Stanley Wendell Farrar"Rites for Actor Farrar"
''The Berkeley Gazette''. April 9, 1974. p. 3."California, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1945", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGXB-NYNY : Wed Mar 06 08:13:50 UTC 2024), Entry for Stanley Wendell Farrar and Margaret Mary Farrar, 16 October 1940. (October 4, 1910 – April 5, 1974) was an American

character actor A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting character (arts), characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrie ...

in radio, film and television, perhaps best known as Mayor Terwilliger in the

old time radio The Golden Age of Radio, also known as the old-time radio (OTR) era, was an era of radio in the United States where it was the dominant electronic home entertainment medium. It began with the birth of commercial radio broadcasting in the earl ...

series ''

The Great Gildersleeve ''The Great Gildersleeve'' was a radio situation comedy broadcast in the United States from August 31, 1941 to 1958. Initially written by Leonard Lewis Levinson, it was one of broadcast history's earliest spin-off programs. The series was buil ...

''. He was also the co-star and narrator of the 1953 adventure film, '' Perils of the Jungle'', starring animal trainer/circus owner Clyde Beatty.Irvin, Richard (2022).
Pioneers of "B" Television: Independent Producers, Series and Pilots of the 1950s
'. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 198. .

Early life and career

A native of

Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Anglo-Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland, Cali ...

, Farrar was one of three children born to Wendell Dale Farrar and Alma Carmin Boettiger. He attended

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...

, and later the Faucit School of the Theatre in Oakland, a school founded and directed by

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

-born actress and director Ursula Faucit, the grandniece of actress Helena Faucit. From 1930 to 1936, Farrar was regularly featured in the school's on-air outlet, the dramatic anthology series, ''The Faucit Theatre of the Air'', at least one episode of which he also wrote, adapting J. S. Coyne's one-act comedy, ''One Night of Terror''."Play to Offer Laughter and Thrills on KLX"
''Oakland Tribune''. September 14, 1935. p. 21. He was also featured opposite the school's director on at least two occasions. In 1930 they co-starred in Faucit's own play, ''Not the Type'', and in 1935 Faucit was Bea to Farrar's Benedick in Shakespeare's ''

Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' (W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. ...

''. The Faucit Theatre Players also performed live on occasion, such as their 1935 production of

Schiller Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, philosopher and historian. Schiller is considered by most Germans to be Germany's most important classical playwright. He was born i ...

's '' Mary Stuart''—with Farrar's portrayal of

Lord Burleigh William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley (13 September 15204 August 1598), was an English statesman, the chief adviser of Queen Elizabeth I for most of her reign, twice Secretary of State (1550–1553 and 1558–1572) and Lord High Treasurer from ...

deemed "extremely good" by the ''

Oakland Tribune The ''Oakland Tribune'' was a daily newspaper published in Oakland, California, and a predecessor of the '' East Bay Times''. It was published by the Bay Area News Group (BANG), a subsidiary of MediaNews Group. Founded in 1874, the ''Tribune'' ...

''—and their 1934 revival of Elmer Greensfelder's ''Broomsticks, Amen'', of which the ''Tribune's'' Wood Soanes wrote:

Here is the stuff of which high tragedy is made, but Greensfelder succeeded in evolving only obvious melodrama. The fine performance by Stanley Farrar as Hoffnagel was the saving grace of the show. He pulled 'Broomsticks, Amen' along with a performance that was more professional than amateur, sincere, powerful, well balanced and acute.

Beginning on October 4, 1937, Farrar appeared with

Howard Duff Howard Green Duff (November 24, 1913July 8, 1990) was an American actor. He started in radio during World War II before appearing in many Hollywood features and television programs from 1947 to 1990. He also directed for television. His career ...

, Jack Edwards, Marjorie Smith and Herb Allen in the

Mutual Broadcasting The Mutual Broadcasting System (commonly referred to simply as Mutual; sometimes referred to as MBS, Mutual Radio or the Mutual Radio Network) was an American commercial radio network in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the Golden Age of Radio, ...

serial ''The Phantom Pilot''. The show aired for 2 weeks as a "sustaining" series before being sponsored by

Young and Rubicam VMLY&R was an American marketing and Marketing communications, communications company specializing in advertising, Digital media, digital and social media, sales promotion, direct marketing and brand identity consulting, formed from the 2020 mer ...

. In the spring of 1949, ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' noted that Farrar had begun publishing ''The 24 Sheet'', a news bulletin for actors. On August 26, 1953, '' Hollywood Citizen-News'' entertainment writer Zuma Palmer drew readers' attention to an uncommon occurrence: at a time when the prohibition of prerecorded network radio dramas had only recently been lifted, both Farrar and co-star Marian Richman appeared on '' Dr. Christian'' and simultaneously on the transcribed series, '' Family Theater''.Palmer, Zuma (August 23, 1953)
"Radio-Television: Question Dulles, Clark on POW's"
''Hollywood Citizen-News''. p. 12. Later that year, Farrar appeared onstage, co-starring with

Lloyd Corrigan Lloyd Corrigan (October 16, 1900 – November 5, 1969) was an American film and television actor, producer, screenwriter, and director who began working in films in the 1920s. The son of actress Lillian Elliott, Corrigan directed films, usually ...

and Tommy Bernard—former radio son of Ozzie and Harriet and TV son of

Charlie Ruggles Charles Sherman Ruggles (February 8, 1886 – December 23, 1970) was an American comic character actor. In a career spanning six decades, Ruggles appeared in close to 100 feature films, often in mild-mannered and comic roles. He was also the e ...

