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
| Birth Location | Newark, New Jersey, USA |
|---|---|
| Born | 1889-01-23 |
| Died | 1958-07-20 |
Movies
Going Hollywood: The '30s
as (archive footage)
1984
The Unchained Goddess
as the Cloud Painter (voice)
1958
The Story of Mankind
as Marquis de Varennes
1957
The Eternal Melody
as The Cat Lover
1949
Down Memory Lane
as (archive footage)
1949
My Dream Is Yours
as Sourpuss Manager
1949
Romance on the High Seas
as Rio Hotel Clerk
1948
The Sin of Harold Diddlebock
as Formfit Franklin
1947
I'll Be Yours
as Barber
1947
Calendar Girl
as Dilly Dillingsworth
1947
Two Guys from Milwaukee
as Theatre Manager
1946
Lover Come Back
as Hotel desk clerk
1946
Hollywood Victory Caravan
as Railroad Agent
1945
Tell It to a Star
as Horace Lovelace
1945
You Came Along
as Hotel Clerk
1945
The Horn Blows at Midnight
as Radio Engineer / Sloan
1945
Hollywood and Vine
as Reggie
1945
See My Lawyer
as B.J. Wagonhorn
1945
Hail the Conquering Hero
as Reception Committee Chairman
1944
Reckless Age
as Mr. Thurtle
1944
Allergic to Love
as Stewart Ives III
1944
The Great Moment
as Dr. Heywood
1944
My Best Gal
as Mr. Porter
1944
Never a Dull Moment
as Sylvester
1943
Crazy House
as Hotel Clerk
1943
Holy Matrimony
as Duncan Farll
1943
Honeymoon Lodge
as Cathcart
1943
Stage Door Canteen
as Franklin Pangborn
1943
Two Weeks to Live
as Mr. Pinkney
1943
Reveille with Beverly
as Vernon Lewis (uncredited)
1943
Strictly in the Groove
as Cathcart
1942
George Washington Slept Here
as Mr. Gibney
1942
Now, Voyager
as Mr. Thompson
1942
The Palm Beach Story
as Manager
1942
Moonlight Masquerade
as Fairchild
1942
Obliging Young Lady
as Professor Gibney
1942
What's Cookin'?
as Professor Bistell
1942
Call Out the Marines
as Wilbur
1942
Mr. District Attorney in the Carter Case
as Charley Towne
1941
Weekend for Three
as Number Seven, Old Field Inn Waiter
1941
Sullivan's Travels
as Mr. Casalsis
1941
Never Give a Sucker an Even Break
as The Producer
1941
Tillie the Toiler
as Perry Tweedale
1941
The Flame of New Orleans
as Bellows
1941
Bachelor Daddy
as Williams, Club Manager
1941
A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob
as Pet Shop Owner
1941
Where Did You Get That Girl?
as Digby
1941
The Bank Dick
as J. Pinkerton Snoopington
1940
Christmas in July
as Radio Announcer
1940
Hit Parade of 1941
as Carter
1940
The Villain Still Pursued Her
as Bartender (uncredited)
1940
Spring Parade
as Wiedlemeyer
1940
Public Deb No. 1
as Bartender
1940
Turnabout
as Mr. Pingboom
1940
5th Ave Girl
as Higgins
1939
Screen Snapshots Series 18, No. 8
as Franklin Pangborn
1939
Broadway Serenade
as Gene, Collier's Composer
1939
Topper Takes a Trip
as Louis - Hotel Manager
1938
The Girl Downstairs
as Adolf Pumpfel
1938
Just Around the Corner
as Waters
1938
Carefree
as Roland Hunter
1938
Four's a Crowd
as Preston
1938
Always Goodbye
as Bicycle Salesman
1938
Three Blind Mice
as Clerk
1938
Vivacious Lady
as Apartment Manager
1938
Joy of Living
as Orchestra Leader
1938
Doctor Rhythm
as Mr. Stenchfield (Store Clerk)
1938
Bluebeard's Eighth Wife
as Assistant Hotel Manager
1938
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
as Hamilton Montmarcy
1938
Thrill of a Lifetime
as Sam Williams
1937
Love on Toast
as Finley
1937
She Married an Artist
as Paul
1937
I'll Take Romance
as Kane's Secretary
1937
Living on Love
as Ogilvie O. Oglethorpe
1937
Stage Door
as Harcourt
1937
Danger – Love at Work
as Train dining car headwaiter
1937
It Happened in Hollywood
as Mr. Forsythe
1937
The Life of the Party
as Beggs
1937
It's All Yours
as Schultz
1937
All Over Town
as The Costumer
1937
The Lady Escapes
as Pierre
1937
Easy Living
as Van Buren
1937
She Had to Eat
as Mr. Phoecian-Wylie
1937
Step Lively, Jeeves!
