Franklin Pangborn
Date of birth: 1889-01-23
Place of birth: Newark, New Jersey, USA
Known for: Acting
Also known as: Joseph Franklin Pangborn, Franklyn Pangborn, Frank Pangborn
Biography
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.
Movie Credits
The Bank Dick
1940-11-29
Egbert Sousé becomes an unexpected hero when a bank robber falls over a bench he's occupying. Now co
Reno or Bust
1930-04-07
A scrapping married couple, Franklin Pangborn and Bernice Elliott, are going to Reno to get a divorc
The Sin of Harold Diddlebock
1947-04-04
Twenty-three years after scoring the winning touchdown for his college football team mild-mannered H
King Kelly of the U.S.A.
1934-09-15
A theatrical troupe headed by a flashy showman finds itself in the tiny--and bankrupt--kingdom of Be
My Dream Is Yours
1949-04-15
Conceited singer Garry Mitchell refuses to renew his radio contract, so agent Doug Blake decides to
A Star Is Born
1937-04-20
Esther Blodgett is just another starry-eyed farm kid trying to break into the movies. Waitressing at
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
1936-04-09
Longfellow Deeds lives in a small town, leading a small town kind of life. When a relative dies and
Bluebeard's 8th Wife
1938-03-25
American multi-millionaire Michael Brandon marries his eighth wife, Nicole, the daughter of a broke
The Palm Beach Story
1942-08-28
A New York inventor, Tom Jeffers, needs cash to develop his big idea, so his adoring wife, Gerry, de
Now, Voyager
1942-10-22
A woman suffers a nervous breakdown and an oppressive mother before being freed by the love of a man
Christmas in July
1940-10-25
An office clerk loves entering contests in the hopes of someday winning a fortune and marrying the g
Never Give a Sucker an Even Break
1941-10-10
Never Give a Sucker an Even Break is a 1941 film about a man who wants to sell a film story to Esote
George Washington Slept Here
1942-10-30
New Yorkers Bill and Connie Fuller have to move from their apartment. Without Bill's knowledge, Conn
The Great Moment
1944-07-18
The biography of Dr. W.T. Morgan, a 19th century Boston dentist, during his quest to have anesthesia
Hail the Conquering Hero
1944-08-09
Having been discharged from the Marines for a hayfever condition before ever seeing action, Woodrow
Carefree
1938-09-02
Dr. Tony Flagg's friend Steven has problems in the relationship with his fiancée Amanda, so he persu
Tillie the Toiler
1941-08-07
While attending stenographer school, Tillie Jones meets office boy Mac, who falls in love with her a
The Story of Mankind
1957-11-08
The devil and the spirit of mankind argue as to whether or not humanity is ultimately good or evil.
Just Around the Corner
1938-11-11
Penny helps her idealistic architect father get his dream of a slum clearance project; The little mi
The Flame of New Orleans
1941-07-07
In old New Orleans, a beautiful adventuress juggles the attentions of a rich banker and a dashing se
Romance on the High Seas
1948-06-25
Georgia Garrett is sent by jealous wife Elvira Kent on an ocean cruise to masquerade as herself whil
Stage Door
1937-10-08
The ups and downs in the lives and careers of a group of ambitious young actresses and show girls fr
Fifth Avenue Girl
1939-09-22
A wealthy man hires a poor girl to play his mistress in order to get more attention from his neglect
Sullivan's Travels
1941-11-30
Successful movie director John L. Sullivan, convinced he won't be able to film his ambitious masterp
The Mandarin Mystery
1936-12-23
Ellery Queen solves a mystery involving a valuable stamp.
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
1938-03-18
Rebecca's Uncle Harry leaves her with Aunt Miranda who forbids her to associate with show people. Bu
The Horn Blows at Midnight
1945-04-28
A trumpet player in a radio orchestra falls asleep during a commercial and dreams he's Athanael, an
Four's a Crowd
1938-08-04
A public relations man falls for his most difficult client's granddaughter.
