Frank Stanmore

Frank Stanmore

Frank Stanmore (1877-1943)was a prolific comic actor of the silent movie era. He initially studied medicine at London’s Charing Cross Hospital, but soon opted for a career on the stage, changing his name from Francis Henry Pink to Frank Stanmore. He performed with Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree at His Majesty’s Theatre, London for ten years, playing mostly comedy parts and becoming famous for his portrayal of The Artful Dodger in “Oliver Twist”. In 1906 he was commanded to appear before the Kaiser of Germany in the title role of “Mr. Hopkinson” by R C Carton. He was presented to the Kaiser after the performance and decorated by him, a fact he played down after the outbreak of World War I. He joined The Original London Film Company in 1912 as principal comedian and played the comedy leads in all the W W Jacobs comedies. Other silent appearances included roles in “The Revenge of Mr. Thomas Atkins” (1914), “Love in a Wood” (1915) and “Strike Fever” (1920). He joined the Royal Flying Corps in 1917, and on being demobilized resumed his acting career. He made over one hundred silent movies in total, including spending three years playing opposite Betty Balfour in her “Squibs” series. He successfully transferred to the talkies, appearing in “Chamber of Horrors” (1929), “Let’s Love and Laugh” (1931) and “Don Quixote” (1933). His final movie appearance was in “No Parking” in 1938. In 1939 he established a repertory theatre in his home town of Gravesend, Kent, which ran successfully until it was forced to close at the outbreak of World War II. In his final years he combined his duties as a war time fire watcher with starring in variety shows at the town’s General Gordon Hotel. He was also a playwright, and was the author of “The New Girl” and co-author of “The Gay Deceivers”. (bio by: js)

Source: Find A Grave website http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=39787319 Accessed 1 April 2011

Filmography

http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/individual/17086 Accessed 1 April 2011

Films with Charles Ashton

Whelks, Everybody’s Chum, in Reveille (1924)

Mick (Betty Balfour) and soldier friends

Advertisement