Don Harvey Francks (February 28, 1932 – April 3, 2016), also known by his

stage name A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...

Iron Buffalo, was a Canadian actor, musician and singer.

Career

Don Harvey Francks was born on February 28, 1932, and was adopted shortly after his birth. His mother worked at a music store and his father was an electrician. As a child, he performed on Vancouver radio doing imitations of singers. After dropping out of high school at age 15, he worked in several jobs. In 1955, he won a recurring role on the CBC-TV program '' Burns Chuckwagon from the Stampede Corral''. After guest appearances on television shows during the late 1950s, he received his first lead role in the 1959–60 CBC-TV program '' R.C.M.P.'', playing Constable Bill Mitchell. During the 1960s, he had roles on the US television programs '' Mission: Impossible'', ''

Jericho Jericho ( ; ar, أريحا ; he, יְרִיחוֹ ) is a Palestinian city in the West Bank. It is located in the Jordan Valley, with the Jordan River to the east and Jerusalem to the west. It is the administrative seat of the Jericho Gove ...

'', ''

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' is an American spy fiction television series produced by MGM Television, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television and first broadcast on NBC. The series follows secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who wo ...

'', ''

The Wild Wild West ''The Wild Wild West'' is an American Western, espionage, and science fiction television series that ran on the CBS television network for four seasons from September 17, 1965, to April 11, 1969. Two satirical comedy television film sequels w ...

'', and '' Mannix''. His most famous film part was in Francis Ford Coppola's adaptation of '' Finian's Rainbow''. He acted on Broadway in ''

On a Clear Day You Can See Forever ''On a Clear Day You Can See Forever'' is a musical with music by Burton Lane and a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner based loosely on ''Berkeley Square'', written in 1926 by John L. Balderston. It concerns a woman who has ESP and has been re ...

'' and ''

Kelly Kelly may refer to: Art and entertainment * Kelly (Kelly Price album) * Kelly (Andrea Faustini album) * ''Kelly'' (musical), a 1965 musical by Mark Charlap * "Kelly" (song), a 2018 single by Kelly Rowland * ''Kelly'' (film), a 1981 Canadi ...

''. In 1969, he rejected an offer to work with Katharine Hepburn in '' Coco'', her only stage musical. In 1962, Francks led Three, an avant-garde jazz trio with

Lenny Breau Leonard Harold Breau (August 5, 1941 – August 12, 1984) was an American-Canadian guitarist. He blended many styles of music, including jazz, country, classical, and flamenco. Inspired by country guitarists like Chet Atkins, Breau used finger ...

on guitar and Eon Henstridge on double bass. The band performed regularly in Toronto and New York City and appeared in the

National Film Board The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary fi ...

documentary ''Toronto Jazz''. In 1963, Franks released ''No One in This World Is Like Don Francks'', his first solo album, recorded at the Village Vanguard in New York City. The title of the album derived from a remark made by

Jackie Gleason John Herbert Gleason (February 26, 1916June 24, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, writer, composer, and conductor known affectionately as "The Great One." Developing a style and characters from growing up in Brooklyn, New York, he was know ...

when the trio performed on the April 23, 1963 ''

The Jackie Gleason Show ''The Jackie Gleason Show'' is the name of a series of American network television shows that starred Jackie Gleason, which ran from 1952 to 1970, in various forms. ''Cavalcade of Stars'' Gleason's first variety series, which aired on the DuMon ...

'' playing "

Bye Bye Blackbird "Bye Bye Blackbird" is a song published in 1926 by Jerome H. Remick and written by composer Ray Henderson and lyricist Mort Dixon. It is considered a popular standard and was first recorded by Sam Lanin's Dance Orchestra in March 1926. Song ...

". Two years later, he recorded his second album, ''Lost... and Alone'', with orchestral arrangements by Patrick Williams. He recorded his final album, ''21st Century Francks'', in 2002 at the

Top o' the Senator The Top o' the Senator was a jazz club located at 251 Victoria Street in Toronto, Ontario. Operating between 1990 and 2005, it was one of Toronto's preeminent jazz clubs and featured many internationally renowned musicians. History The Top o' the ...

in Toronto. The album was released in 2014.

Personal life

An avid motorcycle rider, he had a collection of twelve antique cars, mostly Model-T Ford racing cars from 1912 to 1927. He was a poet, native nations champion, author, and peace activist. He supported

Greenpeace Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by Irving Stowe and Dorothy Stowe, immigrant environmental activists from the United States. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth t ...

and the

Tibetan independence movement The Tibetan Independence Movement () is the political movement advocating for the separation and independence of Tibet from the People's Republic of China. It is principally led by the Tibetan diaspora in countries like India and the United St ...

. After quitting alcohol at the age of 21, Francks smoked marijuana, performing a song called "Smoking Reefers". As a spokesman for ''

Other Voices (Canadian TV series) ''Other Voices'' is a Canadian current affairs television series which aired on CBC Television from 1964 to 1965. Premise Don Francks hosted this series which sought to feature groups who did not usually receive significant television coverage ...

