Francis Sayles (November 22, 1891 – March 19, 1944) was an American character actor at the beginning of the

sound film A sound film is a Film, motion picture with synchronization, synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, bu ...

era. In the short dozen years of his career he appeared in over 100 films, most of them features. While he was normally cast in small uncredited parts, he was occasionally cast in featured roles, as in the role of Dickman in the 1934 film, ''One in a Million'', starring Dorothy Wilson and Charles Starrett.

Life and career

Sayles was born on November 22, 1891, in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...

. His film debut occurred in a small role of a detective in '' Strangers of the Evening'' (1932), starring ZaSu Pitts. Other notable films in which Sayles appears include: the featured role of Charlie Blaine in 1932's '' Blonde Venus'', starring Marlene Dietrich and Cary Grant; a small role in ''

The Gay Deception ''The Gay Deception'' is a 1935 romantic comedy film starring Francis Lederer and Frances Dee. Writers Stephen Morehouse Avery and Don Hartman were Candidate, nominated for the Academy Award for Best Story. Plot Secretary Mirabel Miller wins a ...

'' (1935), starring Francis Lederer and Frances Dee; a bit part as a waiter in the 1936 romantic comedy '' More Than a Secretary'', starring Jean Arthur, George Brent, and Lionel Stander; the featured role of Charlie in Archie Mayo's 1937 drama '' Black Legion'', starring

Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart ( ; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American actor. His performances in classic Hollywood cinema made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film Institute selected Bogart ...

; as Detective William Jones in the 1938 western '' The Purple Vigilantes'', starring Robert Livingston, Ray Corrigan, and Max Terhune; an uncredited role in

Michael Curtiz Michael Curtiz (; born Manó Kaminer; from 1905 Mihály Kertész; ; December 24, 1886 April 10, 1962) was a Hungarian-American film director, recognized as one of the most prolific directors in history. He directed classic films from the silen ...

' 1939 western, '' Dodge City'', starring

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian and American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Oliv ...

and

Olivia de Havilland Dame Olivia Mary de Havilland (; July 1, 1916July 26, 2020) was a British and American actress. The major works of her cinematic career spanned from 1935 to 1988. She appeared in 49 feature films and was one of the leading actresses of her tim ...

; as a politician in

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...

' 1941 classic, ''

Citizen Kane ''Citizen Kane'' is a 1941 American Drama (film and television), drama film directed by, produced by and starring Orson Welles and co-written by Welles and Herman J. Mankiewicz. It was Welles's List of directorial debuts, first feature film. ...

''; as a taxi driver in the 1943

Howard Hawks Howard Winchester Hawks (May 30, 1896December 26, 1977) was an American film director, Film producer, producer, and screenwriter of the Classical Hollywood cinema, classic Hollywood era. Critic Leonard Maltin called him "the greatest American ...

' romantic comedy, '' Ball of Fire'' (1942), starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck; again as a cab driver in the 1943 biopic, '' The Pride of the Yankees'', starring Gary Cooper and Teresa Wright; and the 1944 biography '' The Adventures of Mark Twain'', starring Fredric March and Alexis Smith. Sayles had a small role of an elevator operator in the 1944 film, '' Casanova Brown'', again starring Cooper and Wright. It was his final film, he died on March 19, 1944, while the film was still in production. It was released later that year in August.

Filmography

(Per AFI database) * '' Blonde Venus'' (1932) * '' Strangers of the Evening'' (1932) * '' False Faces'' (1932) * ''The Texas Bad Man'' (1932) * '' College Rhythm'' (1934) * ''

The Big Shakedown ''The Big Shakedown'' is a 1934 American pre-Code crime drama film starring Charles Farrell and Bette Davis, and directed by John Francis Dillon. The screenplay is based on the story "Cut Rate" by Niven Busch and Samuel G. Engel. The film ...

