Dwight Frye

Biography

Dwight Frye was an American character actor who studied music and worked as a concert pianist before making his name on the stage in the 1920s, often in comedies, and in a 1924 production of Six Characters in Search of an Author. Born in Salina, Kansas, he became known with the arrival of sound for playing mentally unbalanced and murderous characters. His signature role was the madman Renfield in Tod Browning's Dracula (1931), and that same year he played the hunchbacked Fritz in Frankenstein (1931) and Wilmer Cook in The Maltese Falcon (1931). Later roles included Herman in The Vampire Bat (1933), a reporter in The Invisible Man (1933) and Karl in Bride of Frankenstein (1935). He appeared in The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942) and Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943), and in two James Cagney films, The Doorway to Hell (1930) and Something to Sing About (1937), as a hit man and a fussy hairdresser. He died in 1943.

44years old at death

Born February 22, 1899Kansas
Died November 7, 1943Hollywood
Star sign: PiscesThe sign runs February 19 to March 20
Also credited as Dwight Iliff Frye

Movie Career

Films: 15
Career span: 13 years1930 to 1943

Genres

Horror60%, 9 films
Drama53%, 8 films
Sci-Fi33%, 5 films
Crime27%, 4 films
Mystery27%, 4 films

First and latest

Did you know?!

A change of course
During World War II, Frye helped the war effort by taking a night job as a tool designer for Douglas Aircraft.
Beyond film
The American rock band Alice Cooper recorded "The Ballad of Dwight Fry" as a tribute to Frye, dropping the last "e" on purpose, and put it on their 1971 LP Love It to Death.

Dwight Frye movies on Netflix

Dead Men Walk1943IMDb rating 4.8as Zolarr
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man1943IMDb rating 6.4as Rudi
Submarine Alert1943IMDb rating 5.4as Haldine - Fifth Columnist
The Ghost of Frankenstein1942IMDb rating 6.1as Villager at Meeting / Grave Robber (flashback)
Sinners in Paradise1938IMDb rating 5.7as Marshall
Something to Sing About1937IMDb rating 6.2as Easton
The Bride of Frankenstein1935IMDb rating 7.8as Karl
The Crime of Doctor Crespi1935IMDb rating 5.5as Dr. Thomas
The Vampire Bat1933IMDb rating 5.8as Herman Gleib
Dracula1931IMDb rating 7.3as Renfield
Drácula1931IMDb rating 7.0as Renfield
Frankenstein1931IMDb rating 7.7as Fritz
The Black Camel1931IMDb rating 6.6as Jessop the Butler
The Maltese Falcon1931IMDb rating 6.8as Wilmer Cook
The Doorway to Hell1930IMDb rating 6.5as Monk, Gangster

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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Dracula1931 Horroras Renfield
IMDb rating 7.365K votes
Frankenstein1931 Drama, Horror, Sci-Fias Fritz
IMDb rating 7.789K votes
The Bride of Frankenstein1935as Karl
IMDb rating 7.860K votes
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man1943as Rudi
IMDb rating 6.411K votes
The Vampire Bat1933as Herman Gleib
IMDb rating 5.83.4K votes
Dead Men Walk1943as Zolarr
IMDb rating 4.81.9K votes
The Crime of Doctor Crespi1935as Dr. Thomas
IMDb rating 5.5485 votes
The Maltese Falcon1931as Wilmer Cook
IMDb rating 6.83.6K votes

Most often with

James Whale directed three of these films. Bela Lugosi appears in five of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Bela Lugosi

John George

Lionel Atwill

Ted Billings

Lionel Belmore

Colin CliveJames WhaleDirector, 3 films

Films together

Bela Lugosi5 films together, 1931 to 1943
Bela Lugosi's page
- Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man1943IMDb rating 6.4Frye as RudiLugosi as Monster
- The Ghost of Frankenstein1942IMDb rating 6.1Frye as Villager at Meeting / Grave Robber (flashback)Lugosi as Ygor
- Dracula1931IMDb rating 7.3Frye as RenfieldLugosi as Count Dracula
- Drácula1931IMDb rating 7.0Frye as RenfieldLugosi as Conde Drácula
- The Black Camel1931IMDb rating 6.6Frye as Jessop the ButlerLugosi as Tarneverro
John George3 films together, 1931 to 1943
John George's page
- Submarine Alert1943IMDb rating 5.4Frye as Haldine - Fifth ColumnistGeorge as Man in FBI Raid
- Dracula1931IMDb rating 7.3Frye as RenfieldGeorge as Small Scientist
- Drácula1931IMDb rating 7.0Frye as RenfieldGeorge as Scientist
Lionel Atwill3 films together, 1933 to 1943
Lionel Atwill's page
- Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man1943IMDb rating 6.4Frye as RudiAtwill as Mayor
- The Ghost of Frankenstein1942IMDb rating 6.1Frye as Villager at Meeting / Grave Robber (flashback)Atwill as Doctor Theodore Bohmer
- The Vampire Bat1933IMDb rating 5.8Frye as Herman GleibAtwill as Dr. Otto von Niemann
Ted Billings3 films together, 1931 to 1935
Ted Billings's page
- The Bride of Frankenstein1935IMDb rating 7.8Frye as KarlBillings as Ludwig
- The Vampire Bat1933IMDb rating 5.8Frye as Herman GleibBillings as Townsman
- Frankenstein1931IMDb rating 7.7Frye as FritzBillings as Villager
Lionel Belmore3 films together, 1931 to 1942
Lionel Belmore's page
- The Ghost of Frankenstein1942IMDb rating 6.1Frye as Villager at Meeting / Grave Robber (flashback)Belmore as Councilman
- The Vampire Bat1933IMDb rating 5.8Frye as Herman GleibBelmore as Bürgermeister Gustave Schoen
- Frankenstein1931IMDb rating 7.7Frye as FritzBelmore as The Burgomaster
Colin Clive3 films together, 1931 to 1942
Colin Clive's page
- The Ghost of Frankenstein1942IMDb rating 6.1Frye as Villager at Meeting / Grave Robber (flashback)Clive as Dr. Henry Frankenstein (flashback)
- The Bride of Frankenstein1935IMDb rating 7.8Frye as KarlClive as Henry Frankenstein
- Frankenstein1931IMDb rating 7.7Frye as FritzClive as Henry Frankenstein
James WhaleDirector, 3 films, 1931 to 1938
All films by James Whale
- Sinners in Paradise1938IMDb rating 5.7Frye as Marshall
- The Bride of Frankenstein1935IMDb rating 7.8Frye as Karl
- Frankenstein1931IMDb rating 7.7Frye as Fritz

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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