Frank Yaconelli (October 2, 1898 – November 19, 1965) was an Italian-born American
film actor
An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lite ...
.
Biography
When he was a child his family emigrated to the United States, settling in
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
. Yaconelli was a
character actor
A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to b ...
playing
supporting role
A supporting character is a character in a narrative that is not the focus of the primary storyline, but is important to the plot/protagonist, and appears or is mentioned in the story enough to be more than just a minor character or a cameo ap ...
s, often
Southern European
Southern Europe is the southern region of Europe. It is also known as Mediterranean Europe, as its geography is essentially marked by the Mediterranean Sea. Definitions of Southern Europe include some or all of these countries and regions: Alba ...
or
Mexican
Mexican may refer to:
Mexico and its culture
*Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America
** People
*** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants
*** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...
immigrants. He was also a noted
accordion
Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a reed ...
player, and performed in a number of films. He starred alongside
Jack Randall in a series of seven
westerns
The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...
produced by
Monogram Pictures
Monogram Pictures Corporation was an American film studio that produced mostly low-budget films between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram was among the smaller studios i ...
.
[Drew p.206]
Selected filmography
* ''
Señor Americano
''Señor Americano'' is a 1929 American western film directed by Harry Joe Brown and starring Ken Maynard, Kathryn Crawford and Frank Beal.Munden p.695 It was distributed by Universal Pictures. Produced during the transition to sound, it was relea ...
'' (1929)
* ''
Call of the Flesh
''Call of the Flesh'' is a 1930 American Pre-Code musical film directed by Charles Brabin. The film stars Ramon Novarro, Dorothy Jordan, and Renée Adorée. It featured several songs performed by Novarro and originally included a sequence photo ...
'' (1930)
* ''
Parade of the West
''Parade of the West'' is a 1930 American pre-Code
Western film directed by Harry Joe Brown and written by Bennett Cohen and Leslie Mason. The film stars Ken Maynard, Gladys McConnell, Otis Harlan, Jack Hanlon, Frank Rice and Fred Burns. Th ...
'' (1930)
* ''
Firebrand Jordan
''Firebrand Jordan'' is a 1930 American pre-Code
western film directed by Alan James and starring Lane Chandler, Sheldon Lewis and Yakima Canutt.Munden, p. 247
Cast
* Lane Chandler as Firebrand Jordan
* Aline Goodwin as Joan Howe
* Yakima Ca ...
'' (1930)
* ''
A Lady's Morals
''A Lady's Morals'' is a 1930 American pre-Code film offering a highly fictionalized account of opera singer Jenny Lind. The movie features Grace Moore as Lind, Reginald Denny as a lover, and Wallace Beery as P. T. Barnum. The film contains som ...
'' (1930)
* ''
Strawberry Roan'' (1933)
* ''
The Man Who Dared'' (1933)
* ''
It Happened One Night
''It Happened One Night'' is a 1934 pre-Code American romantic comedy film with elements of screwball comedy directed and co-produced by Frank Capra, in collaboration with Harry Cohn, in which a pampered socialite (Claudette Colbert) tries ...
'' (1934)
* ''
Flirting with Danger
''Flirting with Danger'' is a 1934 American comedy adventure film directed by Vin Moore and starring Robert Armstrong, Edgar Kennedy and William Cagney ( James Cagney's lookalike brother). The picture was released by Monogram Pictures and has a ...
'' (1934)
* ''
Alice Adams'' (1935)
* ''
Here Comes Cookie
''Here Comes Cookie'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by Norman Z. McLeod, written by Don Hartman, and starring George Burns, Gracie Allen, George Barbier, Betty Furness, Andrew Tombes and Rafael Storm. The picture was released on Augus ...
'' (1935)
* ''
Gun Play
''Gun Play'' is a 1935 American Western film directed by Albert Herman and starring Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams, Marion Shilling and Frank Yaconelli.Pitts, p. 53.
Plot summary
Cast
* Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams as Bill Williams
* Marion Shilling ...
'' (1935)
* ''
Five Bad Men
''Five Bad Men'' is a 1935 American Western film directed by Clifford S. Smith, starring Noah Beery Jr., Bill Patton, and Jay Wilsey.
Cast
* Noah Beery Jr. as Gene Taggart
* Bill Patton as Bad man
* Jay Wilsey (credited as Buffalo Bill Jr ...
'' (1935)
* ''
Western Frontier
The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...
'' (1935)
* ''
Lawless Riders
''Lawless Riders'' is a 1935 American Western film directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and written by Nate Gatzert. The film stars Ken Maynard, Geneva Mitchell, Harry Woods, Frank Yaconelli, Wally Wales and Slim Whitaker. The film was released ...
'' (1935)
* ''
Down to the Sea
''Down to the Sea'' is a 1936 American drama film directed by Lewis D. Collins and written by Robert Lee Johnson and Wellyn Totman. The film stars Russell Hardie, Ben Lyon, Ann Rutherford, Irving Pichel, Fritz Leiber and Vince Barnett. The film ...
