Frank Cady
Encyclopedia
Frank Cady is an American
actor
best known for his recurring and popular role as storekeeper Sam Drucker
in three US television series during the 1960s: Petticoat Junction
, Green Acres
and The Beverly Hillbillies
.
, Cady attended Stanford University
, where he was involved with the campus humor magazine, the Stanford Chaparral
. He served in the United States Army Air Forces
during World War II
.
Cady began acting in 1947. In 1950 he had an uncredited speaking role in the classic film noir
drama D.O.A.
(as Sam the bartender in Banning, California) and another uncredited role in Father of the Bride
requesting mint juleps from Spencer Tracy
during the engagement party. He also had a small part in the 1950 noir classic The Asphalt Jungle
playing a witness that refused to identify a robbery suspect. He appeared in George Pal
's 1951 film When Worlds Collide
(as the assistant who pushes the wheelchair belonging to John Hoyt
's character). Cady had a prominent role in Billy Wilder
's film Ace in the Hole (also known as The Big Carnival). He had a small non-speaking role, seen mostly in long shot, in one of Alfred Hitchcock
's most prestigious films, Rear Window
. Cady and Rand Harper, who played the newlywed, are the only surviving cast members from the film. Cady also played the husband to Eileen Heckart
's character in The Bad Seed
. He had a small speaking role, coming to pick up his distraught but very drunk wife from the home of their daughter's school friend, the last person to see their son alive before he drowned.
In the 1950s Cady played Doc Williams in Ozzie and Harriet
along with numerous supporting parts in movies
and also appeared in television commercials for (among other products) Shasta Grape Soda
.
Cady has been most prolific in television and was the only actor to play a recurring character on three TV sitcoms at the same time, The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres and Petticoat Junction, from 1968 to 1969. He also was one of only three co-stars of Petticoat Junction who stayed with the series for its entire seven-year run along with Edgar Buchanan
and Linda Henning, appearing in 170 of the show's 222 episodes.
Cady now resides in Wilsonville, Oregon
, and has two children; daughter, Catherine Turk; son, Steven; three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
best known for his recurring and popular role as storekeeper Sam Drucker
Sam Drucker
Sam Drucker was the operator of the general store in Hooterville in the fictional world of the 1960s American sitcoms Petticoat Junction and Green Acres and made several guest appearances on The Beverly Hillbillies, created by Paul Henning...
in three US television series during the 1960s: Petticoat Junction
Petticoat Junction
Petticoat Junction is an American situation comedy produced by Filmways which originally aired on CBS from 1963 to 1970. The series is one of three interrelated shows about rural characters created by Paul Henning; the others are The Beverly Hillbillies and Green Acres.The setting for the series...
, Green Acres
Green Acres
Green Acres is an American television series starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a couple who move from New York City to a country farm...
and The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr....
.
Career
Born in Susanville, CaliforniaSusanville, California
Susanville is the county seat of Lassen County, California, United States. Susanville is located on the Susan River in the south-central part of the county, at an elevation of 4186 feet . The population was 17,974 at the 2010 census, up from 13,541 at the 2000 census...
, Cady attended Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, where he was involved with the campus humor magazine, the Stanford Chaparral
Stanford Chaparral
The Stanford Chaparral is a humor magazine published by students of Stanford University since 1899.-History:...
. He served in the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Cady began acting in 1947. In 1950 he had an uncredited speaking role in the classic film noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
drama D.O.A.
D.O.A. (1950 film)
D.O.A. , a film noir drama film directed by Rudolph Maté, is considered a classic of the genre. The frantically paced plot revolves around a doomed man's quest to find out who has poisoned him – and why – before he dies.Leo C...
(as Sam the bartender in Banning, California) and another uncredited role in Father of the Bride
Father of the Bride (1950 film)
Father of the Bride is a 1950 American comedy film about a man trying to cope with preparations for his daughter's upcoming wedding. The movie stars Spencer Tracy in the titular role, Joan Bennett, Elizabeth Taylor, Don Taylor, Billie Burke, and Leo G. Carroll. It was adapted by Frances Goodrich...
requesting mint juleps from Spencer Tracy
Spencer Tracy
Spencer Bonaventure Tracy was an American theatrical and film actor, who appeared in 75 films from 1930 to 1967. Tracy was one of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, ranking among the top ten box office draws for almost every year from 1938 to 1951...
during the engagement party. He also had a small part in the 1950 noir classic The Asphalt Jungle
The Asphalt Jungle
The Asphalt Jungle is a 1950 film noir directed by John Huston. The caper film is based on the novel of the same name by W. R. Burnett and stars an ensemble cast including Sterling Hayden, Jean Hagen, Sam Jaffe, Louis Calhern, James Whitmore, and, in a minor but key role, Marilyn Monroe, an unknown...
playing a witness that refused to identify a robbery suspect. He appeared in George Pal
George Pál
George Pal , born György Pál Marczincsak, was a Hungarian-born American animator and film producer, principally associated with the science fiction genre...