'' in mid-1960s, he investigated a boy's murder at Red Pheasant First Nation in Saskatchewan. Later in life, Francks had a son, Bentley Clay Francks-Slaughter, who died in a house fire late in 2008. Francks died in Toronto on April 3, 2016, of cancer.

Music

Francks composed songs and played trombone, drums, and flute. He performed in jazz clubs such as

George's Spaghetti House George's Spaghetti House was a jazz club located at 290 Dundas Street East in Toronto. History In 1956 entrepreneur Doug Cole (1925–2012) bought the restaurant, keeping the existing name. Cole began to feature jazz at the restaurant on weekend ...

in Toronto and the

Village Vanguard The Village Vanguard is a jazz club at Seventh Avenue South in Greenwich Village, New York City. The club was opened on February 22, 1935, by Max Gordon. Originally, the club presented folk music and beat poetry, but it became primarily a jazz ...

in New York City, where he recorded the album ''Jackie Gleason Says No One in This World Is Like Don Francks'' ( Kapp, 1963). In New York City he recorded ''Lost...and Alone'' (Kapp, 1965). In August 1962 his

avant-garde jazz Avant-garde jazz (also known as avant-jazz and experimental jazz) is a style of music and improvisation that combines avant-garde art music and composition with jazz. It originated in the early 1950s and developed through to the late 1960s. Orig ...

group Three debuted unrehearsed at the Purple Onion coffeehouse in Toronto, Canada. Francks,

, and Eon Henstridge were joined on stage by tap dancer Joey Hollingsworth. The evening was recorded live by Breau's manager, George B. Sukornyk, but wasn't released until 2004 under the name '' At the Purple Onion'' (Art of Life, 2004). A

documentary called ''Toronto Jazz'' included rehearsals and performances by Three and two other groups. Francks and Breau briefly reprised Three in early 1968 in Toronto with bassist Dave Young in place of Eon Henstridge, who had died the year before. In 1999, Francks appeared in the documentary ''The Genius of Lenny Breau''.

Acting

Francks' acting career began with

CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French-l ...

as a regular on ''Burns Chuckwagon from the Stampede Corral'' (1955–55) and ''Riding High'' (1955), then in the drama ''The Fast Ones'' (1959). In 1957 he had a part in the US series ''

The Adventures of Tugboat Annie ''The Adventures of Tugboat Annie'' is a 1957 Canadian-filmed comedy television series starring Minerva Urecal as Annie Brennan, the widowed captain of the tugboat "Narcissus," and Walter Sande as Horatio J. Bullwinkle, the captain of the "Salaman ...

'' (actually filmed in Toronto, Ontario), then back to Canada in 1958 for ''Cannonball'' and ''Long Shot'' (1959). In 1959–60 he starred in the CBC-TV series ''R.C.M.P.'', playing Constable Bill Mitchell. In 1968 he co-starred with

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer. He is often called the greatest dancer in Hollywood film history. Astaire's career in stage, film, and tele ...

and

Petula Clark Petula Sally Olwen Clark, CBE (born 15 November 1932) is an English singer, actress, and composer. She has one of the longest serving careers of a British singer, spanning more than seven decades. Clark's professional career began during the ...

in the film version of ''Finian's Rainbow''. '' This Land'' (1970–86) was a CBC-TV documentary series on Canadian nature, wildlife, natural resources, and life in remote communities. Francks was the narrator. He portrayed writer

Grey Owl Archibald Stansfeld Belaney (; September 18, 1888 – April 13, 1938), commonly known as Grey Owl, was a British-born conservationist, fur trapper, and writer who disguised himself as a Native American man. While he achieved fame as a co ...

, returning fifty years after his death to be disturbed by the ecological deterioration (Episode "Land of Shadows", first aired 2 August 1983). From 1997 to 2001, he played "Walter" in ''

La Femme Nikita (TV series) ''La Femme Nikita'' (, literally "The Woman Nikita"; called ''Nikita'' in Canada) is a Canadian action-drama television series based on the French film ''Nikita'' by Luc Besson. The series was co-produced by Jay Firestone of Fireworks Entertainme ...

''. Early television credits include: '' Mission: Impossible'', ''

Wild Wild West ''Wild Wild West'' is a 1999 American steampunk Western film co-produced and directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and written by S. S. Wilson and Brent Maddock alongside Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman, from a story penned by brothers Jim and John ...

'', and several other episodic television appearances. In the 2015 six-part series ''

Gangland Undercover ''Gangland Undercover'' is a Canadian-American factual based drama television series written and created by Executive Producer Stephen Kemp and co-writer Noel Baker. It was inspired by the story of Charles Falco a former ATF confidential informa ...

