Stephen Robert Franken (May 27, 1932 â€" August 24, 2012) was an
American actor who appeared on screen and television for a half
century.Franken, the son of a Hollywood press agent, was born in
Brooklyn, New York and graduated from Cornell University in 1953. His
first screen role was in 1958 as "Willie" in the episode "The Time of
Your Life" on the CBS anthology series, Playhouse 90.Another early
role was as "Bully" in the 1961 episode "The Pit" of the ABC western
series, The Rebel, starring Nick Adams. He played the lead
guest-starring role in the 1961 episode "The Case of Willie Betterley"
in the crime drama, Lock Up. In 1962, he was cast as Dunc Tomilson in
"The Yacht-Club Gang" on the CBS crime drama, Checkmate. He appeared
as Jerry Allen in two episodes of the NBC education drama, Mr. Novak.
In 1964, he appeared the SciFi B movie, The Time Travelers. In 1965 he
appeared in a McHale's Navy episode "Birth of a Salesman".Producer Rod
Amateau saw him in a Los Angeles stage production of Say, Darling, and
cast him as playboy dilettante Chatsworth Osborne Jr., on the CBS
sitcom, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, starring Dwayne Hickman.
Franken appeared as a recurring guest in numerous episodes beginning
midway through the first season and continuing through the fourth and
final season, from 1960 to 1963. He attributed the character's look of
pained condescension to an ulcer he himself had suffered since the age
of fourteen, when his own mother had died. He appeared in 1963 on
Petticoat Junction as the son of the villain, Homer Bedlow, played by
Charles Lane.
American actor who appeared on screen and television for a half
century.Franken, the son of a Hollywood press agent, was born in
Brooklyn, New York and graduated from Cornell University in 1953. His
first screen role was in 1958 as "Willie" in the episode "The Time of
Your Life" on the CBS anthology series, Playhouse 90.Another early
role was as "Bully" in the 1961 episode "The Pit" of the ABC western
series, The Rebel, starring Nick Adams. He played the lead
guest-starring role in the 1961 episode "The Case of Willie Betterley"
in the crime drama, Lock Up. In 1962, he was cast as Dunc Tomilson in
"The Yacht-Club Gang" on the CBS crime drama, Checkmate. He appeared
as Jerry Allen in two episodes of the NBC education drama, Mr. Novak.
In 1964, he appeared the SciFi B movie, The Time Travelers. In 1965 he
appeared in a McHale's Navy episode "Birth of a Salesman".Producer Rod
Amateau saw him in a Los Angeles stage production of Say, Darling, and
cast him as playboy dilettante Chatsworth Osborne Jr., on the CBS
sitcom, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, starring Dwayne Hickman.
Franken appeared as a recurring guest in numerous episodes beginning
midway through the first season and continuing through the fourth and
final season, from 1960 to 1963. He attributed the character's look of
pained condescension to an ulcer he himself had suffered since the age
of fourteen, when his own mother had died. He appeared in 1963 on
Petticoat Junction as the son of the villain, Homer Bedlow, played by
Charles Lane.
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