Frank Atkinson (19 March 1893 in

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre rivers, and is ...

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancas ...

– 23 February 1963 in

Pinner Pinner is a London suburb in the London borough of Harrow, Greater London, England, northwest of Charing Cross, close to the border with Hillingdon, historically in the county of Middlesex. The population was 31,130 in 2011. Originally a med ...

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a historic county in southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the ceremonial county of Greater London, with small sections in neighbour ...

) was an English actor and writer. He appeared in at least 130 films between 1930 and 1963. A stalwart of

British films The United Kingdom has had a significant film industry for over a century. While film production reached an all-time high in 1936, the "golden age" of British cinema is usually thought to have occurred in the 1940s, during which the directors D ...

, often in small or uncredited roles, and also in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

in the 1930s, notably in the

Raoul Walsh Raoul Walsh (born Albert Edward Walsh; March 11, 1887December 31, 1980) was an American film director, actor, founding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), and the brother of silent screen actor George Walsh. He wa ...

directed '' Me and My Gal'' and ''

Sailor's Luck ''Sailor's Luck'' is a 1933 American pre-Code romantic comedy film directed by Raoul Walsh for Fox Film Corporation. It stars James Dunn, Sally Eilers, Victor Jory, and Frank Moran. The plot has a sailor on shore leave falling for a nice girl, ...

''.

Allmovie AllMovie (previously All Movie Guide) is an online database with information about films, television programs, and screen actors. , AllMovie.com and the AllMovie consumer brand are owned by RhythmOne. History AllMovie was founded by popular-cul ...

described him as "tall and slender, and with gaunt facial features that lent themselves to looks of eccentricity, and with a highly cultured speaking voice, he could melt unobtrusively into a scene, as an anonymous bit-player, or could, with the utterance of a few words or a look, transform himself into a wryly comedic presence -- he played everything from jailers, guards, garage attendants, and soldiers to upper class twits." He was the first person to play the scarecrow Worzel Gummidge on television in

the original series ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship and its crew. It later acquired the retronym of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' (''TOS'') to distingui ...

, broadcast by the BBC on 10 February 1953.

Selected filmography

Actor * '' Along Came Youth'' (1930) - Bit Role (uncredited) * ''

Ladies' Man A ladies' man or lady's man is a man who enjoys spending time socially with women, who strives to please them and that women find attractive. Ladies' man or lady's man may also refer to: Literature * ''Ladies' Man'' (novel), a 1978 novel by R ...

'' (1931) - Valet * '' Always Goodbye'' (1931) - Servant (uncredited) * '' Ambassador Bill'' (1931) - American Embassy Valet (uncredited) * '' The Menace'' (1932) - Man from Cartier's (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 fa ...

'' (1932) - Barman At New Year Party (uncredited) * '' Devil's Lottery'' (1932) - Summers the Butler (uncredited) * ''

The Woman in Room 13 ''The Woman in Room 13'' is a lost 1920 American silent mystery drama film directed by Frank Lloyd and starring Pauline Frederick. It was produced and distributed by Goldwyn Pictures and is based on a Broadway play of the same name, ''The Woma ...

'' (1932) * ''

The Man from Yesterday ''The Man from Yesterday'' is a 1932 American pre-Code romantic war drama film made by Paramount Pictures, directed by Berthold Viertel, and written by Oliver H. P. Garrett, based on a story by Neil Blackwell and Rowland G. Edwards. Plot I ...

'' (1932) - British Soldier (uncredited) * ''

Skyscraper Souls ''Skyscraper Souls'' is a 1932 American pre-Code romantic drama film starring Warren William, Anita Page, Maureen O'Sullivan, Gregory Ratoff, and Verree Teasdale. Directed by Edgar Selwyn, it is based on the 1931 novel ''Skyscraper'' by Faith ...

'' (1932) - Waiter At Party (uncredited) * '' The Man Called Back'' (1932) - Lower Level Court Clerk (uncredited) * ''False Faces'' (1932) - Butler (uncredited) * ''

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...

'' (1932) - Man in Pub * ''

Call Her Savage ''Call Her Savage'' is a 1932 pre-Code drama film directed by John Francis Dillon and starring Clara Bow. The film was Bow's second-to-last film role. It is also one of the first portrayals of homosexuals on screen, including a scene in a gay ba ...

