Fredd Wayne obit

 

Fredd Wayne, Who Played Benjamin Franklin on ‘Bewitched,’ Dies at 93

Fredd Wayne, the veteran character actor who made a career out of portraying Benjamin Franklin on stage and on TV shows including 'Bewitched' and 'Simon & Simon,' has died. He was 93.

He was not on the list.

Fredd Wayne, the veteran character actor who made a career out of portraying Benjamin Franklin on stage and on television shows including Bewitched and Simon & Simon, has died. He was 93.

Wayne died Monday at an assisted-living facility in Santa Monica, his friend Stu Shostak told The Hollywood Reporter.

Wayne created, directed and starred in the one-man show Benjamin Franklin, Citizen, taking it to local stages and colleges across the U.S. and as part of a State Department tour of Europe. Clad in spectacles and wig, he played the glass armonica — an instrument made up of water-glass chimes invented by America’s founding father — in one of the show’s many highlights.

His most well-known turn as Franklin came on a two-part episode of ABC’s Bewitched in December 1966. When Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) is having trouble with a broken lamp, her bungling Aunt Clara (Marion Lorne), looking for an electrician, inadvertently summons Franklin from the past, and he ends up getting arrested for stealing an antique firetruck. (His Bewitched episodes were the first to be shot in color.)

The Ohio native also appeared on the Twilight Zone episodes “Twenty Two” and “The Arrival,” which both aired in 1961; on four installments of Perry Mason; and on dozens of other shows including Make Room for Daddy, Wagon Train, The Untouchables, 77 Sunset Strip, Bachelor Father, Hogan’s Heroes, Ironside, Lou Grant and Cagney & Lacey.

Frederick Wiener was born on Oct. 17, 1924, in Akron, Ohio. Just days after graduating from John R. Buchtel High School, he traveled to Hollywood to look up a cousin, Lester Cowan, a producer on W.C. Fields’ My Little Chickadee and the Marx Brothers’ Love Happy. Cowan couldn’t help him, but Wayne did find work in the Warner Bros. mailroom.

After a stint in the 63rd Infantry Division in which he fought in the Battle of the Bulge and played the title role of a woman in the long-running Army musical comedy G.I. Carmen, Wayne studied acting in New York at the American Theatre Wing, where Lee Marvin, James Whitmore and Martin Balsam were classmates.

He landed a leading role on Broadway in the 1949-50 Johnny Mercer musical comedy Texas, L’il Darlin’, then played Luther Billis (Ray Walston’s role) opposite Mary Martin in the original London production of South Pacific and appeared in Crest of the Wave (1954), starring Gene Kelly.

Wayne came up with the idea for his one-man Franklin show in 1964 and became an expert on the man, studying his papers housed at Yale University. That year, he played younger and older versions of Franklin on the Today show and The Tonight Show.

Wayne also appeared in his most famous guise on Daniel Boone, Voyagers! and Simon & Simon and on a bicentennial special hosted by Bob Hope in 1976. He recorded an audio version of The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin in 1997.

Survivors include his wife, Maryanne, and his sister, Fran.

 

Selected stage credits

Year            Production        Role            Notes

1945    G.I. Carmen            Carmen            142 performances in Germany, Belgium, France, Italy and Austria, June 9, 1945 - January 24, 1946, produced by the U.S. Army

1947    Hamlet            Polonius            American Theatre Wing

1948    The Insect Comedy             José Ferrer, director

1949    Texas, Li'l Darlin'            Brewster Ames II            293 performances, Nov 25, 1949 - Sep 9, 1950

1951    Not for Children            Hugh McHugh            by Elmer Rice

1952    South Pacific  Luther Billis     original London production, Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

Have Tuxedo, Will Travel            himself            a one-man show at The Berkeley Cabaret

1954    Oh Men!, Oh Women!                       with Ralph Bellamy

1964            Benjamin Franklin, Citizen            Benjamin Franklin            in theatres throughout the United States and Europe

1969    Go Fly a Kite            conceiver / actor            Tambellini's Gate Theatre

1984    A Taste for the Forbidden                    Drama-Logue Award for performance, L.A.A.T. Half-Stage

 

Filmography

Film

Year     Title            Role            Notes

1954    Crest of the Wave            Seaman N. Sam 'Shorty' Kaminsky (USN)  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer British Studios, with Gene Kelly

1956    The Man Is Armed            Egan            Republic Pictures

The Girl He Left Behind            Sgt. Sheridan            Warner Bros., with Tab Hunter and Natalie Wood