'' (1936)
* ''
The Three Mesquiteers
''The Three Mesquiteers'' is the umbrella title for a Republic Pictures series of 51 American Western B-movies released between 1936 and 1943. The films, featuring a trio of Old West adventurers, was based on a series of Western novels by W ...
'' (1936)
* ''
Blazing Justice
''Blazing Justice'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by Albert Herman.
Plot
In a saloon, Ray Healy witnesses three outlaws kill a sheriff, Ray subdues two of them, but one named Max gets away. During the pursuit Max manages to bludgeo ...
'' (1936)
* ''
Romance Rides the Range
''Romance Rides the Range'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by Harry L. Fraser and written by Tom Gibson. The film stars Fred Scott, Cliff Nazarro, Marion Shilling, Buzz Barton, Bob Kortman and Theodore Lorch. The film was released ...
'' (1936)
* ''
Lucky Terror
''Lucky Terror'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by Alan James.
Plot summary
Cast
*Hoot Gibson as Lucky Carson aka The Lucky Terror
* Charles Hill as Doc Halliday
* Lona Andre as Ann Thornton aka Madame Fatima
*George Chesebro ...
'' (1936)
* ''
It Could Happen to You'' (1937)
* ''
Wild West Days
''Wild West Days'' (1937) is a Universal film serial based on a Western novel by W. R. Burnett. Directed by Ford Beebe and Clifford Smith and starring Johnny Mack Brown, George Shelley, Lynn Gilbert, Frank Yaconelli, Bob Kortman, Russell Simp ...
'' (1937)
* ''
Wild Horse Canyon
''Wild Horse Canyon'' is a 1938 American Western film directed by Robert F. Hill and written by Robert Emmett Tansey. The film stars Jack Randall, Dorothy Short, Frank Yaconelli, Warner Richmond, Walter Long and Dennis Moore. The film wa ...
'' (1938)
* ''
Across the Plains'' (1939)
* ''
Escape to Paradise
''Escape to Paradise'' is a 1939 American film directed by Erle C. Kenton.
Plot
Jaded playboy Richard Fleming travels to the South American nation of Rosarita. Through his motorcycle riding guide Roberto he discovers true love and a career as ...
'' (1939)
* ''
Trigger Smith
Trigger may refer to:
Notable animals and people
;Mononym
* Trigger (horse), owned by cowboy star Roy Rogers
;Nickname
* Trigger Alpert (1916–2013), American jazz bassist
* "Trigger Mike" Coppola (1900–1966), American gangster
;Surname
* Bru ...
'' (1939)
* ''
Drifting Westward'' (1939)
* ''
The Cheyenne Kid
''The Cheyenne Kid'' is a 1933 American Pre-Code Western film directed by Robert F. Hill and written by Jack Curtis. The film stars Tom Keene, Mary Mason, Roscoe Ates, Otto Hoffman and Al Bridge. The film was released on January 20, 1933, by ...
'' (1940)
* ''
Dr. Cyclops
''Dr. Cyclops'' is a 1940 American science fiction horror film from Paramount Pictures, produced by Dale Van Every and Merian C. Cooper, directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack, and starring Thomas Coley, Victor Kilian, Janice Logan, Charles Halton, ...
'' (1940)
* ''
Torrid Zone
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in
the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...
'' (1940)
* ''
Pioneer Days'' (1940)
* ''
East Side Kids
The East Side Kids were characters in a series of 22 films released by Monogram Pictures from 1940 through 1945. Many of them were originally part of The Dead End Kids and The Little Tough Guys, and several of them later became members of The ...
'' (1940)
* ''
Wild Horse Range'' (1940)
* ''
Fiesta'' (1941)
* ''
Lone Star Law Men
''Lone Star Law Men'' is a 1941 American Western film directed by Robert Emmett Tansey and written by Robert Emmett Tansey and Frances Kavanaugh. The film stars Tom Keene, Frank Yaconelli, Betty Miles, Sugar Dawn, Gene Alsace and Glenn Strang ...
'' (1941)
* ''
Two in a Taxi'' (1941)
* ''
The Driftin' Kid'' (1941)
* ''
Riding the Sunset Trail
''Riding the Sunset Trail'' is a 1941 American Western film directed by Robert Emmett Tansey and written by Robert Emmett Tansey and Frances Kavanaugh. The film stars Tom Keene, Betty Miles, Frank Yaconelli, Sugar Dawn, Slim Andrews and Kenne ...
'' (1941)
* ''
They Met in Argentina
''They Met in Argentina'' is a 1941 American film directed by Leslie Goodwins and Jack Hively for RKO Pictures. Hively had to come in and finish the picture after Goodwins was hospitalized for pneumonia. Maureen O'Hara plays an Argentinian who fal ...
'' (1941)
* ''
Forced Landing
A forced landing is a landing by an aircraft made under factors outside the pilot's control, such as the failure of engines, systems, components, or weather which makes continued flight impossible. For a full description of these, see article on ' ...
'' (1941)
* ''
Western Mail'' (1942)
* ''
Arizona Roundup'' (1942)
* ''
Where Trails End
''Where Trails End'' is a 1942 American Western film directed by Robert Emmett Tansey and written by Robert Emmett Tansey and Frances Kavanaugh. The film stars Tom Keene, Frank Yaconelli, Joan Curtis, Don Stewart, Charles King and Wilhelm vo ...
