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Frank Craven is a Actor, Director, Scriptwriter and Dialogue Coach American born on 24 august 1875 at Boston (USA)

Frank Craven

Frank Craven
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Birth name Francis Henry Craven
Nationality USA
Birth 24 august 1875 at Boston (USA)
Death 1 september 1945 (at 70 years) at Beverly Hills (USA)

Frank Craven (24 August 1881 – 1 September 1945) was an American stage and film actor, playwright, and screenwriter, best known for originating the role of the Stage Manager in Thornton Wilder's Our Town.

Craven was a character actor who often portrayed wry, small-town figures. His first film role was in We Americans (1928), and he appeared in State Fair (1933), Penrod and Sam (1937), Jack London (1943), and Son of Dracula (1943), among many others. He wrote numerous screenplays, most notably for the Laurel and Hardy film Sons of the Desert (1933). His IMDB biography credits him with 16 writing credits and 2 directing credits.

In 1938, Craven played the Stage Manager in Our Town on Broadway, and reprised the role in the 1940 film version of the play. His son John Craven starred as George Gibbs in the stage version, a role played by William Holden in the 1940 film.

Craven died in 1945, shortly after finishing his work in Colonel Effingham's Raid.

Biography

Durant sa carrière, Frank Craven est très actif au théâtre ; il débute à Broadway en 1907, comme acteur, et y joue dans des pièces et comédies musicales jusqu'en 1944. Il est également l'auteur de plusieurs pièces représentées à Broadway — dont certaines adaptées au cinéma (entre 1925 et 1934) — ; l'une de ses plus connues est The First Year, créée en 1920, représentée 760 fois jusqu'en 1922, puis adaptée au cinéma (en 1926 et 1932) et à la télévision (un téléfilm diffusé en 1946). Pour la scène new-yorkaise, il est aussi metteur en scène, producteur, lyriciste et librettiste (de comédies musicales) — voir la rubrique "Théâtre" ci-dessous —.

Au cinéma, Frank Craven apparaît dans 41 films américains entre 1928 et 1946 (son dernier film, tourné peu avant sa mort en 1945, sort l'année suivante). Durant cette période, il contribue également à quelques films comme scénariste et en réalise trois (voir sa filmographie complète). Un de ses rôles les plus connus à l'écran est celui de M. Morgan ('Stage Manager'), dans Une petite ville sans histoire, film de 1940 auquel il collabore, en outre, comme scénariste ; il s'agit de l'adaptation au cinéma de Our Town, pièce à succès de Thornton Wilder, créée à Broadway en 1938, avec Frank Craven dans le même rôle.

Best films

State Fair (1933)
(Additional Writing)

Usually with

Matt McHugh
Matt McHugh
(5 films)
Victor Jory
Victor Jory
(3 films)
Source : Wikidata

Filmography of Frank Craven (39 films)