'' (1932) - Stevens - Crosby's Valet (uncredited) * '' For Me and My Gal'' (1932) - Ashley's Chum (uncredited) * ''The Right to Live'' (1933) - Harry Woods * '' Cavalcade'' (1933) - Uncle Dick (uncredited) * ''

Smoke Lightning ''Smoke Lightning'' is a 1933 American Pre-Code Western film directed by David Howard and written by Sidney D. Mitchell and Gordon Rigby. The film stars George O'Brien, Nell O'Day, Betsy King Ross, Frank Atkinson, Clarence Wilson and Mor ...

'' (1933) - Alf Bailey * ''

'' (1933) - Swimming pool attendant (uncredited) * ''

Pleasure Cruise ''Pleasure Cruise'' is a 1933 American Pre-Code comedy film directed by Frank Tuttle and written by Guy Bolton. The film stars Genevieve Tobin, Roland Young, Ralph Forbes, Una O'Connor, Herbert Mundin and Minna Gombell. The film was released ...

'' (1933) - Alf * ''

Life in the Raw ''Life in the Raw'' is a 1933 American pre-Code Western film, based on Zane Grey's short story "From Missouri", directed by Louis King and written by Stuart Anthony. It was Claire Trevor's film debut. Plot Cast * George O'Brien as J ...

'' (1933) - Picayune Cafe Patron (uncredited) * '' Paddy the Next Best Thing'' (1933) - Chemist (uncredited) * ''

My Lips Betray ''My Lips Betray'' is a 1933 American pre-Code musical comedy film directed by John G. Blystone and starring Lilian Harvey, John Boles and El Brendel.Solomon p. 343 The film's sets were designed by the art director Joseph C. Wright. Plot In a ...

'' (1933) - Baptiste, Royal Valet (uncredited) * ''

Rolling in Money ''Rolling in Money'' is a 1934 British comedy film directed by Albert Parker and starring Isabel Jeans, Leslie Sarony and John Loder. It was made at Ealing Studios by the British subsidiary of Fox Film.Wood p.83 It was not a quota quickie l ...

'' (1934) - Wiggins * '' The Outcast'' (1934) - Bit Part (uncredited) * ''

The Path of Glory ''The Path of Glory'' is a 1934 British comedy film directed by Dallas Bower and starring Maurice Evans, Valerie Hobson, Felix Aylmer, Henry Daniell and Athole Stewart. Two European countries plan a war, both hoping to lose it. A "quota quic ...

'' (1934) - Karl * ''

Freedom of the Seas Freedom of the seas ( la, mare liberum, lit. "free sea") is a principle in the law of the sea. It stresses freedom to navigate the oceans. It also disapproves of war fought in water. The freedom is to be breached only in a necessary inter ...

'' (1934) - O'Hara * '' The Great Defender'' (1934) - Pope * ''

The Third Clue ''The Third Clue'' is a 1934 British crime film directed by Albert Parker and starring Basil Sydney, Molly Lamont and Raymond Lovell. The film was based on Neil Gordon's novel ''The Shakespeare Murders'', which also inspired '' The Claydon T ...

'' (1934) - Lefty * '' Road House'' (1934) - Magician * '' The Man Who Knew Too Much'' (1934) - Policeman Shot Behind Mattress (uncredited) * '' Barnacle Bill'' (1935) - Arthur Neal * ''

Death Drives Through ''Death Drives Through'' is a 1935 British sports drama film directed by Edward L. Cahn and starring Chili Bouchier, Robert Douglas and Miles Mander. It was made as a quota quickie by the independent producer Clifford Taylor at Ealing Studios ...

'' (1935) - John 'Nigger' Larson * '' Night Mail'' (1935) - (uncredited) * ''

Be Careful, Mr. Smith ''Be Careful, Mr. Smith'' is a 1935 British comedy film directed by Max Mack and starring Bobbie Comber, Bertha Belmore and Cecil Ramage.Wood p.88 The film's sets were designed by the art director John Mead (art director), John Mead. Cast * Bob ...

'' (1935) * ''

Look Up and Laugh ''Look Up and Laugh'' is a 1935 British comedy film directed by Basil Dean and starring Gracie Fields, Alfred Drayton and Douglas Wakefield. The film is notable for featuring an appearance by Vivien Leigh in an early supporting role. Plot Gracie ...

'' (1935) - Debt Collector (uncredited) * '' Me and Marlborough'' (1935) - Soldier (uncredited) * ''

No Monkey Business ''No Monkey Business'' is a 1935 British comedy film directed by Marcel Varnel and starring Gene Gerrard, June Clyde and Renée Houston. Synopsis After a music hall performer has his performing partner, an ape, confiscated by his financial cre ...