1958            Torpedo Run   Orville 'Goldy' Goldstein            Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

1961    Twenty Plus Two            Harris Toomey            Allied Artists Pictures

1962    The Spiral Road            Van Bloor            Universal International Pictures, with Rock Hudson and Gena Rowlands

1964    Seven Days in May            Henry Whitney            Uncredited, with Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster

Sex and the Single Girl            Frank            Uncredited, with Tony Curtis and Natalie Wood

1966            Chamber of Horrors            Charlie Benton            Uncredited, with Patrick O'Neal, Wilfrid Hyde-White and Suzy Parker

1974    Hangup            Felder            Warner Bros.

1981            American Pop voiced 7 roles            Uncredited, Bakshi Productions, animated motion picture

1987    Dutch Treat    the Judge  

1989    A More Perfect Union: America Becomes a Nation            Benjamin Franklin       

1999    Man on the Moon            Bland Doctor (final film role)

 

Television

Year     Title            Role            Notes

1949    We the People             

The Philco Television Playhouse                     Season 1, Episode 28: What Makes Sammy Run?, with José Ferrer

Kraft Theatre                performed in productions in 3 separate seasons: 1949, 1954 & 1955

1950    Musical Comedy Time            Sir Evelyn Oakley            Season 1, Episode 1: Anything Goes

1951    The Victor Borge Show              

Pulitzer Prize Playhouse                     Detour, with Dorothy Gish

Corb    The Thousand Yard Look, with Richard Kiley

The Wisdom Tooth, with Howard Freeman

Schlitz Playhouse                     Season 1, Episode 4: Still Life, with Margaret Sullavan

1952    Lux Video Theatre            Bert Oliver   Season 2, Episode 23: For Goodness Sake

Celanese Theatre             Season 1, Episode 13: Saturday's Children, with Mickey Rooney

1953    The Ford Television Theatre             Season 1, Episode 39: The People Versus Johnston

Studio One            The Agent   Season 6, Episode 11: Confessions of a Nervous Man

1954            Armstrong Circle Theatre             Season 4, Episode 6: Evening Star

Kraft Theatre            March Hare     Season 7, Episode 36: Alice in Wonderland, with Art Carney

Robert Montgomery Presents                       Season 6, Episode 2: A Dream of Summer, with Jackie Cooper

Omnibus            Master Adam Fumie            Season 3, Episode 2: The Man Who Married a Dumb Wife, with Alistair Cooke

Armstrong Circle Theatre               Season 5, Episode 16: Ring Twice for Christmas

1955    Kraft Theatre             Season 8, Episode 29: Now, Where Was I?, with Robert Webber

Armstrong Circle Theatre               Season 6, Episode 1: The Strange War of Sergeant Krezner, with Richard Kiley

1956            Matinee Theatre                      Season 1, Episode 52: The Century Plant, with Constance Ford

Front Row Center  Bill Tyler    Season 2, Episode 6: The Teacher and Hector Hodge

Dr. Humphries            Season 2, Episode 4: The Ainsley Case

Lux Video Theatre George            Season 6, Episode 23: Here Comes the Groom

Star Stage                    Season 1, Episode 32: Being Nice to Emily

Medic  Sydney Phillips  Season 2, Episode 26: The Good Samaritan

Lux Video Theatre Pat            Season 6, Episode 41: A Marriage Day

Matinee Theatre             Season 2, Episode 20: The Alumni Reunion

Wire Service            O'Brien            Season 1, Episode 3: Hideout

The Joseph Cotten Show aka On Trial            Asst. District Attorney            Season 1, Episode 4: Twice in Peril

Gunsmoke            Sam Kertcher            Season 2, Episode 5: Young Man with a Gun

G.E. True Theater Hugh            Season 5, Episode 9: The Charlatan

Schlitz Playhouse            Pollack            Season 6, Episode 11: Washington Incident

The Millionaire            Harry Denison            Season 3, Episode 15: The Mildred Kester Story

The Danny Thomas Show aka Make Room for Daddy  Rod Fowler Season 4, Episode 14: Liz's Boyfriend

1957    Dr. Hudson's Secret Journal               Episode: Brenthurst Story

Lux Video Theatre            Inspector         Season 7, Episode 20: The Undesirable

G.E. True Theater Clyde            Season 5, Episode 21: The Town with a Past, with James Stewart

Schlitz Playhouse            Cyrano de Bergerac            Season 6, Episode 36: The Sword