Display filmography as list

Actor

Colonel Effingham's Raid, 1h12
Directed by Irving Pichel
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Romance
Themes Children's films
Actors Charles Coburn, Joan Bennett, William Eythe, Allyn Joslyn, Elizabeth Patterson, Donald Meek
Roles Dewey
Rating59% 2.952162.952162.952162.952162.95216
William Seaborn Effingham (Charles Coburn) returns to his home town Fredericksville, Georgia, in 1940 as a retired Army Colonel. He soon finds something to fill his days with, by starting a fight for the survival of the local newspaper. After many years of absence, he meets his cousin, Albert Marbury (William Eythe), who is a reporter at the newspaper, and hears that a rival newspaper is threatening the existence of the one Albert works for. The competing paper is getting more advertisers because of its support of the sitting mayor, Bill Silk (Thurston Hall).
Destiny
Destiny (1944)
, 1h5
Directed by Julien Duvivier, Reginald Le Borg
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Fantasy, Noir, Crime
Themes Films about magic and magicians, Medical-themed films, Films about disabilities, La cécité
Actors Gloria Jean, Alan Curtis, Frank Craven, Minna Gombell, Frank Fenton (Moran), Gayne Whitman
Roles Clem Broderick
Rating60% 3.0335153.0335153.0335153.0335153.033515
A fugitive from the law (Curtis) becomes the victim of several double-crosses, eventually finding refuge with a blind girl (Jean) and her father (Craven) at a secluded farmhouse.
My Best Gal, 1h7
Directed by Anthony Mann
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Comedy, Musical
Themes Films about music and musicians, Musical films
Actors Jane Withers, Jimmy Lydon, Frank Craven, Fortunio Bonanova, George Cleveland, Franklin Pangborn
Roles Danny O'Hara
Rating59% 2.967352.967352.967352.967352.96735
Danny O'Hara, un ancien artiste de music-hall, est déçu quand sa petite-fille Kitty ne veut pas poursuivre la tradition familiale car elle considère le monde du show business trop instable. Ils travaillent tous les deux au Greenway Drugstore à New York, le lieu de ralliement de l'auteur Johnny McCloud et de sa bande d'amis. Johnny a écrit une revue et Kitty, amoureuse de Johnny, conspire avec lui pour que le script soit présenté à Ralph Hodges, un producteur de Broadway. Hodges, passionné d'astrologie, n'est pas intéressé par le travail de Johnny mais sa secrétaire, Miss Simpson, promet de trouver une manière de lui reproposer le script. Plus tard, pendant que Kitty se prépare pour son premier rendez-vous avec Johnny, Danny convainc ce dernier de faire en sorte que le producteur de radio Harry Gage entende Kitty. Alors qu'elle chante une ballade romantique à Johnny, Kitty découvre Danny et Gage qui se cachent et disparaît avant que Gage ait pu lui offrir du travail. Ce même soir, Johnny et Danny présentent leurs excuses à Kitty et Johnny lui apprend qu'il doit partir à l'armée dans deux jours.
Son of Dracula, 1h20
Directed by Robert Siodmak, Erle C. Kenton, Ford Beebe
Origin USA
Genres Fantasy, Horror
Themes Films about magic and magicians, Dracula films, Vampires in film
Actors Lon Chaney, Jr., Robert Paige, Evelyn Ankers, Louise Allbritton, Frank Craven, Samuel S. Hinds
Roles Dr. Harry Brewster
Rating60% 3.0481853.0481853.0481853.0481853.048185
Hungarian Count Alucard (Lon Chaney Jr.), a mysterious stranger, arrives in the U.S. invited by Katherine Caldwell (Louise Allbritton), one of the daughters of New Orleans plantation owner Colonel Caldwell (George Irving). Shortly after his arrival, the Colonel dies of apparent heart failure and leaves his wealth to his two daughters, with Claire receiving all the money and Katherine his estate "Dark Oaks." Katherine, a woman with a taste for the morbid, has been secretly dating Alucard and eventually marries him, shunning her long-time boyfriend Frank Stanley. Frank confronts the couple and tries to shoot Alucard, but the bullets pass through the Count's body and hit Katherine, seemingly killing her.
Jack London, 1h34
Directed by Alfred Santell
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Biography, Action, Adventure, Romance
Themes Films about writers, Seafaring films, Transport films
Actors Michael O'Shea, Susan Hayward, Virginia Mayo, Osa Massen, Harry Davenport, Frank Craven
Roles Old Tom
Rating51% 2.5673452.5673452.5673452.5673452.567345
The film follows the adventures of the writer-adventurer Jack London (Michael O'Shea) who was, among other things, oyster pirate, hobo, sailor, prospector and war correspondent.
The Human Comedy, 1h58
Directed by Clarence Brown
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Comedy
Themes Political films
Actors Mickey Rooney, Frank Morgan, James Craig, Marsha Hunt, Fay Bainter, Ray Collins
Roles Un homme au bistrot
Rating69% 3.4942553.4942553.4942553.4942553.494255
Keeper of the Flame, 1h40
Directed by George Stevens, George Cukor
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Thriller
Actors Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Richard Whorf, Margaret Wycherly, Forrest Tucker, Darryl Hickman
Roles Docteur Fielding
Rating66% 3.348283.348283.348283.348283.34828
When national hero Robert Forrest is killed in an automobile accident, the entire United States goes into deep mourning. Admirer and renowned journalist Stephen O'Malley (Spencer Tracy) returns from Europe to write a biography of the great man. Among the throngs covering the funeral, he finds his old friends and fellow reporters, Jane Harding (Audrey Christie) and Freddie Ridges (Stephen McNally). They remain after the rest of the press leave.
