Dwight Frye

Dwight Iliff Frye (born Fry; February 22, 1899 – November 7, 1943) was an American character actor of stage and screen. He is best known for his portrayals of neurotic, murderous villains in several classic Universal horror films, such as Renfield in Dracula and Fritz in Frankenstein (1931).

Biography

Early life and career

Frye was born in Salina, Kansas, and studied for a career in music and first appeared as a concert pianist.

While he had a few minor comedic roles in silent pictures, with the coming of sound Frye soon became known for playing villains. Frye specialized in the portrayal of mentally unbalanced characters, including his signature role, the madman Renfield in Tod Browning's 1931 version of Dracula.

Later that same year, he played the hunchbacked assistant Fritz in Frankenstein and Wilmer Cook (the "gunsel") in the first film version of Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon. He had a featured role in the horror film The Vampire Bat (1933) in which he played Herman, a half-wit suspected of being a killer. He had memorable roles in The Invisible Man (1933) as a reporter, and in The Crime of Dr. Crespi (1935).

In Bride of Frankenstein (1935), he played Karl. The part was originally much more substantive; many of Frye's additional scenes were part of a subplot but were cut to shorten the running time and appease the censors. One of the deleted scenes was that of Karl killing a Burgomaster, portrayed by E. E. Clive. Nothing remains of those scenes except still photographs included in a Universal Studios DVD release of the film. He played prominent townspeople in The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942) and Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943); another appearance in Son of Frankenstein (1939) was deleted prior to release. Also in the 1930s, he appeared in two films starring James Cagney: The Doorway to Hell (1930), as a hit man, and Something to Sing About (1937), as a fussy hairdresser.

During the early 1940s, Frye alternated between film roles and appearing on stage in a variety of productions ranging from comedies to musicals, as well as appearing in a stage version of Dracula. During World War II, he made a contribution to the war effort by working nights as a tool designer for Douglas Aircraft.

Musical tribute American rock band Alice Cooper wrote and recorded a tribute track to Dwight Frye entitled "The Ballad of Dwight Fry" (intentionally dropping the last "e") that was included on their 1971 LP Love It to Death. On stage, this song would be portrayed with Cooper in a straitjacket trying to escape, and finally breaking free at the end of the song to strangle the nurse with the ties.

Devil Doll's 1990 album, Eliogabalus, features the photographed likeness of Dwight Frye in one of its booths.

SNFU's 1991 compilation album The Last of the Big Time Suspenders features artwork of Dwight Frye as his "Renfield" character on the front cover.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1926 Exit Smiling Balcony Heckler Uncredited 1927 Upstream Theatre Audience Spectator Uncredited 1928 The Night Bird Party Guest Uncredited 1930 The Doorway to Hell Gangster Man to Man Vint Glade 1931 Dracula R. M. Renfield The Maltese Falcon Wilmer Cook The Black Camel Jessup, The Butler Uncredited Frankenstein Fritz 1932 Attorney for the Defense James Wallace By Whose Hand? Chick The Western Code Dick Loomis A Strange Adventure Robert Wayne 1933 The Vampire Bat Herman Gleib The Circus Queen Murder Flandrin The Invisible Man Reporter Uncredited 1935 Bride of Frankenstein Karl Atlantic Adventure "Spike" Jonas The Crime of Dr. Crespi Dr. Thomas The Great Impersonation Roger Unthank Uncredited 1936 Tough Guy Mack Uncredited Florida Special Jenkins Alibi for Murder McBride Beware of Ladies Swanson Great Guy Minor Role Uncredited1937 Sea Devils SS Paradise Radio Operator Uncredited The Man Who Found Himself Hysterical Patient The Road Back Small Man At Rally Uncredited Renfrew of the Royal Mounted Desk Clerk Uncredited Something to Sing About Mr. Easton Danger Patrol Man On Telephone Uncredited The Shadow Vindecco 1938 Who Killed Gail Preston? Mr. Owen Invisible Enemy Alex Sinners in Paradise Marshall Uncredited Fast Company Sidney Z. Wheeler The Night Hawk John Colley Adventure in Sahara Gravet / "The Jackal" Uncredited 1939 Son of Frankenstein Villager Unconfirmed The Man in the Iron Mask Fouquet's Valet Uncredited Mickey the Kid Bruno, The Henchman Uncredited Conspiracy Lieutenant Keller Uncredited 1940 I Take This Woman Gus (scenes deleted) Drums of Fu Manchu Professor Anderson Serial, [Ch.5] Gangs of Chicago "Pinky" Phantom Raiders Eddie Anders Sky Bandits Speavy The Son of Monte Cristo Pavlov's Secretary Uncredited 1941 The People vs. Dr. Kildare Jury Foreman Uncredited Mystery Ship Rader Flying Blind Leo Qualen The Blonde from Singapore Barber Uncredited The Devil Pays Off Radio Operator Uncredited 1942 Sleepytime Gal Second Mug Uncredited The Ghost of Frankenstein Villager Uncredited Danger in the Pacific Desk Clerk Uncredited 1943 Dead Men Walk Zolarr Submarine Alert Haldine, Fifth Columnist Uncredited Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man Rudi Hangmen Also Die! Hostage Uncredited Dangerous Blondes Hoodlum Uncredited