Frank Craven

Frank Craven
Frank Craven
	Frank Craven in 1922
Born	August 24, 1875; Boston, Massachusetts, US
Died	September 1, 1945 (aged 70); Beverly Hills, California, US
Occupation	actor, director, playwright, producer
Years active	1928–1945
Spouse(s)	Mazie B. Daly
Children	John Craven

Frank Craven (August 24, 1875 – September 1, 1945)[1] was an American stage and film actor, playwright, and screenwriter, best known for originating the role of the Stage Manager in Thornton Wilder's Our Town.

Early years

Craven's parents, John T. Craven and Ella Mayer Craven,[2] were actors, and he first appeared on stage when he was three years old, in a child's part in The Silver King, in which his father was acting. His next appearance on stage occurred 13 years later in another production of the same play. That experience stirred an interest in acting as a career.[3]

Career

Frank Craven, Martha Scott and John Craven in the original Broadway production of Our Town (1938)

Before he acted in films, Craven worked in stage productions, not limiting his activity to acting. "I would do anything around the place," he said.[3] He found later that work with carpentry, painting, and other backstage activities proved "invaluable" to him.[3] His initial success in New York came in the role of James Gilley in Bought and Paid For (1911). He also played the same role in a production in London.[4]

Craven was a character actor who often portrayed wry, small-town figures. His first film role was in We Americans (1928), and he appeared in State Fair (1933), Penrod and Sam (1937), Jack London (1943), and Son of Dracula (1943), among many others. He wrote numerous screenplays, most notably for the Laurel and Hardy film Sons of the Desert (1933). His IMDB biography credits him with sixteen writing credits and two directing credits.

In 1938, Craven played the Stage Manager in Our Town on Broadway,[2] and reprised the role in the 1940 film version of the play. His son John Craven starred as George Gibbs in the stage version, a role played by William Holden in the 1940 film.

Craven died in 1945, shortly after finishing his work in Colonel Effingham's Raid.

Craven was a Republican who campaigned for Thomas Dewey in the 1944 United States presidential election.[5]

Filmography

Frank Craven as the Stage Manager in the original Broadway production of Our Town (1938)

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1928	We Americans		Uncredited
1929	The Very Idea	Alan Camp
1932	Handle with Care	Radio Announcer
1933	State Fair	Storekeeper
1934	City Limits	J.B. Matthews
1934	He Was Her Man	Pop Sims, aka Jim Parker
1934	Let's Talk It Over	Mr. Rockland
1934	That's Gratitude	Bob Grant
1935	Car 99	Sheriff Pete Arnot
1935	Vagabond Lady	'Spiggy' Spiggins
1935	Barbary Coast	Col. Marcus Aurelius Cobb
1936	It's Up To You	Pop' Kane
1936	Small Town Girl	Will 'Pa' Brannan
1936	The Harvester	Mr. Biddle
1937	Penrod and Sam	Mr. Schofield
1937	Blossoms on Broadway	P.J. Quinterfield Sr.
1937	You're Only Young Once	Frank Redmond (Carvel Newspaper Owner)
1938	Penrod and His Twin Brother	Mr. Schofield
1939	Miracles for Sale	Dad Morgan
1939	Our Neighbors – The Carters	Doc Carter
1940	Our Town	Mr. Morgan
1940	City for Conquest	Old Timer
1940	Dreaming Out Loud	Dr. Walter Barnes
1941	The Lady from Cheyenne	Hank Foreman
1941	The Richest Man In Town	Abb Crothers
1942	In This Our Life	Asa Timberlake
1942	Thru Different Eyes	Steve Pettijohn
1942	Girl Trouble	Ambrose Murdock Flint
1942	Pittsburgh	'Doc' Powers
1942	Keeper of the Flame	Dr. Fielding
1943	Harrigan's Kid	Walter Garnet
1943	Dangerous Blondes	Inspector Joseph Clinton
1943	Son of Dracula	Doctor Brewster
1943	Jack London	Old Tom
1944	My Best Gal	Danny O'Hara
1944	Destiny	Clem Broderick
1945	Forever Yours	Uncle Charles
1946	Colonel Effingham's Raid	Dewey	(final film role)

References

U.S. Passport Application, Issue Date: 3-Jul-1919; National Archives Microfilm Publication M1490, Roll 0818, Certificate 93117; General Records of the Department of State, Record Group 59; National Archives, Washington, D.C.
"Frank Craven". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on October 29, 2019. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
Sumner, Keene (August 1921). "He Didn't Want to be Poor All of His Life". The American Magazine. XCII (2): 34, 64, 66. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
"Frank Craven: American Actor and Author". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Archived from the original on October 29, 2019. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
Critchlow, Donald T. (2013-10-21). When Hollywood Was Right: How Movie Stars, Studio Moguls, and Big Business Remade American Politics. ISBN 9781107650282.

External links

Frank Craven at IMDb
Frank Craven at AllMovie
Frank Craven at the Internet Broadway Database
Frank Craven at Find a Grave

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[1] U.S. Passport Application, Issue Date: 3-Jul-1919; National Archives Microfilm Publication M1490, Roll 0818, Certificate 93117; General Records of the Department of State, Record Group 59; National Archives, Washington, D.C.

[ibdb-2] "Frank Craven". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on October 29, 2019. Retrieved October 29, 2019.

[am-3] Sumner, Keene (August 1921). "He Didn't Want to be Poor All of His Life". The American Magazine. XCII (2): 34, 64, 66. Retrieved October 29, 2019.

[eb-4] "Frank Craven: American Actor and Author". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Archived from the original on October 29, 2019. Retrieved October 29, 2019.

[5] Critchlow, Donald T. (2013-10-21). When Hollywood Was Right: How Movie Stars, Studio Moguls, and Big Business Remade American Politics. ISBN 9781107650282.