Frank McHugh

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Francis Curray "Frank" McHugh (May 23, 1898 – September 11, 1981) was an American film and television actor. Born in Homestead, Pennsylvania, McHugh came from a theatrical family. His parents ran a stock theatre company and as a young child he performed on stage. His brother Matt and sister Kitty performed an act with him by the time he was ten years old, but the family quit the stage around 1930. Another brother, Ed, became a stage manager and agent in New York.

McHugh debuted on Broadway in The Fall Guy in 1925. Warner Bros. hired him as a contract player in 1930. McHugh played everything from lead actor to sidekick and would often provide comedy relief. He appeared in over 150 films and television productions and worked with almost every star at Warner Bros. He was a close friend of James Cagney and appeared in more Cagney movies than any other actor.

He appeared with him in eleven movies between 1932 and 1953. Their friendship lasted until McHugh's death. By the 1950s his film career had begun to decline, as evinced by his smaller role in Career (1959). From 1964 to 1965 he played the role of Willie Walters, a live-in handyman, on ABC's sitcom The Bing Crosby Show. His last television appearance was as Charlie Wingate in the episode "The Fix-It Man" on CBS's Lancer western series. McHugh played a handyman in that role too.