Code 3 Sgt. Bill Hollis    Season 1, Episode 12: Oil Well Incident

Season 1, Episode 14: Suspect Number One

Season 1, Episode 17: The Trap

Lt. Bill Hollis            Season 1, Episode 28: The Man with Many Faces

Telephone Time     Hicks            Season 3, Episode 7: Under Seventeen

Alcoa Theatre            Lt. Brackett            Season 1, Episode 4: On Edge

Maverick            Carl Jimson  Season 1, Episode 7: Relic of Fort Tejon

1958    Richard Diamond, Private Detective            Tom Tanner  Season 2, Episode 4: Double Jeopardy

Perry Mason            Ernie Tanner  Season 1, Episode 19: The Case of the Haunted Husband

Maverick            Kingsley          Season 1, Episode 18: Diamond in the Rough

M Squad            Eddie Rocco  Season 1, Episode 20: Dolly's Bar

Perry Mason            Jack Hardisty            Season 2, Episode 6: The Case of the Buried Clock

1959    The Grand Jury            Jordan            Season 1, Episode 31: Baby for Sale

Deadline            Gilgo            Episode: Massacre

State Trooper            Frank Nagel   Season 3, Episode 20: While Jerome Burned

21 Beacon Street               Season 1, Episode 6: The Execution

Tightrope            Danny            Season 1, Episode 1: Getaway Day

Bourbon Street Beat     Lt. Fontaine            Season 1, Episode 1: The Taste of Ashes

Whirlybirds                   Season 3, Episode 31: Man, You Kill Me

The Untouchables            Joe Carroll  Season 1, Episode 4: The George 'Bugs' Moran Story

Sugarfoot            'Bull' Borgland            Season 3, Episode 5: The Canary Kid, Inc.

1960    The Loretta Young Show   Ed Crawley            Season 7, Episode 14: The Grenade

Goodyear Theatre             Season 3, Episode 8: Omaha Beach - Plus 15

The Alaskans            Burton            Season 1, Episode 14: The Trial of Reno McKee

Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond            Lt. Barnes  Season 2, Episode 23: Vanishing Point

Perry Mason            William Gowrie Season 3, Episode 18: The Case of the Singing Skirt

The Man from Blackhawk            Garrison          Season 1, Episode 33: Trial by Combat

Hawaiian Eye            Edward Demming            Season 1, Episode 29: Typhoon

Markham            Commissioner Fred Clayton            Season 1, Episode 48: The Silken Cord

The Untouchables               

Surfside 6            Allan Abbott Season 1, Episode 1: Country Gentleman

The Ann Sothern Show            Chuck Dunphy            Season 3, Episode 4: The Pinch-Hitter

77 Sunset Strip            Mike Ransome            Season 3, Episode 7: The Laurel Canyon Caper

1961    Have Gun – Will Travel   Ben            Season 4, Episode 17: A Quiet Night in Town: Part 1

Season 4, Episode 18: A Quiet Night in Town: Part 2

The Twilight Zone    Barney            Season 2, Episode 17: Twenty Two

Perry Mason            Roger Phillips  Season 4, Episode 17: The Case of the Wintry Wife

Bachelor Father  Bart Anderson            Season 4, Episode 32: Hilda Rides Again

Miami Undercover            Joe Danzig  Season 1, Episode 29: Room 9

The Real McCoys            Mr. Perry    Season 4, Episode 37: How to Win Friends

The Twilight Zone    Paul Malloy  Season 3, Episode 2: The Arrival

Dr. Kildare            Salesman         Season 1, Episode 4: Winter Harvest

Hawaiian Eye            Tony Ward   Season 3, Episode 11: Two for the Money

1962            Bachelor Father            Don Lambert            Season 5, Episode 18: How Howard Won His C

Alcoa Premiere            Ted Morley Season 1, Episode 14: Mr. Easy, with Fred Astaire

Cain’s Hundred            Marty            Season 1, Episode 27: A Creature Lurks in Ambush

Perry Mason               

The Doctors and the Nurses            Dr. Mason  Season 1, Episode 8: A Strange and Distant Place

The Defenders            District Attorney            Season 2, Episode 15: Death Takes the Stand

1963            Rawhide            Calhoun          Season 5, Episode 22: Incident of the Pale Rider

Perry Mason               

The Bill Dana Show   Cliff            Season 1, Episode 9: The Poker Game

1964    Grindl               Season 1, Episode 16: Grindl, Private Eye

Perry Mason               

An Hour with Robert Goulet            himself            TV special (CBS)

1965            Hogan's Heroes            Sgt. Kristman            Season 1, Episode 16: Anchors Aweigh, Men of Stalag 13

1966    My Three Sons            Dr. Killebrew            Season 6, Episode 30: The Wrong Robbie

Hawk            Detective         Season 1, Episode 1: Do Not Mutilate or Spindle

Bewitched            Benjamin Franklin            Season 3, Episode 13: My Friend Ben

