Manhattan
1942
as Secondhand Clothes Dealer
Stanley and Livingstone
1939
as Newspaperman with Pills
San Quentin
1937
as Convict in Bunkhouse (uncredited)
Hello, Frisco, Hello
1943
as Lou, Bartender at Sharkey's
Sweet Rosie O'Grady
1943
as Taxi Driver
The Big Clock
1948
as Burt
It Had to Be You
1947
as Conductor Brown
I Wake Up Screaming
1941
as Cemetery Caretaker
The Great Rupert
1950
as Mr. Frank Dingle
'Til We Meet Again
1940
as Hong Kong Bartender (uncredited)
Coney Island
1943
as Bartender
Heartaches
1947
as Mike Connelly, Vic's Agent
Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase
1939
as Captain Tweedy
Nancy Drew… Detective
1938
as Captain Tweedy
The Secret of Dr. Kildare
1939
as Mike Sullivan
Buyer Beware
1940
as Smith (uncredited)
Broadway Limited
1941
as Lou, Cafe Proprietor
Comet Over Broadway
1938
as Cab Driver (uncredited)
Within the Law
1939
as Jim Jenks
My Gal Sal
1942
as McGuiness
Mexican Spitfire Out West
1940
as Window Washer
Calling Dr. Kildare
1939
as Mike Sullivan - Hospital Cafe Owner (uncredited)
Something to Live For
1952
as Waiter (uncredited)
Here Come the Girls
1953
as Mr. Hungerford
Idiot's Delight
1939
as Benny Zinsser
Come Live with Me
1941
as Jerry
Roxie Hart
1942
as Bar Client #2 (uncredited)
The Bride Wore Boots
1946
as Judge (uncredited)
Footlight Serenade
1942
as Mike
Henry and Dizzy
1942
as Joe McGuire
The Payoff
1935
as Porter (uncredited)
Dr. Kildare's Strange Case
1940
as Mike Ryan, Sullivan's Hospital Cafe
Gallant Sons
1940
as Newspaper Foreman (uncredited)
Red Light
1949
as Wallace 'Wally' Stoner
Ever Since Eve
1937
as Cocktail Waiter (uncredited)
Young Dr. Kildare
1938
as Mike Ryan (uncredited)
Michael Shayne: Private Detective
1940
as Steve
Blondie's Secret
1948
as Mr. Philpotts
Gold Rush Maisie
1940
as Harris
Land Beyond the Law
1937
as Shorty Long
Blue, White and Perfect
1942
as Mr. Toby
The Meanest Man in the World
1943
as Bartender
Dr. Kildare Goes Home
1940
as Mike Ryan (uncredited)
She Went to the Races
1945
as Skelly
Rings on Her Fingers
1942
as Kellogg
You, the People
1940
as Soda Jerk
Storm Over Lisbon
1944
as Murgatroyd
Polo Joe
1936
as Bert
The Devil's Saddle Legion
1937
as Judge Barko
Two Against the World
1936
as Tommy - Bartender
Pier 13
1940
as Dead Pan Charlie
Pillow to Post
1945
as Clayfield Taxi Driver
Over My Dead Body
1942
as Detective
Unwelcome Stranger
1935
as Jackson
The Petty Girl
1950
as Moody (process server)
The Girl from Manhattan
1948
as Oscar Newsome
Dr. Kildare's Victory
1942
as Mike Ryan
Dr. Kildare's Crisis
1940
as Mike Ryan, Cafe Owner
Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant
1942
as Mike Ryan
Tell It to a Star
1945
as Augustus T. Goodman
Burn 'Em Up O'Connor
1939
as Tim McKelvy
Murder in the Music Hall
1946
as Henderson
Greenwich Village
1944
as Ordway
Talent Scout
1937
as Burlesque Theatre Manager (uncredited)
The Gas House Kids in Hollywood
1947
as Police Captain
Bride for Sale
1949
as Police Sergeant (uncredited)
Let's Make Music
1941
as Mr. Botts
The Impatient Years
1944
as Counterman
La Conga Nights
1940
as Dennis O'Brien
Know Your Money
1940
as Tobacconist (uncredited)
Mr. Chump
1938
as Sheriff Frank Hinton
The People Vs. Dr. Kildare
1941
as Mike Ryan
Wake Up and Dream
1946
as Milkman
Ride on Vaquero
1941
as Auctioneer
Prairie Thunder
1937
as Wichita
Born to Speed
1947
as Breezy Bradley
The Victim
1931
as The Husband
Think It Over
1938
as Brown, Clothing Store Owner
The Footloose Heiress
1937
as Justice Abner Cuttler
About Frank Orth
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… With 127 credits spanning from 1929 to 1953, Frank Orth has appeared in 125 films and 2 TV shows.
Fans searching for Frank Orth movies, Frank Orth filmography, or the latest projects starring Frank Orth can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Frank Orth Movies
- Sergeant York (1941) — as Drummer (uncredited)
- His Girl Friday (1940) — as Duffy
- Cheaper by the Dozen (1950) — as Higgins (uncredited)
- The Strawberry Blonde (1941) — as Baxter - Livery Stable Owner (uncredited)
- Summer Storm (1944) — as Cafe Maitre d' at End (uncredited)
Where to Watch Frank Orth Films
Most Frank Orth movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Frank Orth, check our movies catalogue and browse page.