Easy Living
1937-07-16
J.B. Ball, a rich financier, gets fed up with his free-spending family. He takes his wife's just-bou
Topper Takes a Trip
1938-12-29
Mrs. Topper's friend Mrs. Parkhurst has convinced Mrs Topper to file for a divorce from Cosmo due to
Trying Out Torchy
1933-08-25
The final entry in the Torchy short series starring Ray Cooke as things go wrong at a gathering.
Hollywood and Vine
1945-04-25
A young girl arrives in Hollywood determined to become a star in the movies but finds that attaining
Design for Living
1933-12-29
An independent woman can't choose between the two men she loves.
The Half-Naked Truth
1932-12-16
A carnival pitchman (Tracy) finagles his girlfriend, a fiery hoochie dancer (Vélez), into a major Br
Reveille with Beverly
1943-02-04
Beverly Ross, the switchboard operator at a local radio station, jumps at the chance to be the DJ fo
Swing High, Swing Low
1937-03-12
In Panama, Maggie King meets soldier Skid Johnson on his last day in the army and reluctantly agrees
Cockeyed Cavaliers
1934-06-29
Two yokels try to crash royal society by posing as the King's physicians.
I'll Be Yours
1947-02-02
A small-town girl tells a small fib to a wealthy businessman; complications ensue.
Blue of the Night
1931-09-13
Starring Bing Crosby as himself in a short comedy/romance telling a tale of mistaken identity. Two-
Broadway Serenade
1939-04-07
A married singer, pianist/composer team are struggling to hit it big in New York. Finally, they audi
A Fool's Advice
1932-02-20
An elevator operator invents a machine that he believes can help to defeat a corrupt politician in t
Her Man
1930-09-21
A prostitute sees a friendly sailor as a way out of Havana's grimy underworld.
Danger – Love at Work
1937-09-30
A New York City lawyer finds himself falling in love with the daughter of a screwball South Carolina
Calendar Girl
1947-01-31
Around the turn of the century, two young men, Johnnie Bennett, a composer and Steve Adams, an artis
It Happened in Hollywood
1937-09-07
A silent Western star has trouble adjusting to the coming of sound.
Obliging Young Lady
1942-04-01
A woman attempts to shelter a young girl from the publicity surrounding her socialite parents' divor
Holy Matrimony
1943-08-24
An artist returning from years abroad takes the identity of his dead valet and gets married, but the
Art in the Raw
1933-02-23
Aspiring artist Edgar, with family in tow, relocates to Greenwich Village - according to his wife, m
A Blonde for a Night
1928-02-25
After an argument, a newlywed decides to test her husband's fidelity by disguising herself as a blon
Manhattan Love Song
1934-04-29
After having been swindled out of all their money by a crooked business manager, formerly wealthy so
Menu
1933-09-23
A chef helps a housewife cook a duck dinner that will not give her husband indigestion.
Tomorrow's Youth
1934-10-14
A look at how his parents' divorce affects the life of a young boy.
Tell It to a Star
1945-08-16
Carol (Ruth Terry), the cigarette girl at a swank Palm Springs hotel, dreams of singing in the estab
All Over Town
1937-08-09
Two vaudevillian comedians try to stage a show in a theatre that has a reputation for being being ha
Sweepings
1933-04-14
Daniel Pardway, starting with almost nothing after the great Chicago fire, builds the biggest depart
Dream Stuff
1933-05-11
Walter Catlett is the cousin to some squeaky voiced Dagwood Bumstead type who can't get a girl. Can
My Friend from India
1927-12-18
Wealthy young man about town, Tommy Valentine (Franklin Pangborn) comes to the aid of Barbara Smith
The Loud Mouth
1932-06-16
Del Lord, famous director of the Three Stooges shorts, directed this story of one man in various com
A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob
1941-03-14
Steve is a shy quiet man who is an executive for a shipping firm. He meets Dot at the Opera where sh
Cradle Snatchers
1927-05-28
To cure their flirtatious husbands of consorting with flappers, three wives-- Susan Martin, Ethel Dr
The Girl Downstairs
1938-12-23
A wealthy playboy surreptitiously romances a scullery maid to gain access to her mistress with whom
Hats Off
1936-12-05
The first musical comedy from the Grand National assembly line, Hats Off stars John Payne and Mae Cl
Not So Dumb
1930-02-02
Not-so-smart chatterbox Dulcy Parker does and says all the wrong things, but they right themselves t
Tango
1936-02-13
Believing his wife to be unfaithful, a husband deserts her and his child. Destitute, the woman is fo
The Chumps
1930-07-16
When the story begins, a newly married couple (Franklin Pangborn and Marjorie Beebe) board a train f
Jimmy's New Yacht
1932-06-03
A young lady is wooed by two men
Torchy
1931-10-04
Fired from his job as office boy, Torchy gets involved with a phony gold mine promoter.
