Franklin Pangborn

Franklin Pangborn

  • Highest Rated: 100% Sullivan's Travels (1941)
  • Lowest Rated: 29% Bluebeard's Eighth Wife (1938)
  • Birthday: Jan 23, 1889
  • Birthplace: Not Available

  • American actor Franklin Pangborn spent most of his theatrical days playing straight dramatic roles, but Hollywood saw things differently. From his debut film Exit Smiling (1926) to his final appearance in The Story of Mankind (1957), Pangborn was relegated to almost nothing but comedy roles. With his prissy voice and floor-walker demeanor, Pangborn was the perfect desk clerk, hotel manager, dressmaker, society secretary, or all-around busybody in well over 100 films. Except for a few supporting appearances in features and a series of Mack Sennett short subjects in the early 1930s, most of Pangborn's pre-1936 appearances were in bits or minor roles, but a brief turn as a snotty society scavenger-hunt scorekeeper in My Man Godfrey (1936) cemented his reputation as a surefire laugh-getter. The actor was a particular favorite of W.C. Fields, who saw to it that Pangborn was prominently cast in Fields' The Bank Dick (1940) (as hapless bank examiner J. Pinkerton Snoopington) and Never Give a Sucker An Even Break (1941). Occasionally, Pangborn longed for more dramatic roles, so to satisfy himself artistically he'd play non-comic parts for Edward Everett Horton's Los Angeles-based Majestic Theatre; Pangborn's appearance in Preston Sturges' Hail the Conquering Hero (1942) likewise permitted him a few straight, serious moments. When jobs became scarce in films for highly specialized character actors in the 1950s, Pangborn thrived on television, guesting on a number of comedy shows, including an appearance as a giggling serial-killer in a "Red Skelton Show" comedy sketch. One year before his death, Pangborn eased quietly into TV-trivia books by appearing as guest star (and guest announcer) on Jack Paar's very first "Tonight Show."