'' (1934) * '' One in a Million'' (1934) * '' Home on the Range'' (1934) * ''One Hour Late'' (1934) * '' Hands Across the Table'' (1935) * '' Love Me Forever'' (1935) * '' Midnight Phantom'' (1935) * ''

'' (1935) * '' Big Brown Eyes'' (1936) * '' Florida Special'' (1936) * ''Love Begins at Twenty'' (1936) * '' Alibi for Murder'' (1936) * ''The Music Goes 'Round'' (1936) * '' More Than a Secretary'' (1936) * '' Yours for the Asking'' (1936) * '' Black Legion'' (1937) as Charlie * '' The Plainsman'' (1937) * ''

Wells Fargo Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational financial services company with a significant global presence. The company operates in 35 countries and serves over 70 million customers worldwide. It is a systemically important fi ...

'' (1937) * '' Make Way for Tomorrow'' (1937) * ''45 Fathers'' (1937) * '' The Shadow'' (1937) * '' Easy Living'' (1937) * ''

Alcatraz Island Alcatraz Island () is a small island about 1.25 miles offshore from San Francisco in San Francisco Bay, California, near the Golden Gate, Golden Gate Strait. The island was developed in the mid-19th century with facilities for a Alcatraz Isla ...

'' (1937) * ''The Man in Blue'' (1937) * '' Sophie Lang Goes West'' (1937) * '' Partners in Crime'' (1937) (credited as Francis H. Sayles) * ''Sing and Be Happy'' (1937) * '' The Hit Parade'' (1937) * '' It Happened in Hollywood'' (1937) * '' Trapped'' (1937) * '' I Promise to Pay'' (1937) * '' Broadway Musketeers'' (1938) * '' Wives Under Suspicion'' (1938) * '' Swing That Cheer'' (1938) * '' Secrets of a Nurse'' (1938) * '' The Purple Vigilantes'' (1938) * '' Down on the Farm'' (1938) * '' Newsboys' Home'' (1938) * '' Man of Conquest'' (1939) * '' King of the Underworld'' (1939) (?) * '' Dodge City'' (1939) * '' The Big Guy'' (1939) * '' Hollywood Cavalcade'' (1939) * '' Riders of Black River'' (1939) * '' Devil's Island'' (1939) * '' For Love or Money'' (1939) * ''

Union Pacific The Union Pacific Railroad is a Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pacific is the second largest railroad in the United States after BNSF, ...

'' (1939) * '' Laugh It Off'' (1939) * '' Riders of Pasco Basin'' (1940) * '' Private Affairs'' (1940) * '' One Crowded Night'' (1940) * '' Henry Aldrich for President'' (1941) (credited as Francis H. Sayles) * '' Man Made Monster'' (1941) * '' Mr. District Attorney in the Carter Case'' (1941) * '' Pacific Blackout'' (1941) * '' Public Enemies'' (1941) * '' Rags to Riches'' (1941) * '' The Son of Davy Crockett'' (1941) * ''Thunder over the Prairie'' (1941) * '' Thundering Hoofs'' (1941) * '' World Premiere'' (1941) * ''

'' (1941) as Politician (uncredited) * '' Ball of Fire'' (1941) * '' Secrets of the Underground'' (1942) * '' Wild Bill Hickok Rides'' (1942) * '' Stagecoach Express'' (1942) * '' Sunset on the Desert'' (1942) * '' North of the Rockies'' (1942) * '' Alias Boston Blackie'' (1942) * '' The Mystery of Marie Roget'' (1942) * '' Take a Letter, Darling'' (1942) * '' Dr. Broadway'' (1942) * '' Sweater Girl'' (1942) * '' Thundering Hoofs'' (1942) * '' Somewhere I'll Find You'' (1942) as Pearcley (voice) (uncredited) * '' The Glass Key'' (1942) * '' Unseen Enemy'' (1942) * '' Strictly in the Groove'' (1942) * '' Coney Island'' (1943) * '' Crazy House'' (1943) * '' Fighting Frontier'' (1943) * '' The Good Fellows'' (1943) * '' Honeymoon Lodge'' (1943) * '' Moonlight in Vermont'' (1943) * '' The Pride of the Yankees'' (1943) as Cab Driver (uncredited) * '' Hi, Good Lookin'!'' (1944) * '' Casanova Brown'' (1944) * '' Ministry of Fear'' (1944) * '' Shine on Harvest Moon'' (1944) * '' Sing a Jingle'' (1944) * '' The Adventures of Mark Twain'' (1944)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sayles, Francis 1891 births 1944 deaths 20th-century American male actors Male actors from Buffalo, New York