Frank Without Panama

Just a few words in acknowledgment of the existence of writer and director Melvin Frank (1913-1988). We’ve had half a dozen occasions on which to mention the man, usually in relation to his writing-directing partnership with Norman Panama. With specific regard to that phase of his career, I refer you to this earlier post.

Frank directed several movies without Panama, including Strange Bedfellows (1965, pictured above with Rock Hudson and monkey), Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell (1968) starring Gina Lollobrigida; the multiple Oscar nominated A Touch of Class (1973) with George Segal and Glenda Jackson; Neil Simon’sThe Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975); The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox (1976); Lost and Found (1979, which reunited the cast of A Touch of Class, and marked Martin Short‘s cinematic debut); and Walk Like a Man (1987) with Howie Mandel, Christopher Lloyd, and Cloris Leachman.

Frank’s daughter is Pulitzer-prize winning author and scholar Elizabeth Frank (b. 1945). Her notable works include biographies of Jackson Pollock and poet Louise Bogan (she won the Pulitzer for the latter).

For more on the history of show business,consult No Applause, Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous, for more on classic comedy please check out my book: Chain of Fools: Silent Comedy and Its Legacies from Nickelodeons to Youtube. And stay tuned for my upcomingElectric Vaudeville: A Century of Radio and TV Variety.