Discover
Franklin Pangborn was an American comedic character actor famous for playing small but memorable roles with comic flair. He appeared in many Preston Sturges movies as well as the W.C. Fields films International House, The Bank Dick, and Never Give a Sucker an Even Break. For his contributions to motion pictures, Pangborn received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1500 Vine Street on February 8, 1960.
Birth Name
Joseph Franklin Pangborn
Born
Wednesday, 23 January 1889
Died
Sunday, 20 July 1958
Actor Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| The Great Man: W.C. Fields | J. Frothingham Waterbury (clip from The Bank Dick (1940)) | 2005 |
| Going Hollywood: The '30s | (archive footage) | 1984 |
| Hollywood and the Stars | Herbert (clip from Sing, Bing, Sing (1933)) / Self | 1963 |
| The Unchained Goddess | the Cloud Painter (voice) / the Cloud Painter | 1958 |
| The Story of Mankind | Marquis de Varennes | 1957 |
| The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar | Announcer / Himself | 1957 |
| Oh, Men! Oh, Women! | Steamship Clerk | 1957 |
| The Steve Allen Plymouth Show | Self | 1956 |
| The Patti Page Show | Self | 1955 |
| The Tonight Show | Self | 1954 |
Actor Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| The Great Man: W.C. Fields | J. Frothingham Waterbury (clip from The Bank Dick (1940)) | 2005 |
| Going Hollywood: The '30s | (archive footage) | 1984 |
| Hollywood and the Stars | Herbert (clip from Sing, Bing, Sing (1933)) / Self | 1963 |
| The Unchained Goddess | the Cloud Painter (voice) / the Cloud Painter | 1958 |
| The Story of Mankind | Marquis de Varennes | 1957 |
| The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar | Announcer / Himself | 1957 |
| Oh, Men! Oh, Women! | Steamship Clerk | 1957 |
| The Steve Allen Plymouth Show | Self | 1956 |
| The Patti Page Show | Self | 1955 |
| The Tonight Show | Self | 1954 |
| The Mickey Rooney Show | Mr. Bean | 1954 |
| The Revlon Mirror Theater | 1953 | |
| Private Secretary | Armond the photographer | 1953 |
| The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet | Mr. Canfield | 1952 |
| This Is Your Life | Self | 1952 |
| Personal Appearance Theater | Gregory Simpson | 1951 |
| The Red Skelton Hour | Stevens / Mr. Carter | 1951 |
| Penthouse Party | Self | 1950 |
| The Colgate Comedy Hour | Comic Actor / Sy Devore | 1950 |
| The Alan Young Show | Mr. Deucy | 1950 |
| The Ken Murray Show | Self | 1950 |
| Down Memory Lane | Mr. Sennett's Representative / Gilbert Sinclair / archive footage | 1949 |
| Addio Mimí! | The Cat Lover | 1949 |
| My Dream Is Yours | Sourpuss Manager | 1949 |
| Romance on the High Seas | Rio Hotel Clerk | 1948 |
| The Sin of Harold Diddlebock | Formfit Franklin | 1947 |
| I'll Be Yours | Barber | 1947 |
| Calendar Girl | 'Dilly' Dillingsworth / Dilly Dillingsworth | 1947 |
| Two Guys from Milwaukee | Theatre Manager | 1946 |
| Lover Come Back | Hotel Clerk / Hotel desk clerk | 1946 |
| The Sailor Takes a Wife | Salesman | 1945 |
| Tell It to a Star | Horace Lovelace | 1945 |
| You Came Along | Hotel Clerk | 1945 |
| The Horn Blows at Midnight | Sloan - House Detective / Radio Engineer / Sloan | 1945 |
| Hollywood and Vine | Reggie Allen / Reggie | 1945 |
| See My Lawyer | B.J. Wagonhorn | 1945 |
| Hail the Conquering Hero | Reception Committee Chairman | 1944 |
| Allergic to Love | Stewart Ives III | 1944 |
| The Great Moment | Dr. Heywood | 1944 |