's 1951 film When Worlds Collide
When Worlds Collide (film)
When Worlds Collide is a 1951 science fiction film based on the 1933 novel co-written by Philip Gordon Wylie and Edwin Balmer. The film was shot in Technicolor, directed by Rudolph Maté and was the winner of the 1951 Academy Award for special effects....
(as the assistant who pushes the wheelchair belonging to John Hoyt
John Hoyt
John Hoyt was an American film, stage, and television actor.-Early life:Hoyt was born John McArthur Hoysradt. Before becoming an actor with Orson Welles's Mercury Theatre, the Yale University graduate worked as a history instructor, acting teacher and even a nightclub comedian...
's character). Cady had a prominent role in Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder was an Austro-Hungarian born American filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, artist, and journalist, whose career spanned more than 50 years and 60 films. He is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Hollywood's golden age...
's film Ace in the Hole (also known as The Big Carnival). He had a small non-speaking role, seen mostly in long shot, in one of Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
's most prestigious films, Rear Window
Rear Window
Rear Window is a 1954 American suspense film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, written by John Michael Hayes and based on Cornell Woolrich's 1942 short story "It Had to Be Murder"...
. Cady and Rand Harper, who played the newlywed, are the only surviving cast members from the film. Cady also played the husband to Eileen Heckart
Eileen Heckart
Eileen Heckart was an American actress of stage, screen, and television.-Early life:Heckart was born Anna Eileen Heckart in Columbus, Ohio, the daughter of Esther and Leo Herbert. She was legally adopted by her grandfather, J.W. Heckart. Her family was of Irish and German descent...
's character in The Bad Seed
The Bad Seed (film)
The Bad Seed is a 1956 American horror-thrillerfilm directed by Mervyn LeRoy. It is based upon a play by Maxwell Anderson, which in turn is based upon William March's 1954 novel The Bad Seed. The play was adapted by John Lee Mahin for the screenplay of the film...
. He had a small speaking role, coming to pick up his distraught but very drunk wife from the home of their daughter's school friend, the last person to see their son alive before he drowned.
In the 1950s Cady played Doc Williams in Ozzie and Harriet
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet is an American sitcom, airing on ABC from October 3, 1952 to September 3, 1966, starring the real life Nelson family. After a long run on radio, the show was brought to television where it continued its success, running on both radio and TV for a couple of years...
along with numerous supporting parts in movies
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and also appeared in television commercials for (among other products) Shasta Grape Soda
Shasta (soft drink)
Shasta Beverages is a U.S. soft drink manufacturer, which markets a value-priced soft drink line with a wide variety of soda flavors, under the brand name Shasta Soda. The company name is derived from Mount Shasta and an associated spring.- History :...
.
Cady has been most prolific in television and was the only actor to play a recurring character on three TV sitcoms at the same time, The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres and Petticoat Junction, from 1968 to 1969. He also was one of only three co-stars of Petticoat Junction who stayed with the series for its entire seven-year run along with Edgar Buchanan
Edgar Buchanan
Edgar Buchanan was an American actor with a long career in both film and television, most familiar today as Uncle Joe Carson from the Petticoat Junction, Green Acres and The Beverly Hillbillies television sitcoms of the 1960s...
and Linda Henning, appearing in 170 of the show's 222 episodes.
Personal life
Cady married his wife, Shirley, in 1940. She died on August 22, 2008, at age 91.Cady now resides in Wilsonville, Oregon
Wilsonville, Oregon
Wilsonville is a city primarily in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. A portion of the northern section of the city is in Washington County. Originally founded as Boones Landing due to the Boones Ferry which crossed the Willamette River at the location, the community became Wilsonville in...
