Lovejoy, Frank

Frank Lovejoy was born March 28, 1912 in the New York Bronx , but grew up in New Jersey ^[1] . His father was a furniture dealer from Maine , and his mother came from a family of Irish immigrants.

As a teenager, Lovejoy began working as a small clerk on Wall Street , but “a collapse in the exchange in 1929 robbed him of his job” ^[1] Lovejoy went to study at the University of New York , and began to play in repertory theaters for the sake of earning ^{[3] [1 ] ]} . Soon he went on tour in the North-West of the USA, and in 1934 made his Broadway debut in the play “Judgment Day” ^{[3] [1]} . Over the next twelve years, Lovejoy played in seven Broadway plays ^[4] .

“Lovejoy was one of the most sought-after actors in the golden age of radio, his voice could be heard in hundreds of soap operas , detective programs and dramatic anthologies ” ^[3] . "His firm, authoritarian voice" sounded in the radio series "Fighters with Gangs" (since 1935), and in 1945 he was the narrator in the radio series "This is Your FBI." In 1948–1949 he played in the pop radio show “Revue of the Merry Nineties”, from 1950 to 1952 he played the main role in the weekly crime newspaper drama “The Night Bit”, and in 1955-1956 - in the production of “The Damon Runion Theater” ^{[1 ] [3]} .

In the 1940s and 1950s, he also played in radio productions such as “This Day is Ours”, “Bold Tomorrow”, “Bright Horizon”, “ Blue Beetle ” (1940), “Suspence” and “The Amazing Mr. Malone” (1948-1951) .

After his film debut in 1948 in the George Sherman Western “ Black Bart ” (1948) with Yvonne de Carlo and Dan Duria Lovejoy “began to specialize in the roles of cool, tough, sober-minded characters” ^[3] . “Since then, Lovejoy has constantly starred, mainly in the roles of the second plan, but in the same way as the first or second protagonist” ^[1] .

Roles in War Films (1949–1955)

In the movie, Lovejoy was strong in the roles of an ordinary person in emergency situations. So, in 1949, in Mark Robson ’s military drama “ The Brave House ” (1949), he played the important role of a strong but burdened by his problems sergeant who landed on one of the islands controlled by the Japanese army as part of a small reconnaissance landing. The picture examines the topic of the relationship of relations within the detachment in the face of complex military operations, including the problem of the attitude of its white members to a black soldier.

Over the next five years, Lovejoy played in several more war films, including the semi-documentary Breakthrough (1950), dedicated to the training and landing of Allied forces in Europe during the Normandy operation (Lovejoy was also an off-screen narrator in the film), and Michael Curtitz’s melodrama The Power of Arms (1951) about the love of an American sergeant ( William Holden ) and a woman lieutenant ( Nancy Olson ) during the American occupation of Italy during World War II, where Lovejoy played the role of chief and friend of the protagonist. In Joseph H. Lewis ’s film, “ Come Back, Hell!” "(1952) Lovejoy played the leading role of the commander of the US Marine Battalion during the retreat after the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War . In the film Stuart Heisler's “ Coastal Bridgehead ” (1954), he again played the Marine Sergeant, who landed in a reconnaissance detachment on one of the Japanese islands during World War II. The People of the Warring Lady (1954) was dedicated to the events of the Korean War, where Lovejoy was the commander of a squadron of fighter-bombers aimed at destroying the enemy railway. Anthony Mann ’s film “ Strategic Air Command ” (1955) told the real story of a World War II veteran and professional baseball player ( James Stewart ), who returned to aviation during the Cold War to master new generation aircraft. Lovejoy played in this picture the role of strategic aviation commander, General Hawks ^{[1] [5]} .

Roles in Noir Films (1950–1955)

Between 1950 and 1955, Lovejoy played in eight noir films. ^[6] The first and most recognized among them was the classic Noir Nicholas Ray film “ In a Secluded Place ” (1950), where Lovejoy played the role of the protagonist’s front-line friend ( Humphrey Bogart ) investigating the murder of which his friend is suspected. In the same year, in the sound of Say Endfield 's Noir “ Sound of Rage ” (1950), Lovejoy played the main role of one of the two criminals who kidnapped and killed a man, for which they were captured and lynched by the crowd.

In 1951, in the Cold War- era spy-propaganda film “ I Was a Communist for the FBI ” (1951), Lovejoy played the main role of an FBI agent who was introduced undercover in the Pittsburgh organization of the US Communist Party in order to expose its criminal activities ^[3] . The critic John M. Miller praised the actor’s work in this film, writing: “With his square jaw, Frank Lovejoy, in a typical serious style for himself, plays the main role of a person undercover; he will continue to depict various cops, detectives and the military throughout his career. Matt Svetich, performed by Lovejoy, intends to do everything possible to remain undercover and uncover the communist threat, despite the painful contempt for him from society and, especially, his own family. Lovejoy is convinced of his firmness in this conflict situation, and he manages to arouse sympathy, regardless of the political component of the film ” ^[7] .