—in Corrigan's play ''The Upper Room'', staged as part of an event held to benefit the St. Marks Episcopal Church of

Van Nuys Van Nuys ( ) is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. History In 1 ...

. In 1956, Farrar was elected treasurer, and, the following year, recording secretary of the

American Federation of Television and Radio Artists The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) was a performers' union that represented a wide variety of talent, including actors in radio and television, radio and television announcers and newspersons, singers and recording ...

Personal life and death

From March 22, 1936 until his death, Farrar was married to fellow actor Margaret Mary "Margo" Klink, with whom he had three sons. On April 4, 1974, while onstage at the Mendocino Arts Center, portraying

Orgon Orgon (; ancient: ''Urgonum'', or ''Castrum de Urgone'') is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southern France. It is located on the departmental border with Vaucluse, which follows the ...

Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, ; ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the great writers in the French language and world liter ...

's ''

Tartuffe ''Tartuffe, or The Impostor, or The Hypocrite'' (; , ), first performed in 1664, is a theatrical comedy (or more specifically, a farce) by Molière. The characters of Tartuffe, Elmire, and Orgon are considered among the greatest classical theat ...

'', Farrar suffered a heart attack and collapsed. He died shortly thereafter at Mendocino Coast Hospital in

Fort Bragg Fort Bragg (formerly Fort Liberty from 2023–2025) is a United States Army, U.S. Army Military base, military installation located in North Carolina. It ranks among the largest military bases in the world by population, with more than 52,000 m ...

,"The News in Brief
''The Daily Breeze''. April 7, 1974. p. 2. survived by his wife, his sons, his mother and two brothers.

Works

Radio

Partial filmography

*'' Fear in the Night'' (1946) – Bank patron (uncredited) *''

The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in a ...

'' **Ep. "Man of the House" (1950) – Casper Dingle *'' Hard, Fast and Beautiful'' (1951) – Dr. Hopkins (uncredited) *''

Racket Squad ''Racket Squad'' is an American TV crime drama series that aired from 1951 to 1953. The format was a narrated anthology drama, as each individual episode featured various ordinary citizens getting ensnared in a different confidence scheme. Ep ...

'' **EP. "The Case of the Vain Woman" (1951) – Dr. Mason *'' Front Page Detective'' **Ep. "Troubles With Doubles" (1951) **Ep. "Twice Dead" (1951) *''

The Adventures of Kit Carson ''The Adventures of Kit Carson'' is an American Westerns on television, Western television series that aired from 1951 to 1955 and consisted of 104 episodes. While airing, the show was shown in over 130 markets and was sold to the Coca-Cola Bott ...

'' **Ep. "Law of the Frontier" (1951) – Cleve Sadler (as Stanley Farrer) *'' The Ruggles'' **Ep. January 3 (1952) – Ben Milligan *''

Fireside Theatre ''Fireside Theatre'' (later known as ''Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre, Jane Wyman Theatre, The Jane Wyman Show'' and ''Jane Wyman Presents'') is an American anthology drama series that ran on NBC from 1949 to 1958, and was the firs ...

'' **Ep. "The Haunted Wedding" (1952) *'' Space Patrol'' **Ep. "Mission to Mercury" (1952) – Lennan *''

Gang Busters ''Gang Busters'' is an American dramatic radio program heralded as "the only national program that brings you authentic police case histories." It premiered on January 15, 1936 and was broadcast for more 21 years through November 27, 1957. H ...

'' **Ep. "The Dennis Case" (1952) – WythersonGrams, Martin (2004).
Gang Busters : The Crime Fighters of American Broadcasting
'. Churchville, MD: OTR Publishing. pp.641, 644. . **Ep. "The Unholy Three" (1952) – Grocery Manager *'' Biff Baker, U.S.A.'' ** "Mona Lisa" (1952) – Muller *'' Perils of the Jungle'' (1953) – Grant Cunningham (narrator) *'' The French Line'' (1953) – French Man (uncredited) *''

Our Miss Brooks ''Our Miss Brooks'' is an American sitcom starring Eve Arden as a sardonic high-school English teacher. It began as a Old Time Radio, radio show broadcast on CBS from 1948 to 1957. When the show was adapted to television (1952–56), it became ...

'' **Ep. March 12 (1954) *''

Ford Theatre ''Ford Theatre'', spelled ''Ford Theater'' for the original radio version and known, in full, as ''The Ford Television Theatre'' for the TV version, is a radio and television anthology series broadcast in the United States in the 1940s and 195 ...

