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Frank Wilcox

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For the American artist, see Frank N. Wilcox. For the chemist and statistician, see Frank Wilcoxon.

Frank Wilcox
Wilcox in Lady Gangster (1942)
Born
Frank Reppy Wilcox

(1907-03-13)March 13, 1907
De Soto, Missouri, U.S.
DiedMarch 3, 1974(1974-03-03) (aged 66)
Granada Hills, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other namesFrank R. Wilcox
EducationUniversity of Kansas
Benedictine College
Pasadena Playhouse
OccupationActor
Years active1930–1973
Spouse
Joy Langston
​
(m. 1953)​
Children3

Frank Reppy Wilcox (March 13, 1907 – March 3, 1974) was an American actor. He appeared in numerous films and television series, as well as Broadway plays.

Background

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Wilcox was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Roger V. Wilcox. He was born in De Soto, Missouri, but the family moved to Atchison, Kansas.[1] Wilcox worked in Kansas City as an oil company's sales manager.[2]

Acting career

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Wilcox joined the Pasadena Community Playhouse.[1] By December 1924, he headed the Frank Wilcox Company, which produced plays in venues that included the Lyceum in Baltimore.[3] In 1927, he became a member of The Lambs Club.[4]

Wilcox became a contract player for Warner Bros., beginning with the 1939 short film The Monroe Doctrine,[citation needed] in which he was chosen to portray the American statesman Henry Clay during the early 1820s. He played Abraham Lincoln as a militia captain in another 1939 film short Old Hickory, based on key events in the public career of President Andrew Jackson.

During World War II Wilcox served on a destroyer.[1]

Another film role was as the circus doctor in the 1952 production The Greatest Show on Earth, starring Charlton Heston.

In 1951, already at work in television, Wilcox was cast in two episodes of the police drama Racket Squad. From 1952 to 1955, he guest-starred four times in different roles on the television series The Lone Ranger. In 1956, Wilcox portrayed John Gould in "God's Healing" on the religion Crossroads. The same year, he was cast as Duncan Glowrie in the episode "Bonnie Lassie" of The Gale Storm Show. From 1955 to 1958, he appeared three times on the sitcom The People's Choice.

In 1957, Wilcox guest-starred in the episode "Quicksilver" of Sugarfoot, as a young frontier law student. His best known television role, the one which brought him great recognition from millions of viewers, was that of the oil executive John Brewster in the first five seasons of The Beverly Hillbillies.

Wilcox appeared in 1957 as Joe Spaulding in "Lucy Wants to Move to the Country," one of the later episodes of the CBS sitcom I Love Lucy. He also appeared on the sitcom Private Secretary.

From 1953 to 1956, Wilcox made 16 appearances in different roles on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. He appeared three times in two different roles from 1961 to 1962 on Pete and Gladys. In 1965, he was a guest star in an episode of The Cara Williams Show.

In 1959, he was cast as Colonel Dodge in the episode "Man to Man" of Frontier Doctor. He guest-starred on the ABC sitcoms Leave It to Beaver, The Donna Reed Show and The Real McCoys.

Wilcox made several guest appearances as a judge on Perry Mason during the nine-year run of that program. In 1961, he appeared as the judge on the "Jack Benny Show", titled "Jack on Trial for Murder", which had Raymond Burr as a guest star appearing as Perry Mason in a dream sequence where Jack dreams that he is on trial for murder and Perry Mason is his defense attorney. Wilcox also appeared as a judge in the 1961 episode "The Dentist" of Angel and as Jennings is the 1961 episode "Troubleshooter" of Straightaway. Wilcox also appeared in numerous episodes of The Untouchables as Federal District Attorney Beecher Asbury. He appeared in a 1965 episode of Kentucky Jones and in the first episode broadcast of The Munsters. His last television role was as Judge Moon in a 1973 episode of Kung Fu.

His hometown of De Soto, Missouri hosts the Frank Wilcox Film Festival every March during the weekend closest to his birthday. An actor who performed with Wilcox, or those with "Wilcoxian" careers as character actors, serve as the guest host of the event.[citation needed]

Wilcox's work on Broadway began with Yes or No (1917) and ended with Parlor Story (1947).[5]

Personal life and death

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Wilcox and his wife Joy had three daughters.[2] On March 3, 1974, Wilcox died at his home 10 days before his 67th birthday[6] in Los Angeles,[7][6]

Selected filmography

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Actor Frank Wilcox Visits Relatives". The Daily Journal. Missouri, Flat River. October 18, 1973. p. 7. Retrieved August 20, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  2. ^ a b Sheldon, Louise (March 22, 1963). "Granada Hills 'Mayor' Frank Wilcox Prefers His Acting Without Horses". Los Angeles Evening Citizen News. p. 25. Retrieved February 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Plays Of The Week". The Baltimore Sun. December 21, 1924. p. 35. Retrieved February 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "The Lambs". the-lambs.org. The Lambs, Inc. (Member Roster). Archived from the original on May 31, 2022. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  5. ^ "Frank Wilcox". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on February 20, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Frank Wilcox dies, character actor, 66". The New York Times. Associated Press. March 5, 1974. p. 36. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  7. ^ "Frank Wilcox, Played Roles in 166 Movies". Tampa Bay Times. Florida, St. Petersburg. March 6, 1974. p. 39. Retrieved August 20, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
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