| My Best Gal | Mr. Porter | 1944 |
| Never a Dull Moment | Sylvester | 1943 |
| Crazy House | Hotel Clerk | 1943 |
| Holy Matrimony | Duncan Farll | 1943 |
| Honeymoon Lodge | Cathcart | 1943 |
| Stage Door Canteen | Franklin Pangborn | 1943 |
| Two Weeks to Live | Mr. Pinkney | 1943 |
| Reveille with Beverly | Vernon Lewis | 1943 |
| Strictly in the Groove | Cathcart | 1942 |
| George Washington Slept Here | Mr. Gibney | 1942 |
| Now, Voyager | Mr. Thompson | 1942 |
| The Palm Beach Story | Manager | 1942 |
| Moonlight Masquerade | Fairchild | 1942 |
| What's Cookin' | Professor Bistell | 1942 |
| Obliging Young Lady | Professor Gibney | 1942 |
| Call Out the Marines | Wilbur | 1942 |
| Mr. District Attorney in the Carter Case | Charley Towne | 1941 |
| Sullivan's Travels | Mr. Casalsis | 1941 |
| Weekend for Three | Number Seven / Number Seven, Old Field Inn Waiter | 1941 |
| Never Give a Sucker an Even Break | The Producer | 1941 |
| Tillie the Toiler | Perry Tweedale | 1941 |
| Bachelor Daddy | Williams, Club Manager | 1941 |
| The Flame of New Orleans | Bellows | 1941 |
| A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob | Pet Shop Owner | 1941 |
| Where Did You Get That Girl? | Digby | 1941 |
| The Bank Dick | J. Pinkerton Snoopington | 1940 |
| Christmas in July | Don Hartman - Radio Announcer / Don Hartman | 1940 |
| Hit Parade of 1941 | Carter | 1940 |
| The Villain Still Pursued Her | Bartender | 1940 |
| Spring Parade | Wiedlemeyer | 1940 |
| Public Deb No. 1 | Bartender | 1940 |
| Turnabout | Mr. Pingboom | 1940 |
| Fifth Avenue Girl | Higgins | 1939 |
| Broadway Serenade | Gene / Gene, Collier's Composer | 1939 |
| Topper Takes a Trip | Hotel Manager / Louis - Hotel Manager | 1939 |
| The Girl Downstairs | Adolf Pumpfel | 1938 |
| Just Around the Corner | Waters | 1938 |
| Carefree | Roland Hunter | 1938 |
| Four's a Crowd | Preston | 1938 |
| Always Goodbye | Bicycle Salesman | 1938 |
| Three Blind Mice | Clerk | 1938 |
| Vivacious Lady | Apartment Manager | 1938 |
| Joy of Living | Orchestra Leader | 1938 |
| Doctor Rhythm | Mr. Stenchfield (Store Clerk) | 1938 |
| Bluebeard's Eighth Wife | Assistant Hotel Manager | 1938 |
| Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm | Hamilton Montmarcy | 1938 |
| Mad About Music | Hotel Manager | 1938 |
| Love on Toast | Finley | 1937 |
| Thrill of a Lifetime | Sam Williams | 1937 |
| She Married an Artist | Paul | 1937 |
| I'll Take Romance | Kane's Secretary | 1937 |
| Living on Love | Ogilvie O. Oglethorpe | 1937 |
| Stage Door | Harcourt | 1937 |
| Danger - Love at Work | Train dining car headwaiter | 1937 |
| All Over Town | The Costumer | 1937 |
| It Happened in Hollywood | Mr. Forsythe | 1937 |
| The Life of the Party | Beggs | 1937 |
| It's All Yours | Schultz | 1937 |
| The Lady Escapes | Pierre | 1937 |
| Easy Living | Van Buren | 1937 |
| She Had to Eat | Mr. Phoecian-Wylie | 1937 |
| Dangerous Holiday | Doffle | 1937 |
| Hotel Haywire | Fuller Brush Salesman | 1937 |
| Turn Off the Moon | Mr. Perkins | 1937 |
| A Star Is Born | Billy Moon | 1937 |
| Step Lively, Jeeves! | Gaston / Head Waiter | 1937 |
| We Have Our Moments | Joe the Bartender / Joe | 1937 |
| When Love Is Young | John Dorman | 1937 |
| Swing High, Swing Low | Henri | 1937 |
| They Wanted to Marry | Hotel Manager | 1937 |
| Rich Relations | Mr. Dwight | 1937 |
| She's Dangerous | Renaud / Fashion Designer | 1937 |
| Dangerous Number | Hotel Desk Clerk | 1937 |
