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Frankie Darro

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Actor

The Resume

    (December 22, 1917-December 25, 1976)
    Born in Chicago, Illinois
    Birth name was Frank Johnson, Jr.
    Appeared in the films 'The Lightning Warrior (1931),' 'Three on a Match (1932),' 'Wild Boys of the Road (1933),' 'Burn 'Em Up Barnes (1934),' 'The Phantom Empire (1935),' 'A Day at the Races (1937),' 'Saratoga (1937),' and 'The Lawless Rider (1954)'
    Provided the voice of Lampwick in Disney's 'Pinocchio' (1940)
    Portrayed Robby the Robot in 'Forbidden Planet' (1956)

Why he might be annoying:

    In early film roles he was often billed as 'Darrow' like Clarence Darrow.
    He played teenagers into his late twenties.
    He was short and fugly - kinda like a young James Cagney.
    His resemblance to Cagney led to him being cast in the opening sequence showing him as a child in Public Enemy - but the studio didn't bother to refilm the opening sequence when Cagney and Edward Woods (who looked nothing like him) switched roles, and so his casting was pointless.
    With a filmography of well over 100 feature films and serials combined, he's most famous for being unseen 'inside' operating Robbie the Robot in the cult classic Forbidden Planet.
    He is referenced in the first episode of The Honeymooners when Jackie Gleason and Art Carney agree to watch a movie on the new TV called 'Rhythm on Ice' which purportedly stars him, Buddy Ebsen, Jane Frazee and Jerry Colonna (there is such a movie but none of them are even in it).
    He had a drinking problem that affected his career in later years (compounded by his opening his own Los Angeles-area tavern).

Why he might not be annoying:

    He did all of his own stunts.
    He starred in his own series of action melodramas when he signed with Monogram Pictures.
    He made cinema history with his buddy comedies opposite Mantan Moreland.
    He served in the US Navy Hospital Corps during World War II.
    He contracted malaria while enlisted and had to turn to alcohol to manage the pain (hence his later alcoholism).
    He was in Gene Autry's first starring vehicle (Phantom Empire) and Jean Harlow's last movie (Saratoga).
    His transformation into a donkey scene in Pinocchio has traumatized generations of kids.
    He died of a heart attack on Christmas Day, three days after his 59th birthday (his ashes were scattered into the Pacific Ocean).

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 231 Votes: 64.94% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 262 Votes: 59.16% Annoying