Encyclopedia Dubuque
"Encyclopedia Dubuque is the online authority for all things Dubuque, written by the people who know the city best.”
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Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
KEENAN, James Francis ("Frank")
KEENAN, James Francis ("Frank") (Dubuque, IA, Apr. 8, 1858--Hollywood, CA, Feb. 24, 1929). One of the first actors to portray the mythical character Rip Van Winkle. Keenan, once described as the "best actor in America," was the son of Owen Keenan, a wholesale grocer who lived in Dubuque from 1857 to 1865. (1) He first came into contact with the entertainment business when, as a child, he watched the flashy showboats that docked in Dubuque every summer. He took his first acting lessons as a student at Boston College and quickly moved into minor roles as part of the famous Boston Museum Stock Company. Observed by the manager of a small professional company, Keenan was launched into a professional acting career. He appeared in East Lynne in 1880. (2)
During the 1880s and 1890s, Keenan appeared in many comedies. He enjoyed leading roles in Peaceful Valley, The Honorable John Grigsby, and The Capitol. In 1898 Keenan moved into the field of directing with The Christian and later staged The King's Musketeers and Such a Little Queen. His experiment with the Parisian idea of three one-act plays performed in one evening did not appeal to American audiences. (3)
Keenan's deeply lined and rugged face led him to many character roles. In 1914 he played the lead in "Yosemite" and held the title role in John Ferguson. MOTION PICTURES captured his interest. In 1915 Keenan played a southern gentlemen in a CIVIL WAR drama entitled The Coward. He remained in California devoting most of his time to motion pictures with occasional returning roles in the legitimate theater. He was a leader in the Actors Equity Association. His last stage appearance, at sixty-eight, was as a Southern colonel in Black Velvet. (4)
~Silent Filmography~ (5)
~Actor~
The Gilded Butterfly (1926) .... Jim Haverhill
Camille (1926/II) .... Prince von Lindenstein
... aka The Fate of a Coquette (USA: subtitle)
When the Door Opened (1925) .... Grandfather de Fontenac
East Lynne (1925) .... Chief Justice Hare
My Lady's Lips (1925) .... Forbes Lombard
The Dixie Handicap (1925) .... The Racehorse Owner
Women Who Give (1924) .... Jonathan Swift
Scars of Jealousy (1923) .... Colonel Newland
Brass (1923) .... Frank Church
Hearts Aflame (1923) .... Luke Taylor
Lorna Doone (1922) .... Sir Ensor Doone
Dollar for Dollar (1920) .... Marcus Gard
Smoldering Embers (1920) .... John Conroy
Brothers Divided (1919) .... Tom King/Matthew King
The False Code (1919) .... John Benton
... aka The Trap
The World Aflame (1919) .... Carson Burr
The Master Man (1919) .... Emanuel Blake
Gates of Brass (1919) .... Jim Blake, aka J. Hatfield Blake
The Silver Girl (1919) .... Jefferson Hunter
Todd of the Times (1919) .... Theobold Todd
The Midnight Stage (1919) .... John Lynch/'Bige Rivers
The Bells (1918) .... Mathias
More Trouble (1918) .... Lemuel Deering
Ruler of the Road (1918) .... Simeon Tetlow
Loaded Dice (1918) .... Richard Gordon
National Red Cross Pageant (1917) .... The Secretary - English episode
Public Defender (1917) .... Robert Murdock
The Crab (1917) .... Foster Borrum
The Bride of Hate (1917) .... Dr. Dudley Duprez
... aka Wanted for Murder, or Bride of Hate (USA: reissue title)
The Sin Ye Do (1916) .... Barret Steele
Jim Grimsby's Boy (1916) .... Jim Grimsby
The Thoroughbred (1916/II) .... Major Aislee
Honor Thy Name (1916)
The Phantom (1916) .... 'Phantom' Farrell
The Stepping Stone (1916) .... Elihu Knowland
The Despoiler (1915) .... The Emir
... aka The Awakening (USA: reissue title)
... aka The Despoilers (USA: review title)
... aka War's Women (USA: copyright title)
The Long Chance (1915) .... Harley P. Hennage
The Coward (1915/I) .... Col. Jefferson Beverly Winslow
Desert Thieves (1914)
Love vs Duty (1914)
The Bells of Austi (1914)
The Hunchback (1909)
The Fisherman; Or, Men Must Work and Women Must Weep (1909)
... aka The Fisherman (USA: short title)
Judge Not That Ye Be Not Judged (1909)
~Director~
Dollar for Dollar (1920)
Smoldering Embers (1920)
Brothers Divided (1919)
The Silver Girl (1919)
~Producer~
Brothers Divided (1919) (producer)
He was the grandfather of Keenan Wynn and the father-in-law of Ed Wynn. (6)
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Source:
1. "Born in Dubuque," Dubuque Daily Herald, April 13, 1894, p. 4
2. "Most Popular People Born in Dubuque, Iowa, USA." Online: http://www.imdb.com/search/name?birth_place=Dubuque,%20Iowa,%20USA
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. "Frank Keenan," Silent Hollywood.com. Online: http://silenthollywood.com/frankkeenan.html
6. "Frank Keenan," IMDb. Online: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0444641/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm
