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Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
January 23, 1889
Died
July 20, 1958
Place of Birth
Newark, New Jersey, USA
Also Known As
- Joseph Franklin Pangborn
- Franklyn Pangborn
- Frank Pangborn
Franklin Pangborn
0.5 Popularity
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.
Known For
10.0
(archive footage)
Going Hollywood: The '30s
1984
🎬
7.0
the Cloud Painter (voice)
The Unchained Goddess
1958
4.5
Marquis de Varennes
The Story of Mankind
1957
🎬
7.0
Self - Announcer
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
1957
🎬
6.7
Mr. Bean
Hey Mulligan
1954
0.0
Revlon Mirror Theatre
1953
5.9
Mr. Canfield (uncredited)
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
1952
6.5
Self
This Is Your Life
1952
6.8
Self
The Colgate Comedy Hour
1950
🎬
0.0
The Cat Lover
The Eternal Melody
1949
Credits
Going Hollywood: The '30s
as (archive footage)
1984
10.0
🎬
The Unchained Goddess
as the Cloud Painter (voice)
1958
7.0
The Story of Mankind
as Marquis de Varennes
1957
4.5
🎬
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
as Self - Announcer
1957
7.0
🎬
Hey Mulligan
as Mr. Bean
1954
6.7
Revlon Mirror Theatre
1953
0.0
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
as Mr. Canfield (uncredited)
1952
5.9
This Is Your Life
as Self
1952
6.5
The Colgate Comedy Hour
as Self
1950
6.8
🎬
The Eternal Melody
as The Cat Lover
1949
0.0
Down Memory Lane
as (archive footage)
1949
0.0
My Dream Is Yours
as Sourpuss Manager
1949
6.5
Romance on the High Seas
as Rio Hotel Clerk
1948
6.8
The Sin of Harold Diddlebock
as Formfit Franklin
1947
6.3
I'll Be Yours
as Barber
1947
6.0
Calendar Girl
as Dilly Dillingsworth
1947
5.4
Two Guys from Milwaukee
as Theatre Manager
1946
4.8
Lover Come Back
as Hotel desk clerk
1946
6.2
Hollywood Victory Caravan
as Railroad Agent
1945
5.2
Tell It to a Star
as Horace Lovelace
1945
0.0
You Came Along
as Hotel Clerk
1945
7.0
The Horn Blows at Midnight
as Radio Engineer / Sloan
1945
5.8
Hollywood and Vine
as Reggie
1945
4.0
See My Lawyer
as B.J. Wagonhorn
1945
6.0
Hail the Conquering Hero
as Reception Committee Chairman
1944
7.0
Reckless Age
as Mr. Thurtle
1944
0.0
🎬
Allergic to Love
as Stewart Ives III
1944
0.0
The Great Moment
as Dr. Heywood
1944
5.8
My Best Gal
as Mr. Porter
1944
0.0
Never a Dull Moment
as Sylvester
1943
6.0
Crazy House
as Hotel Clerk
1943
5.0
Holy Matrimony
as Duncan Farll
1943
6.6
Honeymoon Lodge
as Cathcart
1943
0.0
Stage Door Canteen
as Franklin Pangborn
1943
5.8
Two Weeks to Live
as Mr. Pinkney
1943
2.0
Reveille with Beverly
as Vernon Lewis (uncredited)
1943
7.0
Strictly in the Groove
as Cathcart
1942
0.0
George Washington Slept Here
as Mr. Gibney
1942
6.3
Now, Voyager
as Mr. Thompson
1942
7.4
The Palm Beach Story
as Manager
1942
7.0
Moonlight Masquerade
as Fairchild
1942
5.0
Obliging Young Lady
as Professor Gibney
1942
5.0
What's Cookin'?
as Professor Bistell
1942
5.5
Call Out the Marines
as Wilbur
1942
4.0
Mr. District Attorney in the Carter Case
as Charley Towne
1941
6.0
Weekend for Three
as Number Seven, Old Field Inn Waiter
1941
5.7
Sullivan's Travels
as Mr. Casalsis
1941
7.4
Never Give a Sucker an Even Break
as The Producer
1941
6.9
Tillie the Toiler
as Perry Tweedale
1941
0.0
The Flame of New Orleans
as Bellows
1941
6.3
Bachelor Daddy
as Williams, Club Manager
1941
0.0
A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob
as Pet Shop Owner
1941
4.7
Where Did You Get That Girl?
as Digby
1941
5.0
The Bank Dick
as J. Pinkerton Snoopington
1940
6.5
Christmas in July
as Don Hartman - Radio Announcer
1940
6.9
Hit Parade of 1941
as Carter
1940
5.5
The Villain Still Pursued Her
as Bartender (uncredited)
1940
5.1
Spring Parade
as Wiedlemeyer
1940
6.7
Public Deb No. 1
as Bartender
1940
4.2
Turnabout
as Mr. Pingboom
1940
6.0
Fifth Avenue Girl
as Higgins
1939
7.0
Screen Snapshots Series 18, No. 8
as Franklin Pangborn
1939
4.0
Broadway Serenade
as Gene, Collier's Composer
1939
6.2
Topper Takes a Trip
as Louis - Hotel Manager
1938
6.4
The Girl Downstairs
as Adolf Pumpfel
1938
4.5
Just Around the Corner
as Waters
1938
5.5
Carefree
as Roland Hunter
1938
6.6
Four's a Crowd
as Preston
1938
5.1
Always Goodbye
as Bicycle Salesman
1938
6.8
Three Blind Mice
as Clerk
1938
6.0
Vivacious Lady
as Apartment Manager
1938
6.8
Joy of Living
as Orchestra Leader
1938
5.7
Doctor Rhythm
as Mr. Stenchfield (Store Clerk)
1938
6.0
Bluebeard's Eighth Wife
as Assistant Hotel Manager
1938
7.0
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
as Hamilton Montmarcy
1938
6.7
Thrill of a Lifetime
as Sam Williams
1937
5.0
Love on Toast
as Finley
1937
5.5
She Married an Artist
as Paul
1937
0.0
I'll Take Romance
as Kane's Secretary
1937
5.0
Living on Love
as Ogilvie O. Oglethorpe
1937
5.8
Stage Door
as Harcourt
1937
7.0
Danger – Love at Work
as Train dining car headwaiter
1937
7.3
It Happened in Hollywood
as Mr. Forsythe
1937
6.1
The Life of the Party
as Beggs
1937
5.2
It's All Yours
as Schultz
1937
5.0
All Over Town
as The Costumer
1937
6.2
The Lady Escapes
as Pierre
1937
0.0
Easy Living
as Van Buren
1937
7.0
She Had to Eat
as Mr. Phoecian-Wylie
1937
5.0
Step Lively, Jeeves!
as Head Waiter
1937
4.7
Dangerous Holiday
as Doffle
1937
1.0
A Star Is Born
as Billy Moon (uncredited)
1937
7.1
We Have Our Moments
as Joe
1937
5.8
When Love Is Young
as John Dorman
1937
0.0
Swing High, Swing Low
as Henri
1937
5.1
🎬
Bad Housekeeping
as Piano Tuner
1937
0.0
Rich Relations
as Mr. Dwight
1937
0.0
She's Dangerous
as Fashion Designer
1937
5.0
Dangerous Number
as Hotel Desk Clerk
1937
5.0
High Hat
as Renaldo Breton
1937
5.0
The Mandarin Mystery
as Mellish
1936
5.0
Three Smart Girls
as Jeweler
1936
6.3
Hats Off
as Mr. Churchill
1936
3.7
The Luckiest Girl in the World
as Cashier
1936
7.5
Swing Banditry
as Radio Announcer (uncredited)
1936
0.0
My Man Godfrey
as Guthrie (uncredited)
1936
7.6
To Mary - with Love
as Guest
1936
4.5
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
as The Tailor (uncredited)
1936
7.5
Doughnuts and Society
as Benson
1936
0.0
Give Us This Night
as Forcellini's Secretary
1936
7.0
Don't Gamble with Love
as Salesman
1936
0.0
🎬
Tango
as Oscar, the Photographer
1936
5.0
$1,000 a Minute
as Reville
1935
5.8
She Couldn't Take It
as Spot's Secretary
1935
4.5
She Married Her Boss
as Window Dresser (uncredited)
1935
7.0
She Married Her Boss
as Window Dresser
1935
7.0
🎬
The Captain Hits the Ceiling
as Jimmy Martin
1935
0.0
The Headline Woman
as Hamilton
1935
4.0
Eight Bells
as Finch
1935
6.0
🎬
Hollywood Trouble
as Tailor
1935
0.0
Imitation of Life
as Mr. Carven (uncredited)
1934
7.0
College Rhythm
as Peabody
1934
4.7
Flirtation
as Veterinarian
1934
4.9
🎬
My Grandfather's Clock
as Dr. Watkins
1934
7.0
Tomorrow's Youth
as Thornton
1934
0.0
🎬
That's Gratitude
as Photographer
1934
0.0
Young and Beautiful
as Radio Announcer
1934
4.5
King Kelly of the U.S.A.
as J. Ashton Brockton
1934
4.3
Cockeyed Cavaliers
as Town Crier
1934
6.0
Many Happy Returns
as Allen's Secretary
1934
5.3
Strictly Dynamite
as Mr. Bailey
1934
5.3
Manhattan Love Song
as Garrett Wetherby
1934
5.3
Unknown Blonde
as Male Co-Respondent
1934
1.0
Design for Living
as Mr. Douglas
1933
7.1
Flying Down to Rio
as Hammerstein (uncredited)
1933
6.2
Only Yesterday
as Tom (Uncredited)
1933
6.8
Wild Poses
as Otto Phocus
1933
7.6
Menu
as John Xavier Omsk (uncredited)
1933
5.0
🎬
Trying Out Torchy
as Office manager
1933
0.0
Headline Shooter
as Adolphus G. Crocker
1933
5.8
The Important Witness
as Groom
1933
5.0
Bed of Roses
as Floorwalker
1933
6.3
🎬
Torchy's Loud Spooker
as Office Manager
1933
0.0
Professional Sweetheart
as Herbert Childress
1933
5.0
International House
as Hotel Manager
1933
5.7
🎬
Dream Stuff
as Gordon
1933
5.5
🎬
Torchy Turns Turtle
as Office Manager
1933
0.0
Sweepings
as Photographer (Uncredited)
1933
5.8
Sing, Bing, Sing
as Herbert
1933
5.6
🎬
Art in the Raw
1933
1.0
🎬
Easy on the Eyes
as Franklyn Pierce
1933
0.0
Parachute Jumper
as Man in Private Office (uncredited)
1933
6.1
🎬
Torchy's Kitty Coup
as Office Manager
1933
0.0
The Half-Naked Truth
as Hotel Clerk
1932
5.2
🎬
Torchy Rolls His Own
as Office Manager
1932
0.0
Over the Counter
as Drake's Assistant
1932
4.7
🎬
Tee for Two
as Henry
1932
0.0
🎬
Torchy's Busy Day
as Office Manager
1932
0.0
🎬
The Giddy Age
as George
1932
0.0
What Price Taxi
as Taxi Boy
1932
1.0
The Loud Mouth
1932
6.0
🎬
Doctor's Orders
1932
0.0
🎬
Torchy's Two Toots
as Office Manager
1932
0.0
Jimmy's New Yacht
as Everett
1932
1.0
Lighthouse Love
as Pvt. Jerry Stone
1932
5.5
🎬
Lighthouse Love
as Pvt. Jerry Stone
1932
0.0
🎬
Torchy Raises the Auntie
as Office Manager
1932
0.0
🎬
Torchy's Night Cap
as Office Manager
1932
0.0
A Fool's Advice
as Egbert - Hotel Clerk
1932
5.5
🎬
Torchy Turns the Trick
as Office Manager
1932
0.0
🎬
Hollywood Halfbacks
1931
0.0
🎬
Torchy Passes the Buck
as Office Manager
1931
0.0
🎬
Torchy
as Office Manager
1931
0.0
Blue of the Night
as Gilbert Sinclair
1931
5.7
A Woman of Experience
as Hans
1931
5.2
Next Door Neighbors
as Landlord
1931
0.0
🎬
Breakfast in Bed
as John
1930
0.0
Sunny
as Party Guest (uncredited)
1930
6.5
A Lady Surrenders
as Lawton
1930
3.5
Her Man
as Sport
1930
5.3
🎬
The Chumps
as Eddie Gray
1930
1.0
Cheer Up and Smile
as Professor
1930
0.0
🎬
Reno or Bust
1930
0.0
Not So Dumb
as Leach
1930
5.1
Poor Aubrey
as Aubrey Piper
1930
5.0
The Sap
as Ed Mason
1929
0.0
Lady of the Pavements
as M'sieu Dubrey, Dance Master
1929
4.6
On Trial
as Turnbull
1928
6.0
A Blonde for a Night
as Hector
1928
5.1
My Friend from India
as William / Tommy Valentine
1927
5.0
The Girl in the Pullman
as Hector Brooks
1927
0.0
Cradle Snatchers
as Howard Drake
1927
3.5
Getting Gertie's Garter
as Algy Brooks
1927
7.3
Finger Prints
as The Bandoline Kid
1927
0.0
Exit Smiling
as Cecil Lovelace
1926
7.9