Francis Curry McHugh (May 23, 1898 – September 11, 1981)U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. was an American stage, radio, film, and television actor.
Early years Born in Homestead, Pennsylvania, of Irish descent, McHugh came from a theatrical family. His parents, Edward A. "Cutie" McHugh and Katherine Curry "Katie" McHugh, ran the McHugh stock theater company in Braddock, Pennsylvania. As a young child, he performed on stage. His brother Matt and sister Kitty performed in an act with him by the time he was 10 years old, but the family quit the stage around 1930. Another brother, Ed, became a stage manager and agent in New York.
Career Leaving the family stage company at age 17, McHugh went to Pittsburgh as leading man and stage manager at the Empire Theater there. He spent nine years in stock companies and road troupes before appearing on Broadway.
McHugh debuted on Broadway in The Fall Guy, written by George Abbott and James Gleason in 1925. He also appeared in Show Girl (1929), a musical. In that same year, he made his first film, If Men Played Cards as Women Do, a short produced by Paramount. First National Pictures hired him as a contract player in January 1930.
From 1954 to 1956, he starred in the radio program Hotel For Pets.
From 1964 to 1965, he played Willie Walters, a live-in handyman in the 27-episode ABC sitcom The Bing Crosby Show, which reunited him once again onscreen with Bing Crosby. The show also co-starred Beverly Garland. McHugh's last feature-film role was as a comical "sea captain" in the 1967 Elvis Presley caper film Easy Come, Easy Go. McHugh's last television appearance was as handyman Charlie Wingate in "The Fix-It Man", an episode of CBS's Lancer Western series.
On radio, McHugh had the role of Fairchild Finnegan in Phone Again, Finnegan (1946–1947). He also co-starred in Hotel for Pets (1954–1956).
McHugh belonged to a group of friends, known in Hollywood as the "Irish Mafia", that included his close friends James Cagney, Pat O’Brien, and Spencer Tracy, as well as fellow actors Allen Jenkins, Ralph Bellamy, Frank Morgan, and Lynne Overman.McCabe, John (1997). Cagney. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. p. 128. .
World War II During World War II, McHugh joined the Hollywood Victory Caravan, a group that included 21 stars traveling around the country on a special train, performing in several cities over the course of three weeks in 1942 to raise money for the Army and Navy Relief Society. He followed that with a USO tour of England, appearing in the American Variety Show with Al Jolson, Merle Oberon, Patricia Morison, and Allen Jenkins.
McHugh returned to Europe with a USO show created by him, McHugh’s Revue, which toured France, Holland, Belgium, and Germany in November and December of 1944. McHugh, four beautiful girls (actresses Mary Brian, June Clyde, Charlotte Greer, and Nina Nova) and piano-player Eddie Eisman toured the front line, entertaining and meeting the troops. The McHugh papers at the New York Public Library include many accounts of the tour. For his work with the USO, McHugh received a citation "for exceptionally meritorious service while working as a member of an entertainment unit" from the U.S. Army, signed by Major General Raymond S. McLain. In a 1945 letter to McHugh and his troupe, McLain wrote:
Personal life and death
McHugh was married to Dorothy McHugh (née Spencer) from 1933 until his death. They had three children.
On September 11, 1981, McHugh died in Greenwich Hospital in Greenwich, Connecticut, at age 83.
