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 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.

His Girl Friday

7.4

The Lost Weekend

7.6

The Ox-Bow Incident

7.7

Sergeant York

7.2

Father of the Bride

7.0

Young Mr. Lincoln

7.2

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers

7.1

The Big Clock

7.3

They Died with Their Boots On

6.6

Lady in the Lake

6.0

At the Circus

6.3

Cheaper by the Dozen

6.3

I Wake Up Screaming

6.8

Houdini

6.5

Boom Town

6.9

Brother Orchid

6.4

Tales of Manhattan

6.3

Hello, Frisco, Hello

6.2

San Quentin

6.5

Nancy Drew... Reporter

6.2

The Great Rupert

5.7

Come Live with Me

6.9

Wilson

5.5

Roxie Hart

6.9

Red Light

5.5

Stanley and Livingstone

6.4

Nancy Drew… Detective

6.3

Dust Be My Destiny

6.2

Idiot's Delight

6.1

Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase

6.8

The Guilt of Janet Ames

5.6

The Secret of Dr. Kildare

5.6

Dr. Kildare's Strange Case

4.8

Double Dynamite

6.2

Pillow to Post

5.5

Springtime in the Rockies

6.7

My Gal Sal

5.8

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet

5.8

Doll Face

4.5

Michael Shayne: Private Detective

6.5

Ever Since Eve

5.8

Rings on Her Fingers

6.5

Orchestra Wives

5.8

The Magnificent Dope

7.2

Fast and Furious

5.1

Blue, White, and Perfect

6.3

'Til We Meet Again

6.2

Young Dr. Kildare

6.5

Calling Dr. Kildare

6.1

Summer Storm

5.1

Two Against the World

5.8

The Doctor Takes a Wife

6.5

Dr. Kildare's Victory

5.8

Something to Live For

6.8

Here Come the Girls

4.4

Fast and Loose

5.6

The Payoff

4.9

Dr. Kildare Goes Home

6.8

The Bride Wore Boots

5.9

Broadway Limited

5.1

Storm Over Lisbon

4.8

The Petty Girl

4.1

The Patient in Room 18

5.1

Sweet Rosie O'Grady

6.0

Coney Island

5.3

The Hoodlum Saint

5.2

Torchy Blane in Panama

5.3

Tell No Tales

5.3

Within the Law

6.0

Thunder Afloat

5.9

Heartaches

5.2

Gallant Sons

7.2

Dr. Kildare's Crisis

6.0

Mexican Spitfire Out West

4.6

The Impatient Years

6.3

Gold Rush Maisie

6.5

Broadway Serenade

6.2

She Went to the Races

5.5

Greenwich Village

6.0

Ride on Vaquero

4.2

Murder in the Music Hall

4.6

The Meanest Man in the World

6.4

The People Vs. Dr. Kildare

7.0

Wake Up and Dream

6.5

The Footloose Heiress

4.3

You, the People

5.7

Roger Touhy, Gangster

6.0

Buyer Beware

6.0

Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant

5.3

Blondie's Secret

6.5

Pier 13

5.0

Think It Over

6.5

Burn 'Em Up O'Connor

5.0

It Had to Be You

6.5

Missing Witnesses

5.5

Prairie Thunder

3.5

Talent Scout

6.0

La Conga Nights

7.5

Bride for Sale

6.0

Comet Over Broadway

5.0

The Adventures of Boston Blackie

4.0

Marry the Girl

5.0

Land Beyond the Law

7.0

The Devil's Saddle Legion

0.5

The Gas House Kids in Hollywood

6.0

Hot Money

4.0

Father Is A Prince

5.0

Florian

1.0

Respect the Law

6.0

Know Your Money

9.0

The Girl from Manhattan

5.0

Taking Ways

0.0

Unwelcome Stranger

0.0

Footlight Serenade

0.0

Tell It to a Star

0.0

Mr. Chump

0.0

Polo Joe

0.0

Henry and Dizzy

0.0

Born to Speed

0.0

Over My Dead Body

0.0

A Bird in the Hand

0.0

It's Great to Be Young

0.0