Torchy Passes the Buck
1931-12-06
Torchy (Ray Cooke) is an office boy....sort of like a secretary that does a variety of tasks for the
Torchy Turns the Trick
1932-02-07
When he bother can't take Dorothy Dix to a fancy dinner, office boy Ray Cooke escorts her. He also h
Torchy's Night Cap
1932-04-03
Ray Cooke is Torchy the Office boy, told to deliver a letter; through a series of accidents, he wind
Torchy Raises the Auntie
1932-05-01
Ray Cooke's employer needs to raise $100,000 to retain control of his company. He hopes to get them
Torchy's Two Toots
1932-06-06
When his boss goes out of town on a big deal and leaves important securities behind, it's up to offi
Torchy's Busy Day
1932-10-02
Edmund Breese, Ray Cooke's boss, is trying to buy a sausage factory. However, the cash hasn't come t
Torchy Rolls His Own
1932-10-20
In the eighth of the series of short sound comedies, Ray Cooke as the office boy 'Torchy' is thought
Torchy's Kitty Coup
1933-01-22
Dot Farley is throwing a benefit for cats but hasn't any. This means she calls up her husband, Edmun
Torchy Turns Turtle
1933-04-23
One of those gangs of Arab spies who use to infest Wall Street in their colorful native costumes ste
Torchy's Loud Spooker
1933-06-25
When the story begins, you learn that Torchy's boss has a problem with his blood pressure and the do
Professional Sweetheart
1933-06-09
Radio singer Glory Eden is publicized as the ideal of American womanhood in order to sell the sponso
High Hat
1937-01-01
An opera singer whose career is on the wane finds newfound fame doing popular songs on the radio.
Lover Come Back
1946-06-21
A wife decides to take revenge when she learns her husband has been unfaithful.
Flirtation
1934-11-09
A naive farmer encounters a beautiful burlesque dancer on the streets of New York and agrees to pose
Weekend for Three
1941-12-12
Jim is hardly thrilled when his new bride, Ellen, invites an old friend, Randy, over for dinner. Yet
Tee for Two
1932-10-08
A musical revue in which a golfer is knocked unconscious by a golf ball and dreams that the Country
Dangerous Holiday
1937-06-06
A young violin prodigy is assumed kidnapped after he runs away from home.
She's Dangerous
1937-01-24
A beautiful woman suspected of being a jewel thief is actually a detective tracking down a ring of b
Rich Relations
1937-02-01
A secretary finds herself being romanced by a "ladies man". What she doesn't know is that it's her b
Doctor's Orders
1932-06-08
Doctor's Orders is a 1932 comedy
Doctor Rhythm
1938-05-06
Dr. Bill Remsen pretends to be a policeman, and ends up being assigned to guard Judy Marlowe. Amazin
It's All Yours
1937-09-01
Jimmy Barnes arrives from Europe to be educated by his multi-millionaire uncle, Edward J. Barnes and
Always Goodbye
1938-06-24
Following the death of her fiancé, Margot Weston is left pregnant and unmarried. Former doctor Jim H
Cheer Up and Smile
1930-06-22
When a popular radio singer is knocked unconscious during a robbery, a squeaky-voiced college boy fi
Three Blind Mice
1938-06-18
Three sisters take their small inheritance and move from Kansas to California in search of rich husb
Breakfast in Bed
1930-11-16
A woman, affectionately called Blondie by her husband, hires a cook called Blondie by both her boyfr
Spring Parade
1940-09-27
In this light and lovely romantic musical, a Hungarian woman attends a Viennese fair and buys a card
A Lady Surrenders
1930-10-06
A wealthy industrialist's wife gets into a big argument with him; to cool off, she goes on an ocean
Over the Counter
1932-10-15
In this musical short, the son of a department store owner replaces the regular sales girls with cho
You Came Along
1945-07-04
War hero flier Bob Collins goes on a war bond selling tour with two buddies, and substitute "chapero
The Important Witness
1933-07-15
A freelance stenographer is hired for a job, but when she arrives at the address she was given, she
Joy of Living
1938-05-06
Falling in love with the voice of Broadway chanteuse Margaret Garret, cocksure young tycoon Daniel B
Going Hollywood: The '30s
1984-01-01
Robert Preston hosts this documentary that shows what people of the 1930s were watching as they were
Getting Gertie's Garter
1927-02-28
Attorney Ken Walrick, not quite realizing the difference between a garter and a bracelet, gives Gert
Hollywood Victory Caravan
1945-09-30
A girl is desperate to get to Washington D.C. to be with her lonesome brother, a wounded G.I. She pe
What Price Taxi
1932-08-13
Ill-tempered Billy proves troublesome for fellow taxi drivers Franklin and Clyde.
