Job Actor
Years active 1936-1978
Known for Average guys; Dobie's dad on TV's "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis"
Top Roles Sergeant on Parade, Keeney, Ernie Bishop, Tim, Parkway Biltmore Desk Clerk
Top GenresComedy, Drama, Romance, Crime, Musical, Action
Top TopicsBook-Based, Romance (Comic), World War II
Top Collaborators (Producer), (Producer), (Director),
Shares birthday with Lee J. Cobb, Sammy Davis Jr., Maximilian Schell  see more..

Frank Faylen Overview:

Character actor, Frank Faylen, was born Frank Ruf on Dec 8, 1905 in St. Louis, MO. Faylen died at the age of 79 on Aug 2, 1985 in Burbank, CA and was laid to rest in San Fernando Mission Cemetery in Mission Hills, Los Angeles County, CA.

MINI BIO:

Frank Faylen grew up in the theater, appearing in his parents' vaudeville act at only 18 months. He traveled with his showbiz parents throughout his childhood, then worked vaudeville as a comic pantomimist, clown, and later, song-and-dance man. He broke into films in the mid-1930s playing mostly uncredited and/or bit parts. Faylen's first 'big break' came in 1945 when he landed the role of male nurse 'Bim' in the film "The Lost Weekend". Other notable roles include cab driver 'Ernie Bishop' in Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946) -- and of course, his greatest claim-to-fame, Dobie's dad ('Herbert T. Gillis') on the TV sitcom "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" (1959-1963).

(Source: article by Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub).

HONORS and AWARDS:

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He was honored with one star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the category of Television.

BlogHub Articles:

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE BLOGATHON - A 75TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION: Ward Bond and as Bert the cop and Ernie the taxi driver

on Dec 11, 2021 From Caftan Woman

Ari, The Classic Movie Muse is hosting the It's a Wonderful Life Blogathon, A 75th Anniversary Celebration. Click HERE to access the tributes to Capra's Classic. Assuming you have lost count of the number of times you have watched the movie, spoilers abound.It's a Wonderful Life is a story of dreams... Read full article


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Frank Faylen Quotes:

Ernie Bishop: Just a minute! Quiet everybody! Quiet, quiet. Now get this, it's from London.
Ma Bailey: Oh!
Ernie Bishop: [Reading the telegram in his hand] Mr. Gower cabled you need cash, stop. My office instructed to advance you up to twenty-five thousand dollars, stop. Hee Haw and Merry Christmas! Sam Wainwright.


Violet Bick: Good afternoon, Mr. Bailey.
George Bailey: Hello, Violet. Hey, you look good, that's some dress you got on there.
Violet Bick: This old thing? Why, I only wear it when I don't care how I look.
Ernie Bishop: How would you like to take...
George Bailey: Yes?
Ernie Bishop: [to Bert] Want to come along, Bert? We'll show you the town.
Bert: No, thanks... I think I'll go home and see what the wife's doing.
Ernie Bishop: Family man.


[a group of soldiers in marching off to fight in World War II, singing Cohan's World War I song, "Over There"]
Sergeant on parade: What's the matter, old timer? Don't you remember this song?
George M. Cohan: Seems to me I do.
Sergeant on parade: Well, I don't hear anything.
[Cohan starts singing along, with tears coming into his eyes]


read more quotes from Frank Faylen...



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Frank Faylen on the
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Frank Faylen Facts
Former father-in-law of Regis Philbin.

Father of actress Carol Faylen and Catherine Faylen.

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