Frank McGlynn Sr. (October 26, 1866 – May 18, 1951) was an American stage and screen actor who, in a career that spanned more than half a century, is best known for his convincing

impersonation An impersonator is someone who imitates or copies the behavior or actions of another. There are many reasons for impersonating someone: *Living history: After close study of some historical figure, a performer may dress and speak "as" that ...

s and performances as

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

in both plays and films.

Early life

McGlynn was born in 1866 in San Francisco, the eldest of four children of Mary and Frank McGlynn.FRANK M'GLYNN, 84, LINCOLN ON STAGE..."">"FRANK M'GLYNN, 84, LINCOLN ON STAGE..."
''The New York Times'', May 19, 1951; p. 12. Federal census records indicate that McGlynn, in addition to having two younger sisters, had a younger brother, George, who died sometime between 1870 and 1880."The Tenth Census of the United States: 1880"
San Francisco, California, June 3, 1880. Family Search. Retrieved January 17, 2019. Those records show too that McGlynn's mother, a native of Australia, immigrated to the United States with her Irish parents around the time of the

California Gold Rush The California gold rush (1848–1855) began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California from the rest of the U ...

. His father, also of Irish ancestry, moved to California and supported the family there as a carpenter and later by working in real estate. Originally McGlynn studied to be a lawyer. He received his law degree from the

University of California, Hastings College of the Law The University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (abbreviated as UC Law SF or UC Law) is a public law school in San Francisco, California, United States. It was known as the University of California, Hastings College of the Law (a ...

, and was admitted to the bar in 1894.

Career

By 1896, however, McGlynn had turned to a career entirely different from law. That year he began appearing on stage in New York at the Casino Theatre, performing in ''The Gold Bug'', a burlesque musical comedy written by

Glen MacDonough Glen MacDonough (1870 – March 30, 1924) was an American lyricist, librettist, and playwright. He is best-remembered today as the librettist of Victor Herbert's operetta, ''Babes in Toyland (operetta), Babes in Toyland'' (1903). Early life ...

with music from

Victor Herbert Victor August Herbert (February 1, 1859 – May 26, 1924) was an American composer, Cello, cellist and conducting, conductor of English and Irish ancestry and German training. Although Herbert enjoyed important careers as a cello soloist and co ...

. Later that year McGlynn toured in a road production of ''Under the Red Robe'', a story based on Stanley Weyman's novel that was adapted for the stage by

Edward Everett Rose Edward Everett Rose (February 11, 1862 - April 2, 1939) was an American playwright. He adapted a number of popular novels into plays, including '' Janice Meredith'', ''Richard Carvel'', '' David Harum'', ''Eben Holden'', ''The Battle of the Stron ...

. Over the next two decades McGlynn performed mostly in supporting roles with stock companies and in early silent films. McGlynn's first film role in which he impersonated Abraham Lincoln was in 1915 in ''The Life of Abraham Lincoln'' directed by Langdon West for the

Edison Studios Edison Studios was an American film production organization, owned by companies controlled by inventor and entrepreneur, Thomas Edison. The studio made close to 1,200 films, as part of the Edison Manufacturing Company (1894–1911) and then Tho ...

in New York."Frank McGlynn Sr."
biographical sketch and filmography,

Internet Movie Database IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...

(IMDb), a subsidiary of

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology company * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek myth ...

, Seattle, Washington. Retrieved January 16, 2019. Four years later the actor's big break came when, at age fifty-three, the six-foot four-inch actor earned the starring role to portray the former president again in the

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 Stre ...

production of John Drinkwater's play ''

''. That stage production had a run of 193 performances at the

Cort Theatre The James Earl Jones Theatre, originally the Cort Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 138 48th Street (Manhattan), West 48th Street, between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue, in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater ...

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

and then toured the country for over two years. In 1924, McGlynn also performed in an excerpt from Drinkwater's play that was actually recorded.

