A walking wink: Great performances of a Hollywood stalwart

Ever since I came to know he is my namesake, I began to be particularly interested with actor Frank McHugh and his performances. Classic film buffs would know him as the stalwart supporting actor who breathed life to comic, good-natured characters alongside big movie stars like Bing Crosby and James Cagney, among others.

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But there's more to McHugh than providing comic relief in Hollywood movies. During his lifetime, he had also proven himself to be a dependable actor in Broadway.

Born to a family running a theatrical troupe, there was no doubt McHugh would eventually be lured into the world of acting. After debuting in Broadway through "The Fall Guy," he would eventually make a name in plays like "Excess Baggage" and "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum."

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Describing the actor's flair for comedy, Walter Kerr of The New York Times wrote, in a review of the 1967 Broadway play "Finian's Rainbow": "McHugh's very face is a walking wink. That's a plus."

In Hollywood, McHugh is a tireless performer. In one year, he finished 14 movies, many of which he expertly played the funny pal or buddy.

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But one of his more admirable acts during his career was starring, along with stars like Olivia de Havilland, Groucho Marx and Bob Hope, in the Hollywood Victory Caravan, a star-studded tour travelling across the U.S. in 1942 to raise money for the Army and Navy Relief Fund. He was able to chronicle his experiences in a trove of letters, photos and publicity materials discovered in the New York Public Library.

 I am Frank McHugh, a namesake of one of Hollywood's legendary character actors. To keep his memory alive, I collect and sell photos, posters, letters, and other materials of him and his movies. Add me on Facebook to know more about the actor and his great performances.