Eduard Franz

Born Eduard Franz Schmidt in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this stern-faced character actor had originally envisioned a career as a commercial artist, but a stint with a local theatrical troupe subsequently redirected his path towards an acting career. In 1925, he made the bold decision to relocate to New York City and join forces with a renowned Greenwich Village theatrical group. He would later return to his roots in Wisconsin in the early 1930s, rejoining his old theatrical company, The Wisconsin Players. Notably, he accepted a position with the St. Louis Municipal Opera in 1944, where he flourished, performing in numerous operettas until 1947. Subsequently, he set his sights on Hollywood, where he quickly secured work and began appearing in notable films such as The Magnificent Yankee (1950) and The Ten Commandments (1956). Additionally, he made a memorable appearance in a low-budget horror flick, The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake (1959). Throughout his film career, however, he remained committed to the world of theater and accumulated an impressive list of television credits.