Lee de Forest #REDIRECT Lee de Forest {{redirect category shell, {{R from move{{R from other capitalisation ...

and

J. Searle Dawley James Searle Dawley (October 4, 1877 – March 30, 1949) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, stage actor, and playwright. Between 1907 and the mid-1920s, while working for Edison, Rex Motion Picture Company, Famous Playe ...

produced a two-reel short of ''Abraham Lincoln'' using De Forest's

Phonofilm Phonofilm is an optical sound-on-film system developed by inventors Lee de Forest and Theodore Case in the early 1920s. In 1919 and 1920, de Forest, inventor of the audion tube, filed his first patents on a sound-on-film process, DeForest Phonofi ...

sound-on-film process. Unfortunately, with the exceptions of some

film still A film still (sometimes called a publicity still or a production still) is a photograph, taken on or off the set of a Film, movie or television program during Film production, production. These photographs are also taken in formal studio settings ...

s that survive, no full copy or partial reels of that motion picture have been found. McGlynn went on to play in seven more Broadway plays; his last as Johnnie, in ''Frankie and Johnnie'' at the Theatre Republic in 1930. McGlynn's 1919 performance as Lincoln had rejuvenated his film career, which lasted into the late 1940s. In at least ten films he portrayed " The Great Emancipator"; and in one other film, ''

Are We Civilized? ''Are We Civilized?'' is an independently released 1934 pre-Code American social problem film directed by Edwin Carewe which constituted a veiled attack on Adolf Hitler. The film was given a negative review by ''Time'' magazine upon its release.< ...

'', he was cast as an actor named Felix Bockner who in the plot performs as Lincoln.

Death

McGlynn died at the age of eighty-four on May 18, 1951, at his daughter's residence in

Newburgh, New York Newburgh is a City (New York), city in Orange County, New York, United States. With a population of 28,856 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is a principal city of the Kiryas Joel–Poughkeepsie–Newburgh metropolitan area. ...

. He was survived by four daughters—Grace, Helen, Virginia, and Mary Rose—and by a son, Reverend Thomas McGlynn. His wife, Rose (née Sheridan), and son, Frank Jr. (also an actor), preceded him in death. He is interred in Glendale's Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery.

Selected filmography

* ''Who Will Marry Mary?'' (1913) * ''The Pines of Lorey'' (1914) - John Boyd * ''Through Troubled Waters'' (1915) - Bill Ford * ''The Way Back'' (1915) - Samuel Kingman * '' Vanity Fair'' (1915) - Captain William Dobbin * ''

Gloria's Romance ''Gloria's Romance'' is a 1916 American silent film, silent film serial starring Billie Burke. Serial films, also called chapter plays, were shorter films that were typically run before the main feature film, each of which was part of a longer sto ...

'' (1916, Serial) - Gideon Trask * ''The Argyle Case'' (1917) - John Argyle * ''

The Poor Little Rich Girl ''The Poor Little Rich Girl'' is a 1917 American comedy-drama film directed by Maurice Tourneur. Adapted by Frances Marion from the 1913 play by Eleanor Gates. The Broadway play actually starred future screen actress Viola Dana. The film st ...

'' (1917) - The Plumber * '' The Mad Lover'' (1917) - Lawyer Robertson * '' Rough and Ready'' (1918) - The Siwash * '' The Accidental Honeymoon'' (1918) - Farmer Perkins * ''Why America Will Win'' (1918) - John F. Pershing * ''The Caillaux Case'' (1918) - Emperor William of Germany * '' The A.B.C. of Love'' (1919) - Innkeeper (uncredited) * ''

'' (1924, Short) -

* '' Good News'' (1930) - Prof. Kenyon * ''

The Jazz Cinderella ''The Jazz Cinderella'' is a 1930 American romantic drama film directed by Scott Pembroke and starring Myrna Loy, Jason Robards Sr. and Nancy Welford.Leider p.323 In Britain it was released under the alternative title of ''Love Is Like That''. ...

'' (1930) - Henry Murray * ''

Min and Bill ''Min and Bill'' is a 1930 American pre-Code comedy-drama film, directed by George W. Hill and starring Marie Dressler and Wallace Beery. Adapted by Frances Marion and Marion Jackson from Lorna Moon's 1929 novel ''Dark Star'', the film tel ...

'' (1930) - Mr. Southard * ''

The Great Meadow ''The Great Meadow'' is a 1931 American Pre-Code Western film, produced and distributed by MGM with direction by Charles Brabin. The film starred Eleanor Boardman and Johnny Mack Brown. It is based on the novel ''The Great Meadow'' by Elizabet ...

'' (1931) - Minor Role (uncredited) * '' The Secret 6'' (1931) - Judge * ''

Huckleberry Finn Huckleberry "Huck" Finn is a fictional character created by Mark Twain who first appeared in the book ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' (1876) and is the protagonist and narrator of its sequel, '' Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' (1884). He is 12 ...