Filmography
Year Film Role Director Notes 1929 If Men Played Cards as Women Do 3rd Card PlayerShort film 1930 The Dawn Patrol Flaherty Howard Hawks 1930 Top Speed Tad Jordan Mervyn LeRoy 1930 Bright Lights A. Hamilton Fish, a reporter Michael Curtiz 1930 College Lovers Speed Haskins John G. Adolfi 1930 The Widow from Chicago Slug O'Donnell Edward F. Cline 1930 Going Wild 'Ricky' Freeman William A. Seiter 1931 Kiss Me Again Francois William A. Seiter 1931 Millie John Holmes John Francis Dillon 1931 The Front Page McCue Lewis Milestone 1931 Up for Murder Collins Monta Bell 1931 Men of the SkyOscar Alfred E. Green 1931 That's News to MeShort film 1931 Traveling Husbands Pinkie Charles Kerr (assistant) 1931 The Hot Spot Peter BurkeShort film 1931 The Great Junction Hotel Peeping TomWilliam Beaudine 1931 Bad Company Doc Tay Garnett 1931 The Big ScoopHarry SweetShort film 1931 Corsair 'Chub' Hopping Roland West 1931 The Wide Open Spaces MattArthur Rosson 1932 Union Depot The Drunk Alfred E. Green 1932 High Pressure Mike Donahey Mervyn LeRoy 1932 Extra! Extra!Harry SweetShort film 1932 The Crowd Roars Spud Connors Howard Hawks 1932 The Strange Love of Molly Louvain Skeets Michael Curtiz 1932 The Dark Horse Joe Alfred E. Green 1932 Blessed Event Reilly Roy Del Ruth 1932 Life Begins Ringer Banks James Flood 1932 One Way Passage Skippy Tay Garnett 1933 Parachute Jumper Toodles Cooper Alfred E. Green 1933 Mystery of the Wax Museum Jim Michael Curtiz 1933 Grand Slam Philip 'Speed' McCann Alfred E. Green 1933 The Telegraph Trail Corporal Tippy Tenny Wright 1933 Private Jones 'Greasy' Russell Mack 1933 Elmer, the Great Healy High-Hips Mervyn LeRoy 1933 Lilly Turner David 'Dave' Dixon William A. Wellman 1933 Ex-Lady Hugo Van Hugh Robert Florey 1933 Hold Me Tight Billy David Butler 1933 Tomorrow at Seven Clancy Ray Enright 1933 Professional Sweetheart Speed Dennis William A. Seiter 1933 Footlight Parade Francis Busby Berkeley(musical numbers) 1933 Havana Widows Duffy Ray Enright 1933 Son of a Sailor 'Gaga' Lloyd Bacon 1933 The House on 56th Street Chester Hunt Robert Florey 1933 Convention City Will Goodwin Archie Mayo 1934 Not Tonight, Josephine Napoleon 1934 Fashions of 1934 Snap William Dieterle 1934 Heat Lightning Frank Mervyn LeRoy 1934 Merry Wives of Reno Al H. Bruce Humberstone 1934 Let's Be Ritzy Bill Damroy Robert Edward Ludwig 1934 Smarty George Lancaster Robert Florey 1934 Return of the Terror Joe Hastings Howard Bretherton 1934 Here Comes the Navy Droopy Mullins Lloyd Bacon 1934 Happiness Ahead Tom Mervyn LeRoy 1934 6 Day Bike Rider Clinton Hemmings Lloyd Bacon 1935 Maybe It's Love Willy Sands William C. McGann 1935 Devil Dogs of the Air Crash Kelly Lloyd Bacon 1935 Gold Diggers of 1935 Humbolt Prentiss Busby Berkeley 1935 The Irish in Us Mike O'Hara Lloyd Bacon 1935 Page Miss Glory Ed Olson Mervyn LeRoy 1935 A Midsummer Night's Dream Quince - the Carpenter 1935 Stars Over Broadway Offkey Cramer William Keighley 1936 Freshman Love Coach Hammond William McGann 1936 Moonlight Murder William Edwin L. Marin 1936 Snowed Under Orlando Rowe Ray Enright 1936 Bullets or Ballots Herman McCloskey William Keighley 1936 Stage Struck Sid Busby Berkeley 1936 Three Men on a Horse Erwin Trowbridge Mervyn LeRoy (uncredited) 1937 Ever Since