'' (1935) - Chauffeur (uncredited) * ''

Play Up the Band ''Play Up the Band'' is a 1935 British musical comedy film directed by Harry Hughes and starring Stanley Holloway, Betty Ann Davies and Leslie Bradley. The film was made at Ealing Studios by the independent company City Films.Perry p.175 The ...

'' (1935) - Alf Ramsbottom * '' The Morals of Marcus'' (1935) - Ship Steward * '' A Woman Alone'' (1936) - Porter * '' The Limping Man'' (1936) - Insp. Cable * '' Skylarks'' (1936) * ''Shipmates o' Mine'' (1936) - Oliver Bright * ''

The High Command ''The High Command'' is a 1937 British drama film directed by Thorold Dickinson and starring Lionel Atwill, Lucie Mannheim and James Mason. It was shot at Ealing Studios and on location on the Gold Coast. The film's sets were designed by the ...

'' (1937) - Corporal * '' The Show Goes On'' (1937) - Actor at OHara's Agency (uncredited) * ''

Knights for a Day ''Knights for a Day'' is a 1937 British comedy film directed by Norman Lee and starring Nelson Keys, John Garrick and Nancy Burne. It was made as a quota quickie at Welwyn Studios. Plot A man wins a car in a competition, and decides to tour ro ...

'' (1937) - Timothy Trout * ''

Oh, Mr Porter! ''Oh, Mr Porter!'' is a 1937 British comedy film starring Will Hay with Moore Marriott and Graham Moffatt and directed by Marcel Varnel. While not Hay's commercially most successful (although it grossed £500,000 at the box office – equal to ...

'' (1937) - Irate Irishman in Barney's Bar (uncredited) * '' Young and Innocent'' (1937) - Petrol Pump Attendant (uncredited) * '' The Green Cockatoo'' (1937) - Protheroe - the Butler * '' The Schooner Gang'' (1937) - Ben Worton * ''

A Romance in Flanders ''A Romance in Flanders'' is a 1937 British drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Paul Cavanagh, Marcelle Chantal, Olga Lindo and Alastair Sim. It is set during the First World War with the British Expeditionary Force in Flanders. It ...

'' (1937) - Joe Stuggins * '' Kicking the Moon Around'' (1938) - (uncredited) * '' Pygmalion'' (1938) - Taxi-Driver * ''

I've Got a Horse ''I've Got a Horse'' is a 1938 British comedy film directed by Herbert Smith and starring Sandy Powell, Norah Howard and Felix Aylmer.Wood p.98 Plot Sandy accepts a racehorse called Lightning as settlement for a bad debt. When he enters the ...

'' (1938) - Bunker * ''Over the Moon'' (1939) - Reporter (uncredited) * '' Discoveries'' (1939) - Photographer * '' The Body Vanished'' (1939) - Hobbleberry * ''

Where's That Fire? ''Where's That Fire?'' is a 1940 British comedy film, produced by Twentieth Century Fox, directed by Marcel Varnel and starring Will Hay, Moore Marriott and Graham Moffatt. It was the last film Will Hay made with his most famous comic foils, M ...

'' (1940) - Town Clerk (uncredited) * ''

The Stars Look Down ''The Stars Look Down'' is a 1935 novel by A. J. Cronin which chronicles various injustices in an English coal mining community. A film version was released in 1940, and television adaptations include both Italian (1971) and British (1975) v ...

'' (1940) - Miner * ''

Ten Days in Paris ''Ten Days in Paris'', also known as ''Missing Ten Days'' and ''Spy in the Pantry'', is a 1940 British spy film directed by Tim Whelan and starring Rex Harrison, Kaaren Verne and C. V. France. The screenplay concerns a man in Paris who turns ou ...

'' (1940) - Pierre * ''

Penn of Pennsylvania ''Penn of Pennsylvania'' is a 1941 British historical drama film directed by Lance Comfort and starring Deborah Kerr, Clifford Evans, Dennis Arundell, Henry Oscar, Herbet Lomas and Edward Rigby. The film depicts the life of the Quaker founder ...

'' (1942) - (uncredited) * ''

Hard Steel ''Hard Steel'' is a 1942 British drama film directed by Norman Walker and starring Wilfrid Lawson, Betty Stockfeld and John Stuart. It was based on the novel ''Steel Saraband'' by Roger Dataller. The film was one of four made by G.H.W. Produ ...

