Frank Jenks (November 4, 1902 – May 13, 1962) was an American actor and vaudevillian.

Biography

Early years

Jenks was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and his mother gave him a trombone when he was 9 years old. By his late teens he was playing with Eddie Peabody and his band. Later, he became a studio musician in Hollywood, California.

Movie career

Jenks began in vaudeville and went on to a long career in movies and television, mostly in comedy. He was one of the more familiar faces and voices of the Hollywood Studio era. For almost ten years beginning in the early 1920s, He was a song and dance man in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

. In 1933, when sound films had become the norm, Broadway actors moved to Hollywood in droves. Jenks' flat, sarcastic delivery landed him a film career. Usually a supporting actor, Jenks did appear occasionally as a film lead for low-budget films for

PRC China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the second-most populous country after India, representing 17.4% of the world population. China spans the e ...

. Jenks appeared in not a few classics. In the

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English and American actor. Known for his blended British and American accent, debonair demeanor, lighthearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing, he ...

Rosalind Russell Catherine Rosalind Russell (June 4, 1907November 28, 1976) was an American actress, model, comedian, screenwriter, and singer,Obituary '' Variety'', December 1, 1976, p. 79. known for her role as fast-talking newspaper reporter Hildy Johnson in ...

classic ''

His Girl Friday ''His Girl Friday'' is a 1940 American screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks, starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell and featuring Ralph Bellamy and Gene Lockhart. It was released by Columbia Pictures. The plot centers on a newspaper ...

'' (1940), Jenks had his most famous role, as the cynical newsman "Wilson". When television began, Jenks made a successful transition. His biggest success was as Uthas P. Garvey, the skeptical, proletarian right-hand man for the loquacious English con artist " Colonel Humphrey Flack" (1953-54) in the

DuMont Television Network The DuMont Television Network (also the DuMont Network, DuMont Television, DuMont/Du Mont, or (incorrectly) Dumont ) was one of America's pioneer commercial television networks, rivaling NBC and CBS for the distinction of being first overall in ...

series of that name.Terrace, Vincent (2011). ''Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 200. He reprised the role in a syndicated version of ''Colonel Humphrey Flack'' that was syndicated in 1958.Erickson, Hal (1989). ''Syndicated Television: The First Forty Years, 1947-1987''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . pg. 56. He portrayed Lieutenant Rodney in the DuMont series '' Front Page Detective'' (1951-52), and he was a member of the cast of ''The Eddie Cantor Comedy Theater'', which was syndicated in 1955. He appeared in ''Waldo'', an unsold

television pilot A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie) in United Kingdom and United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television netwo ...

that aired as an episode of the

anthology series An anthology series is a written series, radio, television, film, or video game series that presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a different ca ...

'' New Comedy Showcase'' in 1960.

Death

On May 13, 1962, Jenks died of esophageal cancer in Hollywood, California, at age 59.

Selected filmography

* '' Luxury Liner'' (1933) - Ship's Bandleader (uncredited) * '' Hello, Everybody!'' (1933) - Orchestra Leader (uncredited) * '' College Humor'' (1933) - Orchestra Leader (uncredited) * '' Broadway to Hollywood'' (1933) - Call Boy (uncredited) * '' Young and Beautiful'' (1934) - Cheer Leader (uncredited) * '' College Rhythm'' (1934) - Orchestra Leader (uncredited) * ''

Follow the Fleet ''Follow the Fleet'' is a 1936 American musical comedy film with a nautical theme starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in their fifth collaboration as dance partners. It also features Randolph Scott, Harriet Hilliard, and Astrid Allwyn, wi ...

'' (1936) - Sailor (uncredited) * ''

The Farmer in the Dell "The Farmer in the Dell" is a singing game, nursery rhyme, folksong, and children's song. It probably originated in Germany and was brought to America by immigrants.I. Opie and P. Opie, ''The Singing Game'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1985) ...

'' (1936) - Bill Crosby * '' The Witness Chair'' (1936) - Roy Levino * '' The Last Outlaw'' (1936) - Deputy Tom * ''

Women Are Trouble ''Women Are Trouble'' is a 1936 American crime film directed by Errol Taggart and written by Michael Fessier. The film stars Stuart Erwin, Paul Kelly, Florence Rice, Margaret Irving, Cy Kendall and John Harrington. The film was released on J ...