Highest Rated Movies

Filmography

Movies

Rating

Title

Credit

Box
Office

Year

No Score Yet The Story of Mankind Marquis de Varennes — 1957
No Score Yet Oh, Men! Oh, Women! Steamship Clerk — 1957
No Score Yet Mad Wednesday Formfit Franklin — 1951
No Score Yet My Dream Is Yours Sourpuss Manager — 1949
No Score Yet Down Memory Lane Actor — 1949
80% Romance on the High Seas Rio Hotel Clerk — 1948
89% Sin of Harold Diddlebock Formfit Franklin — 1947
No Score Yet I'll Be Yours Barber — 1947
No Score Yet Calendar Girl Dillingsworth/Dilly — 1947
89% The Horn Blows at Midnight Sloan — 1945
No Score Yet Hollywood and Vine Reggie — 1945
95% Hail the Conquering Hero Committee Chairman — 1944
No Score Yet His Butler's Sister Reeves — 1943
No Score Yet Crazy House Hotel Clerk — 1943
No Score Yet Holy Matrimony Duncan Farli — 1943
No Score Yet Two Weeks to Live Mr. Pinkney — 1943
No Score Yet Reveille with Beverly Vernon Lewis — 1943
No Score Yet Stage Door Canteen Stage Door Canteen Star — 1943
No Score Yet George Washington Slept Here Mr. Gibney — 1942
No Score Yet Strictly in the Groove Cathcart — 1942
97% The Palm Beach Story Manager — 1942
91% Now, Voyager Mr. Thompson — 1942
No Score Yet Weekend for Three (Week-End for Three) No. Seven — 1941
100% Sullivan's Travels Mr. Casalais — 1941
100% Never Give a Sucker an Even Break The Producer — 1941
No Score Yet The Flame of New Orleans Bellows — 1941
No Score Yet A Girl, a Guy and a Gob Pet Shop Owner — 1941
94% Christmas in July Radio Announcer — 1940
No Score Yet The Villain Still Pursued Her Bartender — 1940
No Score Yet Spring Parade Wiedelmeyer — 1940
No Score Yet Turnabout Mr. Pingboom — 1940
100% The Bank Dick J. Pinkerton Snoopington — 1940
No Score Yet Fifth Avenue Girl Higgins — 1939
No Score Yet Broadway Serenade Gene — 1939
No Score Yet Topper Takes a Trip Louis — 1938
No Score Yet Just Around the Corner Waters — 1938
No Score Yet Four's a Crowd Preston — 1938
100% Vivacious Lady Apartment Manager — 1938
No Score Yet Joy of Living Radio Broadcast Orchestra Leader — 1938
29% Bluebeard's Eighth Wife Asst. Hotel Manager — 1938
No Score Yet Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm Hamilton Montmarcy — 1938
No Score Yet Mad About Music Hotel Manager — 1938
57% Carefree Roland Hunter — 1938
No Score Yet Meet the Mayor Hotel Clerk — 1938
No Score Yet She Married an Artist Paul — 1938
No Score Yet Three Blind Mice Clerk — 1938
No Score Yet All Over Town Costumer — 1937
No Score Yet I'll Take Romance Secretary — 1937
No Score Yet Living on Love Oglethorpe — 1937
95% Stage Door Harcourt — 1937
No Score Yet It Happened in Hollywood Mr. Forsythe — 1937
100% Easy Living Van Buren — 1937
No Score Yet Dangerous Holiday Doffle — 1937
No Score Yet Hotel Haywire Fuller Brush Salesman — 1937
100% A Star Is Born Billy Moon — 1937
No Score Yet Swing High, Swing Low Henri — 1937
No Score Yet They Wanted to Marry Actor — 1937
No Score Yet Thrill of a Lifetime Mr. Williams — 1937
No Score Yet When Love Is Young Actor — 1937
No Score Yet We Have Our Moments Bartender — 1937
No Score Yet Turn Off the Moon Mr. Perkins — 1937
No Score Yet Step Lively, Jeeves Gaston — 1937
No Score Yet High Hat Renaldo Breton — 1937
No Score Yet The Mandarin Mystery Mellish — 1936
86% Three Smart Girls Jeweler — 1936
No Score Yet Hats Off Churchill — 1936
97% My Man Godfrey Scorekeeper — 1936
89% Mr. Deeds Goes to Town Tailor — 1936
No Score Yet Doughnuts and Society Benson — 1936
No Score Yet Tango Oscar — 1936
No Score Yet To Mary---With Love guest — 1936
No Score Yet She Couldn't Take It (Woman Tamer) Secretary — 1935
No Score Yet The Headline Woman Hamilton — 1935
No Score Yet Chasing Those Depression Blues Actor — 1935
100% Imitation of Life Mr. Carven — 1934
No Score Yet King Kelly of the U.S.A. J. Ashton Brockton — 1934
No Score Yet Cockeyed Cavaliers Town Crier — 1934
No Score Yet Manhattan Love Song Garrett Wetherby — 1934
No Score Yet Strictly Dynamite Mr. Bailey — 1934
71% Design for Living Mr. Douglas — 1933
86% Flying Down to Rio Hammersmith the Hotel Manager — 1933
No Score Yet Only Yesterday Tom — 1933
No Score Yet Headline Shooter Crocker — 1933
No Score Yet Bed of Roses Floorwalker — 1933
No Score Yet Professional Sweetheart Childress — 1933
No Score Yet International House Hotel Manager — 1933
No Score Yet The Half-Naked Truth Wolverton, Hotel Manager — 1932
No Score Yet Meet the Mayor Actor — 1932
No Score Yet A Woman of Experience Hans — 1931
No Score Yet Cheer Up and Smile Professor — 1930
No Score Yet Not So Dumb Leach — 1930
No Score Yet Blonde for a Night Actor — 1928
No Score Yet Getting Gertie's Garter Actor — 1927
No Score Yet Girl in the Pullman Actor — 1927
No Score Yet Exit Smiling Cecile Lovelace — 1926
83% The Great Moment Dr. Heywood — 1921

QUOTES FROM Franklin Pangborn CHARACTERS

Professor Henry R. Quail
What is WuHu doing wheer Kansas City ought to be?
Hotel Manager
Maybe you're lost.
Professor Henry R. Quail
Kansas City is lost. I am here.