Milton Frome (February 24, 1909 – March 21, 1989) was an American character actor.

Career

Born in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, Frome landed his first acting job in the

short subject A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

''Daredevil O'Dare'' in 1934. He did not act again until 1939 when he joined the cast of ''Ride 'Em Cowgirl'' as Oliver Sheahe. His acting career stalled until 1950, when he began to find steady work appearing on television shows like '' I Love Lucy'', '' Adventures of Superman'' and ''

Lassie Lassie is a fictional female Rough Collie dog and is featured in a short story by Eric Knight that was later expanded to a full-length novel called '' Lassie Come-Home''. Knight's portrayal of Lassie bears some features in common with another ...

''. He also worked with

The Three Stooges The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical farce and slapstick. Six Stooges appeared ...

during their final years in the

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

department, appearing in the films '' Pies and Guys'' and '' Quiz Whizz''. Frome was very busy in the 1960s, concentrating mainly on character acting roles for television. He also appeared as a

comic foil A double act (also known as a comedy duo) is a form of comedy originating in the British music hall tradition, and American vaudeville, in which two comedians perform together as a single act. Pairings are typically long-term, in some cases fo ...

in many

Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian. As his contributions to comedy and charity made him a global figure in popular culture, pop culture ...

films. He covered all types, ranging from hapless souls and college professors to heavies, salesmen, and policemen. Frome could be seen on such shows as ''

Hennesey ''Hennesey'' is an American military comedy-drama television series that aired on CBS from 1959 to 1962, starring Jackie Cooper and Abby Dalton. Cooper played a United States Navy physician, Lt. Charles W. "Chick" Hennesey, with Abby Dalt ...

'', '' The Lawless Years'', ''

77 Sunset Strip ''77 Sunset Strip'' is an American television private detective drama series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Roger Smith, Richard Long (from 1960 to 1961) and Edd Byrnes (billed as Edward Byrnes). Each episode was o ...

'', ''

The Dick Van Dyke Show ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' is an American television sitcom created by Carl Reiner that initially aired on CBS from October 3, 1961 to June 1, 1966, with a total of 158 half-hour episodes spanning five seasons. It was produced by Calvada Prod ...

'', ''

Bat Masterson Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was born to ...

'', '' The New Phil Silvers Show'', ''

The Addams Family ''The Addams Family'' is a fictional family created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. They originally appeared in a series of 150 unrelated single-panel cartoons, about half of which were originally published in ''The New Yorker'' over ...

'', ''

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...

'', ''

Adam-12 ''Adam-12'' is an American television police procedural crime drama television series created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb. The series follows Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers Pete Malloy and Jim Reed as they patrol the st ...

'', ''

Bewitched ''Bewitched'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series that originally aired for eight seasons on ABC from September 17, 1964, to March 25, 1972. It is about a witch who marries an ordinary mortal man and vows to lead the life of a typ ...

'', ''

Adventures of Superman (TV series) ''Adventures of Superman'' is an American television series based on comic book characters and concepts that Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created in 1938. The show was the first television series to feature Superman and began filming in 1951 in C ...

'', ''

The Beverly Hillbillies ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from 1962 to 1971. It had an ensemble cast featuring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer Jr. as the Clampetts, a poor, backwoods family f ...

'', ''

The Monkees The Monkees were an American rock and pop band, formed in Los Angeles in 1966, whose lineup consisted of the American actor/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor/singer Davy Jones. The group was con ...

'', and '' A Touch of Grace''.

Death

Frome continued acting until 1977, his last role being in the made-for-television remake of the film ''

Captains Courageous ''Captains Courageous: A Story of the Grand Banks'' is an 1897 novel by Rudyard Kipling that follows the adventures of fifteen-year-old Harvey Cheyne Jr., the spoiled son of a railroad tycoon, after he is saved from drowning by a Portuguese f ...

''. He died of

congestive heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, ...

on March 21, 1989, aged 80, and was buried in Forest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery.

Filmography

*''Ride 'em, Cowgirl'' (1939) – Oliver Shea *''

Dick Tracy's G-Men ''Dick Tracy's G-Men'' (1939) is a 15-Chapter Republic movie serial based on the ''Dick Tracy'' comic strip by Chester Gould. It was directed by William Witney and John English. This serial was the fifteenth of the sixty-six produced by Rep ...

'' (1939) – Officer (uncredited) *'' Calling All Marines'' (1939) – Hospital Corpsman (uncredited) *''

The Seven Little Foys ''The Seven Little Foys'' is a Technicolor in VistaVision 1955 comedy film directed by Melville Shavelson starring Bob Hope as Eddie Foy. One highlight of the film is an energetic tabletop dance showdown sequence with Bob Hope as Eddie Foy a ...

'' (1955) – Driscoll (uncredited) *''

You're Never Too Young ''You’re Never Too Young'' is a 1955 American semi-musical comedy film directed by Norman Taurog and starring the team of Martin and Lewis and co-starring Diana Lynn, Nina Foch, and Raymond Burr. It was released on August 25, 1955 by Paramount ...

'' (1955) – Lieutenant O'Malley *'' The Birds and the Bees'' (1956) – Assistant Butler *'' The Man Who Knew Too Much'' (1956) – Guard (uncredited) *'' Pardners'' (1956) – Hawkins, the Butler *'' The Girl Can't Help It'' (1956) – Nick (uncredited) *''

Public Pigeon No. 1 ''Public Pigeon No. 1'' is a 1957 comedy film directed by Norman Z. McLeod. It stars Red Skelton and Vivian Blaine. It is the theatrical feature-length remake of the ''Climax!'' television episode "Public Pigeon #1" that also starred Red Skelton ...