'' (1936) - Reporter (uncredited) * '' Swing Time'' (1936) - Red - Dancer (uncredited) * '' Walking on Air'' (1936) - First Gas Station Attendant (uncredited) * '' Don't Turn 'Em Loose'' (1936) - Pete - Henchman * '' Old Hutch'' (1936) - Crook #2 (uncredited) * '' The Big Broadcast of 1937'' (1936) - Trombone Player * '' Smartest Girl in Town'' (1936) - Mr. Murphy - Photographer (uncredited) * '' That Girl from Paris'' (1936) - Laughing Boy Frank * '' The Charge of the Light Brigade'' (1936) * '' We Who Are About to Die'' (1937) - Clyde Beasley * '' When's Your Birthday?'' (1937) - Lefty * '' There Goes My Girl'' (1937) - Reporter Frank 'George' Tate * '' Angel's Holiday'' (1937) - Butch Broder * '' One Hundred Men and a Girl'' (1937) - Taxi Driver * '' The Lady Fights Back'' (1937) - Steve (scenes deleted) * '' Saturday's Heroes'' (1937) - Dubrowsky * '' The Westland Case'' (1937) - Doc Williams * '' Prescription for Romance'' (1937) - Smitty * '' You're a Sweetheart'' (1937) - Harry Howe * '' Love Is a Headache'' (1938) - Joe Cannon * '' Reckless Living'' (1938) - Freddie * '' Goodbye Broadway'' (1938) - Harry Clark * '' The Lady in the Morgue'' (1938) - Doc Williams * '' The Devil's Party'' (1938) - Sam * '' Letter of Introduction'' (1938) - Joe - Theater Prompter * '' Youth Takes a Fling'' (1938) - Frank Munson * '' The Storm'' (1938) - Peter Carey - Wireless Operator * '' Strange Faces'' (1938) - Nick Denby * '' The Last Warning'' (1938) - Doc Williams * '' You Can't Cheat an Honest Man'' (1939) - Jerry - Assistant (uncredited) * ''

Society Smugglers ''Society Smugglers'' is a 1939 American crime film directed by Joe May and starring Preston Foster, Irene Hervey and Walter Woolf King.Monaco p.364 It was made and distributed by Universal Pictures. The film sets were designed by the art director ...

'' (1939) - Emery * '' Big Town Czar'' (1939) - Sid Travers * '' S.O.S. Tidal Wave'' (1939) - Peaches Jackson * '' The Under-Pup'' (1939) - Uncle Dan * '' Golden Boy'' (1939) - Pepper White (uncredited) * '' First Love'' (1939) - Mike the Cop * ''

'' (1940) - Wilson * '' Three Cheers for the Irish'' (1940) - Ed McKean * '' A Little Bit of Heaven'' (1940) - Uncle Dan * '' Melody and Moonlight'' (1940) - Butch Reilly * '' Dancing on a Dime'' (1940) - Phil Miller * '' Tall, Dark and Handsome'' (1941) - Puffy * '' Back Street'' (1941) - Harry Niles * '' The Flame of New Orleans'' (1941) - 2nd Sailor * '' Scattergood Meets Broadway'' (1941) - J. J. Bent * '' Two Yanks in Trinidad'' (1942) - Joe Scavenger * ''

Syncopation In music, syncopation is a variety of rhythms played together to make a piece of music, making part or all of a tune or piece of music off-beat (music), off-beat. More simply, syncopation is "a disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of ...

'' (1942) - Smiley Jackson * '' Maisie Gets Her Man'' (1942) - Art Giffman * '' The Navy Comes Through'' (1942) - Sampier * '' Seven Miles from Alcatraz'' (1942) - Jimbo * '' The Human Comedy'' (1943) - Larry - Song Leader on Train (uncredited) * ''

Corregidor Corregidor (, , ) is an island located at the entrance of Manila Bay in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Philippines, and is considered part of Cavite City and thus the province of Cavite. It is located west of Manila, the nation's capi ...