'' (1942) - Dick Sefton * '' Mrs. Miniver'' (1942) - Man in Tavern (uncredited) * '' The Avengers'' (1942) - Drunk at Oslo Quayside (uncredited) * '' They Flew Alone'' (1942) - Reporter in the Johnson's House (uncredited) * '' Let the People Sing'' (1942) - Bit Role (uncredited) * ''

Asking for Trouble ''Asking for Trouble'' is a 1942 British comedy film directed by Oswald Mitchell and starring Max Miller, Carole Lynne and Wilfrid Hyde-White. Its plot follows a fishmonger who takes up bookmaking to earn extra cash. Cast * Max Miller as Di ...

'' (1942) - Policeman (uncredited) * ''

Much Too Shy ''Much Too Shy'' is a 1942 British comedy film directed by Marcel Varnel and starring George Formby, Kathleen Harrison, Hilda Bayley and Eileen Bennett. The cast includes radio star Jimmy Clitheroe (as George's brother), later "Carry On'" star ...

'' (1942) - Village Policeman (uncredited) * ''

The Great Mr. Handel ''The Great Mr. Handel'' is a 1942 British Technicolor historical film directed by Norman Walker and starring Wilfrid Lawson, Elizabeth Allan and Malcolm Keen. The film is a biopic of the 18th-century German-British composer Georg Friedrich H� ...

'' (1942) - Permobble * ''

The Gentle Sex ''The Gentle Sex'' is a 1943 British black-and-white romantic comedy-drama war film, directed and narrated by Leslie Howard. It was produced by Concanen Productions, Two Cities Films, and Derrick de Marney. ''The Gentle Sex'' was Howard's l ...

'' (1943) - Restaurant Customer (uncredited) * ''

Get Cracking ''Get Cracking'' is a 1943 British comedy war film, directed by Marcel Varnel starring George Formby, with Dinah Sheridan and Ronald Shiner. It was produced by Marcel Varnel and Ben Henry for Columbia (British) Productions, a subsidiary of th ...

'' (1943) - Station Master (uncredited) * ''

Bell-Bottom George ''Bell-Bottom George'' is a 1943 black and white British comedy musical film, directed by Marcel Varnel, starring George Formby and Anne Firth. A wartime morale booster, it features the songs, "Swim Little Fish", "It Serves You Right", "If I H ...

'' (1944) - Harry (uncredited) * '' On Approval'' (1944) - Hansom Cab Driver (uncredited) * ''

Give Us the Moon ''Give Us the Moon'' is a 1944 British comedy film directed and written by Val Guest and starring Vic Oliver, Margaret Lockwood and Peter Graves. Plot Made in 1943-44, the film is set in a future peacetime Britain, after the end of World War ...

'' (1944) - (uncredited) * ''

He Snoops to Conquer ''He Snoops to Conquer'' is a 1944 British comedy film directed by Marcel Varnel starring George Formby, Robertson Hare, Elizabeth Allan and Claude Bailey. Its plot involves an odd job man who becomes mixed up in corruption in politics and town ...

'' (1945) - Joe (uncredited) * ''

Kiss the Bride Goodbye ''Kiss the Bride Goodbye'' is a 1945 British romantic comedy drama film directed by Paul L. Stein and starring Patricia Medina and Jimmy Hanley. Jean Simmons has an early role, almost two years before she achieved stardom in ''Great Expectations' ...

'' (1945) - (uncredited) * '' Waterloo Road'' (1945) - George - Pub Barman (uncredited) * '' Great Day'' (1945) - Man at gate (uncredited) * '' The Voice Within'' (1946) - Farmer * '' Wanted for Murder'' (1946) - Chip Shop Customer (uncredited) * '' I See a Dark Stranger'' (1946) - Soldier in Pub (uncredited) * ''

Great Expectations ''Great Expectations'' is the thirteenth novel by Charles Dickens and his penultimate completed novel. It depicts the education of an orphan nicknamed Pip (Great Expectations), Pip (the book is a ''bildungsroman''; a coming-of-age story). It ...

'' (1946) - Mike * ''The Last Load'' (1948) - Jenkins * '' The Man in the White Suit'' (1951) - The Baker * '' Time Bomb'' (1953) - Guard * '' The Titfield Thunderbolt'' (1953) - Station Sergeant * '' The Broken Horseshoe'' (1953) - Railway Ticket Clerk * '' The Fake'' (1953) - Tate Gallery Attendant (uncredited) * ''

Stryker of the Yard ''Stryker of the Yard'' (also known as ''Stryker of Scotland Yard'' and ''Scotland Yard Cases'' ) is a 1953 British crime film directed by Arthur Crabtree and starring Clifford Evans, Susan Stephen, Jack Watling and Eliot Makeham. A second ...

