Franklin Pangborn

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Franklin Pangborn (January 23, 1889 – July 20, 1958) was an American comedic character actor famous for playing small but memorable roles with comic flair. He appeared in scores of feature films playing essentially the same character: prissy, polite, elegant, highly energetic, often officious, fastidious, somewhat nervous, prone to becoming flustered but essentially upbeat, and with immediately recognizable high-speed, patter-type speech. He typically played an officious desk clerk in a hotel, a self-important musician, a fastidious headwaiter, an enthusiastic birdwatcher, and the like, and was usually put in a situation of frustration or flustered by the antics of others. Pangborn was an effective foil for many major comedians.

Known For

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet

Mr. Canfield (uncredited)

The Colgate Comedy Hour

Self

This Is Your Life

Self

Revlon Mirror Theatre

Now, Voyager

Mr. Thompson

Stage Door Canteen

Franklin Pangborn

Filmography

Year	Movie	Role
1984	Going Hollywood: The '30s	(archive footage)
1958	The Unchained Goddess	the Cloud Painter (voice)
1957	The Story of Mankind	Marquis de Varennes
1949	My Dream Is Yours	Sourpuss Manager
1949	The Eternal Melody	The Cat Lover
1949	Down Memory Lane	(archive footage)
1948	Romance on the High Seas	Rio Hotel Clerk
1947	The Sin of Harold Diddlebock	Formfit Franklin
1947	I'll Be Yours	Barber
1947	Calendar Girl	Dilly Dillingsworth
1946	Lover Come Back	Hotel desk clerk
1946	Two Guys from Milwaukee	Theatre Manager
1945	The Horn Blows at Midnight	Radio Engineer / Sloan
1945	Hollywood and Vine	Reggie
1945	Tell It to a Star	Horace Lovelace
1945	You Came Along	Hotel Clerk
1945	Hollywood Victory Caravan	Railroad Agent
1945	See My Lawyer	B.J. Wagonhorn
1944	The Great Moment	Dr. Heywood
1944	Hail the Conquering Hero	Reception Committee Chairman
1944	My Best Gal	Mr. Porter
1944	Allergic to Love	Stewart Ives III
1944	Reckless Age	Mr. Thurtle
1943	Reveille with Beverly	Vernon Lewis (uncredited)
1943	Holy Matrimony	Duncan Farll
1943	Stage Door Canteen	Franklin Pangborn
1943	Never a Dull Moment	Sylvester
1943	Honeymoon Lodge	Cathcart
1943	Two Weeks to Live	Mr. Pinkney
1943	Crazy House	Hotel Clerk
1942	The Palm Beach Story	Manager
1942	Now, Voyager	Mr. Thompson
1942	George Washington Slept Here	Mr. Gibney
1942	Obliging Young Lady	Professor Gibney
1942	Call Out the Marines	Wilbur
1942	Moonlight Masquerade	Fairchild
1942	What's Cookin'?	Professor Bistell
1942	Strictly in the Groove	Cathcart
1941	Never Give a Sucker an Even Break	The Producer
1941	Tillie the Toiler	Perry Tweedale
1941	The Flame of New Orleans	Bellows
1941	Sullivan's Travels	Mr. Casalsis
1941	A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob	Pet Shop Owner
1941	Weekend for Three	Number Seven, Old Field Inn Waiter
1941	Mr. District Attorney in the Carter Case	Charley Towne
1941	Where Did You Get That Girl?	Digby
1941	Bachelor Daddy	Williams, Club Manager
1940	The Bank Dick	J. Pinkerton Snoopington
1940	Christmas in July	Don Hartman - Radio Announcer
1940	Spring Parade	Wiedlemeyer
1940	Turnabout	Mr. Pingboom
1940	Hit Parade of 1941	Carter
1940	Public Deb No. 1	Bartender
1940	The Villain Still Pursued Her	Bartender (uncredited)
1939	Fifth Avenue Girl	Higgins
1939	Broadway Serenade	Gene, Collier's Composer
1939	Screen Snapshots Series 18, No. 8	Franklin Pangborn
1938	Bluebeard's Eighth Wife	Assistant Hotel Manager
1938	Carefree	Roland Hunter
1938	Just Around the Corner	Waters
1938	Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm	Hamilton Montmarcy
1938	Four's a Crowd	Preston
1938	Topper Takes a Trip	Louis - Hotel Manager
1938	The Girl Downstairs	Adolf Pumpfel
1938	Doctor Rhythm	Mr. Stenchfield (Store Clerk)
1938	Always Goodbye	Bicycle Salesman
1938	Three Blind Mice	Clerk
1938	Joy of Living	Orchestra Leader
1938	Vivacious Lady	Apartment Manager
1937	A Star Is Born	Billy Moon (uncredited)
1937	Stage Door	Harcourt
1937	Easy Living	Van Buren
1937	Swing High, Swing Low	Henri
1937	Danger – Love at Work	Train dining car headwaiter
1937	It Happened in Hollywood	Mr. Forsythe
1937	All Over Town	The Costumer
1937	High Hat	Renaldo Breton
1937	Dangerous Holiday	Doffle