, and has two children; daughter, Catherine Turk; son, Steven; three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | He Walked by Night He Walked by Night He Walked by Night is a black-and-white police procedural film noir, crediting Alfred L. Werker as director. The film, shot in semidocumentary tone, was loosely based on newspaper accounts of the real-life actions of Erwin "Machine-Gun" Walker, a former Glendale police department employee and... |
Pete Hammond, Suspect | Uncredited |
| 1949 | Flamingo Road | Tom Hill | Uncredited |
| 1950 | The Asphalt Jungle The Asphalt Jungle The Asphalt Jungle is a 1950 film noir directed by John Huston. The caper film is based on the novel of the same name by W. R. Burnett and stars an ensemble cast including Sterling Hayden, Jean Hagen, Sam Jaffe, Louis Calhern, James Whitmore, and, in a minor but key role, Marilyn Monroe, an unknown... |
Night clerk | Uncredited |
| 1950 | D.O.A. | Bartender | Uncredited |
| 1951 | When Worlds Collide When Worlds Collide (film) When Worlds Collide is a 1951 science fiction film based on the 1933 novel co-written by Philip Gordon Wylie and Edwin Balmer. The film was shot in Technicolor, directed by Rudolph Maté and was the winner of the 1951 Academy Award for special effects.... |
Harold Ferris | |
| 1951 | Let's Make It Legal Let's Make It Legal Let's Make It Legal is a 1951 comedy film made by Twentieth Century-Fox, directed by Richard Sale and produced by Robert Bassler from a screenplay by I.A.L. Diamond and F. Hugh Herbert, based on a story by Mortimer Braus entitled "My Mother-in-Law, Miriam". The music was by Cyril J... |
Ferguson | |
| 1952 | The Atomic City | F.B.I. Agent George Weinberg | |
| 1953 | Half a Hero | Mr. Watts | |
| 1954 | Rear Window Rear Window Rear Window is a 1954 American suspense film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, written by John Michael Hayes and based on Cornell Woolrich's 1942 short story "It Had to Be Murder"... |
Husband above the Thorwalds | |
| 1954–1965 | The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet is an American sitcom, airing on ABC from October 3, 1952 to September 3, 1966, starring the real life Nelson family. After a long run on radio, the show was brought to television where it continued its success, running on both radio and TV for a couple of years... |
Doc Williams | TV, 19 episodes |
| 1955 | Trial Trial (1955 film) Trial is a 1955 American film directed by Mark Robson and written by Don Mankiewicz . It stars Glenn Ford, Dorothy McGuire, Arthur Kennedy and Juano Hernandez... |
Canford | Uncredited |
| 1956 | December Bride December Bride December Bride is an American sitcom that aired on the CBS television network from 1954 to 1959, adapted from the original CBS radio network series that aired from June 1952 through September 1953.-Overview:... |
TV, 1 episode | |
| Private Secretary Private Secretary (TV series) Private Secretary is an American sitcom that aired from February 1, 1953 to September 10, 1957 on CBS, alternating with The Jack Benny Program on Sundays at 7:30pm EST... |
Barney | TV, 1 episode | |
| 1957 | Broken Arrow Broken Arrow (TV series) Broken Arrow is a Western series which ran on ABC-TV in prime time from 1956 through 1958 on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. Eastern time. Repeat episodes were shown by ABC on Sunday afternoons during the 1959–60 season... |
Thaddeus Parker | TV, 1 episode |
| The Girl Most Likely The Girl Most Likely The Girl Most Likely is a musical about a young woman who ends up engaged to three men at the same time. The film, a remake of Tom, Dick and Harry , was directed by Mitchell Leisen, and stars Jane Powell, Cliff Robertson, and Keith Andes... |
Pop | ||
| 1958 | The Missouri Traveler The Missouri Traveler The Missouri Traveler is a 1958 American coming-of-age period piece drama film directed by Jerry Hopper starring Brandon De Wilde and Lee Marvin. It is based on the novel by John Burress. The cinematography was by Technicolor developer Winton C. Hoch with harmonica and banjo score by Jack Marshall... |
Willie Poole | |
| Hamelin | TV, 1 episode | ||
| Trackdown Trackdown Trackdown is an American Western television series starring Robert Culp that aired on CBS between 1957 and 1959. The series offered more than seventy episodes and was produced by Dick Powell's Four Star Television and filmed at the Desilu-Culver Studio... |
Bob Tail | TV, 1 episode | |
| 1959 | The Gale Storm Show The Gale Storm Show The Gale Storm Show is an American sitcom starring Gale Storm. The series premiered on September 29, 1956, and ran until 1960 for 143 half-hour black-and-white episodes, initially on CBS and in its last year on ABC... |
TV, 1 episode | |
| The Man Who Understood Women The Man Who Understood Women The Man Who Understood Women is a 1959 American drama film written and directed by Nunnally Johnson from a novel by Romain Gary, and starring Henry Fonda, Leslie Caron, Renate Hoy and Cesare Danova.- Plot :... |
