1880-02-20 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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.
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Here Come the Girls | Mr. Hungerford | 1953-10-22 |
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Houdini | Mr. Hunter | 1953-07-02 |
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Something to Live For | Waiter (uncredited) | 1952-03-07 |
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Double Dynamite | Mr. Kofer | 1951-12-25 |
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The Petty Girl | Moody (process server) | 1950-08-17 |
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The Great Rupert | Mr. Frank Dingle | 1950-03-01 |
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Cheaper by the Dozen | Higgins (uncredited) | 1950-03-31 |
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Father of the Bride | Joe | 1950-05-18 |
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Bride for Sale | Police Sergeant (uncredited) | 1949-11-12 |
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Red Light | Wallace 'Wally' Stoner | 1949-09-30 |
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The Big Clock | Burt | 1948-03-18 |
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Blondie's Secret | Mr. Philpotts | 1948-12-23 |
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The Girl from Manhattan | Oscar Newsome | 1948-10-01 |
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Born to Speed | Breezy Bradley | 1947-01-12 |
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The Guilt of Janet Ames | Danny | 1947-03-06 |
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Heartaches | Mike Connelly, Vic's Agent | 1947-06-28 |
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It Had to Be You | Conductor Brown | 1947-12-07 |
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The Gas House Kids in Hollywood | Police Captain | 1947-08-23 |
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Murder in the Music Hall | Henderson | 1946-04-10 |
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The Bride Wore Boots | Judge (uncredited) | 1946-06-05 |
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Wake Up and Dream | Milkman | 1946-12-02 |
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It's Great to Be Young | Franklin Johnson | 1946-09-12 |
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Lady in the Lake | Floyd Greer (Uncredited) | 1946-12-19 |
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The Hoodlum Saint | Chronicle Editor (uncredited) | 1946-04-04 |
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The Strange Love of Martha Ivers | Hotel Clerk | 1946-08-19 |
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The Lost Weekend | Opera Cloak Room Attendant | 1945-11-29 |
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Tell It to a Star | Augustus T. Goodman | 1945-08-16 |
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She Went to the Races | Skelly | 1945-11-04 |
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Doll Face | Peters | 1945-12-31 |
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Pillow to Post | Clayfield Taxi Driver | 1945-06-09 |
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Greenwich Village | Ordway | 1944-09-27 |
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Summer Storm | Cafe Maitre d' at End (uncredited) | 1944-07-14 |
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Storm Over Lisbon | Murgatroyd | 1944-10-16 |
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Wilson | Smith (uncredited) | 1944-08-01 |
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The Impatient Years | Counterman | 1944-09-10 |
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Roger Touhy, Gangster | . Comic in Theater (uncredited) | 1944-06-03 |
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Tall in the Saddle | 'Shorty' Davis (uncredited) | 1944-09-29 |
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Hello, Frisco, Hello | Lou, Bartender at Sharkey's | 1943-03-26 |
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Sweet Rosie O'Grady | Taxi Driver | 1943-10-01 |
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The Ox-Bow Incident | Larry Kinkaid (uncredited) | 1943-03-11 |
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The Meanest Man in the World | Bartender | 1943-02-12 |
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Coney Island | Bartender | 1943-06-18 |
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Blue, White, and Perfect | Mr. Toby | 1942-01-06 |
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Henry and Dizzy | Joe McGuire | 1942-06-05 |
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My Gal Sal | McGuiness | 1942-04-30 |
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Over My Dead Body | Detective | 1942-01-15 |
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Dr. Kildare's Victory | Mike Ryan | 1942-02-04 |
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Roxie Hart | Bar Client #2 (uncredited) | 1942-02-20 |
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Orchestra Wives | Rex Willet | 1942-09-04 |
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The Magnificent Dope | Messenger | 1942-07-01 |
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Rings on Her Fingers | Kellogg | 1942-03-20 |
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Footlight Serenade | Mike | 1942-08-01 |
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Springtime in the Rockies | Bickel (uncredited) | 1942-11-06 |
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Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant | Mike Ryan | 1942-11-01 |
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Tales of Manhattan | Secondhand Clothes Dealer | 1942-08-05 |
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Broadway Limited | Lou, Cafe Proprietor | 1941-06-13 |
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The Strawberry Blonde | Baxter - Livery Stable Owner (uncredited) | 1941-02-21 |
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Ride on Vaquero | Auctioneer | 1941-04-18 |
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They Died with Their Boots On | Barfly (uncredited) | 1941-11-20 |
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Sergeant York | Drummer (uncredited) | 1941-09-27 |
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Let's Make Music | Mr. Botts | 1941-01-17 |
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Respect the Law | Peter Brennan | 1941-01-04 |
