
Frank Faylen
Known for Acting · 191 credits
- Born
- 1905-12-08
- Died
- 1985-08-02
- Place of birth
- Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
- Also known as
- Francis Charles Ruf · Frank Ruf · Charles Francis Ruf
Biography
Frank Faylen (born Francis Charles Ruf) was an American stage, screen, and television actor. He is best remembered for his movie performances as the cynical male nurse in The Lost Weekend (1945) and Ernie the taxi driver in It's a Wonderful Life (1946), as well as for his portrayal of long-suffering grocer Herbert T. Gillis on the 1950s television sitcom The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.
Known For
TV Shows (16)

Quincy, M.E.
1976
as Janus

Maverick
1957
as Red Harrison

The Beverly Hillbillies
1962

Petticoat Junction
1963
as Ralph

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956
as Doc Alvarez

Wanted: Dead or Alive
1958
as Sheriff Earl Tipton

That Girl
1966

The Colgate Comedy Hour
1950
as Self

The Bob Hope Show
1950
as Self

The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
1959
as Herbert T. Gillis

Telephone Time
1956

The Great Adventure
1963
as O'Brien

Racket Squad
1951

Man with a Camera
1958

My Mother the Car
1965

General Electric Theater
1953
as Farber
Movies (175)

Gone with the Wind
1939
as Soldier Aiding Dr. Meade (uncredited)

It's a Wonderful Life
1946
as Ernie

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
1957
as Sheriff Cotton Wilson

Sergeant York
1941
as But! Boy (uncredited)

Funny Girl
1968
as Keeney

The Grapes of Wrath
1940
as Tim

Dino
1957
as Frank Mandel

The Go-Getter
1937
as Country Club Man #2 (uncredited)

7th Cavalry
1956
as Sgt. Kruger

North to Alaska
1960
as Arnie (uncredited)

Copper Canyon
1950
as Mullins

The Looters
1955
as Stan Leppich

The Lost Weekend
1945
as 'Bim' Nolan

Mokey
1942
as Police Desk Sergeant

The Pride of the Yankees
1942
as Yankee Third Base Coach (uncredited)

Bullets or Ballots
1936
as Gatley - Pinball Racketeer (uncredited)

California
1947
as Whitey

Detective Story
1951
as Det. Gallagher

Whispering Ghosts
1942
as Curly

A Guy Named Joe
1944
as Major (uncredited)

Midnight Court
1937
as Reporter

Fall In
1942
as Capt. Gillis

Variety Girl
1947
as Frank Faylen

James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
1987
as Self (archive footage)

Blood on the Moon
1948
as Jake Pindalest

Riot in Cell Block 11
1954
as Commissioner Haskell

The Reluctant Dragon
1941
as Orchestra Leader (uncredited)

Wake Island
1942

The Fighting 69th
1940
as Engineer Sergeant (uncredited)

The Nevadan
1950
as Jeff

Yankee Doodle Dandy
1942
as Sergeant on Parade (uncredited)

Brother Orchid
1940
as Parkway Biltmore Desk Clerk (uncredited)

Blossoms in the Dust
1941
as Man with Man Carrying Dead Child

Kid Galahad
1937
as Barney

Five Came Back
1939
as Photographer (uncredited)

They Drive by Night
1940
as Driver in Cafe (uncredited)

Road to Rio
1947
as Trigger

The Palm Beach Story
1942
as Taxi Driver (uncredited)

Marked Woman
1937
as Cabbie #2 (uncredited)

Waterfront
1939
as Skids Riley

Across the Pacific
1942
as Sidewalk Toy Vendor (uncredited)

Too Hot to Handle
1938
as Assistant Dubber (uncredited)

Thunder Afloat
1939
as Recruiting Officer (uncredited)

Nazty Nuisance
1943
as Seaman Benson

The Blue Dahlia
1946
as Man Recommending Motel

Francis
1950
as Sergeant Chillingbacker

About Face
1942
as Bartender Jerry

The Sniper
1952
as Anderson

Fourteen Hours
1951
as Walter, room service waiter

City for Conquest
1940
as Band Conductor and Emcee (uncredited)

Mission to Moscow
1943
as Reporter (uncredited)

The Monkey's Uncle
1965
as Mr. Dearborne

Convicted
1950
as Convict Ponti

Hangman's Knot
1952
as Cass Browne

You Can't Get Away with Murder
1939
as Boat Tour Guide (uncredited)

The McConnell Story
1955
as Sfc. Sykes

Blue Skies
1946
as Mack

Away All Boats
1956
as Chief Phillip P. 'Pappy' Moran

The Gang's All Here
1943
as Marine Sergeant (uncredited)