'' (1942)
* ''
Man of Courage
''Man of Courage'' is a 1943 American crime film directed by Alexis Thurn-Taxis and written by Arthur St. Claire, Barton MacLane and John Vlahos. The film stars Barton MacLane, Charlotte Wynters, Lyle Talbot, Dorothy Burgess, Patsy Nash and Fo ...
'' (1943)
* ''
Slightly Scandalous
''Slightly Scandalous'' is a 1946 American comedy film directed by Will Jason and written by Erna Lazarus, David Mathews, Joel Malone and Jerry Warner. The film stars Frederick Brady, Sheila Ryan, Paula Drew, Walter Catlett, Lita Baron, Louis D ...
'' (1946)
* ''
Beauty and the Bandit'' (1946)
* ''
South of Monterey
''South of Monterey'' is a 1946 American Western film directed by William Nigh and written by Charles S. Belden. The film stars Gilbert Roland, Martin Garralaga, Frank Yaconelli, Marjorie Riordan, Iris Flores and George J. Lewis. The film wa ...
'' (1946)
* ''
The Thrill of Brazil'' (1946)
* ''
Wild Horse Mesa'' (1947)
* ''
Riding the California Trail
''Riding the California Trail'' is a 1947 American Western film directed by William Nigh and written by Clarence Upson Young. The film stars Gilbert Roland as the Cisco Kid, Martin Garralaga, Frank Yaconelli, Teala Loring, Inez Cooper and Ted ...
'' (1947)
* ''
Madonna of the Desert
''Madonna of the Desert'' is a 1948 American crime film directed by George Blair (director), George Blair and written by Albert DeMond. The film stars Lynne Roberts, Don "Red" Barry, Don Castle, Sheldon Leonard, Paul Hurst (actor), Paul Hurst and ...
'' (1948)
* ''
A Foreign Affair
''A Foreign Affair'' is a 1948 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Billy Wilder and starring Jean Arthur, Marlene Dietrich, and John Lund. The screenplay by Wilder, Charles Brackett, and Richard L. Breen is based on a story by David ...
'' (1948)
* ''
Alias the Champ
''Alias the Champ'' is a 1949 American crime film directed by George Blair and written by Albert DeMond. The film stars Robert Rockwell, Barbra Fuller, Audrey Long, James Nolan, John Harmon, Sammy Menacker and Joseph Crehan. The film was rel ...
'' (1949)
* ''
Borderline'' (1950)
* ''
September Affair
''September Affair'' is a 1950 American romantic drama film directed by William Dieterle and starring Joan Fontaine, Joseph Cotten, and Jessica Tandy. It was produced by Hal B. Wallis.
Plot
Marianne "Manina" Stuart (Joan Fontaine), a prominent c ...
'' (1950)
* ''
Never a Dull Moment'' (1950)
* ''
A Place in the Sun'' (1951)
* ''
The Fighter
''The Fighter'' is a 2010 American biographical sports drama film directed by David O. Russell, and stars Mark Wahlberg (who also produced), Christian Bale, Amy Adams, and Melissa Leo. The film centers on the lives of professional boxer Micky ...
'' (1952)
* ''
Hangman's Knot
The hangman's knot or hangman's noose (also known as a collar during the Elizabethan era) is a knot most often associated with its use in hanging a person. For a hanging, the knot of the rope is typically placed under or just behind the left ...
'' (1952)
* ''
The Racers
''The Racers'' is a 1955 film directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Kirk Douglas and Bella Darvi. The film is based on the book by Hans Ruesch entitled ''The Racer'', based on the life of Rudolf Caracciola.Automobile Quarterly 2005 "In 1953, 2 ...
'' (1955)
* ''
Serenade
In music, a serenade (; also sometimes called a serenata, from the Italian) is a musical composition or performance delivered in honor of someone or something. Serenades are typically calm, light pieces of music. The term comes from the Italian w ...
'' (1956)
* ''
Three for Jamie Dawn
''Three for Jamie Dawn'' is a 1956 American film starring Laraine Day and Ricardo Montalbán.
Cast
* Laraine Day as Sue Lorenz
*Ricardo Montalbán as George Lorenz (as Ricardo Montalban)
* Richard Carlson as Marv Random
*June Havoc as Lorrie Dela ...
'' (1956)
* ''
Santiago
Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whose ...
'' (1956)
* ''
The Unholy Wife
''The Unholy Wife'' is a 1957 Technicolor film noir crime film produced and directed by John Farrow at RKO Radio Pictures, but released by Universal Pictures as RKO was in the process of ceasing its film activities. The film features Diana Dors, ...
'' (1957)
* ''
The Parson and the Outlaw'' (1957)
* ''
The Black Orchid'' (1958)
References
Bibliography
* Drew, Bernard A. ''Motion Picture Series and Sequels: A Reference Guide''. Routledge, 2013.
External links
*
1898 births
1965 deaths
People from Boston
American male film actors
Italian male film actors
Italian emigrants to the United States
{{US-film-bio-stub