Call Out the Marines
1942-02-13
Two Marine sergeants (Victor McLaglen, Edmund Lowe) flirt with a cafe girl (Binnie Barnes) in San Di
The Captain Hits the Ceiling
1935-07-09
Franklin gets into a disagreement with a tough sea captain. However, he doesn't find out until later
Vivacious Lady
1938-05-13
College town life gets turned upside down after a button-down botany professor secretly weds a sizzl
Easy on the Eyes
1933-02-17
A Mack Sennett Talking Comedy, released through Paramount Pictures, starring Franklin Pangborn and f
She Married an Artist
1937-11-27
Because Thornwood's portraits of comely model Sally Dennis are in such great demand, he is obliged t
A Woman of Experience
1931-07-08
It is 1915 in Vienna and the Great War has caused many casualties. Elsa, a beautiful prostitute, wan
Doughnuts and Society
1936-03-27
Kate Flannagan and Belle Dugan operate a downtown coffee shop and, while dispensing their locally-fa
The Life of the Party
1937-09-03
A singer finds another heir (Gene Raymond) to marry, to avoid the one (Joe Penner) her mother found.
Bed of Roses
1933-06-29
A girl from the wrong side of the tracks is torn between true love and a life of sin.
Dangerous Number
1937-01-22
Hank Medhill, artificial silk manufacturer, has returned to the U.S. from Japan to learn that his fo
Living on Love
1937-11-12
A man and a woman, who have never met, are forced by pecuniary circumstances to share the same basem
The Sap
1929-11-09
A small town dimwit takes the blame for his brother-in-law's crime.
Young and Beautiful
1934-09-16
Bob Preston, publicity man for Superba Pictures, uses his publicity skills in an attempt to make thi
We Have Our Moments
1937-03-28
A trio of American crooks board a ship bound for Europe, intending to get rid of $100,000 in stolen
I'll Take Romance
1937-11-17
Theater manager James Guthrie's (Melvyn Douglas) career depends on famed soprano Elsa Terry (Grace M
Turnabout
1940-05-17
Bickering husband and wife Tim and Sally Willows mutter a few angry words to a statue who grants the
Eight Bells
1935-04-10
A trustworthy captain is reduced in rank so that the owner's daughter's fiancé may take charge.
Mr. District Attorney in the Carter Case
1941-12-18
Like the first entry, this one is played mostly for laughs, with Radio's Mister District Attorney. J
The Lady Escapes
1937-07-22
A young husband schemes to regain his wife, who earlier had left him and now is involved with a Euro
Three Smart Girls
1936-12-20
The three Craig sisters – Penny, Kay, and Joan – go to New York to stop their divorced father from m
Hit Parade of 1941
1940-10-14
In this musical, the second entry in a five-film series, a thrift shop owner sells his business and
Moonlight Masquerade
1942-06-10
Two business partners, John Bennett, Sr. and Robert Forrester, are starting to get nervous when the
My Best Gal
1944-03-28
A girl from a show-business family seeks a backer for her boyfriend's musical.
