Frankie Darro
Frankie Darro | |
---|---|
Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
Died | December 25, 1976 | (aged 59)
Other names | Frankie Darrow |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1924–1976 |
Notable work | Voice of Romeo "Lampwick" in Disney's Pinocchio (1940) Eddie Smith in Wild Boys of the Road (1933) |
Frankie Darro (born Frank Johnson, Jr.; December 22, 1917 – December 25, 1976) was an American actor and later in his career a stuntman. He began his career as a
Early life
Frankie Darro was born on Saturday, December 22, 1917, in
In 1922, while the circus was in California, his parents divorced, and their circus act ended along with their marriage. The growing film industry, however, found a use for a small child who could do his own stunts, and the young Johnson, renamed "Frankie Darro", appeared in his first film at the age of six.
Acting career
As a child actor, he appeared in many
Darro was featured in
Darro's name grew in stature, but he himself didn't: he stood only 5'3", limiting his potential as a
The Frankie Darro series was so successful that Monogram used it as a haven for performers whose own series had been discontinued: Jackie Moran, Marcia Mae Jones, and Keye Luke joined Darro and Moreland in 1940, and Gale Storm was added in 1941.
Darro served in the
Later life
This section needs additional citations for verification. (June 2023) |
Darro's recurring malaria symptoms caused him to increase his alcohol intake for pain management, and this affected his career. As film and TV roles became fewer, Darro opened his own tavern, naming it "Try Later," after the response he most often received when he asked Central Casting for work. His new occupation proved unwise, however, given his heavy drinking. By the mid-1950s, he had become too risky for producers to hire steadily.
No longer starring in films, Darro accepted smaller roles and did stunt work for other actors in various films.
Darro is probably best known to modern audiences for two films in which he isn't even seen: Walt Disney's Pinocchio (1940, as the voice of Lampwick), and Forbidden Planet (1956, as one of the actor/operators inside the now iconic 7-foot-tall "Robby the Robot").[2] He was fired shortly after an early scene because of his having consumed a five-martini lunch prior to the scene being shot; he nearly fell over while attempting to walk while inside the expensive prop.[3][4]
Darro did continue to play small parts well into the 1960s, mostly on
(episodes 9 and 10). He also did voice-over work for various projects.Selected filmography
- Judgment of the Storm (1924) as Heath Twin (first role)
- Half-A-Dollar-Bill (1924) as Half-A-Dollar-Bill
- The Signal Tower (1924) as Sonny Taylor
- Racing for Life (1924) as Jimmy Danton
- Roaring Rails (1924) as Little Bill
- So Big (1924) as Dirk DeJong (child)
- Women and Gold (1925) as Dan Barclay Jr.
- The Fearless Lover (1925) as Frankie
- Her Husband's Secret (1925) as Young Elliot Owen
- Confessions of a Queen (1925) as Prince Zara
- Fighting the Flames (1925) as Mickey
- Let's Go, Gallagher (1925) as Little Joey
- Wandering Footsteps (1925) as Billy
- The Wyoming Wildcat (1925) as Barnie Finn
- The People vs. Nancy Preston (1925) as Bubsy
- The Phantom Express (1925) as 'Daddles' Lane, Nora's Brother
- The Midnight Flyer (1925) as Young Davey
- The Cowboy Musketeer (1925) as Billy Gordon
- Mike (1926) as Boy
- Born to Battle (1926) as Birdie
- The Thrill Hunter (1926) as Boy Prince
- Memory Lane (1926) as Urchin
- The Arizona Streak (1926) as Mike
- Kiki (1926) as Pierre
- Wild to Go (1926) as Frankie Blake
- The Masquerade Bandit (1926) as Tim Marble
- Hearts and Spangles (1926) as Bobby
- The Cowboy Cop (1926) as Frankie
- The Carnival Girl (1926) as Her Brother
- Tom and His Pals (1926) as Frankie Smith
- Out of the West (1926) as Frankie O'Connor
- Red Hot Hoofs (1926) as Frankie Buckley
- Flesh and the Devil (1926) as Boy Who Dances with Hertha (uncredited)
- Her Father Said No (1927) as Matt Doe
- Enemies of Society (1927) as Sandy Barry
- Long Pants (1927) as Young Harry Shelby (uncredited)
- Cyclone of the Range (1927) as Frankie Butler
- Tom's Gang (1927) as Spuds
- Lightning Lariats (1927) as King Alexis
- Judgment of the Hills (1927) as Tad Dennison
- The Flying U Ranch (1927) as Chip Jr.
