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Franklyn Farnum

Franklyn Farnum

42 movies on Netflix

Biography

Franklyn Farnum, born William Smith in Boston in 1878, worked as an American character actor and Hollywood extra and appeared in at least 1,100 films. He had Broadway credits in productions such as Somewhere Else, Ziegfeld Midnight Frolic, Ziegfeld 9 O'clock Frolic, and Keep It Clean. Westerns dominated his screen career, with credits in the serial Vanishing Trails (1920) and in features like The Clock (1917), The Firebrand (1922), The Drug Store Cowboy (1925), and The Gambling Fool (1925). After leaving films in 1925, he returned five years later when sound arrived, but found himself billed much lower in credits or not at all, and he continued taking small roles into the 1950s. Farnum appeared in eight Academy Award for Best Picture winners, among them Going My Way (1944), Gentleman's Agreement (1947), All About Eve (1950), The Apartment (1960), and Around the World in 80 Days (1956), a record he shared with Bess Flowers.

83years old at death

  • Born Boston
  • Died Woodland Hills
  • Star sign: GeminiThe sign runs May 21 to June 20

Movie Career

Films
42
Career span
24 years1936 to 1960

Genres

First and latest

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  1. A first

    Farnum appeared in eight Best Picture Academy Award winners, a record he holds with fellow character actress Bess Flowers. Those films include The Life of Emile Zola, Going My Way, The Lost Weekend and All About Eve.

  2. A change of course

    Farnum left films in 1925 and came back five years later when sound arrived. By then his name appeared much lower in the credits, or not at all.

Franklyn Farnum movies on Netflix

Best known for

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

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  1. Sunset Boulevard1950 Dramaas Undertaker

    IMDb rating 8.4264K votes

  2. The Narrow Margin1952 Crime, Drama, Film-Noiras Train Passenger

    IMDb rating 7.610K votes

  3. Gentleman's Agreement1947as Party Guest

    IMDb rating 7.219K votes

  4. White Christmas1954as Club Patron

    IMDb rating 7.657K votes

  5. Destination Moon1950as Factory Worker

    IMDb rating 6.35.3K votes

  6. Home Before Dark1958as New Year's Eve Party Reveller

    IMDb rating 7.11.4K votes

  7. The Strange Door1951

    IMDb rating 6.31.5K votes

  8. Hollywood or Bust1956as Audience Member

    IMDb rating 6.42.6K votes

Most often with

Otto Preminger directed two of these films, Richard Quine two and George Marshall two. Bess Flowers appears in seven 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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Bess Flowers, 7 films togetherSee the 7 films with Bess FlowersKenner G. Kemp, 6 films togetherSee the 6 films with Kenner G. KempSteve Carruthers, 5 films togetherSee the 5 films with Steve CarruthersKirk Douglas, 3 films togetherSee the 3 films with Kirk DouglasDean Martin, 3 films togetherSee the 3 films with Dean MartinJerry Lewis, 3 films togetherSee the 3 films with Jerry LewisOtto PremingerDirector, 2 filmsSee the 2 films by Otto PremingerRichard QuineDirector, 2 filmsSee the 2 films by Richard QuineGeorge MarshallDirector, 2 filmsSee the 2 films by George Marshall

