We use cookies to personalize your experience and analyze traffic. You can opt out at any time.
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.
Franklin Pangborn was a prominent American character actor active from the 1920s to the 1950s, widely recognized for his recurring persona as an officious, high-strung, and fastidious professional in studio-era comedies.
He is celebrated for his memorable roles as a flustered hotel clerk, headwaiter, or manager in films such as Sullivan's Travels, The Bank Dick, and The Palm Beach Story.
He was a staple of Preston Sturges's repertory company and frequently collaborated with comedian W.C. Fields, often serving as an effective foil to their frantic comic energy.