She Married Her Boss
1935-09-19
A super-efficient secretary at a department store falls for and marries her boss, but finds out that
Parachute Jumper
1933-01-28
An Air Force washout and his buddy room with a pretty young lady. Desperate for jobs during the Depr
Give Us This Night
1936-03-06
After being introduced to the world of opera, a fisherman (Jan Kiepura) falls for a woman (Swarthout
What's Cookin'?
1942-02-20
J. P. Courtney wants to update the music on the radio program he sponsors, but his wife, Agatha Cour
Love on Toast
1937-12-03
The plot concerns a female press agent who must select a "Mr. Manhattan" and "Miss Brooklyn" for an
Stage Door Canteen
1943-06-24
A young soldier on a pass in New York City visits the famed Stage Door Canteen, where famous stars o
$1,000 a Minute
1935-10-21
Two rich and wealthy millionaires who have a lot of money bet that reporter Wally Jones can't spend
When Love Is Young
1937-03-26
In this drama, a girl from a small town in Pennsylvania dreams of being a star while she goes to sch
Where Did You Get That Girl?
1941-01-03
In this musical comedy, a motley band of musicians have only their extreme poverty in common. They e
Allergic to Love
1944-07-21
Newlywed bliss surround O'Driscoll and Beery until they get on board the ship for their honeymoon in
Never a Dull Moment
1943-11-19
Nightclub gangsters hire a vaudeville act called the Three Funny Bunnies (Ritz Brothers).
Honeymoon Lodge
1943-07-23
Honeymoon Lodge is a musical variation on the old Awful Truth plotline. Divorce-bound Bob and Carol
My Grandfather's Clock
1934-10-27
At Phwitterby-on-Thames, England, a murder has occurred and Philo Holmes and Dr. Watkins are out to
The Eternal Melody
1949-12-02
A group of struggling artists, poets, and musicians struggle to survive in squalor without giving up
International House
1933-05-27
Foreign investors converge on a luxury hotel in China to bid on a new kind of radioscope. But, this
To Mary - with Love
1936-08-01
Mary stands by Jack after the Depression of 1929 but considers divorce when he again becomes success
Next Door Neighbors
1931-01-28
Song composer Howard Green is frustrated by disturbances his wife, in-laws, and landlord while writi
Two Guys from Milwaukee
1946-07-26
Balkan Prince Henry has two wishes, to meet Lauren Bacall and see the "real" America. He befriends c
Flying Down to Rio
1933-12-22
An American bandleader woos a Brazilian beauty who is already engaged to his employer. His friends
Exit Smiling
1926-11-06
The travails of a third-rate traveling theatre company and its wardrobe lady / maid who dreams of st
Sunny
1930-11-09
A showgirl falls for a society boy but has to win over his family.
Unknown Blonde
1934-04-23
An unprincipled hustler who makes his living getting--or making up--evidence in divorce cases finds
Don't Gamble with Love
1936-02-28
Standard tale of husband and wife living a party lifestyle. He works in a gambling hall and she occa
Poor Aubrey
1930-01-30
A poor clerk pretends that he has lots of money.
The Unchained Goddess
1958-02-12
A scientist and a writer explain the various meteorological phenomena to Meteora, the goddess of wea
Hollywood Trouble
1935-01-01
An oil-rich rube who aspires to stardom is bilked by a phony acting school.
Wild Poses
1933-10-28
Spanky's parents take their reluctant boy to get his portrait taken by a prissy photographer.
Headline Shooter
1933-07-28
A newsreel photographer neglects his love life to get the perfect shot.
On Trial
1928-12-01
A man is put on trial for the murder of his best friend. A young attorney wants to become successful
Thrill of a Lifetime
1937-12-03
"Howdy" Nelson believes there is no such think as real love and that romance can be cooked up betwee
College Rhythm
1934-11-23
The story deals with the college rivalry of a piccolo player and an All-American halfback on the foo
Swing Banditry
1936-09-09
A group of musicians is determined to appear on a radio program.
