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Frank Fay

Personal Profile

Frank Fay
  • Birth Name:
    Francis Anthony Donner
  • Date of Birth:
    November 17, 1897
  • Zodiac Sign:
    Scorpio
  • Place of Birth:
    San Francisco, California
  • Place of Death:
    Santa Monica, California
  • Date of Death:
    September 25, 1961
  • Height:
    6' 1"
  • Sex:
    Male
  • Nationality:
    American

Family

Frank Fay
  • Spouse:
    Barbara Stanwyck , Frances White, Lee Buchanan

Career

Frank Fay

Trivia

Frank Fay
  • He was cast in a bit part as master of ceremonies in the night club sequence of the 1937 film Nothing Sacred.
  • He was more successful as a revue and night club comedian and Master of Ceremonies and appeared frequently on radio shows.
  • His Broadway talent and early success in talkies did not translate to the big screen when styles changed: whereas Stanwyck achieved Hollywood stardom fairly rapidly, Fay played in a series of films casting him as a debonair lover, irresistible to women.
  • Frank Fay quickly found himself associated with musical films and this led to a decline in his popularity when the public became sick of musicals late in 1930.
  • Fay was quickly signed up for an all-Technicolor musical comedy entitled Under A Texas Moon (1930) in which he also displayed his singing abilities.
  • Frank Fay became a popular film actor after starring in Warner's Brothers all-star revue The Show of Shows (1929).

Biography

Frank Fay
Last Updated: Friday, August 14, 2009

Frank Fay may refer to: Frank Fay (Irish actor), co-founder of the Abbey Theatre Frank Fay (American actor), known for playing Elwood P. Dowd in the play Harvey. Born Francis Anthony Donner in San Francisco, California to Irish Catholic parents.

He took the professional name of Frank Fay after concluding that his birth name was not suitable for the stage. He enjoyed considerable success as a variety artist starting around 1918, telling jokes and stories in a carefully planned "off the cuff" manner that was very original for the time. Jack Benny stated that he modeled his early stage character on Fay.

Fay projected supreme self-confidence, on stage and off. His displays of ego were notorious among entertainers. Fred Allen once quipped that Frank Fay was seen "in lovers' lane, holding his own hand." An often-quoted incident had Fay testifying in a court case and giving his occupation as "world's greatest comedian."

When asked afterward why he should say that, Fay shrugged and said, "I was sworn to tell the truth." A popular Broadway and Hollywood joke went: "Who has the biggest prick in show business?" Answer: "Mrs. Frank Fay."

Filmography

Frank Fay

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