Julius Frankenburg Explained

Julius Frankenberg
Other Names:	Jules Frankenberg
Birth Date:	January 1, 1871
Birth Place:	South Africa
Death Date:	June 1964; age 93
Death Place:	Illinois, U.S.
Occupation:	Actor, director, playwright, inventor
Years Active:	1910–1940

Julius Frankenberg (January 1, 1871 – June 1964)^[1] was a South African-American actor and director in silent film and on the stage, as well as a playwright^{[2] [3] [4]} and inventor.^[5] He starred in films such as The Haunted House, Personal Magnetism and A Blowout at Santa Banana working with actors such as Harry von Meter and Louise Lovely. He also directed two silent films.

Early life and career

Born in South Africa to a German father,^[6] Julius Herbert Frankenberg,^[7] and a Dutch mother, F. Meier,^[6] Frankenberg served with distinction against the British in the Boer War; so much so that posters were placed all across the Transvaal, stating, "Capture! At all costs, dead or alive, the Little German Scout on a Big White Horse." He later escaped to Germany and, from there, emigrated to the United States,^[8] where he became a naturalized citizen in 1907.^[9]

Filmography

• The Girl at the Cupola (1912)
• Betty Fools Dear Old Dad (1912)
• The Peanut Puzzle (1912) – Court Clerk^[10]
• The Miller of Burgundy (1912) – a collector
• Bread Upon the Waters (1912)
• The Lost Inheritance (1912)
• A Freight Train Drama (1912)
• The False Order (1913)
• The Understudy (1913) – Rudolph Lehar, the leader^[11]
• A Husband Won by Election (1913)
• The Food Chopper War (1913) – a drummer (billed as Julius Frankenberg)
• Pauline Cushman, the Federal Spy (1913) – Joe Martin, General Bragg's telegraph operator (billed as Julius Frankenberg)^[12]
• Absent-Minded Mr. Boob (1913), Mr. Boob (billed as Julius Frankenberg)
• Arabia Takes the Health Cure (1913)
• The Haunted House (1913) – Bob, the timorous lover (billed as Julius Frankenberg)^[13]
• Tobias Wants Out (1913)
• Personal Magnetism (1913) – Hiram Crabapple, hired man (billed as Julius Frankenberg)^[14]
• The Shriner's Daughter (Writer, 1914)^[15]
• A Blowout at Santa Banana (1914)
• The Cricket on the Hearth (1914)
• Italian Love (1914) – Tony Spezotti, Angelo's cousin (billed as Julius Frankenberg)^[16]
• The Peacock Feather Fan (1914)
• The Sealed Package (1914)
• The Land Just Over Yonder (Director, 1916) – Hasseyampa Jim Titus, Toyiabe's Partner (billed as Julius Frankenberg)^[17]
• Humanizing Mr. Winsby (Director, 1916) – The Pronto Kid (billed as Julius Frankenberg)^[18]
• The Adventures of Pietro (Writer/director, 1917) – Pietro (billed as Julius Frankenberg)^[19]
  • "Pietro the Detective"
  • "Pietro and the Black Handers"
  • "Pietro's Dream"
• Nine-Tenths of the Law (1918)

Personal life and death

Frankenberg married at least twice; first in 1915 to Margareth Hampf,^[7] resulting in at least one child, a son who appeared with his father in "Pietro the Detective", the first installment of Frankenberg's 1917 serial, The Adventures of Pietro.^[19] The second marriage produced at least two children: a daughter, Irene,^[20] and a son, Richard.^[6]

Frankenburg died at age 93 in Illinois in November 1964.^[1]

Further reading

• "A Miniature Musical Comedy". The New York Clipper. February 24, 1912. p. 7.
• "Brevities of the Business". Motography. January 18, 1913. p. 64.
• "Sudermann Play for Red Cross". The Los Angeles Times. October 29, 1914. pt. II, p. 7.
• "National City and the New Industry; director Julius Frankenberg of the Dudley Company Expresses His Views of the Film Future Here". National City Star-News. January 15, 1916. p. 1.
• "Projector Corporation in Incorporations List". Motion Picture World. May 10, 1924. p. 234.
• "Would You Spend a Fortune or a $". American Industry. November 1923.
• "Globe-Mills Projectors to Be Shown in 30 Days". The Film Daily. June 4, 1940. p. 14.