'' (1943) - Sgt. Mahoney * '' Shantytown'' (1943) - 'Whitey' * '' Gildersleeve's Bad Day'' (1943) - Al * '' So's Your Uncle'' (1943) - Joe Elliott * ''

Thousands Cheer ''Thousands Cheer'' is a 1943 American musical comedy film directed by George Sidney and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Produced during the Second World War, the film was intended as a morale booster for American troops and their families. P ...

'' (1943) - Sgt. Koslack * '' Hi'ya, Sailor'' (1943) - Deadpan Weaver * '' His Butler's Sister'' (1943) - Emmett * '' Ladies Courageous'' (1944) - Snapper * ''

Rosie the Riveter Rosie the Riveter is an allegorical cultural icon in the United States who represents the women who worked in factories and shipyards during World War II, many of whom produced munitions and war supplies. These women sometimes took entirely n ...

'' (1944) - Kelly Kennedy * '' Shake Hands with Murder'' (1944) - Eddie Jones * '' Follow the Boys'' (1944) - Chick Doyle (uncredited) * '' Two Girls and a Sailor'' (1944) - Dick Deyo (uncredited) * '' This Is the Life'' (1944) - Eddie * ''

Roger Touhy, Gangster ''Roger Touhy, Gangster'' is a 1944 American gangster film based on the life of Chicago mob figure Roger Touhy, directed by film noir specialist Robert Florey. Parts of the film were shot at Stateville Correctional Center near Joliet, Illinoi ...

'' (1944) - Bernard 'Troubles' O'Connor * '' Take It or Leave It'' (1944) - Taxi Driver (uncredited) * '' Three Little Sisters'' (1944) - Pvt. 'Rosy' Rowman * '' Dixie Jamboree'' (1944) - Jack 'Curly' Berger * '' The Impatient Years'' (1944) - Top Sergeant (uncredited) * '' Strange Affair'' (1944) - Sgt. Erwin * '' Rogues' Gallery'' (1944) - Eddie Porter * '' The Falcon in Hollywood'' (1944) - Lieutenant Higgins * '' The Kid Sister'' (1945) - Burglar * '' G.I. Honeymoon'' (1945) - Horace P. 'Blubber' Malloy * '' Zombies on Broadway'' (1945) - Gus * '' The Phantom of 42nd Street'' (1945) - Egbert Egelhofer, aka Romeo (Taxicab Driver) * '' The Missing Corpse'' (1945) - Mack Hogan * '' Bedside Manner'' (1945) - Pvt. Harry Smith * '' Steppin' in Society'' (1945) - George * '' Christmas in Connecticut'' (1945) - Sinkewicz * ''

One Way to Love ''One Way to Love'' is a 1946 American comedy film directed by Ray Enright and starring Willard Parker, Marguerite Chapman, Chester Morris and Janis Carter. It was produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures. The plot has some similarities to Co ...

'' (1946) - Jensen * '' The Hoodlum Saint'' (1946) - Dance Contest M.C. (uncredited) * '' Blondie's Lucky Day'' (1946) - Mailman * ''

White Tie and Tails ''White Tie and Tails'' is a 1946 American comedy drama film directed by Charles Barton (director), Charles Barton and starring Dan Duryea, Ella Raines, William Bendix, and Frank Jenks. The film tagline is "Clothes Don't Make the Man ... a Gentl ...

'' (1946) - George * '' That Brennan Girl'' (1946) - Joe the Cabbie * '' Philo Vance's Gamble'' (1947) - Ernie Clark * '' That's My Gal'' (1947) - Louie Koblentz * ''

Kilroy Was Here Kilroy was here is a meme that became popular during World War II, typically seen in graffiti. Its origin is debated, but the phrase and the distinctive accompanying doodle became associated with G.I. (military), GIs in the 1940s: a bald-head ...

'' (1947) - Butch Miller * '' Philo Vance's Secret Mission'' (1947) - Ernie Clark * '' Blonde Savage'' (1947) - Hoppy Owens * '' High Wall'' (1947) - Pinky (uncredited) * '' Mary Lou'' (1948) - Mike Connors * '' Mr. Reckless'' (1948) - Cab Driver * '' Blondie's Reward'' (1948) - Ed Vance * '' Joe Palooka in Winner Take All'' (1948) - Louie * '' You Gotta Stay Happy'' (1948) - Carnival Man * '' Shep Comes Home'' (1948) - The Iceman * '' Family Honeymoon'' (1948) - Gas Station Attendant * ''

Prison Warden The warden ( US, Canada) or governor ( UK, Australia), also known as a superintendent (US, South Asia) or director (UK, New Zealand), is the official who is in charge of a prison. Name In the United States, Mexico, and Canada, warden is the m ...