- The Desert Pirate (1927) as Jimmy Rand
- Little Mickey Grogan (1927) as Mickey Grogan
- The Texas Tornado (1928) as Buddy Martin
- When the Law Rides (1928) as Frankie Ross
- Phantom of the Range (1928) as Spuds O'Brien
- Terror Mountain (1928) as Buddy Roberts
- The Circus Kid (1928) as Buddy
- The Avenging Rider (1928) as Frankie Sheridan
- Tyrant of Red Gulch (1928) as 'Tip'
- Trail of the Horse Thieves (1929) as Buddy
- Gun Law (1929) as Buster Brown
- Idaho Red (1929) as Tadpole
- The Rainbow Man (1929) as Billy Ryan
- The Pride of Pawnee (1929) as Jerry Wilson
- Blaze o'Glory(1929) as Jean Williams
- The Public Enemy (1931) as the young Matt Doyle (uncredited)
- The Vanishing Legion (1931, Serial) as Jimmie Williams
- The Sin of Madelon Claudet (1931) as Larry Claudet, as a Boy (uncredited)
- The Lightning Warrior (1931, Serial) as Jimmy Carter
- The Mad Genius (1931) as the young Fedor Ivanoff
- Way Back Home (1931) as Robbie
- The Cheyenne Cyclone (1931) as 'Orphan' McGuire
- Amateur Daddy (1932) as Pete Smith
- Three on a Match (1932) as Bobby
- The Devil Horse(1932, Serial) as Frankie Graham, The Wild Boy
- The Mayor of Hell (1933) as James 'Jimmy' Smith
- Laughing at Life (1933) as Chango
- Tugboat Annie (1933) as Alec, as a Child
- Wild Boys of the Road(1933) as Edward 'Eddie' Smith
- The Wolf Dog (1933, Serial) as Frank Courtney
- The Big Race (1934) as Knobby
- No Greater Glory(1934) as Feri Ats
- The Merry Frinks (1934) as Norman Frink
- Burn 'Em Up Barnes (1934, Serial) as Bobbie Riley
- Broadway Bill (1934) as Ted Williams
- Little Men (1934) as Dan
- Red Hot Tires (1935) as Johnny
- The Phantom Empire (1935, Serial) as Frankie Baxter
- The Unwelcome Stranger (1935) as Charlie Anderson
- Stranded (1935) as James 'Jimmy' Rivers
- Men of Action (1935) as Johnny Morgan
- Valley of Wanted Men (1935) as Slivers Sanderson
- Three Kids and a Queen (1935) as Blackie
- The Payoff (1935) as Jimmy Moore
- Black Gold (1936) as Clifford 'Fishtail' O'Reilly
- The Ex-Mrs. Bradford (1936) as Spike Salisbury (uncredited)
- Charlie Chan at the Race Track (1936) as 'Tip' Collins, Jockey
- Born to Fight (1936) as 'Babyface' Madison
- Racing Blood (1936) as Frankie Reynolds
- Mind Your Own Business (1936) as Bob
- Headline Crasher (1936) as Jimmy Tallant
- Robin Hood, Jr. (1936)
- The Devil Diamond (1937) as Lee aka Kid Harris
- Tough to Handle (1937) as Mike Sanford
- A Day at the Races (1937) as Morgan's Jockey (uncredited)
- Anything for a Thrill (1937) as Dan Mallory
- Saratoga (1937) as Dixie Gordon
- Thoroughbreds Don't Cry (1937) as 'Dink' Reid
- Young Dynamite (1937) as Freddie Shields
- Reformatory (1938) as Louie Miller
- The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok (1938, Serial) as Jerry, aka Little Brave Heart
- Juvenile Court (1938) as Stubby
- Wanted by the Police (1938) as Danny Murphy
- Tough Kid (1938) as 'Skipper' Murphy
- Boys' Reformatory(1939) as Tommy Ryan
- Irish Luck (1939) (1st film with Mantan Moreland) as Buzzy O'Brien
- Chasing Trouble (1940) (with Mantan Moreland) as Frankie "Cupid" O'Brien
- Pinocchio (1940) as Lampwick (voice, uncredited)
- On the Spot (1940) (with Mantan Moreland) as Frankie Kelly
- Laughing at Danger (1940) (with Mantan Moreland) as Frankie Kelly
- Up in the Air (1940) (with Mantan Moreland) as Frankie Ryan
- You're Out of Luck (1941) (with Mantan Moreland) as Frankie O'Reilly
- The Gang's All Here (1941) (with Mantan Moreland) as Frankie O'Malley
- Let's Go Collegiate (1941) (with Mantan Moreland) as Frankie Monahan
