Frank Burgess
McDonald (November 9, 1899 – March 8, 1980) was an American film and television director, active from 1935 to 1966. He directed more than 100 films, including many Westerns starring
Gene Autry
Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, musician, rodeo performer, and baseball owner who gained fame largely by singing in a crooning s ...
and
Roy Rogers, and numerous TV show episodes. He is interred at
Conejo Mountain Memorial Park in
Camarillo, California.
McDonald was born in
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
, the son of Samuel and Florence McDonald. His father was an employee of
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the first common carrier railroad and the oldest railroad in the United States, with its first section opening in 1830. Merchants from Baltimore, which had benefited to some extent from the construction of ...
. Participation in amateur theatrical productions sparked an interest in performing, causing him to leave
Baltimore City College
Baltimore City College, known colloquially as City, City College, and B.C.C., is a college preparatory school with a liberal arts focus and selective school, selective admissions criteria located in Baltimore, Maryland. Opened in October 1839, B ...
to pursue a career in entertainment.
McDonald's professional performing debut came in a vaudeville act in which he played a burglar. He also acted on Broadway,
in ''Puppets'' (1925), ''The K Guy'' (1928), ''Just to Remind You'' (1931), and ''Bulls, Bears and Asses'' (1932).
McDonald married actress and musician
Goodee Montgomery in 1934. She died in 1978. He died in
Oxnard, California
Oxnard () is a city in Ventura County, California, United States. On California's South Coast, it is the most populous city in Ventura County and the 22nd-most-populous city in California. Incorporated in 1903, Oxnard lies approximately west ...