Arthur Franz (b. February 29 1920 in Perth Amboy, New Jersey - d. June 17 2006) was a B-movie actor who appeared in a number of films in the 1950s including Invaders from Mars (1953), Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951) and The Unholy Wife (1957) playing a priest. In 1952's The Sniper, Franz played a rare movie lead in the films title role as a tormented killer. In addition to films, Franz was a familiar face on American television, appearing on dozen of television programs including Perry Mason, The F.B.I., The Mod Squad, The Virginian and Rawhide. Franz's last film role was in That Championship Season (1982). Franz's interest in acting developed when he was a high school student. During World War II, Franz served as a navigator in the United States Army Air Forces. He was shot down over Romania and incarcerated in a POW camp, from which he escaped. Franz died June 17 2006 in Oxnard, California at the age of 86 from emphysema and heart disease.
References
- Thurber, Jon. (2006, June 19). Arthur Franz, 86; He Played Friendly Guy in Movies, TV. The Los Angeles Times
- San Jose Mrcury News "Character actor Arthur Franz dies at 86 in California (retrieved 20 June 2006)
- Arthur Franz at the Internet Movie Database