'' (1949) - Postman (uncredited) * '' Mother Didn't Tell Me'' (1950) - Furniture Mover (uncredited) * '' Blondie's Hero'' (1950) - Tim Saunders * '' Motor Patrol'' (1950) - Mac * ''

Lucky Losers ''Lucky Losers'' is a 1950 American comedy film directed by William Beaudine starring The Bowery Boys. The film was released on May 14, 1950, by Monogram Pictures and is the eighteenth film in the series. It had the working title of ''High Stakes ...

'' (1950) - Bartender * '' The Petty Girl'' (1950) - Kaye - Producer #2 (uncredited) * '' Woman on the Run'' (1950) - Detective Shaw * '' To Please a Lady'' (1950) - Press Agent * '' Joe Palooka in the Squared Circle'' (1950) - Looie - a Trainer * '' Bowery Battalion'' (1951) - Recruiting Sergeant * '' Silver City Bonanza'' (1951) - Theater Owner * '' The Scarf'' (1951) - Tom (uncredited) * '' I Was an American Spy'' (1951) - Radio Operator 'Mac' Marconi (uncredited) * '' Father Takes the Air'' (1951) - Customer (uncredited) * '' Let's Go Navy!'' (1951) - Shell game sailor * '' Utah Wagon Train'' (1951) - Hap - Telephone Company Lineman * ''

Pecos River The Pecos River ( ; ) originates in north-central New Mexico and flows into Texas, emptying into the Rio Grande. Its headwaters are on the eastern slope of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range in Mora County north of Pecos, New Mexico, at an elev ...

'' (1951) - Sheriff Denning * '' Mr. Walkie Talkie'' (1952) - Corporal Jackson * '' White Lightning'' (1953) - Benny Brown * ''

Highway Dragnet ''Highway Dragnet'' is a 1954 American film noir B movie, B film crime film directed by Nathan Juran from a story by Uell Stanley Andersen, U.S. Andersen and Roger Corman. The film stars Richard Conte, Joan Bennett and Wanda Hendrix. It was Roger ...

'' (1954) - Marine in Civvies * '' Outlaw Treasure'' (1955) - Sergeant * '' Not as a Stranger'' (1955) - Mr. Parrish (uncredited) * '' Tennessee's Partner'' (1955) - Bartender (uncredited) * ''

Artists and Models ''Artists and Models'' is a 1955 American musical romantic comedy film in VistaVision directed by Frank Tashlin, marking Martin and Lewis's 14th feature together as a team. The film co-stars Shirley MacLaine and Dorothy Malone, with Eva Gabor ...

'' (1955) - Piano-Mover (uncredited) * '' Sudden Danger'' (1955) - Kenny - Bartender * '' Dig That Uranium'' (1955) - Olaf the Mechanic (uncredited) * '' Slightly Scarlet'' (1956) - Bartender (uncredited) * '' The Houston Story'' (1956) - Louie Phelan * ''

The She-Creature ''The She-Creature'', or ''The She Creature'', is a 1956 American black-and-white science fiction horror film, released by American International Pictures from a script by Lou Rusoff (brother-in-law of AIP executive Samuel Z. Arkoff). It wa ...

'' (1956) - Plainclothes Sgt. with Lt. James * '' Friendly Persuasion'' (1956) - Shell Game Man (uncredited) * '' Shake, Rattle & Rock!'' (1956) - Frank * '' The Amazing Colossal Man'' (1957) - Truck Driver * '' Merry Andrew'' (1958) - Bertie (uncredited) * '' Rock-A-Bye Baby'' (1958) - Reporter (uncredited)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jenks, Frank 1902 births 1962 deaths American male film actors Deaths from esophageal cancer in California Male actors from Des Moines, Iowa American vaudeville performers 20th-century American male actors