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Come Live with Me | Jerry | 1941-01-31 |
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I Wake Up Screaming | Cemetery Caretaker | 1941-10-31 |
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The People Vs. Dr. Kildare | Mike Ryan | 1941-05-02 |
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Gallant Sons | Newspaper Foreman (uncredited) | 1940-11-15 |
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'Til We Meet Again | Hong Kong Bartender (uncredited) | 1940-04-20 |
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The Doctor Takes a Wife | New York Editor (uncredited) | 1940-04-25 |
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Father Is A Prince | Drugstore Proprieter | 1940-11-18 |
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La Conga Nights | Dennis O'Brien | 1940-05-31 |
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Buyer Beware | Smith (uncredited) | 1940-08-17 |
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Mexican Spitfire Out West | Window Washer | 1940-10-29 |
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Gold Rush Maisie | Harris | 1940-07-26 |
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Dr. Kildare's Strange Case | Mike Ryan, Sullivan's Hospital Cafe | 1940-04-12 |
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Florian | Detective | 1940-06-05 |
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Dr. Kildare's Crisis | Mike Ryan, Cafe Owner | 1940-11-29 |
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Dr. Kildare Goes Home | Mike Ryan (uncredited) | 1940-09-06 |
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Know Your Money | Tobacconist (uncredited) | 1940-01-27 |
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You, the People | Soda Jerk | 1940-11-30 |
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Boom Town | Barber | 1940-08-30 |
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Michael Shayne: Private Detective | Steve | 1940-12-19 |
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Brother Orchid | Waiter at Fat Dutchy's (uncredited) | 1940-06-07 |
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Pier 13 | Dead Pan Charlie | 1940-08-08 |
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His Girl Friday | Duffy | 1940-01-18 |
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At the Circus | Chef in Diner (uncredited) | 1939-10-20 |
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Nancy Drew... Reporter | Captain Tweedy (uncredited) | 1939-02-18 |
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Fast and Loose | Detective Hendricks (uncredited) | 1939-02-17 |
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Idiot's Delight | Benny Zinsser | 1939-01-27 |
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Burn 'Em Up O'Connor | Tim McKelvy | 1939-01-13 |
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Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase | Captain Tweedy | 1939-09-09 |
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Broadway Serenade | Mr. Fellows | 1939-04-07 |
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Fast and Furious | Captain Joe Burke | 1939-10-06 |
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Within the Law | Jim Jenks | 1939-03-17 |
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Tell No Tales | Vic - Bartender (uncredited) | 1939-06-12 |
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Stanley and Livingstone | Newspaperman with Pills | 1939-08-18 |
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The Secret of Dr. Kildare | Mike Sullivan | 1939-11-24 |
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Calling Dr. Kildare | Mike Sullivan - Hospital Cafe Owner (uncredited) | 1939-04-28 |
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Thunder Afloat | Old Sailor in Bilge Area (uncredited) | 1939-09-15 |
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Dust Be My Destiny | Wedding Witness on Stage (uncredited) | 1939-09-16 |
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Young Mr. Lincoln | Loafer (uncredited) | 1939-06-09 |
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Mr. Chump | Sheriff Frank Hinton | 1938-08-08 |
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Comet Over Broadway | Cab Driver (uncredited) | 1938-12-03 |
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Think It Over | Brown, Clothing Store Owner | 1938-07-24 |
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The Patient in Room 18 | Joe Higgins - Night Watchman | 1938-01-08 |
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Torchy Blane in Panama | First Leopard (uncredited) | 1938-05-07 |
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Young Dr. Kildare | Mike Ryan (uncredited) | 1938-10-14 |
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Nancy Drew… Detective | Captain Tweedy | 1938-11-19 |
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The Devil's Saddle Legion | Judge Barko | 1937-08-14 |
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The Footloose Heiress | Justice Abner Cuttler | 1937-10-08 |
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Talent Scout | Burlesque Theatre Manager (uncredited) | 1937-07-24 |
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Prairie Thunder | Wichita | 1937-09-10 |
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Land Beyond the Law | Shorty Long | 1937-03-13 |
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Missing Witnesses | Gordon (uncredited) | 1937-12-11 |
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Marry the Girl | Bar owner | 1937-07-13 |
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San Quentin | Convict in Bunkhouse (uncredited) | 1937-05-24 |
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Ever Since Eve | Cocktail Waiter (uncredited) | 1937-07-15 |
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Two Against the World | Tommy - Bartender | 1936-07-11 |
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Polo Joe | Bert | 1936-11-04 |
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Hot Money | Hank Ford | 1936-07-18 |
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The Payoff | Porter (uncredited) | 1935-01-09 |
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Unwelcome Stranger | Jackson | 1935-04-05 |
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The Victim | The Husband | 1931-11-25 |
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Taking Ways | 1930-04-30 | |
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A Bird in the Hand | 1929-04-29 |