Notes and References

1. "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J2YL-3MP : 9 January 2021), Julius Frankenberg, Jun 1964; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
2. https://www.newspapers.com/image/380579961/?clipping_id=147935639 "To Aid the Jews"
3. https://www.newspapers.com/image/700339359/?clipping_id=147867540&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjcwMDMzOTM1OSwiaWF0IjoxNzE2NTUzMzM3LCJleHAiOjE3MTY2Mzk3Mzd9.AjkGXEMkNF69PpQB7q3dsMoTTCAgNdzYtQC6hqfzBzc "Only Short Time Until Convention"
4. https://www.newspapers.com/image/700339323/?clipping_id=147869294 "Eagles Will have Good Program"
5. https://www.newspapers.com/image/391453984/?clipping_id=147868652&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjM5MTQ1Mzk4NCwiaWF0IjoxNzE2NTQ5NjU4LCJleHAiOjE3MTY2MzYwNTh9.AkOKBri7j89HX0PzZM179xl8aKJL10WkdgGZ-L-uKVU "Motion Picture to Be Seen on Plane"
6. "United States Census, 1950",, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6X1D-8DNY : Tue Mar 19 18:15:50 UTC 2024), Entry for Julius Frankenberg and Berniece Frankenberg, 7 April 1950.
7. "California, County Marriages, 1850-1953",, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8DV-X3M : Wed Mar 06 17:11:26 UTC 2024), Entry for Julius Frankenberg and Margareth Hampf, 18 December 1915.
8. https://www.newspapers.com/image/469240042/?clipping_id=147870646 "Boer Veteran in Toils; Arrested Quietly in Boston After Daring Exploits as Scout"
9. "California County Naturalizations, 1831-1985",, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGG3-HGXF : Fri Mar 08 20:26:19 UTC 2024), Entry for Julius Frankenberg, 1907.
10. https://archive.org/details/clipper60-1912-07/page/n31/mode/2up?q=%22Julius+Frankenburg%22+%22girl+at+the+cupola%22 "Motion Picture News: A Selig Feature"
11. https://books.google.com/books?id=jExJAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA3-PA101&dq=%22Julius+Frankenburg%22 "Selig Polyscope Company: 'The Understudy (Selig)'"
12. https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-danville-morning-news/147926954/ "Luna Theatre: Another five-reel program today, headed by a great Selig two-reel feature production"
13. https://archive.org/details/reellife03unse/page/n217/mode/2up?q=%22Julius+Frankenberg%22 "American – The Haunted House"
14. https://archive.org/details/reellife03unse/page/n453/mode/2up?q=%22Julius+Frankenberg%22 "American – Personal Magnetism"
15. https://books.google.com/books?id=UEs_AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA61&dq=%22Julius+Frankenberg%22 "Notes of the Trade"
16. https://archive.org/details/reellife03unse/page/n903/mode/2up?q=%22Julius+Frankenberg%22 "Stories of the New Photoplays: Italian Love"
17. https://www.newspapers.com/image/974236132/?clipping_id=147976076 "The Land Just Over Yonder"
18. https://archive.org/details/motionpicturenew14moti_4/page/3820/mode/2up?q=%22Julius+Frankenberg%22 "'Humanizing Mr. Winsby' Is Next"
19. Nelson, Lawrence Emerson (1963). Only One Redlands: Changing Patterns in a Southern California Town. Redlands, CA: Community Music Association. . p. 222.
20. https://www.newspapers.com/image/372174803/?clipping_id=147882291 "Bride at Sauganash Church"