- Tuxedo Junction (1941) as Jack 'Sock' Anderson
- US Navy)
- Take It or Leave It (1944) as Radio Listener
- Junior Prom (1946) as Roy Donne (first after World War II and first of the TeenAgers series)
- Freddie Steps Out (1946) as Roy Donne
- Chick Carter, Detective (1946, Serial) as Thug (uncredited)
- High School Hero (1946) as Roy Donne
- Sarge Goes to College (1947) as Roy Donne
- That's My Man (1947) as Jockey
- Smart Politics(1948) as Roy Donne
- Angels' Alley (1948) as Jimmy
- Heart of Virginia (1948) as Jimmy Easter
- The Babe Ruth Story (1948) as Newsboy (uncredited)
- Trouble Makers (1948) as Ben Feathers
- Fighting Fools (1949) as Johnny Higgins (last leading role)
- Hold That Baby! (1949) as Bananas Stewart
- Sons of New Mexico (1949) as Gig Jackson
- Riding High (1950) as Jockey Williams
- The Next Voice You Hear... (1950) as Newsboy (uncredited)
- A Life of Her Own (1950) as Bellboy (uncredited)
- Wyoming Mail (1950) as Rufe
- The Red Skelton Show (1951, TV Series) as the Little Old Lady
- Pride of Maryland (1951) as Steve Loomis
- Across the Wide Missouri (1951) as Cadet (uncredited)
- Westward the Women (1951) as Jean's Awaiting Groom (uncredited)
- The Sellout (1952) as Little Jake (uncredited)
- Pat and Mike (1952) as Caddy (uncredited)
- Siren of Bagdad (1953) as Man in Camp after Raid (uncredited)
- Racing Blood (1954) as Ben, a Jockey
- The Lawless Rider (1954) as Jim Bascom
- Living It Up (1954) as Bellboy Captain (uncredited)
- Forbidden Planet (1956) as Robby the Robot (uncredited)
- The Ten Commandments (1956) as Slave (uncredited)
- The Perfect Furlough (1958) as Soldier in Hospital in Cast (uncredited)
- Operation Petticoat (1959) as Pharmacists Mate 3rd Class Dooley, USN
- The Untouchables (1960, TV Series) as News Vendor
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1960) (Season 5 Episode 31: "I Can Take Care of Myself") as Little Dandy Dorf
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1962) (Season 7 Episode 26: "Ten O'Clock Tiger") as Boots Murphy
- The Carpetbaggers (1964) as Bellhop (uncredited)
- The Disorderly Orderly (1964) as Board Member (uncredited)
- Batman (1966, TV Series) as Newsman
- Fugitive Lovers (1975) as Lester, the town drunk (final film role)
References
- ISBN 9781557835512. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
- ^ Weaver, Tom Robert Dix Interview Earth Vs. The Sci-Fi Filmmakers: 20 Interviews, p. 72, McFarland, July 30, 2005.
- ISBN 978-0-7864-4955-2.
- ISBN 978-0-7864-8215-3.
Further reading
- Gloske, John. Tough Kid: The Life and Films of Frankie Darro, Lulu, 2008, ISBN 978-0557003815.
- Twomey, Alfred E. and Arthur F. McClure. The Versatiles: A Study of Supporting Character Actors and Actresses in the American Motion Picture, 1930-1955, South Brunswick, New York, 1969.
- Katchmer, George A. A Biographical Dictionary of Silent Film Western Actors and Actresses, McFarland, 2002, pp. 85-86.
- Holmstrom, John. The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995, Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, pp. 87-88.
- Dye, David. Child and Youth Actors: Filmography of Their Entire Careers, 1914-1985. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 1988, pp. 50-51.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Frankie Darro at IMDb
- Frankie Darro - Biography on (re)Search my Trash
- Frankie Darro Homepage
- "Frankie Darro" in The New York Times
- Tough Kid: The Life and Films of Frankie Darro
- The Files of Jerry Blake