Season 3, Episode 14: Samantha for the Defense

1967    The Monroes            Winton            Season 1, Episode 18: To Break a Colt

1969    Daniel Boone            Benjamin Franklin            Season 6, Episode 5: The Printing Press

Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color            Jim Durden Season 16, Episode 8: Secrets of the Pirates' Inn: Part 1

Season 16, Episode 9: Secrets of the Pirates' Inn: Part 2

1970    The Return of the Smothers Brothers            himself            TV special (NBC)

Bracken's World  Ned Singer   Season 2, Episode 7: Hey, Gringo... Hey, Ponco

Nanny and the Professor            Mr. Jackwith            Season 2, Episode 10: The Visitor

1971    The Young Lawyers            Kimber            Season 1, Episode 24: I've Got a Problem

Room 222                    Season 2, Episode 26: A Sort of Loving

Ironside            Arthur Green   Season 5, Episode 14: Class of '57

1972    Cade's County Mark Walters            Season 1, Episode 21: Jessie

1973            Banacek          Stein            Season 1, Episode 8: The Two Million Clams of Cap'n Jack

A Picture of Us            George Washington            TV movie won Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming

Nightside                      TV movie with John Cassavetes and Alexis Smith

1974    The Phantom of Hollywood            Clyde            TV movie with Jack Cassidy and Jackie Coogan

1975            Judgement: The Court Martial of Lieutenant William Calley              TV movie with Richard Basehart and Harrison Ford

1976    Law and Order            Sgt. Haran   TV movie with Darren McGavin and Keir Dullea

1978    The Rockford Files            Curtis Meyer  Season 4, Episode 15: The Gang at Don's Drive-In

Rhoda             

The New Adventures of Wonder Woman            J.J. MacConnell            Season 3, Episode 7: Time Bomb

1980    The Dream Merchants            Mr. Humber            TV movie with Mark Harmon, Vincent Gardenia and Morgan Fairchild

Trapper John, M.D.            Pathologist       Season 2, Episode 4: Call Me Irresponsible

1981    Bob Hope's 30th Anniversary Special            

Strike Force                 Season 1, Episode 6: Night Nurse

1982    The Day the Bubble Burst                TV movie with Richard Crenna (NBC)

Quincy M.E.            Michael Gurelnik            Season 7, Episode 15: Clear the Air

Lou Grant            Charles Bolsa    Season 5, Episode 18: Law

Bob Hope Special            

One Day at a Time     Ralph            Season 8, Episode 4: Catcher in the Mud

Voyagers!            Ben Franklin            Season 1, Episode 3: Bully and Billy

1985    Bob Hope Special                Hal Linden, Donna Mills, Morgan Fairchild and George Burns

It’s a Living            State Department Man     Season 3, Episode 7: From Russia with Love

Bob Hope Special as NBC President Brandon Tartikoff            with Lynda Carter, Danny Thomas, Brandon Tartikoff and Milton Berle

1986    Simon & Simon            Benjamin Franklin            Season 5, Episode 24: The Apple Doesn't Fall Far from the Tree

St. Elsewhere            Pat McGroyn            Season 5, Episode 7: Up and Down

1987    Cagney & Lacey                      

1988            Matlock          Warren Coates Season 2, Episode 13: The Reunion

Cagney & Lacey   Factory Manager            Season 7, Episode 12: Shadow of a Doubt

1989    Small Wonder            Mr. Willis    Season 4, Episode 21: The Tattletale

1992    Cheers            Dr. Bramwell            Season 10, Episode 20: Smotherly Love

The Trials of Rosie O'Neill                Season 2, Episode 13: Heartbreak Hotel

1994    Cagney & Lacey: The Return  Gerald Fradin  TV movie (CBS)

1998    Encore! Encore!            Leland            Season 1, Episode 6: The Dairy with Nathan Lane, Joan Plowright and Glenne Headly

 

Audio recordings

Year            Program         Role            Notes

1976            America is 200 Years Old...And There's Still Hope!            Benjamin Franklin            Bob Hope comedy album (LP)

Benjamin Franklin, Citizen            Benjamin Franklin            audiotape of Wayne's one-man show

1997    The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin            Benjamin Franklin            audiotape recognized by Publishers Weekly as one of the best of 1997

2003    The Grapes of Wrath (play)                 audio CD produced and distributed by L.A.

Theatre Works

 

Suspicion (1957)

Suspicion

8.2

TV Series

Boy

1957

1 episode

 

An Affair to Remember (1957)

An Affair to Remember

7.4

Boy - Age 5 (uncredited)

1957

 

Untamed (1955)

Untamed

6.0

Maria's Child (uncredited)

1955