Frank Lovejoy

Frank Andrew Lovejoy Jr. (March 28, 1912 – October 2, 1962) was an American actor in radio, film, and television. He is perhaps best remembered for appearing in the film noir The Hitch-Hiker and for starring in the radio drama Night Beat.

Early life He was born in the Bronx, New York, but grew up in New Jersey. His father, Frank Andrew Lovejoy Sr., was a furniture salesman from Maine. His mother, Nora, was born in Massachusetts, to Irish immigrant parents.

Radio A successful radio actor, Lovejoy played Broadway Harry on the Gay Nineties Revue and was heard on the 1930s crime drama series Gang Busters. Lovejoy was a narrator (during the first season) for the show This Is Your FBI.

In radio soap operas, Lovejoy played Dr. Christopher Ellerbe in Valiant Lady, Sam Foster in This Day Is Ours, and he had the roles of Brad Forbes on Brave Tomorrow and Larry Halliday in Bright Horizon. He also played the title character on the syndicated The Blue Beetle in 1940, several episodes of The Whistler, and starred in the later newspaper drama series Night Beat in the early 1950s and in episodes of Suspense in the late 1950s. He also starred as John Malone in The Amazing Mr. Malone. He appeared as boxer Rory Malone in the March 20, 1949, episode of Pat Novak for Hire titled "Rory Malone".

Films

Lovejoy mostly played supporting roles in films of the 1940s and 1950s. Appearing in movies such as Goodbye, My Fancy (1951) with Joan Crawford, and The Hitch-Hiker (1953) directed by Ida Lupino, Lovejoy was effective playing the movie's everyman in extraordinary situations. He was in several war movies, notably Stanley Kramer's Home of the Brave (1949), Breakthrough (1950), Joseph H. Lewis's Retreat, Hell! (1952) which portrayed the United States Marine Corps' withdrawal from the Chosin Reservoir (Changjin Reservoir) during the Korean War and as a Marine sergeant again in Beachhead (1954), and Strategic Air Command (1955) with James Stewart.

In 1950, he had the lead role in Try and Get Me (aka Sound of Fury) as a struggling, out-of-work man who fell to crime to support his family; in a film noir combining crime and murder with social injustice, an irresponsible newspaper and equally criminal public mob reactions. In 1951, he had the title role in I Was a Communist for the FBI with co-stars Ron Hagerthy, Paul Picerni, and Philip Carey.

Television Lovejoy starred in two short-run TV series, Man Against Crime and Meet McGraw.

Lovejoy's final television performances include the episode "County General" (March 18, 1962) on the ABC series Bus Stop with Marilyn Maxwell in the role of Grace Sherwood. That same season, he appeared on the ABC crime drama Target: The Corruptors! about the efforts of a New York City reporter to expose organized crime.

Personal life In 1940, Lovejoy married actress Joan Banks, with whom he had daughter Judith and son Stephen. On October 2, 1962, Lovejoy died of a heart attack in his sleep at the Warwick Hotel in New York City. He and Banks at the time had been performing together in a New Jersey production of Gore Vidal's play The Best Man.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1948 Black Bart Mark Lorimer 1949 Home of the Brave Sergeant Mingo 1950 In a Lonely Place Detective Sergeant Brub Nicolai South Sea Sinner Doc Three Secrets Bob Duffy Breakthrough Sgt. Pete Bell Try and Get Me! Howard Tyler aka The Sound of Fury 1951 I Was a Communist for the FBI Matt Cvetic Goodbye, My Fancy Matt Cole Force of Arms Major Blackford I'll See You in My Dreams Walter Donaldson Starlift Himself 1952 Retreat, Hell! Lieutenant Colonel Steve L. Corbett The Winning Team Rogers Hornsby 1953 She's Back on Broadway John Webber The Hitch-Hiker Gilbert Bowen House of Wax Lieutenant Thomas "Tom" Brennan The System John E. 'Johnny' Merrick The Charge at Feather River Sergeant Charlie Baker 1954 Beachhead Sgt. Fletcher Men of the Fighting Lady Lieutenant Commander Paul Grayson 1955 The Americano Bento Hermany Strategic Air Command General Ennis C. Hawkes Top of the World Maj. Brad Cantrell Mad at the World Police Capt. Tom Lynn Finger Man Casey Martin Shack Out on 101 Professor Bastion The Crooked Web Stanley Fabian 1956 Julie Detective Lieutenant Pringle 1958 Cole Younger, Gunfighter Cole Younger Television Year Title Role Notes 1957–1958 Meet McGraw McGraw 33 episodes 1957 Cavalcade of America Inspector Ed McCook Ep. 'Chicago 2-1-2' Radio Year Title Role Notes 1948 The Blue Beetle 1948 Box 13 Various support roles - 1950 Escape Episode: "Danger at Matecumbe" 1950–1952 Night Beat Randy Stone 1952 Gang Busters 1952 Hollywood Sound Stage Episode: "One Way Passage" 1952 Suspense Joe Broady Episode: "The Wreck of the Old 97" 1952 Suspense Billy the KidEpisode: "The Shooting of Billy the Kid" 1954 Suspense Mr. KedmanEpisode: "The Man from Tomorrow"