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Steve Franken Dead, 60s TV Actor Died Last Week

Posted: August 30, 2012
Steve Franken Dead, 60s TV Actor Died Last Week

steve franken dead

Steve Franken, the veteran actor who starred on The Many Loves Of Dobie Gillis, is dead, his wife has confirmed.

Steve Franken was a character actor famous for his work during the era alongside some of the decade’s biggest stars including Jerry Lewis, Peter Sellers, and Barbara Eden.

In the course of his 50-year career, Franken appeared in many hits of their respective eras, including Bewitched; Love, American Style; the television show Mission: Impossible; and Seinfeld. On film, Franken appeared in The Party, The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu, Which Way to the Front?, Hardly Working, The Missouri Breaks, and The Americanization of Emily.

Forty years on, Steve Franken’s role in The Party was re-evaluated by a journalist, and the importance of his character actor function was underscored in the assessment:

“Rivaling Sellers with one of The Party‘s stand-out performances: Steve Franken as the increasingly inebriated butler, slathering on a layer of slapstick to the proceedings with his incontinent antics. Franken’s interaction with his vexed supervisor, his drunken stroll through the shallow indoor pool, his struggle to rescue the roast chicken perched precariously atop a bewigged socialite’s bouffant hairdo: all comedy gold.”

The assessment calls to mind the golden age of American film in the 50s and 60s where comedy was a bit more wholesome and family friendly but still edgy enough to pique adult tastes.

Steve Franken’s wife confirmed that Franked died of cancer in California on August 24. In addition to his wife, Franken is survived by three daughters and two grandchildren.



Comments


13 Archived Responses to “ Steve Franken Dead, 60s TV Actor Died Last Week ”

  1. Anonymous
    Aug 30, 2012

    Oh…I was hoping it was Al Franken…

  2. Wolff Bachner
    Aug 30, 2012

    what a great scene without one word of dialog. wonderful and funny.

  3. Ruth Meyer
    Aug 30, 2012

    I loved him in the role of "Chatsworth Osborne the third" on the Dobie Gillis Show. He was so funny.

  4. Derek Anthony
    Aug 31, 2012

    He was great on several episodes of Bewitched but his role as the drunk waiter in the "Party" was a classic.

  5. Gary K. Gookins
    Aug 31, 2012

    wow, time is a killer. seems like yesterday watching Dobie Gillis, now they are 80 if alive. RIP Steve Franken.

  6. Kenneth Clark
    Aug 31, 2012

    OMG Yes he was in several episodes of Bewitched. I've seen them all! Showin' my age there! LOL

  7. Chinnu Tpr
    Aug 31, 2012

    Thank you Steve. Your hard work, dedication, and long hours will always be appreciated by this Classic TV and film viewer! RIP! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zpcdPEl3IQ

  8. Anonymous
    Aug 31, 2012

    Steve Frankin had the characteristic of being someone you enjoyed watching in any role. A really talented guy who we already miss. RIP old friend.

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    Aug 31, 2012

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  10. Gary Peters
    Aug 31, 2012

    …..pure comic genius……..reminds of a sequence from a silent movie……….I've always that the butler stole a good portion of the film form Mr. Sellers………best "drunk" ever!

  11. Jeri Jo Thomas
    Sep 1, 2012

    yeah, let's hear applause for a damned republican who just can not be nasty.

  12. Zarmeena Ahmad-Mohammed
    Sep 1, 2012

    WHICH ONE IN THE VIDEO IS STEVE FRANKEN THE DARK SKINNED GUY SITTING ON THE PILLOW AT THE END OF THE TABLE WHO IS TALKING TO SOUND LIKE AN INDIAN OR THE REALLY DRUNK WAITER WHO HANDS SALAD OUT WITH HIS HANDS AND DROPS EVERYTHIN.???HEHEAHAHAH

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