'' (1957) – Avery *'' The Wayward Bus'' (1957) – Stanton (uncredited) *'' The Delicate Delinquent'' (1957) – Mr. Herman *'' The Lonely Man'' (1957) – Bixby (uncredited) *''

The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown ''The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown'' is a 1957 American romantic comedy film made by Russ-Field Productions and released by United Artists. It was directed by Norman Taurog from a screenplay by Richard Alan Simmons, based on a novel of the same name by ...

'' (1957) – Police Lieutenant Dempsey *'' Short Cut to Hell'' (1957) – LAPD Captain (uncredited) *'' Hear Me Good'' (1957) – Mr. Ross *''

Sing, Boy, Sing ''Sing Boy Sing'' is a 1958 musical–drama film released by 20th Century-Fox and starring newcomers Tommy Sands and Lili Gentle. The film was an expansion of the January 1957 ''Kraft Television Theatre'' episode "The Singin' Idol," also starrin ...

'' (1958) – Man at Recording Studio (uncredited) *'' The Young Lions'' (1958) – Draft Board Physician (uncredited) *'' Go, Johnny, Go!'' (1959) – Mr. Martin *''

Visit to a Small Planet ''Visit to a Small Planet'' is a 1960 American black-and-white science fiction comedy film directed by Norman Taurog and starring Jerry Lewis, Joan Blackman, Earl Holliman, and Fred Clark. Distributed by Paramount Pictures, it was produced by ...

'' (1960) – Police Commissioner *''

Please Don't Eat the Daisies ''Please Don't Eat the Daisies'' (New York: Doubleday, 1957) is a best-selling collection of humorous essays by American humorist and playwright Jean Kerr about suburban living and raising four boys. The essays do not have a plot or through-sto ...

'' (1960) – Gus (uncredited) *'' Cinderfella'' (1960) – Butler (uncredited) *'' The Police Dog Story'' (1961) – Todd Wellman *'' All Hands on Deck'' (1961) – Officer with Damaged Car (uncredited) *'' The Errand Boy'' (1961) – Mr. Greenback *'' It's Only Money'' (1962) – Cop at Pier *''

Bye Bye Birdie ''Bye Bye Birdie'' is a stage musical with music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams, based upon a book by Michael Stewart. Originally titled ''Let's Go Steady'', ''Bye Bye Birdie'' is set in 1958. The short story "Dream Man", authored ...

'' (1963) – Mr. Maude *'' The Nutty Professor'' (1963) – Dr. M. Sheppard Leevee *'' A Ticklish Affair'' (1963) – Fireman *'' Who's Minding the Store?'' (1963) – Francois, the Driver *'' What a Way to Go!'' (1964) – Lawyer (uncredited) *''

I'd Rather Be Rich ''I'd Rather Be Rich'' is a 1964 romantic comedy film with musical aspects directed by Jack Smight, produced by Ross Hunter and starring Sandra Dee. The film focuses on a dying man who wishes to meet his granddaughter's fiancé, but he is unavaila ...

'' (1964) – Max *'' The Disorderly Orderly'' (1964) – Board Member *''

John Goldfarb, Please Come Home! ''John Goldfarb, Please Come Home!'' is a 1965 American comedy film based on the novel by William Peter Blatty published in 1963. The film was directed by J. Lee Thompson. The film was shot in the Mojave Desert. In the film, an American milita ...

'' (1965) – Air Force General *'' Girl Happy'' (1965) – Police Captain (uncredited) *'' Fluffy'' (1965) – Tweedy Physicist *'' The Family Jewels'' (1965) – Pilot *'' Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine'' (1965) – Motorcycle Cop *''

'' (1966) – Vice Admiral Fangschliester *'' Way... Way Out'' (1966) – American Delegate *''

The Swinger ''The Swinger'' is a 1966 American sex comedy film directed by George Sidney and starring Ann-Margret Ann-Margret Olsson (born April 28, 1941) is a Swedish–American actress, singer, and dancer. As an actress and singer, she is credited as ...

'' (1966) – Mr. Olsson *''

Enter Laughing ''Enter Laughing'' is a 1963 play by Joseph Stein. A farce in two acts, it is based on the semi-autobiographical novel by Carl Reiner. The action centers on the journey of young aspiring actor David Kolowitz as he tries to extricate himself fr ...

'' (1967) – Policeman *'' The St. Valentine's Day Massacre'' (1967) – Adam Heyer *''

Chubasco A chubasco is a violent squall with thunder and lightning, encountered during the rainy season along the Pacific coast of Mexico, Central America, and South America. The word chubasco has its origins in the Portuguese word '' chuva'' which mean ...

'' (1968) – Police Sergeant *''

With Six You Get Eggroll ''With Six You Get Eggroll'' is a 1968 American romantic comedy film directed by Howard Morris and starring Doris Day, Brian Keith, Barbara Hershey, George Carlin, and Pat Carroll. It was the first film that was produced by the CBS Television Ne ...

'' (1968) – Bud Young *'' Which Way to the Front?'' (1970) – Mr. Fennick – Executive (uncredited) *'' Adam 12''(1972) - Milton Sawyer *'' The Strongest Man in the World'' (1975) – Mr. Lufkin *'' Next Stop, Greenwich Village'' (1976) – Drugstore Customer (uncredited) *'' Gus'' (1976) – Lukom *''

The Shaggy D.A. ''The Shaggy D.A.'' is a 1976 American comedy film and a sequel to '' The Shaggy Dog'' (1959) produced by Walt Disney Productions. It was directed by Robert Stevenson and written by Don Tait. As with the first film in the series, it takes some ...

'' (1976) – Auctioneer *'' Beyond Reason'' (1977) – Cyril (final film role)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Frome, Milton 1909 births 1989 deaths American male film actors American male television actors Male actors from Philadelphia Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) 20th-century American male actors