'' (1931) - Second teacher (uncredited) * '' Polly of the Circus'' (1932) - Head of Parish Board (uncredited) * ''

The Wet Parade ''The Wet Parade'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by Victor Fleming and starring Robert Young, Myrna Loy, Walter Huston, Lewis Stone and Jimmy Durante. It is based on the 1931 novel by Upton Sinclair. The film shows how two f ...

'' (1932) - Food Control Speaker (uncredited) * ''

Lady and Gent ''Lady and Gent'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by Stephen Roberts for Paramount, featuring a young Charles ("Durango Kid") Starrett, Syd ("Three Mesquiteers") Saylor and an early supporting role by John Wayne. Plot A young ...

'' (1932) - Principal * ''

Frisco Jenny ''Frisco Jenny'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by William A. Wellman and starring Ruth Chatterton and Louis Calhern. Its story bears a resemblance to ''Madame X'' (1929), Chatterton's previous hit film. Plot In 1906 San Fra ...

'' (1932) - Good Book Charlie (uncredited) * ''

Employees' Entrance ''Employees' Entrance'' is a 1933 pre-Code film about the devious manager of a New York department store ( Warren William) and his romantic involvement with a reluctant new employee (Loretta Young). It was directed by Roy Del Ruth. In 2019, the ...

'' (1933) - The Editor (scenes deleted) * '' Hello, Everybody!'' (1933) - Jonathan Reed * '' Unknown Valley'' (1933) - Head Elder * ''

Charlie Chan's Greatest Case ''Charlie Chan's Greatest Case'' (1933) is an American pre-Code murder mystery film starring Warner Oland as the Oriental detective Charlie Chan. It was based on the Earl Derr Biggers novel '' The House Without a Key'' (1925). Oland made a seri ...

'' (1933) - Amos Winterslip * ''

Massacre A massacre is an event of killing people who are not engaged in hostilities or are defenseless. It is generally used to describe a targeted killing of civilians Glossary of French words and expressions in English#En masse, en masse by an armed ...

'' (1934) - Missionary * ''

Search for Beauty Searching may refer to: Music * " Searchin", a 1957 song originally performed by The Coasters * "Searching" (China Black song), a 1991 song by China Black * "Searchin" (CeCe Peniston song), a 1993 song by CeCe Peniston * " Searchin' (I Gott ...

'' (1934) - Rev. Rankin * ''

Little Miss Marker ''Little Miss Marker'' may refer to: *"Little Miss Marker", 1932 short story by Damon Runyon; provided plotline for four film versions * ''Little Miss Marker'' (1934 film), American comedy-drama with Shirley Temple as title character * ''Little Mis ...

'' (1934) - Doc Chesley * ''

'' (1934) - Felix Bockner and Lincoln * ''

Wild Gold ''Wild Gold'' is a 1934 American romantic comedy drama film directed by George Marshall and written by Lester Cole and Henry Johnson. The film stars John Boles, Claire Trevor, Harry Green, Roger Imhof, Ruth Gillette, Monroe Owsley and Edward G ...

'' (1934) - Thompson the Storekeeper (uncredited) * ''

Belle of the Nineties ''Belle of the Nineties'' is a 1934 American Western film directed by Leo McCarey and released by Paramount Pictures. Mae West's fourth motion picture, it was based on her original story ''It Ain't No Sin'', which was also to be the film's title ...

'' (1934) - Justice of the Peace (uncredited) * ''

Lost in the Stratosphere ''Lost in the Stratosphere'' is a 1934 American aviation Drama (film and television), drama film directed by Melville W. Brown and starring William Cagney, Edward J. Nugent, and June Collyer. In one of his few roles in front of the cameras, Cagne ...

'' (1934) - Col. Worthington * ''

The Mighty Barnum ''The Mighty Barnum'' is a 1934 film directed by Walter Land and starring Wallace Beery as P.T. Barnum. The movie was written by Gene Fowler and Bess Meredyth, adapted from their play of the same name. Beery had played Barnum four years earl ...

'' (1934) - Barnum's Butler (uncredited) * ''

Folies Bergère de Paris ''Folies Bergère de Paris'' is a 1935 American musical comedy film produced by Darryl Zanuck for 20th Century Films, directed by Roy Del Ruth and starring Maurice Chevalier, Merle Oberon and Ann Sothern. At the 8th Academy Awards, the “Stra ...

