Frank Wilson

Frank Edward Wilson (11 April 1924 – 24 October 2005) was an Australian film, stage and television actor; musical comedy singer and director; and television game show and variety host.

Early life Frank Wilson was born in 1924 in the Melbourne suburb of Northcote. He left school at the age of 13. In 1943, he joined the Australian Army, where he served as a Signalman in Borneo and Papua New Guinea until his discharge in 1945.

Career He began acting in 1947, when he appeared at Melbourne's Tivoli Theatre.

Wilson had a small role as a cane cutter in Summer of the Seventeenth Doll (1959).

His best-known film appearances were in The Club (by David Williamson; a role that Wilson had created on stage), Crackerjack, Breaker Morant, Black Robe and Money Movers. He also appeared in the 1957 Charlie Chaplin film A King in New York. On television he appeared in Changi (a mini-series written by John Doyle), SeaChange, Blue Heelers, Water Rats, Power Without Glory, A Country Practice, Bellbird, Doctor Down Under and other programs.

His stage work included Guys and Dolls, Wonderful Town, Lola Montez, Damn Yankees, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (which he directed), and as Falstaff in Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 2.

David Williamson wrote the character of Frank in Travelling North for Wilson, having admired his interpretation of Jock Riley in The Club. However, after creating Frank on stage, Wilson was not given the role in the film adaptation — it went to Leo McKern instead. To television audiences, he was the well-known and encouraging compere for the influential amateur talent show New Faces throughout the 1960s to mid-70s.

Awards He won a Logie Award for Best Compere in 1972 for New Faces.

His last role, in the short film The Chess Set (by Alexander Murawski) won the Best Actor award at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival. Wilson heard this news the day before he died.

Family Wilson and his wife Beryl had 4 children: Amanda, Damian (dec), Matthew and Shauna. Matthew and Shauna went on to become child actors. He had 7 grandchildren.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Type 1957 A King in New York Feature film 1959 Summer of the Seventeenth Doll (aka Season of Passion) TV movie 1962 Lola Montez Sam TV movie 1966 Course for Collision General Patrick TV movie 1968 Cobwebs in Concrete Kruger TV movie 1974 The End Product Fowler TV movie 1974 Alvin Rides Again House Detective Feature film 1975 The Great Macarthy Mayer TV movie 1976 Kill Kaplan Sumarian TV movie 1977 The Importance of Keeping Perfectly Still Short film 1978 Patrick Det Sgt Grant Feature film 1978 Money Movers Lionel Darcy Feature film 1979 The Journalist Vic Parsons TV movie 1980 The Club Jock Riley Feature film 1980 Breaker Morant Dr. Johnson Feature film 1980 Fatty Finn Lord Mayor Feature film 1986 News Report on a Journey to a Bright Future Film 1987 Going Sane Sir Colin Grant Feature film 1987 Tudawali Charles Chauvel TV movie 1988 The Riddle of the Stinson Robinson TV movie 1988 Empire of Ash Shepherd Feature film 1989 Slow Burn Captain Fahey TV movie 1991 Ultimate Desires Detective Southard Film 1991 Black Robe Father Jerome Feature film 1995 Surrender Gordon Short film 1997 The Well Francis Harper Feature film 2002 Crackerjack Len Johnson Feature film 2005 The Chess Set Karl Short film

Television Year Title Role Type 1950 The Billy Rose Show TV series, 1 episode 1953 Robert Montgomery Presents TV series, 1 episode 1967 Bellbird Howard Bates TV series 1969-74 Division 4 Ronald Davies, Inspector Tom Hogan, Robert Gibson, Curtis Moore, George Peck, Billy Mullens TV series, 14 episodes 1971-75 Matlock Police George Price, John Alexander, Hatcher, Dan Hall, Ted Jackson, Ted Mitchell, Fred Murray, Murray Dawes TV series, 8 episodes 1971-76 Homicide John Mason, Bennie Miller, Brooks, Inspector Green, David Cook, Paul Mason, Divisional District Inspector, Ian Taylor TV series, 8 episodes 1972 New Faces Compere TV series 1973-74 Ryan Bob Novak, Jack Hayes, Dr Thomas, Palmer TV series, 4 episodes 1974 Marion Publican TV miniseries, 3 episodes 1974 And the Big Men Fly J J Forbes TV series, 6 episodes 1976 Power Without Glory Tom Trumbleward TV miniseries, 4 episode 1976 The Bluestone Boys TV series 1976-79 The Sullivans Godfrey, Herman Wintzer TV series, 7 episodes 1977 Bluey Detective Sergeant Hennessy TV series, 1 episode 1977-80 Cop Shop Larry Page, Superintendent Ray Clarke, Inspector Mitchell TV series, 5 episodes 1978 Glenview High TV series, 1 episode 1978 The Truckies Wally TV series, 12 episodes 1979 Skyways Defence Barrister, Frank Sefton TV series, 3 episodes 1979-80 Doctor Down Under Dr. Beaumont TV series 1980 Lawson's Mates TV series, 1 episode 1981 I Can Jump Puddles Mr Fulsham TV miniseries, 2 episodes 1981 Tickled Pink Thrubb TV series, 1 episode 1981 Prisoner Mr Justice Myles TV series, 1 episode 1981-82 Holiday Island Banjo Patterson TV series, 64 episodes 1983 Scales of Justice Sir John Ritchie TV series, 1 episode 1984 Carson's Law Garrick Senior TV series, 5 episodes 1984 Special Squad Dorahee TV series, 1 episode 1985 Neighbours Victor Armstrong TV series, 2 episodes 1985 Golden Pennies Doc Slope TV series, 7 episodes 1986 The Great Bookie Robbery Winton Bathurst TV series, 3 episodes 1982-87 A Country Practice Hank McCoy, Knuckles, Dr Rupert Clarke TV series, 6 episodes 1988 Rafferty's Rules David Morris TV series, 1 episode 1989 The Flying Doctors Karl Szalinski TV series, 1 episode 1989-92 Dearest Enemy Walter Tyler TV series, 14 episodes 1992 Police Rescue Mr Bridger TV series, 1 episode 1994 G.P. Eddie TV series, 1 episode 1997 Big Sky Sir Douglas Oglivie TV series 2001 Changi Old Gordon TV miniseries 1999-2000 SeaChange Len Connors TV series, 3 episodes 2000 Blue Heelers Maurie Lawson TV series, 1 episode 2000 Water Rats Billy Russell TV series, 1 episode 2003 Welcher and Welcher Judge TV miniseries, 1 episode