Frank Marth - Biography

Versatile, diligent character actor Frank Marth was a familiar presence in just about every major American prime-time TV show of the 1960's and 70's. The native New Yorker got his big break as a member of Jackie Gleason's stock company, perennially cast as uncredited background characters in Cavalcade of Stars (1949) and The Honeymooners (1955). According to series co-star Audrey Meadows, he was "worth his weight in gold". Thereafter, granite-faced, sober-looking Marth became omnipresent on the small screen for more than two decades as tough cops, FBI agents and stern military brass. Amazingly, he was overlooked for the part of a KAOS operative in Max la menace (1965) (which would have been perfect casting!), but made up for it with Luger-wielding Count von Waffenschmidt and assorted SS officers in Stalag 13 (1965). He was also a favorite in anything sci-fi, whether as a sinister alien in Les envahisseurs (1967) or as THRUSH agent Carl Voegler in Des agents très spéciaux (1964). He was suitably taciturn as Colonel Brody, stymying dinosaur-hunting Darren McGavin in Dossiers brûlants (1974). Again perfectly cast, he was hard-nosed tank commander Colonel Griswald in the _"M*A*S*H"(1972)_ episode "Hey, Doc" and had recurring uniformed roles in Les douze salopards (1988) and War and Remembrance (1988).

Marth was married to stage and screen actress Hope Holiday.