'' on the History Channel, he played "Lizard". His film work includes '' The Big Town'', '' My Bloody Valentine'' and ''

Johnny Mnemonic "Johnny Mnemonic" is a science fiction short story by American-Canadian writer William Gibson. It first appeared in '' Omni'' magazine in May 1981, and was subsequently included in ''Burning Chrome'', a 1986 collection of Gibson's short fiction. ...

''. On February 16, 1964, he appeared on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

in the title role of the musical ''

'', as a daredevil planning to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge. The show was the first on Broadway in a generation to close on opening night.

Voices

Francks played Archie Goodwin with

Mavor Moore James Mavor Moore (March 8, 1919 – December 18, 2006) was a Canadian writer, producer, actor, public servant, critic, and educator. He notably appeared as Nero Wolfe in the CBC radio production in 1982. Life and work Moore was born in Tor ...

as Nero Wolfe for a 1982 series on Canadian radio. He provided the voice of "Skunk" in

Gene Simmons Gene Simmons (born Chaim Witz; he, חיים ויץ, ; born August 25, 1949) is an Israeli-American musician. Also known by his stage persona The Demon, he is the bassist and co-lead singer of Kiss, the hard rock band he co-founded with Paul ...

' animated television show, ''

My Dad the Rock Star ''My Dad the Rock Star'' is a traditionally-animated television series created by KISS bassist Gene Simmons, co-produced by Nelvana and Carrere Group for France's M6 and Canada's Teletoon. The series aired on Nickelodeon and Kids WB! in the U.S ...

''. According to differing sources, either Francks or

Gabriel Dell Gabriel Dell (born Gabriel Marcel Dell Vecchio; October 8, 1919 – July 3, 1988) was an American actor and one of the members of what came to be known as the Dead End Kids, then later the East Side Kids and finally The Bowery Boys. Acting car ...

was the uncredited actor providing the voice of

Boba Fett Boba Fett ( ) is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. First appearing in the ''Star Wars Holiday Special'' (1978), where he was voiced by Don Francks, he is an armored bounty hunter featured in both the original and prequel fi ...

, a

Mandalorian Mandalorians are fictional people associated with the planet Mandalore in the ''Star Wars'' universe and franchise created by George Lucas. Their most distinct cultural features are their battle helmets, chest armor, wrist gauntlets, and often ...

bounty hunter, in the ''

Star Wars Holiday Special The ''Star Wars Holiday Special'' is a 1978 American television special that originally aired on November 17, 1978, on CBS. It is set in the universe of the sci-fi-based ''Star Wars'' media franchise. Directed by Steve Binder, it was the first ...

''. Francks, credited, voiced the role of Boba Fett in an episode of '' Star Wars: Droids''. He voiced several characters in ''

Inspector Gadget ''Inspector Gadget'' is a media franchise that began in 1983 with the DIC Entertainment animated television series '' Inspector Gadget''. Since the original series, there have been many spin-offs based on the show, including additional animated ...

'', along with his daughter, Cree Summer, who voiced Penny during the first season of the show. He provided the voice for Mok Swagger in the 1983 Canadian animated film ''

Rock and Rule Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

'', and the voice of Sabretooth on ''

X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...

''. He also voiced both Thomas "House" Conklin & Sergeant Carl Proctor on the 1988 ''

Police Academy A police academy, also known as a law enforcement training center, police college, or police university, is a training school for police cadets, designed to prepare them for the law enforcement agency they will be joining upon graduation, or othe ...

'' animated series.

Selected filmography

Film

Television

Videogames

* ''Ivy League Killers'' (1959) .... Andy * '' R.C.M.P.'' (1959–1960, TV Series) .... Constable Bill Mitchell * ''

Drylanders ''Drylanders'' is a 1962 Canadian western (genre), Western film directed by Don Haldane and Written by M. Charles Cohen and starring Frances Hyland and James B. Douglas. It was the National Film Board of Canada's first English-language feature fi ...

'' (1963) .... Russel * '' The Forest Rangers'' (1963, TV Series) .... Sanders, Jack Brass' Friend * ''

Ben Casey ''Ben Casey'' is an American medical drama series that aired on ABC from 1961 to 1966. The show was known for its opening titles, which consisted of a hand drawing the symbols "♂, ♀, ✳, †, ∞" on a chalkboard, as cast member Sam Jaff ...

'' (1965, TV Series) .... Alan Ames * ''

High Steel ''High Steel'' is a 1965 short National Film Board of Canada documentary film directed by Don Owen about Mohawk Ironworkers from Kahnawake building New York City skycrapers. Synopsis Featuring breathtaking sequences of workers walking along na ...

'' (1966) .... Narrator * ''

'' (1966, TV Series) .... T. Wiggett Jones * ''

'' (1966, TV Series) .... Artie King * '' Jericho (1966 TV series)'' (1966-1967, TV Series) .... Captain Franklin Sheppard * '' Finian's Rainbow'' (1968) .... Woody Mahoney * ''

The Merv Griffin Show ''The Merv Griffin Show'' is an American television talk show starring Merv Griffin. The series ran from October 1, 1962 to March 29, 1963 on NBC, May 10, 1965 to July 4, 1969 in first-run syndication, from August 18, 1969 to February 11, 1972 ...