John Milstead | ||
| 1960 | Make Room for Daddy The Danny Thomas Show The Danny Thomas Show is an American sitcom which ran from 1953-1957 on ABC and from 1957-1964 on CBS... |
Town Drunk | TV, 1 episode |
| Klondike Klondike (TV series) Klondike is a 17-episode half-hour Western television series that aired on NBC. The series premiered on October 10, 1960 and ran until February 13, 1961. It faced stiff competition from The Danny Thomas Show on CBS and the second half of the first-season detective series Surfside 6 starring Troy... |
Lester | TV, 1 episode | |
| 1961 | Hawaiian Eye Hawaiian Eye Hawaiian Eye is an American television series that ran from October 1959 to September 1963 on the American Broadcasting Company television network.-Premise:... |
Harvey Gamson | TV, 1 episode |
| Pete and Gladys Pete and Gladys Pete and Gladys is an American situation comedy broadcast by CBS on Monday night at 8:00pm Eastern and Pacific time for two seasons, beginning on September 19, 1960... |
Teller | TV, 1 episode | |
| 1962 | Cheyenne Cheyenne (TV series) Cheyenne is a western television series of 108 black-and-white episodes broadcast on ABC from 1955 to 1963. The show was the first hour-long western, and in fact the first hour-long dramatic series of any kind, with continuing characters, to last more than one season... |
TV, 1 episode | |
| Dennis the Menace | Dr. Ferguson | TV, 1 episode | |
| 1963 | The Virginian The Virginian (TV series) The Virginian is an American Western television series starring James Drury and Doug McClure, which aired on NBC from 1962 to 1971 for a total of 249 episodes. Filmed in color, The Virginian became television's first 90-minute western series... |
Mr. Hardy | TV, 1 episode |
| Grindl Grindl Grindl is an American situation comedy that began in the fall of 1963 on NBC, originally sponsored by Procter & Gamble. The show, starring Imogene Coca in the title role, lasted for one season.-Synopsis:... |
Mr. Burroughs | TV, 1 episode | |
| Glynis Glynis Glynis is an American situation comedy that aired on CBS from September 25 to December 18, 1963.-Synopsis:The series stars Welsh actress Glynis Johns as Glynis Granville, a mystery writer. Keith Andes appeared as Keith Granville, Glynis' husband who works as a successful criminal defense attorney.... |
Episode entitled "The Pros and Cons" | TV, 1 episode | |
| 1964 | Hazel Hazel (TV series) Hazel is a Screen Gems television series about a fictional live-in maid named Hazel Burke and her employers, the Baxters. The five-season, 154-episode series aired in primetime from September 1961 until April 1966... |
Mr. Pincus | TV, 1 episode |
| Gunsmoke Gunsmoke Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West.... |
Webb Norton | TV, 1 episode | |
| 1965–1966 | The Andy Griffith Show The Andy Griffith Show The Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom first televised by CBS between October 3, 1960, and April 1, 1968. Andy Griffith portrays a widowed sheriff in the fictional small community of Mayberry, North Carolina... |
Luke, a drunk | TV, 2 episodes |
| 1965–1971 | Green Acres Green Acres Green Acres is an American television series starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a couple who move from New York City to a country farm... |
Mr. Drucker, The General Store Shopkeeper | TV, 145 Episodes |
| 1967 | The Gnome-Mobile The Gnome-Mobile The Gnome-Mobile is a 1967 Disney musical film, directed by Robert Stevenson. It was one of the last films personally produced by Walt Disney.... |
Charlie Pettibone | Uncredited |
| 1970 | The Million Dollar Duck The Million Dollar Duck The Million Dollar Duck is a 1971 Disney comedy film that was directed by Vincent McEveety, and stars Dean Jones, Sandy Duncan and Joe Flynn.-Plot:... |
Assayer | |
| 1974 | Hawaii Five-O Hawaii Five-O Hawaii Five-O is an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productions and Leonard Freeman. Set in Hawaii, the show originally aired for twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in reruns. The show featured a fictional state police unit run by Detective Steve McGarrett,... |
Judge Edgar Bergstrom | TV, 1 episode |
| 1974–1975 | These Are the Days | Homer (Voice) | TV, 16 episodes |
| 1975 | Hearts of the West | Pa Tater | |
| 1977 | Eight Is Enough Eight Is Enough Eight Is Enough is an American television comedy-drama series which ran on ABC from March 15, 1977 until August 29, 1981. The show was modeled after syndicated newspaper columnist Thomas Braden, a real-life parent with eight children, who wrote a book with the same name... |
TV, 1 episode | |
| 1977–1978 | ABC Weekend Special ABC Weekend Special The ABC Weekend Special is a weekly 30-minute anthology TV series for children that aired Saturday mornings on ABC from 1977 to 1997. It featured a wide variety of stories that were both live-action and animated.... |
Mr. Sutter | TV, 3 episodes |
| 1990 | Return to Green Acres | Sam Drucker |