Frank Sidney Hagney (20 March 1884 – 25 June 1973) was an Australian actor. He is known for his work on It's a Wonderful Life (1946), Ride Him, Cowboy (1932) and The Sea Beast (1926).

Frank Hagney
Hagney in The General (1926)
Born
Frank Sidney Hagney

(1884-03-20)20 March 1884
Died25 June 1973(1973-06-25) (aged 89)
Resting placeForest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California
OccupationActor
Years active1919–1966
SpouseEdna Shephard

Early life and career

edit

Born in Sydney, New South Wales in 1884. Hagney was a heavyweight boxer from 1914-1918.[1] Hagney appeared in more than 350 Hollywood films between 1919 and 1966. Most of his film roles were small and uncredited. Hagney often played officers or henchmen. He is perhaps best-known as Mr. Potter's silent, wheelchair-pushing valet in Frank Capra's classic It's a Wonderful Life (1946). Hagney was also a guest star on more than 70 television programs such as The Cisco Kid, The Adventures of Kit Carson, The Lone Ranger, The Rifleman, Perry Mason, and Daniel Boone. In 1956 he appeared as a Townsman in an uncredited role in the TV western Cheyenne in the episode titled "The Last Train West."

He starred in The Fighting Marine (1926) with Jack Anthony, Joe Bonomo and Walter Miller; The Fighting Sap (1924) with Bob Fleming, Hazel Keener, Wilfred Lucas and Fred Thomson;[2] The Ghost in the Garret (1921), Ghost Town Gold (1936), Go Get 'Em Hutch (1922) with Richard R. Neil;[3] Ride Him Cowboy (1932) with Eddie Gribbon and John Wayne, Valley of the Lawless (1936), and Vultures of the Sea (1928) with Joseph Bennett.[4]

His 42 silent films included The Battler (1919), The Breed of the Border (1924), The Dangerous Coward (1924), Galloping Gallagher (1924), Lighting Romance (1924), The Mask of Lopez (1924), The Silent Stranger (1924), The Wild Bull's Lair (1925), Lone Hand Saunders (1926) and The Two-Gun Man (1926).[5] His 54 sound western film included The Phantom of the West (1931), Fighting Caravans (1931), The Squaw Man (1931), The Golden West (1932), Honor of the Range (1934), Western Frontier, Heroes of the Range (1936), Billy the Kid, The Lone Rider Rides On (1941), Blazing Frontier (1943) and The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap (1947).[6] His last two films were McLintock! (1963) and Come Blow Your Horn (1963).[6]

Personal life

edit

Hagney was married to Edna Shephard.

He was also a professional sculler.[7] In 1927 he won a race between Long Beach, California and Santa Catalina Island, which was captured on film.[8]

He died in Los Angeles in 1973. He is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale.[9]

Filmography

edit
 
Frank Hagney (1940), in Misbehaving Husbands

References

edit
  1. ^ "BoxRec:Frank Hagney". BoxRec. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  2. ^ Katchmer 2009, p. 430.
  3. ^ Katchmer 2009, p. 433.
  4. ^ Katchmer 2009, p. 473.
  5. ^ Katchmer 2009, p. 145.
  6. ^ a b Katchmer 2009, p. 146.
  7. ^ "Frank Hagney". www.b-westerns.com.
  8. ^ "Frank Hagney wins first place in rowboat marathon (1927)". YouTube.
  9. ^ Virtual War Memorial Australia

Bibliography

edit
edit