Francis Sayles (November 22, 1891 â€" March 19, 1944) was an American
character actor at the beginning of the sound film era. In the short
dozen years of his career he appeared in over 100 films, most of them
features. While he was normally cast in small uncredited parts, he was
occasionally cast in featured roles, as in the role of Dickman in the
1934 film, One in a Million, starring Dorothy Wilson and Charles
Starrett.Sayles was born on November 22, 1891 in Buffalo, New York.
His film debut occurred in a small role of a detective in Strangers of
the Evening (1932), starring ZaSu Pitts. Other notable films in which
Sayles appears include: the featured role of Charlie Blaine in 1932's
Blonde Venus, starring Marlene Dietrich and Cary Grant; a small role
in The Gay Deception (1935), starring Francis Lederer and Frances Dee;
a bit part as a waiter in the 1936 romantic comedy More Than a
Secretary, starring Jean Arthur, George Brent, and Lionel Stander; the
featured role of Charlie in Archie Mayo's 1937 drama Black Legion,
starring Humphrey Bogart; as Detective William Jones in the 1938
western The Purple Vigilantes, starring Robert Livingston, Ray
Corrigan, and Max Terhune; an uncredited role in Michael Curtiz' 1939
western, Dodge City, starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland; as
a politician in Orson Welles' 1941 classic, Citizen Kane; as a taxi
driver in the 1943 Howard Hawks' romantic comedy, Ball of Fire (1942),
starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck; again as a cab driver in
the 1943 biopic, The Pride of the Yankees, starring Gary Cooper and
Teresa Wright; and the 1944 biography The Adventures of Mark Twain,
starring Fredric March and Alexis Smith. Sayles had a small role of an
elevator operator in the 1944 film, Casanova Brown, again starring
Cooper and Wright. It was his final film, he died on March 19, 1944,
while the film was still in production. It was released later that
year in August.(Per AFI database)
character actor at the beginning of the sound film era. In the short
dozen years of his career he appeared in over 100 films, most of them
features. While he was normally cast in small uncredited parts, he was
occasionally cast in featured roles, as in the role of Dickman in the
1934 film, One in a Million, starring Dorothy Wilson and Charles
Starrett.Sayles was born on November 22, 1891 in Buffalo, New York.
His film debut occurred in a small role of a detective in Strangers of
the Evening (1932), starring ZaSu Pitts. Other notable films in which
Sayles appears include: the featured role of Charlie Blaine in 1932's
Blonde Venus, starring Marlene Dietrich and Cary Grant; a small role
in The Gay Deception (1935), starring Francis Lederer and Frances Dee;
a bit part as a waiter in the 1936 romantic comedy More Than a
Secretary, starring Jean Arthur, George Brent, and Lionel Stander; the
featured role of Charlie in Archie Mayo's 1937 drama Black Legion,
starring Humphrey Bogart; as Detective William Jones in the 1938
western The Purple Vigilantes, starring Robert Livingston, Ray
Corrigan, and Max Terhune; an uncredited role in Michael Curtiz' 1939
western, Dodge City, starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland; as
a politician in Orson Welles' 1941 classic, Citizen Kane; as a taxi
driver in the 1943 Howard Hawks' romantic comedy, Ball of Fire (1942),
starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck; again as a cab driver in
the 1943 biopic, The Pride of the Yankees, starring Gary Cooper and
Teresa Wright; and the 1944 biography The Adventures of Mark Twain,
starring Fredric March and Alexis Smith. Sayles had a small role of an
elevator operator in the 1944 film, Casanova Brown, again starring
Cooper and Wright. It was his final film, he died on March 19, 1944,
while the film was still in production. It was released later that
year in August.(Per AFI database)
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