Eve 'Mabel' DeCraven Lloyd Bacon 1937 Marry the Girl David 'Party' Partridge William C. McGann 1937 Mr. Dodd Takes the Air 'Sniffer' Sears Alfred E. Green 1937 Submarine D-1 'Lucky' Lloyd Bacon 1938 Swing Your Lady Popeye Ray Enright 1938 He Couldn't Say No Lambert T. Hunkins Lewis Seiler 1938 Little Miss Thoroughbred Todd Harrington John Farrow 1938 Four Daughters Ben Crowley Michael Curtiz 1938 Boy Meets Girl Rossetti Lloyd Bacon 1938 Valley of the Giants 'Fingers' McCarthy William Keighley 1939 Wings of the Navy Scat Allen Lloyd Bacon 1939 Dodge City Joe Clemens Michael Curtiz 1939 Daughters Courageous George Michael Curtiz 1939 Indianapolis Speedway 'Spud' Connors Lloyd Bacon 1939 Dust Be My Destiny Caruthers Lewis Seiler 1939 On Your Toes Paddy Reilly 1939 The Roaring Twenties Danny Green Raoul Walsh 1939 Four Wives Ben Crowley Michael Curtiz 1940 The Fighting 69th 'Crepe Hanger' Burke William Keighley 1940 Alex in Wonderland Narrator (voice, uncredited) 1940 Virginia City Mr. Upjohn Michael Curtiz 1940 'Til We Meet Again Rockingham T. Rockingham William K. Howard 1940 I Love You Again 'Doc' Ryan W.S. Van Dyke 1940 City for Conquest 'Mutt' Jean Negulesco (uncredited) 1941 Four Mothers Ben Crowley William Keighley 1941 Back Street Ed Porter Robert Stevenson 1941 Manpower Omaha Raoul Walsh 1942 All Through the Night Barney Vincent Sherman 1942 Her Cardboard Lover Chappie Champagne George Cukor 1944 Going My Way Father Timothy O'Dowd Leo McCarey 1944 Marine Raiders Sgt. Louis Leary Robert Wise (additional scenes) 1944 Bowery to Broadway Joe Kirby Charles Lamont 1945 A Medal for Benny Edgar Lovekin Irving Pichel 1945 State Fair McGee Walter Lang 1946 The Hoodlum Saint Three Finger Norman Taurog 1946 The Runaround Wally Quayle Charles Lamont 1946 Little Miss Big Charlie Bryan Erle C. Kenton 1947 Easy Come Easy Go Carey John Farrow 1947 Carnegie Hall John Donovan Edgar G. Ulmer 1948 The Velvet Touch Ernie Boyle Jack Gage 1949 Mighty Joe Young Windy Ernest B. Schoedsack 1949 Miss Grant Takes Richmond Mr. Kilcoyne Lloyd Bacon 1950 Paid in Full Ben William Dieterle 1950 The Tougher They Come Gig RaffertyRay Nazarro 1952 The Pace That Thrills Rocket Anderson Leon Barsha 1952 My Son John Father O'Dowd Leo McCarey 1953 It Happens Every Thursday Fred Hawley Joseph Pevney 1953 A Lion Is in the Streets Frank Rector Raoul Walsh 1954 There's No Business Like Show Business Eddie Dugan Walter Lang 1958 The Last Hurrah Festus Garvey John Ford 1959 Say One for Me Jim Dugan Frank Tashlin 1959 Career Charley Gallagher Joseph Anthony 1961 The Spiral Staircase Constable Williams 1963 Inside Danny Baker Mr. JohansenTV Pilot 1964 A Tiger Walks Bill Watkins Norman Tokar 1967 Easy Come, Easy Go Captain Jack John Rich
Short subjects as himself:
An Intimate Dinner in Celebration of Warner Bros. Silver Jubilee (1930) Hollywood Newsreel (1934) (uncredited) A Dream Comes True (1935) Screen Snapshots Series 15, No. 3 (1935) Screen Snapshots Series 16, No. 1 (1936) A Day at Santa Anita (1937) Sunday Night at the Trocadero (1937) Breakdowns of 1938 (1938)
Notes
External links
New York Public Library blog on Frank McHugh
Frank McHugh and Family papers, 1894-1969, held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts Literature on Frank McHugh