Films together

  • Bess Flowers7 films together, 1948 to 1957
    Bess Flowers's page
    • Funny Face1957IMDb rating 7.0Farnum as Guest at Duval's Fashion ShowFlowers as Fashion Show Spectator
    • Chicago Syndicate1955IMDb rating 6.5Farnum as Nightclub PatronFlowers as Gambler
    • White Christmas1954IMDb rating 7.6Farnum as Club PatronFlowers as Club Patron
    • The Narrow Margin1952IMDb rating 7.6Farnum as Train PassengerFlowers as Wagon Restaurant Diner
    • The Second Woman1950IMDb rating 6.4Farnum as Country Club GuestFlowers as Fiesta Guest
    • My Friend Irma1949IMDb rating 6.4Farnum as Maitre D'Flowers as Gypsy Tea Room Diner
    • My Dear Secretary1948IMDb rating 5.6Farnum as Nightclub ExtraFlowers as Nightclub Patron
  • Kenner G. Kemp6 films together, 1938 to 1960
    Kenner G. Kemp's page
    • The Hypnotic Eye1960IMDb rating 5.8Farnum as Audience MemberKemp as Audience Member
    • Home Before Dark1958IMDb rating 7.1Farnum as New Year's Eve Party RevellerKemp as New Year's Eve Party Reveller
    • The Tunnel of Love1958IMDb rating 5.8Farnum as Party GuestKemp as Party Guest
    • Destination Moon1950IMDb rating 6.3Farnum as Factory WorkerKemp as Businessman at Meeting
    • Million Dollar Weekend1948IMDb rating 6.1Farnum as Plane PassengerKemp as Mourner at Funeral
    • Vivacious Lady1938IMDb rating 7.1Farnum as Train Conductor #2Kemp as Man in Train Corridor
  • Steve Carruthers5 films together, 1950 to 1958
    Steve Carruthers's page
    • The Tunnel of Love1958IMDb rating 5.8Farnum as Party GuestCarruthers as Party Guest
    • Chicago Syndicate1955IMDb rating 6.5Farnum as Nightclub PatronCarruthers as Gambler
    • The Stooge1951IMDb rating 6.7Farnum as Party Guest / Audience MemberCarruthers as Audience Member
    • Destination Moon1950IMDb rating 6.3Farnum as Factory WorkerCarruthers as Businessman at Meeting
    • Woman on the Run1950IMDb rating 7.2Farnum as CoronerCarruthers as Optometrist
  • Kirk Douglas3 films together, 1947 to 1949
    Kirk Douglas's page
    • A Letter to Three Wives1949IMDb rating 7.6Farnum as Country Club MemberDouglas as George Phipps
    • My Dear Secretary1948IMDb rating 5.6Farnum as Nightclub ExtraDouglas as Owen Waterbury
    • I Walk Alone1947IMDb rating 7.0Farnum as Nightclub PatronDouglas as Noll 'Dink' Turner
  • Dean Martin3 films together, 1949 to 1956
    Dean Martin's page
    • Hollywood or Bust1956IMDb rating 6.4Farnum as Audience MemberMartin as Steve Wiley
    • The Stooge1951IMDb rating 6.7Farnum as Party Guest / Audience MemberMartin as Bill Miller
    • My Friend Irma1949IMDb rating 6.4Farnum as Maitre D'Martin as Steve Laird
  • Jerry Lewis3 films together, 1949 to 1956
    Jerry Lewis's page
    • Hollywood or Bust1956IMDb rating 6.4Farnum as Audience MemberLewis as Malcolm Smith
    • The Stooge1951IMDb rating 6.7Farnum as Party Guest / Audience MemberLewis as Ted Rogers
    • My Friend Irma1949IMDb rating 6.4Farnum as Maitre D'Lewis as Seymour
  • Otto PremingerDirector, 2 films, 1945 to 1947
    All films by Otto Preminger
    • Daisy Kenyon1947IMDb rating 6.8Farnum as Man Leaving Courtroom
    • Fallen Angel1945IMDb rating 7.0Farnum as Man Leaving Drugstore
  • Richard QuineDirector, 2 films, 1955 to 1956
    All films by Richard Quine
  • George MarshallDirector, 2 films, 1949 to 1959
    All films by George Marshall
  • Also three films together6 more actors
    • Percy HeltonWhite Christmas (1954), The Stooge (1951) and My Friend Irma (1949)
    • Dennis O'KeefeChicago Syndicate (1955), Woman on the Run (1950) and Cover Up (1949)
    • Florence BatesThe Second Woman (1950), A Letter to Three Wives (1949) and My Dear Secretary (1948)
    • Hugh SandersChicago Syndicate (1955), The Steel Trap (1952) and Tomorrow Is Another Day (1951)
    • Art BakerCover Up (1949), Massacre River (1949) and Daisy Kenyon (1947)
    • Cosmo SardoThe Hypnotic Eye (1960), The Steel Trap (1952) and Destination Moon (1950)

    When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Box office

What Franklyn Farnum's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$45.1 million

9 of the 42 films have a worldwide figure.

Of the 42 films: 9 worldwide figure; 3 us gross only; 30 figure not found.

  • 9Worldwide figure
  • 3US gross only
  • 30Figure not found

Top grosser

Going My Way1944as Church Usher$16.3 million

Highest grossing

The eight biggest films earned 98% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

  1. 1
    Going My Way1944as Church Usher
    $16M36.1% of the total
  2. 2
    Gentleman's Agreement1947as Party Guest
    $7.8M17.3% of the total
  3. 3
    A Letter to Three Wives1949as Country Club Member
    $5.4M12.0% of the total
  4. 4
    Destination Moon1950as Factory Worker
    $5.0M11.1% of the total
  5. 5
    Sunset Boulevard1950as Undertaker
    $5.0M11.1% of the total
  6. 6
    My Sister Eileen1955as Pedestrian
    $1.8M4.0% of the total
  7. 7
    Fallen Angel1945as Man Leaving Drugstore
    $1.5M3.3% of the total
  8. 8
    Vivacious Lady1938as Train Conductor #2
    $1.2M2.7% of the total
White Christmas (1954), $1.1 million

$1.1 millionfrom the other 1 film with a worldwide figure, 2% of the total

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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