Girl Trouble, 1h21
Directed by Harold D. Schuster
Origin USA
Genres Comedy
Actors Don Ameche, Joan Bennett, Billie Burke, Frank Craven, Fortunio Bonanova, Alan Dinehart, Sr.
Roles Ambrose Murdock Flint
Rating66% 3.3252253.3252253.3252253.3252253.325225
June Delaney belongs to the upper circles of New York City's social life. When she learns that her private money has been impounded by the British government, since most of her investments are made by her father in England before the outbreak of World War II, she is very annoyed. To make the most of what she got and continue living as before she is forced to rent out her upscale apartment. She advertises in a newspaper, and gets a response from a prospective tenant, a Venezuelan playboy and sole heir to an American rubber industry, Pedro Sullivan.
In This Our Life, 1h37
Directed by John Huston
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Romance
Actors Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, Charles Coburn, George Brent, Frank Craven, Dennis Morgan
Roles Asa Timberlake
Rating72% 3.6458553.6458553.6458553.6458553.645855
In Richmond, Virginia, Asa (Frank Craven) and Lavinia (Billie Burke) (née Fitzroy) Timberlake gave their two daughters male names: Roy (Olivia de Havilland) and Stanley (Bette Davis). The movie opens with the young women as adults. Asa Timberlake has recently lost his piece of a tobacco company to his former partner William Fitzroy (Charles Coburn), his wife's brother. Roy, a successful interior decorator, is married to Dr. Peter Kingsmill (Dennis Morgan). Stanley is engaged to progressive attorney Craig Fleming (George Brent). The night before her wedding, Stanley runs off with Roy's husband Peter. Fleming becomes and stays depressed, but Roy soon decides to keep a positive attitude. After Roy divorces Peter, he and Stanley marry and move to Baltimore.
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh (1942)
, 1h31
Directed by Lewis Seiler, Charles K. Feldman
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Comedy, Documentary, Adventure
Actors Marlene Dietrich, Randolph Scott, John Wayne, Frank Craven, Thomas Gomez, Samuel S. Hinds
Roles J.M. 'Doc' Powers
Rating63% 3.19793.19793.19793.19793.1979
Here John Wayne plays a coal miner with ambitions, Pittsburgh Markham. His self-confidence manifests itself in a lack of consideration for others. He's usually friendly but he makes use of people; to promote a loan, to con a new suit out of a tailor, to raise some money from a boxing match—pushing his best friend, Cash Evans (Randolph Scott) into the ring. When he meets Josie Winters (Marlene Dietrich), he starts calling her "Countess" because of the impression she makes on him, although she reveals that she comes from the same kind of humble coal-mining background as himself. Josie remains somewhat unimpressed by his big ideas but when she dares him to quit his job in the mine he does so—and tenders Cash's resignation as well.
The Lady from Cheyenne, 1h28
Directed by Frank Lloyd
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Comedy, Western
Actors Loretta Young, Robert Preston, Edward Arnold, Frank Craven, Gladys George, Jessie Ralph
Roles Hank Foreman
Rating60% 3.047153.047153.047153.047153.04715
In the 1860s after receiving an inheritance a Philadelphia school teacher heads west to Wyoming to establish a new school to educated settler's children. However she encounters a corrupt tycoon who is determined to gain control of the water rights of her schoolhouse. She eventually lobbies to gain woman the right to vote in local elections, and defeats the villain with the assistance of a lawyer who she eventually marries.
Our Town
Our Town (1940)
, 1h30
Directed by Sam Wood, John Sherwood
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Romance
Themes Théâtre, Films based on plays
Actors William Holden, Martha Scott, Fay Bainter, Beulah Bondi, Thomas Mitchell, Stuart Erwin
Roles Mr. Morgan
Rating64% 3.2464653.2464653.2464653.2464653.246465
Chronique de la vie et des relations familiales d'une petite ville américaine.
City for Conquest, 1h44
Directed by Anatole Litvak, Jean Negulesco
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Musical, Crime
Themes Sports films, Martial arts films, Boxing films
Actors James Cagney, Ann Sheridan, John Arthur Kennedy, Frank Craven, Anthony Quinn, Elia Kazan
Roles 'Old Timer'
Rating71% 3.594673.594673.594673.594673.59467
Cagney plays a truck driver named Danny Kenny, who starts as a New York boxing contender. Ann Sheridan plays his girlfriend, Peggy. Being successful as a boxer, Danny decides to financially help his brother Eddie (Arthur Kennedy) to become a professional musician. Peggy on the other hand, loses her heart to Murray Burns (Anthony Quinn), a professional dancer, and she turns down Danny's proposal in order to go for a dancing career. Embittered by Peggy's refusal, Danny continues to work as a boxer and eventually gets blinded by his opponent during a fight, who has placed some rosin dust onto his gloves. Now blind, Danny works as a newspaper stand operator, while Peggy's career as a dancer did not materialize. The movie ends with Eddie becoming a successful composer who dedicates his first major symphony at Carnegie Hall to his brother, who is listening to the concert on the radio from his newsstand.