| High Hat | Renaldo Breton | 1937 |
| The Mandarin Mystery | Mellish | 1936 |
| Three Smart Girls | Jeweler | 1936 |
| Hats Off | Mr. Churchill | 1936 |
| The Luckiest Girl in the World | Cashier | 1936 |
| My Man Godfrey | Guthrie | 1936 |
| To Mary - with Love | Guest | 1936 |
| Mr. Deeds Goes to Town | The Tailor | 1936 |
| Doughnuts and Society | Benson | 1936 |
| Give Us This Night | Forcellini's Secretary | 1936 |
| Don't Gamble with Love | Salesman | 1936 |
| Tango | Oscar the Photographer / Oscar, the Photographer | 1936 |
| 1, 000 Dollars a Minute | Reville | 1935 |
| She Couldn't Take It | Spot's Secretary | 1935 |
| She Married Her Boss | Window Dresser | 1935 |
| The Captain Hits the Ceiling | Jimmy Martin | 1935 |
| The Headline Woman | Hamilton | 1935 |
| Eight Bells | Finch | 1935 |
| Father Knows Best | The Helpful Butler | 1935 |
| College Rhythm | Peabody | 1934 |
| Imitation of Life | Mr. Carven | 1934 |
| Flirtation | Veterinarian | 1934 |
| My Grandfather's Clock | Dr. Watkins | 1934 |
| Tomorrow's Youth | Thornton - the Tutor / Thornton | 1934 |
| That's Gratitude | Photographer | 1934 |
| Young and Beautiful | Radio Announcer | 1934 |
| King Kelly of the U.S.A. | J. Ashton Brockton | 1934 |
| Cockeyed Cavaliers | Town Crier | 1934 |
| Many Happy Returns | Allen's Secretary | 1934 |
| Strictly Dynamite | Mr. Bailey | 1934 |
| Manhattan Love Song | Garrett Wetherby | 1934 |
| Unknown Blonde | Male Co-Respondent | 1934 |
| Flying Down to Rio | Hammerstein - the Hotel Manager | 1933 |
| Design for Living | Mr. Douglas, Theatrical Producer / Mr. Douglas | 1933 |
| Only Yesterday | Tom / Tom (Uncredited) | 1933 |
| Wild Poses | Otto Phocus, the portrait photographer / Otto Phocus | 1933 |
| Menu | John Xavier Omsk | 1933 |
| Headline Shooter | Adolphus G. Crocker | 1933 |
| The Important Witness | Groom | 1933 |
| Bed of Roses | Floorwalker | 1933 |
| Professional Sweetheart | Herbert Childress | 1933 |
| International House | Hotel Manager | 1933 |
| Dream Stuff | Gordon | 1933 |
| Sweepings | Photographer / Photographer (Uncredited) | 1933 |
| Sing, Bing, Sing | Herbert | 1933 |
| Art in the Raw | The Artist | 1933 |
| The Half-Naked Truth | Mr. Wellburton - Hotel Clerk / Hotel Clerk | 1932 |
| Over the Counter | Drake's Assistant | 1932 |
| The Giddy Age | George | 1932 |
| What Price Taxi | Taxi Boy | 1932 |
| The Loud Mouth | Freddie Quimby | 1932 |
| Jimmy's New Yacht | Everett | 1932 |
| Lighthouse Love | Pvt. Jerry Stone | 1932 |
| The Midnight Patrol | 1932 | |
| A Fool's Advice | Egbert - Hotel Clerk | 1932 |
| Perfect Control | Teacher | 1932 |
| Stepping Sisters | Gason | 1932 |
| Camping Out | 1931 | |
| Blue of the Night | Gilbert Sinclair | 1931 |
| A Woman of Experience | Hans - a Sailor / Hans | 1931 |
| Rough House Rhythm | 1931 | |
| Sunny | Party Guest | 1930 |
| A Lady Surrenders | Lawton | 1930 |
| Her Man | Sport | 1930 |
| Cheer Up and Smile | Professor | 1930 |
| Not So Dumb | Leach / Vincent Leach | 1930 |
| Lady of the Pavements | M'sieu Dubrey, Dance Master | 1929 |
| A Blonde for a Night | Hector | 1928 |
| My Friend from India | William / Tommy Valentine | 1927 |
| The Girl in the Pullman | Hector Brooks | 1927 |
| The Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary | Melville | 1927 |
| The Cradle Snatchers | Howard Drake | 1927 |
| The Night Bride | John Stockton | 1927 |
| Getting Gertie's Garter | Algy Brooks | 1927 |
| Exit Smiling | Cecil Lovelace | 1926 |
