From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Franklin Pangborn (January 23, 1889 – July 20, 1958) was an American comedic character actor famous for playing small but memorable roles with comic flair. He appeared in scores of feature films playing essentially the same character: prissy, polite, elegant, highly energetic, often officious, fastidious, somewhat nervous, prone to becoming flustered but essentially upbeat, and with immediately recognizable high-speed, patter-type speech. He typically played an officious desk clerk in a hotel, a self-important musician, a fastidious headwaiter, an enthusiastic birdwatcher, and the like, and was usually put in a situation of frustration or flustered by the antics of others. Pangborn was an effective foil for many major comedians.

Filmography

• 1984Going Hollywood: The '30s — (archive footage)
• 1958The Unchained Goddess — the Cloud Painter (voice)
• 1957The Story of Mankind — Marquis de Varennes
• Hey Mulligan — Mr. Bean
• Revlon Mirror Theatre
• The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet — Mr. Canfield (uncredited)
• 1949Down Memory Lane — Gilbert Sinclair
• 1949My Dream Is Yours — Sourpuss Manager
• 1949The Eternal Melody — The Cat Lover
• 1948Romance on the High Seas — Rio Hotel Clerk
• 1947Calendar Girl — Dilly Dillingsworth
• 1947I'll Be Yours — Barber
• 1947The Sin of Harold Diddlebock — Formfit Franklin
• 1946Lover Come Back — Hotel desk clerk
• 1946Two Guys from Milwaukee — Theatre Manager
• 1945Hollywood Victory Caravan — Railroad Agent
• 1945Hollywood and Vine — Reggie
• 1945See My Lawyer — B.J. Wagonhorn
• 1945Tell It to a Star — Horace Lovelace
• 1945The Horn Blows at Midnight — Radio Engineer / Sloan
• 1945You Came Along — Hotel Clerk
• 1944Allergic to Love — Stewart Ives III
• 1944Hail the Conquering Hero — Reception Committee Chairman
• 1944My Best Gal — Mr. Porter
• 1944Reckless Age — Mr. Thurtle
• 1944The Great Moment — Dr. Heywood
• 1943Crazy House — Hotel Clerk
• 1943Holy Matrimony — Duncan Farll
• 1943Honeymoon Lodge — Cathcart
• 1943Never a Dull Moment — Sylvester
• 1943Reveille with Beverly — Vernon Lewis (uncredited)
• 1943Stage Door Canteen — Franklin Pangborn
• 1943Two Weeks to Live — Mr. Pinkney
• 1942Call Out the Marines — Wilbur
• 1942George Washington Slept Here — Mr. Gibney
• 1942Moonlight Masquerade — Fairchild
• 1942Now, Voyager — Mr. Thompson
• 1942Obliging Young Lady — Professor Gibney
• 1942Strictly in the Groove — Cathcart
• 1942The Palm Beach Story — Manager
• 1942What's Cookin'? — Professor Bistell
• 1941A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob — Pet Shop Owner
• 1941Bachelor Daddy — Williams
• 1941Mr. District Attorney in the Carter Case — Charley Towne
• 1941Never Give a Sucker an Even Break — The Producer
• 1941Sullivan's Travels — Mr. Casalsis
• 1941The Flame of New Orleans — Bellows
• 1941Tillie the Toiler — Perry Tweedale
• 1941Weekend for Three — Number Seven, Old Field Inn Waiter
• 1941Where Did You Get That Girl? — Digby
• 1940Christmas in July — Don Hartman - Radio Announcer
• 1940Hit Parade of 1941 — Carter
• 1940Public Deb No. 1 — Bartender
• 1940Spring Parade — Wiedlemeyer
• 1940The Bank Dick — J. Pinkerton Snoopington
• 1940The Villain Still Pursued Her — Bartender (uncredited)
• 1940Turnabout — Mr. Pingboom
• 1939Broadway Serenade — Gene, Collier's Composer
• 1939Fifth Avenue Girl — Higgins
• 1939Screen Snapshots Series 18, No. 8 — Franklin Pangborn
• 1938Always Goodbye — Bicycle Salesman
• 1938Bluebeard's 8th Wife — Assistant Hotel Manager
• 1938Carefree — Roland Hunter
• 1938Doctor Rhythm — Mr. Stenchfield (Store Clerk)
• 1938Four's a Crowd — Preston
• 1938Joy of Living — Orchestra Leader
• 1938Just Around the Corner — Waters
• 1938Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm — Hamilton Montmarcy
• 1938The Girl Downstairs — Adolf Pumpfel
• 1938Three Blind Mice — Clerk
• 1938Topper Takes a Trip — Louis - Hotel Manager
• 1938Vivacious Lady — Apartment Manager
• 1937A Star Is Born — Billy Moon (uncredited)
• 1937All Over Town — The Costumer
• 1937Bad Housekeeping — Piano Tuner
• 1937Danger – Love at Work — Train dining car headwaiter
• 1937Dangerous Holiday — Doffle
• 1937Dangerous Number — Hotel Desk Clerk
• 1937Easy Living — Van Buren
• 1937High Hat — Renaldo Breton
• 1937I'll Take Romance — Kane's Secretary
• 1937It Happened in Hollywood — Mr. Forsythe
• 1937It's All Yours — Schultz