'' (1935) - Joseph * ''

It's a Small World It's a Small World (stylized in all lowercase and in quotations or with exclamation mark) is an Old Mill boat ride located in the Fantasyland area at various Disney theme parks around the world. Versions of the ride are installed at Disney ...

'' (1935) - Snake Brown Jr. * ''

Goin' to Town ''Goin' To Town'' is a 1935 musical film, musical comedy film directed by Alexander Hall and written by Mae West. The film stars Mae West, Paul Cavanagh, Gilbert Emery, Marjorie Gateson, Tito Coral, and Ivan Lebedeff. The film was released on Ap ...

'' (1935) - Judge (uncredited) * ''

The Roaring West ''The Roaring West'' is a 1935 American Western film serial starring Buck Jones as Montana Larkin. It co-stars his horse, Silver, and Frank McGlynn Sr. as his trusty sidekick Jinglebob Morgan. The film was released by Universal. Plot Cast * B ...

'' (1935, Serial) - Jinglebob Morgan * ''

Outlawed Guns ''Outlawed Guns'' is a 1935 American Western film directed by Ray Taylor and written by John T. Neville. The film stars Buck Jones, Ruth Channing, Frank McGlynn, Sr., Roy D'Arcy, Pat J. O'Brien and Joseph W. Girard. The film was released on ...

'' (1935) - Jingles * '' Captain Blood'' (1935) - Rev. Ogle * ''

The Littlest Rebel ''The Littlest Rebel'' is a 1935 American musical drama film directed by David Butler. The screenplay by Edwin J. Burke was adapted from a play of the same name by Edward Peple. Plot Virgie (Temple) and her father, Confederate Army captain H ...

'' (1935) - Abraham Lincoln * ''It's Up to You'' (1936) * '' The Prisoner of Shark Island'' (1936) - President Abraham Lincoln * '' The Trail of the Lonesome Pine'' (1936) - Preacher (uncredited) * ''

These Three ''These Three'' is a 1936 American drama film directed by William Wyler and starring Miriam Hopkins, Merle Oberon, Joel McCrea, and Bonita Granville. The screenplay by Lillian Hellman is based on her 1934 play '' The Children's Hour''. A 196 ...

'' (1936) - Judge (uncredited) * '' For the Service'' (1936) - Jim LaMont * ''

Hearts in Bondage ''Hearts in Bondage'' is a 1936 American black-and-white war drama film directed by Lew Ayres for Republic Pictures. Set during the American Civil War, the film depicts the Union Navy's deliberate sinking of , the Confederate States Navy's sa ...

'' (1936) - Abraham Lincoln * '' Parole!'' (1936) - A.R. Patton (uncredited) * ''

The Last of the Mohicans ''The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757'' is an 1826 historical romance novel by James Fenimore Cooper. It is the second book of the '' Leatherstocking Tales'' pentalogy and the best known to contemporary audiences. '' The Pathfinder'', ...

'' (1936) - David Gamut * ''

King of the Royal Mounted ''King of the Royal Mounted'' is an American comics series which debuted February 17, 1935 by Stephen Slesinger, based on popular Western writer Zane Grey's byline and marketed as ''Zane Grey's King of the Royal Mounted''. The series' protagonis ...

'' (1936, Serial) - Henry Dundas * '' North of Nome'' (1936) - U. S. Marshal * ''

The Plainsman ''The Plainsman'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur. The film presents a highly fictionalized account of the adventures and relationships between Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity J ...

'' (1936) - Abraham Lincoln (prologue) * ''

Career Woman A career woman is a term which describes a woman whose main goal in life is to create a career for herself. At the time that the term was first used in the 1930s American context, it was specifically used to differentiate between women who either ...

'' (1936) - Sheriff Duncan * '' The Great Barrier'' (1937) - Sir John Macdonald - Prime Minister of Canada * '' That I May Live'' (1937) - Dr. Curtis (uncredited) * '' Parnell'' (1937) - Pat Hogan (uncredited) * '' Sing and Be Happy'' (1937) - Sheriff * '' Saratoga'' (1937) - Ed Kenyon (uncredited) * ''

Broadway Melody of 1938 ''Broadway Melody of 1938'' is a 1937 American musical film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and directed by Roy Del Ruth. The film is essentially a backstage musical revue, featuring high-budget sets and cinematography in the MGM musical traditi ...

