Frank Marth (July 29, 1922 – January 12, 2014) was an American film and television actor. He may be best known as a cast-member of Cavalcade of Stars (1949; 1950–1957), especially segments of The Honeymooners, which later became a television series (1955–56).

Frank Marth
Marth in the Beverly Garland crime drama, Decoy (1958)
Born(1922-07-29)July 29, 1922
New York City, U.S.
DiedJanuary 12, 2014(2014-01-12) (aged 91)
OccupationActor
Years active1949–1987
Spouse
(m. 1967)

Early years

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Marth was born in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan to Mr. And Mrs. Frank Marth, Sr. He attended public schools graduating from Commerce High School. He initially worked in building construction, but after World War II he attended the Feagin School of Dramatic Art with plans to work in radio.[1]

Career

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Early in his career, Marth worked in radio, including being announcer, commentator, and disc jockey on WOV in New York City and WWDX-FM[1] and WPAT in New Jersey.[2]

On stage, Marth acted in productions of local and regional theaters, including the Greenwood Playhouse in Maine and the Willimantic Playhouse in Connecticut.[2]

Marth's big screen credits included roles in films such as Madame X (1966), Madigan (1968), Pendulum (1969), The Lost Man (1969), Marooned (1969) and Telefon (1977).

On television, Marth appeared in two episodes of Perry Mason, five episodes of The Big Valley, one episode of The Wild, Wild West and Mannix, five episodes of Hogan's Heroes, three episodes of Barnaby Jones, two episodes of Mission: Impossible, as well as on Hawaii Five-O, The Fugitive, Cannon, The Invaders, Gunsmoke,The F.B.I., The Streets of San Francisco, The Six Million Dollar Man, The New Adventures of Wonder Woman, Dallas and M*A*S*H. In 1970 Marth appeared as Rawlings in the western TV series The Virginian in the episode titled "The Gift." In 1976, he appeared in an episode of Sara and played the Commanding Officer of Ben Murphy's leading officer in the TV mini series version of The Dirty Dozen.[3] He also played Ben Fraser, Jr. in the NBC drama From These Roots (1958-1961)[3]: 369  and was a regular on Jackie Gleason and His American Scene Magazine and The Jackie Gleason Show.[3]: 521 

Tall and fair-haired, Marth, often in tandem with the short, dark-haired George O. Petrie, played various recurring and one-time roles on The Honeymooners; e.g., as one of the brutal hoods who hold the Kramdens and Ed Norton hostage after Ralph witnesses a bank robbery; as Harvey Walstatter, who hires Alice Kramden to babysit his son, Harvey, Jr.; and as the inquiring news photographer who lands Ralph Kramden in hot water after he quotes Kramden declaring that he is "head of the household". [citation needed]

Death

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Marth died of congestive heart failure and Alzheimer's disease on January 12, 2014, in Rancho Mirage, California, aged 91.[4]

Filmography (partial)

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Year Title Role Notes
1956 Fright George Morley
1961 Breakfast at Tiffany's Party Guest Uncredited
1963 Love with the Proper Stranger Carlos Uncredited
1966 Madame X Det. Combs
1968 Madigan Lt. James Price
1969 Pendulum Lt. Smithson
1969 The Lost Man Warren
1969 Marooned Air Force Systems Director
1977 Telefon Harley Sandburg
1994 Loving Deadly John (final film role)

Television (partial)

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  • 1955-1957 The Honeymooners

Season 3, Episode 7 "Operation Fly Trap" as a German Captain

Season 2, Episode 8 "The Great Brain Robbery" as Capt. Edward Prescott

Season 1, Episode 13 "Hogan's Hofbrau" as Capt. Milheiser

Season 2, Episode 19 "Praise the Fuhrer and Pass the Ammunition" as Colonel Deutsch

Season 4, Episode 30 "Run, Sheep, Run" as Lt. Vogler

Season 3, Episode 21 "War Takes A Holiday" as Inspector General Busse

Season 5, Episode 3 "The Klink Commandos" as Count von Waffenschmidt

Season 8, Episode 24 "The Gift" as Emmett Rawlings

Season 6, Episode 11 "Operation Tiger" as Capt. Steiger

Season 4, Episode 1 "Kelly's Song" as Captain Royce
Season 5, Episode 23 "Point After Death" as Eliott Strickland

Season 2, Episode 5 "Knockout" as Tall Man

Episode 20 "Greetings from Earth"

Season 3, Episode 18 "Road Games" as Jim Sullivan

References

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  1. ^ a b "Marth Joins WWDX Announcing Staff". The Herald-News. Passaic, New Jersey. January 21, 1948. p. 1. Retrieved April 16, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b "At Greenwood". Portland Press Herald. July 24, 1949. p. B9. Retrieved October 18, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b c Terrace, Vincent (January 10, 2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company. p. 264. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
  4. ^ Barnes, Mike (January 13, 2014). ""Honeymooners" Actor Frank Marth dies at 91". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
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