as Head Waiter
1937
Dangerous Holiday
as Doffle
1937
A Star Is Born
as Billy Moon (uncredited)
1937
We Have Our Moments
as Joe
1937
When Love Is Young
as John Dorman
1937
Swing High, Swing Low
as Henri
1937
Bad Housekeeping
as Piano Tuner
1937
Rich Relations
as Mr. Dwight
1937
She's Dangerous
as Fashion Designer
1937
Dangerous Number
as Hotel Desk Clerk
1937
High Hat
as Renaldo Breton
1937
The Mandarin Mystery
as Mellish
1936
Three Smart Girls
as Jeweler
1936
Hats Off
as Mr. Churchill
1936
Swing Banditry
as Radio Announcer (uncredited)
1936
My Man Godfrey
as Guthrie (uncredited)
1936
To Mary - with Love
as Guest
1936
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
as The Tailor (uncredited)
1936
Doughnuts and Society
as Benson
1936
Give Us This Night
as Forcellini's Secretary
1936
Don't Gamble with Love
as Salesman
1936
Tango
as Oscar, the Photographer
1936
$1,000 a Minute
as Reville
1935
She Couldn't Take It
as Spot's Secretary
1935
She Married Her Boss
as Window Dresser (uncredited)
1935
The Captain Hits the Ceiling
as Jimmy Martin
1935
The Headline Woman
as Hamilton
1935
Eight Bells
as Finch
1935
Hollywood Trouble
as Tailor
1935
Imitation of Life
as Mr. Carven (uncredited)
1934
College Rhythm
as Peabody
1934
Flirtation
as Veterinarian
1934
My Grandfather's Clock
as Dr. Watkins
1934
Tomorrow's Youth
as Thornton
1934
Young and Beautiful
as Radio Announcer
1934
King Kelly of the U.S.A.
as J. Ashton Brockton
1934
Cockeyed Cavaliers
as Town Crier
1934
Many Happy Returns
as Allen's Secretary
1934
Strictly Dynamite
as Mr. Bailey
1934
Manhattan Love Song
as Garrett Wetherby
1934
Unknown Blonde
as Male Co-Respondent
1934
Design for Living
as Mr. Douglas
1933
Flying Down to Rio
as Hotel Manager Hammerstein (uncredited)
1933
Only Yesterday
as Tom (Uncredited)
1933
Wild Poses
as Otto Phocus
1933
Menu
as John Xavier Omsk (uncredited)
1933
Trying Out Torchy
as Office manager
1933
Headline Shooter
as Adolphus G. Crocker
1933
The Important Witness
as Groom
1933
Bed of Roses
as Floorwalker
1933
Torchy's Loud Spooker
as Office Manager
1933
Professional Sweetheart
as Herbert Childress
1933
International House
as Hotel Manager
1933
Dream Stuff
as Gordon
1933
Torchy Turns Turtle
as Office Manager
1933
Sweepings
as Photographer (Uncredited)
1933
Sing, Bing, Sing
as Herbert
1933
1933
Easy on the Eyes
as Franklyn Pierce
1933
Parachute Jumper
as Man in Private Office (uncredited)
1933
Torchy's Kitty Coup
as Office Manager
1933
The Half-Naked Truth
as Hotel Clerk
1932
Torchy Rolls His Own
as Office Manager
1932
Over the Counter
as Drake's Assistant
1932
Tee for Two
as Henry
1932
Torchy's Busy Day
as Office Manager
1932
The Giddy Age
as George
1932
What Price Taxi
as Taxi Boy
1932
1932
1932
Torchy's Two Toots
as Office Manager
1932
Jimmy's New Yacht
as Everett
1932
Lighthouse Love
as Pvt. Jerry Stone
1932
Lighthouse Love
as Pvt. Jerry Stone
1932
Torchy Raises the Auntie
as Office Manager
1932
Torchy's Night Cap
as Office Manager
1932
A Fool's Advice
as Egbert - Hotel Clerk
1932
Torchy Turns the Trick
as Office Manager
1932
Torchy Passes the Buck
as Office Manager
1931
Torchy
as Office Manager
1931
Blue of the Night
as Gilbert Sinclair
1931
A Woman of Experience
as Hans
1931
Next Door Neighbors
as Landlord
1931
Breakfast in Bed
as John
1930
Sunny
as Party Guest (uncredited)
1930
A Lady Surrenders
as Lawton
1930
Her Man
as Sport
1930
The Chumps
as Eddie Gray
1930
Cheer Up and Smile
as Professor
1930
1930
Not So Dumb
as Leach
1930
Poor Aubrey
as Aubrey Piper
1930
The Sap
as Ed Mason
1929
Lady of the Pavements
as M'sieu Dubrey, Dance Master
1929
On Trial
as Turnbull
1928
A Blonde for a Night
as Hector
1928
My Friend from India
as William / Tommy Valentine
1927
The Girl in the Pullman
as Hector Brooks
1927
Cradle Snatchers
as Howard Drake
1927
Getting Gertie's Garter
as Algy Brooks
1927
Finger Prints
as The Bandoline Kid
1927
Exit Smiling
as Cecil Lovelace
1926
Franklin Pangborn hasn't worked on any movies or TV shows