The Giddy Age
1932-09-25
A quirky short about Love and Liars.
Public Deb No. 1
1940-09-13
When a waiter gives a society girl a public spanking for attending a Communist rally, her soup-tycoo
Two Weeks to Live
1943-02-26
When Abner is mistakenly diagnosed as having only two weeks to live, his partner gets the idea that
My Man Godfrey
1936-09-02
Fifth Avenue socialite Irene Bullock needs a "forgotten man" to win a scavenger hunt, and no one is
Sing, Bing, Sing
1933-03-23
After singing over the radio, Bing Crosby transmits a signal to elope to his sweeheart Helen; but he
Bad Housekeeping
1937-03-05
Edgar Kennedy's wife decides he should do the housework for the day, the same day the piano tuner Fr
The Girl in the Pullman
1927-10-31
Dr. Burton's divorce is about to be effective when his flappery ex-wife Irene pays him a visit turni
See My Lawyer
1945-03-09
Ole and Chic are comedians employed in a nightclub, but seeking to be released from their contracts
She Had to Eat
1937-07-02
An Arizona gas station owner faces comic adventures after traveling with an eccentric millionaire to
Bachelor Daddy
1941-06-04
The lives of three bachelors is disrupted when one of them is left with a baby.
Crazy House
1943-10-08
Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson are Broadway stars who return to Universal Studios to make another movie.
Reckless Age
1944-08-01
Linda Wadsworth rebels against her millionaire grandfather, J. H. Wadsworth, and runs away from home
She Couldn't Take It
1935-10-08
The wealthy Van Dyke family are constantly in the media for outrageous behavior, much to the frustra
Finger Prints
1927-01-08
A gang of inept crooks and even more inept lawmen search for a cache of hidden money.
Only Yesterday
1933-11-01
On the back of the Wall Street Crash of 1929, a young businessman is about to commit suicide. With a
Lighthouse Love
1932-05-06
Two marines stationed in the Chinese port of Hang Chow decide to swear off women and join the lighth
Imitation of Life
1934-11-23
A struggling widow and her daughter take in a black housekeeper and her fair-skinned daughter. The t
Step Lively, Jeeves!
1937-06-30
A British butler goes to America duped by mobsters into believing he is the heir to a fortune.
Screen Snapshots Series 18, No. 8
1939-04-08
Ice skating is the theme; at the Tropical Ice Garden, in Westwood Hills, are seen a flock of skating
Lighthouse Love
1932-05-06
Two marines stationed in the Chinese port of Hang Chow decide to swear off women and join the lighth
Many Happy Returns
1934-06-08
Gracie Allen assumes the "management" of the shop owned by her papa Horatio Allen, turning it into a
Strictly Dynamite
1934-05-11
A failed poet ends up becoming a gag writer for a bombastic comedian.
Strictly in the Groove
1942-11-20
College student, cattle baron, confused love story.
Lady of the Pavements
1929-01-22
Karl, a German diplomat in Paris, discovers that his fiancee, Diane, has been cheating on him. He te
The Villain Still Pursued Her
1940-10-11
Victorian melodrama is sent up in this spoof of the old production "The Drunkard; or, The Fallen Sav
The Headline Woman
1935-05-14
When the daughter of a newspaper publisher is falsely charged with murder, a reporter on her father'
Down Memory Lane
1949-08-01
This film is a compilation, with narration by Steve Allen, of comedies from the old Mack Sennett sil
Hollywood Halfbacks
1931-12-23
Johnny Harron is watching the Hollywood fire department football team playing a game and decides tha
The Luckiest Girl in the World
1936-10-01
A wealthy society girl must live on $150 a month to prove to her father that she can stand being mar
She Married Her Boss
1935-09-19
A super-efficient secretary at a department store falls for and marries her boss, but finds out that
That's Gratitude
1934-10-08
Fly-by-night stage producer Bob Grant inadvertently saves the life of small-towner Thomas Maxwell. T
The Candid Camera
1932-06-19
Mrs. Townes has been refused a new car by her husband for 3 years while he's driving in cabs all ove
The Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary
1927-08-08
Film was released on August 8th, 1927