1937	She's Dangerous	Fashion Designer
1937	Rich Relations	Mr. Dwight
1937	It's All Yours	Schultz
1937	She Married an Artist	Paul
1937	The Life of the Party	Beggs
1937	Dangerous Number	Hotel Desk Clerk
1937	Living on Love	Ogilvie O. Oglethorpe
1937	We Have Our Moments	Joe
1937	I'll Take Romance	Kane's Secretary
1937	The Lady Escapes	Pierre
1937	Love on Toast	Finley
1937	When Love Is Young	John Dorman
1937	Thrill of a Lifetime	Sam Williams
1937	Bad Housekeeping	Piano Tuner
1937	She Had to Eat	Mr. Phoecian-Wylie
1937	Step Lively, Jeeves!	Head Waiter
1936	Mr. Deeds Goes to Town	The Tailor (uncredited)
1936	The Mandarin Mystery	Mellish
1936	Hats Off	Mr. Churchill
1936	Tango	Oscar, the Photographer
1936	Doughnuts and Society	Benson
1936	Three Smart Girls	Jeweler
1936	Give Us This Night	Forcellini's Secretary
1936	To Mary - with Love	Guest
1936	Don't Gamble with Love	Salesman
1936	Swing Banditry	Radio Announcer (uncredited)
1936	My Man Godfrey	Guthrie (uncredited)
1936	The Luckiest Girl in the World	Cashier
1935	The Captain Hits the Ceiling	Jimmy Martin
1935	Eight Bells	Finch
1935	She Married Her Boss	Window Dresser (uncredited)
1935	$1,000 a Minute	Reville
1935	Hollywood Trouble	Tailor
1935	She Couldn't Take It	Spot's Secretary
1935	The Headline Woman	Hamilton
1935	She Married Her Boss	Window Dresser
1934	King Kelly of the U.S.A.	J. Ashton Brockton
1934	Cockeyed Cavaliers	Town Crier
1934	Manhattan Love Song	Garrett Wetherby
1934	Tomorrow's Youth	Thornton
1934	Flirtation	Veterinarian
1934	Young and Beautiful	Radio Announcer
1934	My Grandfather's Clock	Dr. Watkins
1934	Unknown Blonde	Male Co-Respondent
1934	College Rhythm	Peabody
1934	Imitation of Life	Mr. Carven (uncredited)
1934	Many Happy Returns	Allen's Secretary
1934	Strictly Dynamite	Mr. Bailey
1934	That's Gratitude	Photographer
1933	Trying Out Torchy	Office manager
1933	Design for Living	Mr. Douglas
1933	Art in the Raw
1933	Menu	John Xavier Omsk (uncredited)
1933	Sweepings	Photographer (Uncredited)
1933	Dream Stuff	Gordon
1933	Torchy's Kitty Coup	Office Manager
1933	Torchy Turns Turtle	Office Manager
1933	Torchy's Loud Spooker	Office Manager
1933	Professional Sweetheart	Herbert Childress
1933	The Important Witness	Groom
1933	Easy on the Eyes	Franklyn Pierce
1933	Bed of Roses	Floorwalker
1933	Parachute Jumper	Man in Private Office (uncredited)
1933	International House	Hotel Manager
1933	Flying Down to Rio	Hammerstein (uncredited)
1933	Wild Poses	Otto Phocus
1933	Headline Shooter	Adolphus G. Crocker
1933	Sing, Bing, Sing	Herbert
1933	Only Yesterday	Tom (Uncredited)
1932	The Half-Naked Truth	Hotel Clerk
1932	A Fool's Advice	Egbert - Hotel Clerk
1932	The Loud Mouth
1932	Jimmy's New Yacht	Everett
1932	Torchy Turns the Trick	Office Manager
1932	Torchy's Night Cap	Office Manager
1932	Torchy Raises the Auntie	Office Manager
1932	Torchy's Two Toots	Office Manager
1932	Torchy's Busy Day	Office Manager
1932	Torchy Rolls His Own	Office Manager
1932	Tee for Two	Henry
1932	Doctor's Orders
1932	Over the Counter	Drake's Assistant
1932	What Price Taxi	Taxi Boy
1932	The Giddy Age	George
1932	Lighthouse Love	Pvt. Jerry Stone
1932	Lighthouse Love	Pvt. Jerry Stone
1931	Blue of the Night	Gilbert Sinclair
1931	Torchy	Office Manager
1931	Torchy Passes the Buck	Office Manager
1931	A Woman of Experience	Hans
1931	Next Door Neighbors	Landlord
1931	Hollywood Halfbacks
1930	Reno or Bust
1930	Her Man	Sport
1930	Not So Dumb	Leach
1930	The Chumps	Eddie Gray
1930	Cheer Up and Smile	Professor
1930	Breakfast in Bed	John
1930	A Lady Surrenders	Lawton
1930	Sunny	Party Guest (uncredited)
1930	Poor Aubrey	Aubrey Piper
1929	The Sap	Ed Mason
1929	Lady of the Pavements	M'sieu Dubrey, Dance Master
1928	A Blonde for a Night	Hector
1928	On Trial	Turnbull
1927	My Friend from India	William / Tommy Valentine
1927	Cradle Snatchers	Howard Drake
1927	Getting Gertie's Garter	Algy Brooks
1927	The Girl in the Pullman	Hector Brooks
1927	Finger Prints	The Bandoline Kid
1926	Exit Smiling	Cecil Lovelace

Year	TV Show	Role
1957	Tonight Starring Jack Paar	Self - Announcer
1954	Hey Mulligan	Mr. Bean
1953	Revlon Mirror Theatre
1952	This Is Your Life	Self
1952	The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet	Mr. Canfield (uncredited)
1950	The Colgate Comedy Hour	Self