'' (1953) * ''

Lease of Life ''Lease of Life'' is a 1954 British drama film made by Ealing Studios and directed by Charles Frend. The film was designed as a star-vehicle for Robert Donat, representing his return to the screen after an absence of over three years during whi ...

'' (1954) - Verger * '' The Green Carnation'' (1954) - Lift operator * '' The Black Rider'' (1954) - Landlord * ''

The Love Match ''The Love Match'' is a 1955 British black and white comedy film directed by David Paltenghi and starring Arthur Askey, Glenn Melvyn, Thora Hird and Shirley Eaton. A football-mad railway engine driver and his fireman are desperate to get back i ...

'' (1955) - Worktaker At Milford (uncredited) * '' Before I Wake'' (1955) - Taxi driver * '' Track the Man Down'' (1955) - George (uncredited) * '' The Man Who Knew Too Much'' (1956) - Edgar, Taxidermist (uncredited) * ''

Wicked as They Come ''Wicked as They Come'' (''Portrait in Smoke'' in the United States) is a 1956 British film noir directed by Ken Hughes and starring Arlene Dahl, Philip Carey and Herbert Marshall. Plot Poor girl from the slums Katherine Allenbourg trades on h ...

'' (1956) - Hotel Porter (uncredited) * ''

Reach for the Sky ''Reach for the Sky'' is a 1956 British biographical film about aviator Douglas Bader, based on the 1954 biography of the same name by Paul Brickhill. The film stars Kenneth More and was directed by Lewis Gilbert. It won the BAFTA Award fo ...

'' (1956) - Tullin (uncredited) * '' Sailor Beware!'' (1956) - Chauffeur (uncredited) * ''Circus Friends'' (1956) - Horace * ''

Three Men in a Boat ''Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog)'',The Penguin edition punctuates the title differently: ''Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog!'' published in 1889, is a humorous account by English writer Jerome K. Jerome of a two ...

'' (1956) - Lockkeeper (uncredited) * '' Hour of Decision'' (1957) - Caretaker * ''

At the Stroke of Nine ''At the Stroke of Nine'' is a 1957 British crime film directed by Lance Comfort and starring Patricia Dainton, Stephen Murray, Patrick Barr and Dermot Walsh. The plot follows a high-flying female journalist who is kidnapped by a madman. He fo ...

'' (1957) - Festival Hall Porter * '' Cat Girl'' (1957) - Guard (uncredited) * '' High Flight'' (1957) - Parker * '' Just My Luck'' (1957) - Green (uncredited) * ''

Stormy Crossing ''Stormy Crossing'' is a 1958 British crime, drama, thriller, mystery film directed by C. M. Pennington-Richards and starring John Ireland, Derek Bond, Leslie Dwyer, and Maureen Connell. John Schlesinger and Arthur Lowe appear in supporting ...

'' (1958) - Night Porter * '' Beyond This Place'' (1959) - Night Doorman * ''

Left Right and Centre ''Left Right and Centre'' is a 1959 British satirical comedy film directed by Sidney Gilliat and starring Ian Carmichael, Patricia Bredin, Richard Wattis, Eric Barker and Alastair Sim. It was produced by Frank Launder. A political comedy, it fo ...

'' (1959) - Railway Porter (uncredited) * ''

Trouble with Eve ''Trouble with Eve'' is a low budget 1960 British comedy film directed by Francis Searle and starring Hy Hazell, Sally Smith, Robert Urquhart and Garry Marsh. It was based on the play ''Widows are Dangerous'' by June Garland. It was shot at W ...

'' (1960) - Cabdriver * ''

The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll ''The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll'' is a 1960 British horror film produced by Hammer Film Productions. It was directed by Terence Fisher, and stars Paul Massie as Dr. Jekyll, and co-stars Dawn Addams, Christopher Lee and David Kossoff. The screenp ...

'' (1960) - Groom (uncredited) * '' Saturday Night and Sunday Morning'' (1960) - Tommy (uncredited) * '' The Night We Got the Bird'' (1961) - Bald headed man * ''

The Kitchen The Kitchen is a non-profit, multi-disciplinary avant-garde performance and experimental art institution located at 512 West 19th Street, between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It was foun ...

'' (1961) - Alfred * '' Murder at the Gallop'' (1963) - Hotel Night Porter (uncredited) (final film role) Screenwriter * ''

'' (1935) * '' King of the Castle'' (1936) * '' Not So Dusty'' (1936) * ''

(1937)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Atkinson, Frank 1893 births 1963 deaths 20th-century English male actors British expatriate male actors in the United States English male film actors English male television actors Male actors from Lancashire People from Blackpool