To Each His Own
1946
as Babe

The Case of the Stuttering Bishop
1937
as Charlie Downs

Edison, the Man
1940
as Galbreath

Curtain Call
1940
as Spike Malone

Two Years Before the Mast
1946
as Hansen

China Clipper
1936
as Weatherman (uncredited)

The Lusty Men
1952
as Al Dawson

Slightly Dangerous
1943
as Gateman (uncredited)

A-Haunting We Will Go
1942
as Train Detective (uncredited)

Welcome Stranger
1947
as Bill Walters

Smart Blonde
1937
as Ambulance Driver (uncredited)

Thank Your Lucky Stars
1943
as Sailor (uncredited)

Star Spangled Rhythm
1942
as Soldier (uncredited)

The Canterville Ghost
1944
as Lieutenant John Kane

The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle
1939
as Adjutant (uncredited)

99 River Street
1953
as Stan Hogan

The Unknown Guest
1943
as Truck Driver (uncredited)

San Quentin
1937
as Convict Envying Hoffman (uncredited)

Invisible Stripes
1939
as Steve - Henchman on Bank Job (uncredited)

Somewhere I'll Find You
1942
as Soldier Driving Jeep

Idiot's Delight
1939
as Ed

Headin' East
1937
as Joe

The Trouble with Women
1947
as Geeger

Nick Carter, Master Detective
1939
as Pete Foley - 1st pilot

Corvette K-225
1943
as Shipyard Painter

Race Street
1948
as Phil Dickson

Terror at Midnight
1956
as Fred Hill

Come Live with Me
1941
as Waiter

It's a Wonderful World
1939
as Peters - Stagehand (uncredited)

The Lone Gun
1954
as Fairweather

That Certain Woman
1937
as Reporter (uncredited)

Young Ideas
1943
as Reporter (uncredited)

Address Unknown
1944
as Jimmie Blake

Saturday's Children
1940
as Cab Driver (uncredited)

They Won't Forget
1937
as Reporter

No Place to Go
1939
as Pete Shaffer

Suddenly It's Spring
1947
as Harold Michaels

Whispering Smith
1948
as Whitey Du Sang

Model Wife
1941
as Master of Ceremonies

Alice in Movieland
1940
as Master of Ceremonies (uncredited)

And the Angels Sing
1944
as Holman

Fluffy
1965
as Catfish

Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble
1944
as Taxi Driver #2 (uncredited)

The Perils of Pauline
1947
as Mr. Joe Gurt

You Came Along
1945
as Bellboy (uncredited)

Steel Against the Sky
1941
as Egg Man in Diner (uncredited)

Prairie Chickens
1943
as Clem

Castle on the Hudson
1940
as Guard Who is Slugged (uncredited)

The Invisible Menace
1938
as Private of the Guard

The Affairs of Susan
1945
as Brooklyn Boy (uncredited)

The Falcon Strikes Back
1943
as Cecil, a Hobo (uncredited)

Joe Smith, American
1942
as Man in Waiting Room with Matches (uncredited)

Incendiary Blonde
1945
as Hotel Clerk (uncredited)

East of the River
1940
as Tour Guide (uncredited)

The Eagle and the Hawk
1950
as Red' Hyatt - Danzeeger's Foreman

Thieves Fall Out
1941
as Pick

Passage West
1951
as Curly

Lucky Night
1939
as Play Palace Announcer (uncredited)

See Here, Private Hargrove
1944
as M.P. (uncredited)

Reno
1939
as J. Hezmer Briggs

Yanks Ahoy
1943
as Quartermaster Jenkins
About Frank Faylen
Frank Faylen (born Francis Charles Ruf) was an American stage, screen, and television actor. He is best remembered for his movie performances as the cynical male nurse in The Lost Weekend (1945) and Ernie the taxi driver in It's a Wonderful Life (1946), as well as for his portrayal of long-suffering grocer Herbert T. Gillis on the 1950s television sitcom The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. With 191 credits spanning from 1935 to 1987, Frank Faylen has appeared in 175 films and 16 TV shows.
Fans searching for Frank Faylen movies, Frank Faylen filmography, or the latest projects starring Frank Faylen can stream many of these titles on CineFlixo, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Frank Faylen Movies
- Gone with the Wind (1939) — as Soldier Aiding Dr. Meade (uncredited)
- It's a Wonderful Life (1946) — as Ernie
- Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957) — as Sheriff Cotton Wilson
- Sergeant York (1941) — as But! Boy (uncredited)
- Funny Girl (1968) — as Keeney
Where to Watch Frank Faylen Films
Most Frank Faylen movies and series are available to stream on CineFlixo in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Frank Faylen, check our movies catalogue and browse page.