• 1937Living on Love — Ogilvie O. Oglethorpe
• 1937Love on Toast — Finley
• 1937Rich Relations — Mr. Dwight
• 1937She Had to Eat — Mr. Phoecian-Wylie
• 1937She Married an Artist — Paul
• 1937She's Dangerous — Fashion Designer
• 1937Stage Door — Harcourt
• 1937Step Lively, Jeeves! — Head Waiter
• 1937Swing High, Swing Low — Henri
• 1937The Lady Escapes — Pierre
• 1937The Life of the Party — Beggs
• 1937Thrill of a Lifetime — Sam Williams
• 1937Turn Off the Moon — Mr. Perkins
• 1937We Have Our Moments — Joe (uncredited)
• 1937When Love Is Young — John Dorman
• 1936Don't Gamble with Love — Salesman
• 1936Doughnuts and Society — Benson
• 1936Give Us This Night — Forcellini's Secretary
• 1936Hats Off — Mr. Churchill
• 1936Mr. Deeds Goes to Town — The Tailor (uncredited)
• 1936My Man Godfrey — Guthrie (uncredited)
• 1936Swing Banditry — Radio Announcer (uncredited)
• 1936Tango — Oscar, the Photographer
• 1936The Luckiest Girl in the World — Cashier
• 1936The Mandarin Mystery — Mellish
• 1936Three Smart Girls — Jeweler
• 1936To Mary - with Love — Guest
• 1935$1,000 a Minute — Reville
• 1935Eight Bells — Finch
• 1935Hollywood Trouble — Tailor
• 1935She Couldn't Take It — Spot's Secretary
• 1935She Married Her Boss — Window Dresser (uncredited)
• 1935The Captain Hits the Ceiling — Jimmy Martin
• 1935The Headline Woman — Hamilton
• 1934Cockeyed Cavaliers — Town Crier
• 1934College Rhythm — Peabody
• 1934Flirtation — Veterinarian
• 1934Imitation of Life — Mr. Carven (uncredited)
• 1934King Kelly of the U.S.A. — J. Ashton Brockton
• 1934Manhattan Love Song — Garrett Wetherby
• 1934Many Happy Returns — Allen's Secretary
• 1934My Grandfather's Clock — Dr. Watkins
• 1934Strictly Dynamite — Mr. Bailey
• 1934That's Gratitude — Photographer
• 1934Tomorrow's Youth — Thornton
• 1934Unknown Blonde — Male Co-Respondent
• 1934Young and Beautiful — Radio Announcer
• 1933Art in the Raw
• 1933Bed of Roses — Floorwalker
• 1933Design for Living — Mr. Douglas
• 1933Divorce Sweets — Uncle Jeremiah
• 1933Dream Stuff — Gordon
• 1933Easy on the Eyes — Franklyn Pierce
• 1933Flying Down to Rio — Hammerstein (uncredited)
• 1933Headline Shooter — Adolphus G. Crocker
• 1933International House — Hotel Manager
• 1933Menu — John Xavier Omsk (uncredited)
• 1933Only Yesterday — Tom (Uncredited)
• 1933Parachute Jumper — Man in Private Office (uncredited)
• 1933Professional Sweetheart — Herbert
• 1933Sing, Bing, Sing — Herbert
• 1933Sweepings — Photographer (Uncredited)
• 1933The Important Witness — Groom
• 1933Torchy Turns Turtle — Office Manager
• 1933Torchy's Kitty Coup — Office Manager
• 1933Torchy's Loud Spooker — Office Manager
• 1933Trying Out Torchy — Office manager
• 1933Wild Poses — Otto Phocus
• 1932A Fool's Advice — Egbert - Hotel Clerk
• 1932Doctor's Orders
• 1932Jimmy's New Yacht — Everett
• 1932Lighthouse Love — Pvt. Jerry Stone
• 1932Over the Counter — Drake's Assistant
• 1932Tee for Two — Henry
• 1932The Candid Camera — Jack Townes
• 1932The Giddy Age — George
• 1932The Half-Naked Truth — Hotel Clerk
• 1932The Loud Mouth
• 1932Torchy Raises the Auntie — Office Manager
• 1932Torchy Rolls His Own — Office Manager
• 1932Torchy Turns the Trick — Office Manager
• 1932Torchy's Busy Day — Office Manager
• 1932Torchy's Night Cap — Office Manager
• 1932Torchy's Two Toots — Office Manager
• 1932What Price Taxi — Taxi Boy
• 1931A Woman of Experience — Hans
• 1931Blue of the Night — Gilbert Sinclair
• 1931Hollywood Halfbacks
• 1931Next Door Neighbors — Landlord
• 1931Torchy — Office Manager
• 1931Torchy Passes the Buck — Office Manager
• 1930A Lady Surrenders — Lawton
• 1930Breakfast in Bed — John
• 1930Cheer Up and Smile — Professor
• 1930Her Man — Sport
• 1930Not So Dumb — Leach
• 1930Poor Aubrey — Aubrey Piper
• 1930Reno or Bust
• 1930Sunny — Party Guest (uncredited)
• 1930The Chumps — Eddie Gray
• 1929Lady of the Pavements — M'sieu Dubrey, Dance Master
• 1929The Sap — Ed Mason
• 1928A Blonde for a Night — Hector
• 1928On Trial — Turnbull
• 1927Cradle Snatchers — Howard Drake
• 1927Finger Prints — The Bandoline Kid
• 1927Getting Gertie's Garter — Algy Brooks
• 1927My Friend from India — William / Tommy Valentine
• 1927The Girl in the Pullman — Hector Brooks
• 1927The Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary — Melville
• 1926Exit Smiling — Cecil Lovelace

Appearances as themselves (3)

• Tonight Starring Jack Paar — Self - Announcer
• This Is Your Life — Self
• The Colgate Comedy Hour — Self