“One of Lovejoy’s best roles was the role of one of two fishermen captured by a psychopath with a penchant for murder performed by William Talman in the classic film The Traveling Companion (1953), directed by Aida Lupino. ” ^[1] The New York Times wrote: “Both Edmond O'Brien and Frank Lovejoy are masters in portraying healthy, big men who find themselves in a situation not created by them. Although O'Brien would have been a brave citizen under normal circumstances, he has enough human weakness to despair about his position, from which there seems to be no way out. On the other hand, Lovejoy’s resilience in conditions of such captivity also looks quite logical ” ^[8] .

In the years 1953-1955, Lovejoy starred in several lesser noir films. In the film " System " (1953) he played the role of the head of an underground gambling syndicate, which ultimately helps expose his own organization. Spy Noir “ Cafe on 101st Street ” (1955) with the participation of Terry Moore and Lee Marvin talked about exposing the spy network that stole American nuclear secrets. The threads of the criminal network stretch in a cafe where Moore and Marvin work, and which is often visited by a professor at the Secret Center for Nuclear Research performed by Lovejoy. In the film " Snitch " (1955), Lovejoy played a former prisoner whom the police introduce into a criminal group so that he would help destroy the gang and plant its leader. And in the film “The Web of Crime ” (1955), Lovejoy appears as the owner of a diner, who at one time, as a soldier, killed a young man in Germany, and now the father of the murdered man, using two agents, is trying to take him to Germany to bring him to justice ^{[ 9]} .

Roles in Other 1950s Films

In Robert Wise ’s melodrama “ Three Secrets ” (1950), where three women ( Elinor Parker , Patricia Neal and Ruth Roman ) try to find out if their 5-year-old child is found as their son, because each of them refused their own a child. In this film, Lovejoy played the role of the husband of one of the heroines. He also starred in Michael Curtitz ’s musical comedy “ I Will See You In My Dreams ” (1951) with Doris Day , Roy Del Ruth ’s musical “ With the Stars On Board ” (1951), where he played a cameo role along with stars like James Cagney , Gary Cooper , Doris Day and Virginia Mayo , a winning team melodrama (1952) about a professional baseball player ( Ronald Reagan ) overcoming alcohol addiction with the help of his wife ( Doris Day ) and his friend, also a famous baseball player, played by Lovejoy.

In 1953, in one of the first films made in 3D , the crime horror film by Andre de Taut “The House of Wax ” (1953), Lovejoy plays a police inspector who investigates the activities of the sculptor ( Vincent Price ), who creates figures for the museum by waxing bodies people killed by him. In another three-dimensional film, the Western of Gordon Douglas “ Attack on the Phaser River ” (1953), Lovejoy played the sergeant of the American cavalry, recovering to rescue two white hostages through the territory controlled by the Indians. The action adventure melodrama “ Top of the World ” (1955) takes place in Alaska , and Lovejoy plays the Air Force Major, who leads the rescue mission after the plane crash, which was controlled by his subordinate and ex-husband of his bride.

The drama “ Three Daredevils ” (1956) tells of a civilian naval officer dismissed due to suspicions of disloyalty ( Ernest Borgnine ), who is trying to restore his honest name and return to service through the court. The film also starred Ray Milland as a lawyer and Nina Foch as a prosecutor, and Lovejoy played an important role as a captain of the Navy and a member of the court. In the same year, Lovejoy played the police detective in the crime thriller “ Julia ” (1956) with Doris Day in the title role, as well as the famous criminal opposing the criminal government units of Texas , in the western “ Cole Jr., shooter ” (1958) ^[2] . This was Lovejoy's last movie role.

In the 1950s, Lovejoy played the leading roles of private investigators in two criminal television series Man Against Crime (1956, 9 episodes) and Meet Me: McGraw (1957-1959, 42 episodes) ^{[1] [3]} .

He also had one-time roles in more than two dozen other television series. He played his last roles in the television series Purpose: Corruption (1961) and Bus Stop (1962) ^[10] .

Lovejoy was married twice. In his second marriage, with actress Joan Banks, he had two children. In the last months of his life, Frank Lovejoy and his wife played in New Jersey in a play based on the play by Horus Widal “The Most Worthy” ^[3] . He died on October 2, 1962 from a heart attack in a dream at his home in New York ^[1] .

• Frank Lovejoy at IMDB
• Frank Lovejoy at Allmovie
• Frank Lovejoy at Turner Classic Movies