Post by Teleadm on Mar 9, 2024 23:07:27 GMT
He would have been forgotten just like hundreds or thousands of supporting actors of the 1930's unless he hadn't etched out a few memorable characters in a few horror movies, like Reinfield and Fritz in early sound Universal movies.
As a young Kansas boy he studied to have a career in music and maybe a concert pianist.
In the 1920's instead he made a career of playing odd characters in local theatres and often in comedies.
That would lead him to bigger cities, he got an offer from Tod Browning after seeing him in a comedy, to play a character in a horror movie that was planned... and the rest is history, and that would have been true if he was better remembered.
This year we celebrate his birthday 125 years ago.
Dwight Frye (1899-1943)
Every lover of old monster movies knows that name! What took him away from us at a relatively young age was another monster, called a heart-attack.
Acting in front of a camera, he did have a little exprerience in a least 4 movies in 1910th's
As a gangster named Monk on the left in The Doorway to Hell 1930, it starred a young yet unlknown James Cagney and and early sound star Lew Ayres. Non of them in pic above.
Before he was obsessed, Renfield in Dracula 1931
Beeng hand squeezed by Ricardo Cortez in early version of The Maltese Falcon 1931, in the same role as Elisha Cook Jr played in the 1941 version.
Famous role Fritz pesting the creation in Frankenstein 1931.
Another crazy man in The Vampire Bat 1933
As Karl in The Bride of Frankenstein 1935, there was actually a back story to this character that was never filmed.
With Erich von Stroheim in micro-budgeted The Crime of Doctor Crespi 1935
Scaring Rita Hayworth in The Shadow 1937
He did continue to act in many more forgotten movies, usually uncredited, and ironically two other Frankenstein movies.
Not sure but think he is the second from left, unbilled in Billy Wilder's Hangmen also Dies 1943.
First published in 1997
Thanks for watching!
Oppinions of all kinds are as always welcome!
A little odd object this time I agree
As a young Kansas boy he studied to have a career in music and maybe a concert pianist.
In the 1920's instead he made a career of playing odd characters in local theatres and often in comedies.
That would lead him to bigger cities, he got an offer from Tod Browning after seeing him in a comedy, to play a character in a horror movie that was planned... and the rest is history, and that would have been true if he was better remembered.
This year we celebrate his birthday 125 years ago.
Dwight Frye (1899-1943)
Every lover of old monster movies knows that name! What took him away from us at a relatively young age was another monster, called a heart-attack.
Acting in front of a camera, he did have a little exprerience in a least 4 movies in 1910th's
As a gangster named Monk on the left in The Doorway to Hell 1930, it starred a young yet unlknown James Cagney and and early sound star Lew Ayres. Non of them in pic above.
Before he was obsessed, Renfield in Dracula 1931
Beeng hand squeezed by Ricardo Cortez in early version of The Maltese Falcon 1931, in the same role as Elisha Cook Jr played in the 1941 version.
Famous role Fritz pesting the creation in Frankenstein 1931.
Another crazy man in The Vampire Bat 1933
As Karl in The Bride of Frankenstein 1935, there was actually a back story to this character that was never filmed.
With Erich von Stroheim in micro-budgeted The Crime of Doctor Crespi 1935
Scaring Rita Hayworth in The Shadow 1937
He did continue to act in many more forgotten movies, usually uncredited, and ironically two other Frankenstein movies.
Not sure but think he is the second from left, unbilled in Billy Wilder's Hangmen also Dies 1943.
First published in 1997
Thanks for watching!
Oppinions of all kinds are as always welcome!
A little odd object this time I agree