'' (1968, TV Series) .... Himself * '' The Virginian'' (1969, TV Series) .... Caleb and Jack Welles * '' Mission: Impossible'' (1968-1969, TV Series) .... Major Alex Denesch / Nicholas Groat * '' Mannix'' (1969, TV Series) .... Greg Martel * '' Lancer'' (1969, TV Series) .... Noah Fletcher * ''

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood ''Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'' (sometimes shortened to ''Mister Rogers'') is an American half-hour educational children's television series that ran from 1968 to 2001, and was created and hosted by Fred Rogers. The series ''Misterogers'' debut ...

'' (1968–1970, TV Series) .... Mr. Anybody * '' McCabe & Mrs. Miller'' (1971) .... Buffalo * ''

Drying Up the Streets ''Drying Up the Streets'' is a 1978 Canadian feature from Robin Spry produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Synopsis This film was originally planned as a one-hour drama for the CBC's '' For the Record'', series but was expanded into ...

'' (1978) .... Peter Brennan * ''

The Great Detective ''The Great Detective'' is a Canadian television drama, which aired on CBC from 1979 to 1982. It starred Douglas Campbell and James Dugan. Background ''The Great Detective'' was inspired by the exploits of John Wilson Murray, Canada's first ...

'' (1979, TV Series) * ''

Fast Company ''Fast Company'' is a monthly American business magazine published in print and online that focuses on technology, business, and design. It publishes six print issues per year. History ''Fast Company'' was launched in November 1995 by Alan Web ...

'' (1979) .... Elder * ''

Riel Riel may refer to: Places * Riel, Netherlands, a town in the Netherlands *Riel (electoral district), a provincial electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, named after Louis Riel * Riel, Winnipeg, a community committee comprising three city wards Pe ...

'' (1979, TV Movie) .... Ouilette * ''

Fish Hawk Fish Hawk may refer to: * Fish hawk, an alternative name for the osprey * ''Fish Hawk (film) ''Fish Hawk'' is a 1979 Canadian drama film directed by Donald Shebib. The screenplay was written by Blanche Hanalis, based on the novel ''Old Fish Hawk' ...

'' (1979) .... Deut Boggs * '' Summer's Children'' (1979) .... Albert * ''

The Phoenix Team ''The Phoenix Team'' was a Canadian television drama series which aired on CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, t ...

'' (1980, Series) .... David Brook * '' My Bloody Valentine'' (1981) .... Chief Jake Newby * '' This Land'' (1978–1982, TV Series) .... Host * ''

'' (1983, TV Series) .... Big M.A.D Agent / M.A.D Agent / Dr. Claw (voice) * ''

Countdown to Looking Glass ''Countdown to Looking Glass'' is a Canadian made-for-television movie that premiered in the United States on HBO on October 14, 1984 and was also broadcast on CTV in Canada. The movie presents a fictional confrontation between the United States ...

'' (1984, TV Movie) .... Don Geller * ''

The Littlest Hobo ''The Littlest Hobo'' is a Canadian television series (French title: ''Le Vagabond'') based upon a 1958 well-known film of the same name directed by Charles R. Rondeau. The series first aired from 1963 to 1965 in syndication, and was revived fo ...

'' (1984, TV Series) .... Reverend Dobson * '' Seeing Things'' (1984-1985, TV Series) .... Guy / Sunshine * ''

Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors ''Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors'' (French: ''Jayce et les Conquérants de la Lumière'') is an animated TV show which was first broadcast on TF1 on September 9, 1985 on the block ''Salut les p'tits loups !'', and eventually on September 16 in ...

'' (1985, TV Series) .... Noak (voice) * ''Terminal Choice'' (1985) .... Chauncy Rand * ''

Danger Bay ''Danger Bay'' is a Canadian television series, produced in Vancouver, with first-run episodes broadcast on CBC Television in Canada and The Disney Channel in the United States premiering October 8, 1984. Reruns of the show continued on The Disn ...

'' (1986, TV Series) .... Commentator * ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was ren ...

'' (1987, TV Series) .... Sgt. Jim Willis * '' The Big Town'' (1987) .... Carl Hooker * ''

My Pet Monster My Pet Monster is a character that began as a plush doll first produced by American Greetings in 1986. It has horns, blue fur, and a fanged smile, wearing breakaway orange plastic handcuffs. The property was sold to Saban Brands in 2012. Then in ...

'' (1987, TV Series) .... (voice) * ''

Madballs ''Madballs'' is a series of toy foam balls originally created by AmToy, a subsidiary company of American Greetings (Now Cloudco Entertainment) in the mid-1980s, later being revived by Art Asylum (2007–2008) and Just Play, Inc. (2017–2019). ...