'' (1937) - Boardinghouse Resident (uncredited) * ''

Western Gold ''Western Gold'' is a 1937 American Western film directed by Howard Bretherton and written by Earle Snell and Forrest Barnes. The film stars Smith Ballew, Heather Angel, LeRoy Mason, Howard Hickman, Ben Alexander, Frank McGlynn, Sr. and ...

'' (1937) - Abraham Lincoln * ''

Sudden Bill Dorn ''Sudden Bill Dorn'' is a 1937 American Western film by Universal Pictures directed by Ray Taylor and starring Buck Jones, Noel Francis and Evelyn Brent. The film has been described as "slow-paced" and "confusing" with the plot and storyline ...

'' (1937) - Cap Jinks * ''

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) - Abraham Lincoln * ''

The Bad Man of Brimstone ''The Bad Man of Brimstone'' is a 1937 American Western film directed by J. Walter Ruben and starring Wallace Beery, Virginia Bruce and Dennis O'Keefe. The screenplay was written by Cyril Hume and Richard Maibaum, from a story by Ruben and Ma ...

'' (1937) - Minister at Wedding (uncredited) * ''

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' (also simply known as ''Tom Sawyer'') is a novel by Mark Twain published on June 9, 1876, about a boy, Tom Sawyer, growing up along the Mississippi River. It is set in the 1830s-1840s in the town of St. Petersbu ...

'' (1938) - Minister (uncredited) * ''

The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in a ...

'' (1938, Serial) - Lincoln h. 1(deleted scene) * '' The Girl of the Golden West'' (1938) - Pete - Gambler (uncredited) * ''

Lincoln in the White House ''Lincoln in the White House '' is a 1939 American biographical short or historical "special" about United States President Abraham Lincoln, highlighting events during his first term of office, from his inaugural speech in 1861 to his delivery o ...

'' (1939, Short) - Lincoln"Lincoln in the White House (1939)"
summary and production details, IMDb. Retrieved January 16, 2019. * '' Love Affair'' (1939) - Orphanage Superintendent (uncredited) * '' Second Fiddle'' (1939) - Lincolnesque Actor (uncredited) * '' The Honeymoon's Over'' (1939) - Thin Man * '' The Mad Empress'' (1939) - President Abraham Lincoln * '' Boom Town'' (1940) - Deacon * '' Third Finger, Left Hand'' (1940) - Judge Holman (uncredited) * '' A Girl, a Guy and a Gob'' (1941) - Panky * ''

Sergeant York Alvin Cullum York (December 13, 1887 – September 2, 1964), also known by his rank as Sergeant York, was an American soldier who was one of the most decorated United States Army soldiers of World War I. He received the Medal of Honor fo ...

'' (1941) - Mountaineer (uncredited) * '' Three Girls About Town'' (1941) - Josephus Wiegal * ''

Marry the Boss's Daughter ''Marry the Boss's Daughter'' is a 1941 American comedy film directed by Thornton Freeland and written by Jack Andrews. The film stars Brenda Joyce, Bruce Edwards, George Barbier, Hardie Albright, Ludwig Stössel and Bodil Rosing. The film w ...

'' (1941) - Hoffman * ''

Syncopation In music, syncopation is a variety of rhythms played together to make a piece of music, making part or all of a tune or piece of music off-beat (music), off-beat. More simply, syncopation is "a disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of ...

'' (1942) - Simon Goodwill (uncredited) * '' In Old California'' (1942) - Old Miner (uncredited) * '' Delinquent Daughters'' (1944) - Judge Craig * '' Rogues' Gallery'' (1944) - Blake * '' I Was a Criminal'' (1945) - Prison Warden * '' Slightly Scandalous'' (1946) - Graves (uncredited) * ''

Trail Street ''Trail Street'' is a 1947 American Western film directed by Ray Enright and starring Randolph Scott, Robert Ryan, Anne Jeffreys and George "Gabby" Hayes. Based on the novel ''Golden Horizons'' by William Corcoran, and a screenplay by Norman ...

'' (1947) - Tim McKeon (uncredited) * '' Hollywood Barn Dance'' (1947) - Pa (Hiram) Tubb

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:McGlynn, Frank Sr. 1866 births 1951 deaths American male film actors American male silent film actors American male stage actors American people of Australian descent American people of Irish descent Male actors from San Francisco Abraham Lincoln University of California College of the Law, San Francisco alumni Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) 20th-century American male actors