'' **Ep. "A Season to Love" (1954) *'' Mr. District Attorney'' **Ep. September 4 (1954) *''Adolph Menjou's Favorite Stories'' **Ep. "The Lost Years" (1954) *'' This Is the Life'' **Ep. "The Suspicious Heart" (1954) – Doctor *'' Day of Triumph'' (1954) – Unknown role (uncredited) *'' How to Be Very, Very Popular'' (1955) – Professor"Stanley Farrar Filmography"

American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the History of cinema in the United States, motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private fu ...

. *'' The Public Defender'' **Ep. "Clifford Pike" (1955) *''

Stage 7 ''Stage 7'' is a 30-minute American TV drama anthology series that was broadcast on CBS from December 12, 1954, through September 25, 1955. This program premiered in December 1954 with the title ''Your Favorite Playhouse'' with all episodes being ...

'' **Ep. "Verdict" (1955) *'' You Are There'' **Ep. "The Attack on Pearl Harbor" (1955) *''

Tales of the Texas Rangers ''Tales of the Texas Rangers'' is a 20th century Western old-time radio and television police procedural drama which originally aired on NBC Radio from 1950 to 1952 and later on CBS Television from 1955 to 1958. Film star Joel McCrea voiced the ...

'' **Ep. "Home in San Antone" (1955) **Ep. "Grant and Lee at Appomattox" (1955) *''

I'll Cry Tomorrow ''I'll Cry Tomorrow'' (1955) is a biopic that tells the story of Lillian Roth, a Broadway star who rebels against the pressure of her domineering mother and struggles with alcoholism after the death of her fiancé. It stars Susan Hayward, Rich ...

'' (1955) – Director *'' Adventures of the Falcon'' **Ep. "Out of All Evil" (1955) *'' Damon Runyon Theatre'' **Ep. "The Good Luck Kid" (1956) *'' The Price of Fear'' (1956) – Dog track commissioner *''

World in My Corner ''World in My Corner'' is a 1956 American film noir drama sports film directed by Jesse Hibbs and starring Audie Murphy, Barbara Rush and Jeff Morrow. The film was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures. It is one of the few non-Western ...

'' (1956) – Doctor *'' The First Traveling Saleslady'' (1956) – Buyer *'' Crossroads'' **Ep. "The Kid Had a Gun" *'' Badlands of Montana'' (1957) – Rayburn *'' The Unholy Wife'' (1957) – Warden *'' Portland Exposé'' (1957) – Lennox *''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and four short stories, all of which involve a ...

'' **Ep. "The Case of the Substitute Face" (1958) – Accountant *'' Never Steal Anything Small'' (1959) – Doctor *'' Face of a Fugitive'' (1959) – Eakins *''

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. The Cheyenne comprise two Native American tribes, the Só'taeo'o or Só'taétaneo'o (more commonly spelled as Suhtai or Sutaio) and the (also spelled Tsitsistas, The term for th ...

'' **Ep. "Silent Witness" (1959) *'' The Beatniks'' (1959) – Morrisey ic(as Stan Farrar) *''

The Real McCoys ''The Real McCoys'' is an American sitcom starring Walter Brennan, Richard Crenna, and Kathleen Nolan. Co-produced by Danny Thomas's Marterto Productions in association with Walter Brennan and Irving Pincus's Westgate Company, it was br ...

'' **Ep. "The Insurance Policy" (1959) – Dr. Sloane **Ep. "The Diamond Ring" (1961) *''

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet'' is an American television sitcom that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from October 3, 1952, to April 23, 1966, and starred the real-life Nelson family. After a long run on radio, the show was b ...

'' (1962) **Ep. "A Lamp for Dave and June" *''

Inside Daisy Clover ''Inside Daisy Clover'' is a 1965 American drama film based on Gavin Lambert's 1963 novel of the same name, directed by Robert Mulligan and starring Natalie Wood. It follows a tomboy becoming a Hollywood actress and singer. Plot In 1936, Da ...

'' (1965) – Doctor (uncredited)Monush, Barry (2009).
Everybody's Talkin': The Top Films of 1965-1969
'. New York: Applause Theatre & Cinema Books. p. 74. . *''

Green Acres ''Green Acres'' is an American television absurdist sitcom starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a couple who move from New York City to a country farm. Produced by Filmways as a sister show to ''Petticoat Junction'', the series was first br ...

'' **Ep. "Lisa Has a Calf" (1965) – Dr. FilmoreCox, Stephen (1993).
The Hooterville Handbook : A Viewer's Guide to Green Acres
'. New York : St. Martin's Press. pp. 154, 170, 174. . **Ep. "His Honor" (1967) – Judge Wilkins **Ep. "Who's Lisa" (1967) – Doctor *'' Marriage on the Rocks'' (1965) – Assistant (uncredited)

References

External links

*

at OTRR.org {{DEFAULTSORT:Farrar, Stanley 1910 births 1974 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American radio actors Male actors from Berkeley, California University of California, Berkeley alumni