'' (1987, TV Series) .... Commander Wolf Breath (voice) * '' Starcom: The U.S. Space Force'' (1987, TV Series) .... Adm. Franklin Brinkley (Starcom Commander) (voice) * '' Street Legal'' (1987, TV Series) .... Mel * ''Oklahoma Smugglers'' (1987) .... George Taip * ''

AlfTales ''ALF: The Animated Series'' (also known as ''ALF on Melmac'') is a 30-minute Saturday morning animated series that aired on NBC for 26 episodes from September 26, 1987, to January 7, 1989. ''ALF: The Animated Series'' was a prequel and animate ...

'' (1988, TV Series) .... (voice) * ''

Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future ''Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future'' is a science fiction-action television series, merging live action with animation based on computer-generated images, that ran for 22 episodes in Canadian and American syndication. A toy line was ...

'' (1987-1988, TV Series) .... Lacchi (voice) * ''

Garbage Pail Kids ''Garbage Pail Kids'' is a series of sticker trading cards produced by the Topps Company, originally released in 1985 and designed to parody the ''Cabbage Patch Kids'' dolls, which were popular at the time. Each sticker card features a Garbage P ...

'' (1988, TV Series) .... (voice) * ''

Care Bears Nutcracker Suite ''Care Bears Nutcracker Suite'' is an animated television film featuring the Care Bears characters. Produced by the Canadian animation studio Nelvana in 1988, it is loosely based on the 1892 ''Nutcracker'' ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (ad ...

'' (1988) .... The Vizier (voice) * '' The Christmas Wife'' (1988, TV Movie) .... Social Arranger * ''

The Care Bears Care Bears are multi-colored bears, originally painted in 1981 by artist Elena Kucharik to be used on greeting cards from American Greetings. In 1983, the characters were turned into plush teddy bears. The characters headlined their own televisi ...

'' (1986-1988, TV Series) .... (voice) * '' ALF: The Animated Series'' (1987-1989, TV Series) .... (voice) * ''

'' (1988-1989, TV Series) .... Proctor / Thomas "House" Conklin (voice) * ''

Babar Babar ( ur, ), also variously spelled as Baber, Babur, and Babor is a male given name of Pashto, and Persian language, Persian origin, and a popular male given name in Pakistan. It is generally taken in reference to the Persian language, Persian ...

'' (1989, TV Series) .... (voice) * ''

Beetlejuice ''Beetlejuice'' is a 1988 American fantasy horror comedy film directed by Tim Burton, written by Michael McDowell, Larry Wilson, and Warren Skaaren, produced by The Geffen Company, distributed by Warner Bros., and starring Alec Baldwin, ...

'' (1989) .... Count Mein / Mr. Big (voice) * ''

Piggsburg Pigs ''Piggsburg Pigs!'' is a Fox Kids animated comedy series from Ruby-Spears Productions, which originally aired in 1990. Ownership of the series passed to Disney in 2001 when Disney acquired Fox Kids Worldwide. The series is not available on Disn ...

'' (1990, TV Series) .... (voice) * ''

Top Cops ''Top Cops'' is a documentary program broadcast in the United States on the CBS television network from 1990 to 1993. Reruns aired on the USA Network in 1996. Each episode of ''Top Cops'' consisted of two to three segments featuring commende ...

'' (1991, TV Series) .... Dakota * ''

Swamp Thing The Swamp Thing is a superhero in American comic books published by DC Comics. A humanoid/plant elemental List of swamp monsters, creature, created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, the Swamp Thing has had several humanoid or mo ...

'' (1991) ....

Anton Arcane Anton Arcane is a supervillain appearing in American comic books by DC Comics. the character first appeared in ''Swamp Thing'' #2 (January 1973), and was created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson. He is the archenemy of the Swamp Thin ...

(voice) * '' Rupert'' (1991, TV Series) .... (voice) * '' Married to It'' (1991) .... Sol Chamberlain * ''

Dog City ''Dog City'' is an animated television series that was produced by Nelvana Limited and Jim Henson Productions in association with Channel 4, Global Television Network, FORTA and Canal+ Spain and aired on Fox Kids from September 26, 1992, to Nov ...

'' (1992, TV Series) .... the Dog City Residents (voice) * ''

The Adventures of Tintin ''The Adventures of Tintin'' (french: Les Aventures de Tintin ) is a series of 24 bande dessinée#Formats, ''bande dessinée'' albums created by Belgians, Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi, who wrote under the pen name Hergé. The series was one ...

'' (1992, TV Series) .... Captain Francis Haddock (voice) * ''

Quiet Killer ''Quiet Killer'' is a 1992 American made-for-television medical disaster film directed by Sheldon Larry. The thriller, based on the 1977 novel ''The Black Death'' by Gwyneth Cravens and John S. Marr E.N.G. ''E.N.G.'' is a Canadian television drama, following the staff of a fictional Toronto television news station. The show aired on CTV from 1989 to 1994. The series ran for 96 episodes, produced by the Alliance Entertainment Corporation. Plot ...

'' (1992, TV Series) .... Pointer * ''

The Diviners ''The Diviners'' is a novel by Margaret Laurence. Published by McClelland & Stewart in 1974, it was Laurence's final novel, and is considered one of the classics of Canadian literature. The novel won the Governor General's Award for English-la ...

'' (1993, TV Movie) .... Royland * ''

The Busy World of Richard Scarry ''The Busy World of Richard Scarry'' is an animated children's television series, produced by CINAR Animation and France Animation in association with Paramount Television, which aired from 1994 to 1997, first on Showtime (TV network), Showtime ...

'' (1993, TV Series) .... (voice) * '' Cadillacs and Dinosaurs'' (1993-1994, TV Series) .... Girth / Hobbs * ''Paint Cans'' (1994) .... Maitland Burns * ''

Tales from the Cryptkeeper ''Tales from the Cryptkeeper'' is an animated horror children's television series made by Canadian studio Nelvana. The series was broadcast on YTV in Canada and on ABC in the United States, and on ITV in the United Kingdom. It was based on ...

'' (1993-1994, TV Series) .... The Hunter / The Exterminator / Red Beard (voice) * '' Hello Kitty and Friends'' (1994, TV Series) .... (voice) * ''

Side Effects In medicine, a side effect is an effect, whether therapeutic or adverse, that is secondary to the one intended; although the term is predominantly employed to describe adverse effects, it can also apply to beneficial, but unintended, consequence ...

'' (1994, TV Series) .... Mr. Harrison * ''

Free Willy ''Free Willy'' is a 1993 American family drama film, directed by Simon Wincer, produced by Lauren Shuler Donner and Jennie Lew Tugend, written by Keith A. Walker and Corey Blechman from a story by Walker and distributed by Warner Bros. Picture ...

'' (1994, TV Series) .... (voice) * '' WildC.A.T.S.'' (1994, TV Series) .... (voice) * '' Kung Fu: The Legend Continues'' (1994, TV Series) .... Stranger * '' Highlander: The Animated Series'' (1994, TV Series) .... (voice) * ''

Ultraforce The Ultraforce is a fictional superhero group that appears in American comic books published by Malibu, and later Marvel. The purpose of the group was to protect the public and keep other "Ultras" (superheroes) from becoming unruly. The group con ...

'' (1995, TV Series) .... (voice) * '' Little Bear'' (1995, TV Series) .... (voice) * ''

A Vow to Kill ''A Vow to Kill'' is a 1995 made for TV movie directed by Harry Longstreet, starring Richard Grieco and Julianne Phillips, and first televised on February 1, 1995. Others in the cast include Peter MacNeill, Tom Cavanagh, Nicole Oliver and Lar ...

'' (1995, TV Movie) .... Smithford * ''

'' (1995) .... Hooky * '' First Degree'' (1995) .... Lou Matlin * ''

The Neverending Story ''The Neverending Story'' (german: Die unendliche Geschichte) is a fantasy novel by German writer Michael Ende, published in 1979. The first English translation, by Ralph Manheim, was published in 1983. The novel was later adapted into several f ...

'' (1995, TV Series) .... Gmork (voice) * ''

Road to Avonlea ''Road to Avonlea'' is a Canadian television series first broadcast in Canada between January 7, 1990, and March 31, 1996, as part of the ''CBC Family Hour'' anthology series, and in the United States starting on March 5, 1990. It was created b ...

'' (1991-1995, TV Series) .... Abe Pike * '' Ace Ventura: Pet Detective'' (1996, TV Series) .... (voice) * ''

Blazing Dragons ''Blazing Dragons'' is an animated television series created by Terry Jones and Gavin Scott, and produced by Nelvana and Ellipse Animation. A coinciding graphic adventure video game was released for the original PlayStation and Sega Saturn i ...

'' (1996, Video Game) .... (voice) * ''

Flash Gordon Flash Gordon is the protagonist of a space adventure comic strip created and originally drawn by Alex Raymond. First published January 7, 1934, the strip was inspired by, and created to compete with, the already established ''Buck Rogers'' adve ...

'' (1996, TV Series) .... (voice) * ''

Goosebumps ''Goosebumps'' is a series of children's horror fiction novels by American author R. L. Stine, published by Scholastic Publishing. The protagonists in these stories are tweens or young teens who find themselves in scary circumstances usually ...

'' (1996, TV Series) .... Swamp Hermit * '' Hostile Advances: The Kerry Ellison Story'' (1996, TV Movie) .... Marty * ''

Harriet the Spy ''Harriet the Spy'' is a children's novel written and illustrated by Louise Fitzhugh that was published in 1964. It has been called "a milestone in children's literature" and a "classic". In the U.S., it ranked number 12 in the 50 Best Books fo ...

'' (1996) .... Harrison Withers * '' Bogus'' (1996) .... Dr. Surprise * ''

Journey to the Center of the Earth ''Journey to the Center of the Earth'' (french: Voyage au centre de la Terre), also translated with the variant titles ''A Journey to the Centre of the Earth'' and ''A Journey into the Interior of the Earth'', is a classic science fiction novel ...

'' (1996, TV Movie) .... (voice) * ''Swiss Family Robinson'' (1996) - Smythe * '' First Degree'' (1997) .... Lou Matlin * ''

Chester Cheetah Chester Cheetah is a fictional character and the official mascot for Frito-Lay's Cheetos brand snacks as well as Chester's Snacks which consists of flavored fries, popcorn and puffcorn. History 1985–2003: Traditional animation Cheetos' orig ...

'' (1997, TV Series) .... (voice) * '' La Femme Nikita'' (1997–2001, TV Series) .... Walter * ''

Freaky Stories ''Freaky Stories'' is a Canadian animated anthology television series, which was originally broadcast by YTV in English and Canal Famille in French (five-minute versions using the French title ''Frissons''). It is an animated show about urban ...

'' (1997, TV Series) .... (voice) * ''

Pippi Longstocking Pippi Longstocking ( sv, Pippi Långstrump) is the fictional main character in an eponymous series of children's books by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren. Pippi was named by Lindgren's daughter Karin, who asked her mother for a get-well story wh ...

'' (1997, TV Series) .... (voice) * ''

Ned's Newt ''Ned's Newt'' is an animated television series created by Andy Knight and Mike Burgess and is co-produced by Nelvana and German company TMO Film GmbH (later renamed as "TMO-Loonland Film GmbH" in seasons 2-3) in conjunction with Studio B Produc ...

'' (1997, TV Series) .... (voice) * ''

Fat Dog Mendoza ''Fat Dog Mendoza'' is a children's animated series produced by Sunbow Entertainment, Sony Wonder Television and TMO-Loonland loosely based on a Dark Horse one-off comic book of the same name. It is the first Cartoon Network Europe co-product ...

'' (1998, TV Series) .... (voice) * '' Birdz'' (1998, TV Series) .... (voice) * '' Bad Dog'' (1998, TV Series) .... (voice) * ''

Donkey Kong Country ''Donkey Kong Country'' is a 1994 platform game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It is a reboot of Nintendo's ''Donkey Kong'' franchise and follows the gorilla Donkey Kong and h ...

'' (1998, TV Series) .... (voice) * '' Eerie, Indiana: The Other Dimension'' (1998, TV Series) .... Sandman * ''

The Minion ''The Minion'' is a 1998 Action film, action supernatural horror film directed by Jean-Marc Piché and starring Dolph Lundgren and Françoise Robertson. It was released to television and video in various countries. Plot The film's plot revolves a ...

'' (1998) .... Michael Baer * '' Summer of the Monkeys'' (1998) .... Bayliss Hatcher * ''

Little Men ''Little Men,'' or ''Life at Plumfield with Jo's Boys,'' is a children's novel by American author Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888), which was first published in 1871 by Roberts Brothers. The book reprises characters from her 1868–69 two-volume ...

'' (1998, TV Series) .... Levi Cole * '' Traders'' (1998, TV Series) * '' Mythic Warriors: Guardians of the Legend'' (1998, TV Series) .... Blue-Eyed Wolf / Sailor #2 (voice) * ''

Mr. Music ''Mr. Music'' is a 1950 film starring Bing Crosby and Nancy Olson, directed by Richard Haydn, and released by Paramount Pictures. It is based on the play '' Accent on Youth'' written by Samson Raphaelson. Filming took place from October to Dece ...

'' (1998, TV Movie) .... Zal Adamchyk * ''

Rescue Heroes Rescue Heroes are a line of action figures targeted towards Preschool age children, released by Fisher-Price. The line was first introduced in 1997, depicting various rescue personnel, such as firefighters, police officers, and construction work ...

'' (1999, TV Series) .... (voice) * '' Avengers: United They Stand'' (1999, TV Series) .... (voice) * '' Relic Hunter'' (1999, TV Series) .... Jake Whitney * ''

Seasons of Love "Seasons of Love" is a song from the 1996 Broadway musical ''Rent'', written and composed by Jonathan Larson. The song starts with an ostinato piano motif, which provides the harmonic framework for the cast to sing "Five hundred twenty-five thou ...

'' (1999, TV Series) .... Reverend Doctor Garshwin * '' Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal'' (2000, TV Series) .... Samuel Thompson * '' Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes'' (2000, Video Game) .... Sabretooth / Victor Creed * ''

The Famous Jett Jackson ''The Famous Jett Jackson'' is a coming-of-age television series for the Disney Channel. The show is about a boy named Jett Jackson ( Lee Thompson Young) who plays a teenage secret agent on a fictional show-within-a-show called ''Silverstone''. ...

'' (2000, TV Series) .... Phil Phelps * ''

Medabots ''Medabots'', known in Japan as , is a Japanese role-playing video game franchise created by Rin Horuma (Horumarin) and currently owned by Imagineer. The main series of RPGs focus on collecting and battling with the titular robots. The bulk of ...

'' (2001, TV Series) .... (voice) * '' Earth: Final Conflict'' (2001, TV Series) .... Kyle Madrid * ''

The Zack Files ''The Zack Files'' is a science fiction television program based on a book series of the same name, written by Dan Greenburg. This series was shot in Toronto, Ontario. In August 2004, Goldhill Home Media released the first season on DVD. Plot The ...

'' (2001, TV Series) .... Raoul * '' A Killing Spring'' (2002, TV Movie) .... Lou Massey * '' Tracker'' (2002, TV Series) .... Wahota Keene * ''

My Name Is Tanino ''My Name Is Tanino'' is a 2002 comedy film directed by Paolo Virzì. The picaresque plot is about Tanino, an Italian liberal arts student who falls in love with a young American tourist he meets in Sicily and decides to track her down in the Un ...

'' (2002) .... Chinawsky * '' Eckhart'' (2002, TV Series) .... Boss Mouse (voice) * ''Call of the Wild'' (2002) * ''

Cyberchase ''Cyberchase'' is an educational animated sci-fi children's television series that airs on PBS Kids. The series centers around three children from Earth: Jackie, Matt, and Inez, who are brought into Cyberspace, a digital universe, in order to ...

'' (2002, TV Series) .... (voice) * ''

Beyblade is a line of spinning-top toys originally developed by Takara, first released in Japan in July 1999, along with its debut series. Following Takara's merger with Tomy in 2006, Beyblades are now developed by Takara Tomy. Various toy companies ...

'' (2002, TV Series) .... (voice) * '' Knights of the Zodiac'' (2003, TV Series) .... (voice) * ''

'' (2003, TV Series) .... Skunk (voice) * ''

Atomic Betty ''Atomic Betty'' (retitled ''Atomic Betty: Mission Earth'' for its third and final season) is a Canadian-French Flash animated television series produced by Atomic Cartoons, Breakthrough Entertainment and Tele Images Kids, along with the Mar ...

'' (2004, Episodes: "No-L9", "Like Father, Like Scum/Planet Stinxx") .... Max Sr. (voice) * '' This Is Wonderland'' (2004-2005, TV Series) .... Stan Puck * '' Lie with Me'' (2005) .... Joshua * '' The Very Good Adventures of Yam Roll in Happy Kingdom'' (2006, TV Series) .... Futukayoi (voice) * ''

Puppets Who Kill ''Puppets Who Kill'' is a Canadian television comedy programme produced by PWK Productions and originally broadcast on The Comedy Network. It premiered in Canada in 2002, and in Australia on The Comedy Channel in 2004. It has also been broadcast ...

'' (2004-2006, TV Series) .... Blind Willy / The Evil Head * '' Sons of Butcher'' (2006, TV Series) .... Barney G. * ''

I'm Not There ''I'm Not There'' is a 2007 musical drama film directed by Todd Haynes, and co-written by Haynes and Oren Moverman. It is an unconventional biographical film inspired by the life and music of American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Six actors de ...

'' (2007) .... Gentleman Hobo (Hobo Joe) on the train * '' The Listener'' (2009, TV Series) ... Wally * ''

Hemlock Grove ''Hemlock Grove'' is a 2012 Horror-thriller debut novel by American author Brian McGreevy. The book was released on March 27, 2012 through Farrar, Straus and Giroux and is set in the fictional town of Hemlock Grove, Pennsylvania. A graphic nove ...

'' (2013, TV Series) .... Nicolae Rumancek * '' He Never Died'' (2015) .... Goatee Man * ''

'' (2015, TV Series) .... Lizard * '' The Second Time Around'' (2016) .... Murray (final film role)

Awards

ACTRA Award The ACTRA Awards were first presented in 1972 to celebrate excellence in Canada's television and radio industries.

for Best Dramatic Performance, ''Drying Up the Streets'' and ''The Phoenix Team'', 1980 and 1981

Discography

''Lost...and alone'' reached #4 in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Bibliography

* Heyn, Christopher. "A Conversation with Don Francks". ''Inside Section One: Creating and Producing TV's La Femme Nikita''. Introduction by Peta Wilson. Los Angeles: Persistence of Vision Press, 2006. p. 100–105; .

References

External links

* * * * * *
Official website archived

Entry at thecanadianencyclopedia.ca
{{DEFAULTSORT:Francks, Don 1932 births 2016 deaths Canadian jazz drummers Canadian jazz singers Canadian male film actors Canadian male singers Canadian male television actors Canadian male video game actors Canadian male voice actors Canadian people of English descent Canadian people of German descent Deaths from cancer in Ontario Foundrymen Male actors from British Columbia Canadian male drummers People from Burnaby Canadian male jazz musicians