Frank Rice was born in Muskegon, Michigan in 1892 to Robert B. and Mary Rice. In the 1900s, the family moved to Portland, Oregon, and Frank spent most of his teen and early adult years there. His early jobs were real estate salesman and carpenter in a ship building yard.

Rice began film work in silents, doing bit and supporting roles in various films, including oaters starring Jack Hoxie, Bill Cody, Hoot Gibson, Ken Maynard, Pete Morrison and Buck Jones. In the late 1920s, he settled in as the mature helper/sidekick to youngster Buzz Barton in Buzz's series at Film Booking Office (FBO).

During the 1930s, Rice continued his saddle pal duties, appearing most frequently with Buck Jones and Ken Maynard. But he also assisted or had support roles in westerns with Tom Keene at RKO, Reliable's Jack Perrin and Tom Tyler, Tim McCoy at Columbia, at Fox with George O'Brien, and with John Wayne in his Warners series.

I went through Rice's film listing on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) and chuckled at his many screen names which included "Taterbug Watson", "Amos Butts", "Pinwheel", "Banty", "Sagebrush", "Thirsty", "Nevady", "Thunder" ... along with "Shorty" and "Shrimp". He's listed in about 130 silent and sound films during the period from 1912 - 1936. In about a third of those films, Rice is working with Barton, Hoxie, Maynard and Jones.

As to his personal and family life, Frank married Louise Kaufman in the early 1920s and daughter Barbara Ann was born in 1923.

Frank Thomas Rice passed away on January 9, 1936 at the Los Angeles General Hospital. An autopsy was performed and cause of death was nephritis and hepatitis (both of which affect the kidneys).

Rice's 1892 birth year surprised me. I recently viewed about a half dozen of his 1930s westerns ... and he looks older.

Tall, and wearin' a big floppy hat and sometimes sporting a large moustache, Frank Rice is one of the less remembered western hero helpers and supporting players.

  Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Frank Rice: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0723423/

The Family Search website (free) and the death certificate provide more on Frank Rice:

• Michigan birth ledger (not the birth certificate) for Frank Rice, born May 13, 1892 in Muskegon, Michigan: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11604-42998-32?cc=1459684
• 1900 census summary and census takers worksheet - living in Muskegon, Michigan are 40 year old Robert B. Rice (born Ohio) and his 39 year old wife Mary M. (born Michigan). They have two daughters and two sons, one of which is 8 year old Frank (born Michigan): https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MS9J-VYG
• 1910 census summary and census takers worksheet - living at 690 Wasco Street, Portland, Oregon, are 49 year old Robert B. Rice (born Ohio; occupation "Contractor - Dwelling") and his 49 year old wife Mary M. (born Michigan). They have three daughters and two sons, one of which is 17 year old Frank (born Michigan; occupation "Salesman - Real Estate"): https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MLYL-5TT
• World War I draft registration dated June 5, 1917 - 25 year old Frank Thomas Rice was born May 13, 1892 in Muskegon, Michigan. He is single; still living at 690 Wasco, Portland, Oregon; and occupation/employer is "Carpenter - Coast Ship Bldg Co., Portland, Oregon": https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-26277-32360-27?cc=1968530
• Birth certificate for Barbara Ann Rice, born August 30, 1923 in Los Angeles to 31 year old Frank Thomas Rice (born Michigan; occupation "Actor - Motion Pictures") and 25 year old Louise Kaufman (born California; "housewife"): https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPHG-YJ3M
• 1930 census census summary and census takers worksheet - 37 year old Frank T. Rice (born Michigan) is divorced and one of many lodgers living at the Bonnie Briar Hotel, 6806 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles. Occupation was "Actor - Motion Pictures" and he was not a military veteran: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XCJ1-FB2
• Death certificate - Frank Thomas Rice passed away on January 9, 1936 at the Los Angeles General Hospital. He was born May 13, 1892 in Muskegon, Michigan to Albert and Mary Rice. An autopsy was performed and cause of death was "toxic hepatitis and nephritis of undertermined origin". Death certificate informant was his wife Louise Rice, and they resided at 6364 Yucca, Los Angeles. Burial at Valhalla Cemetery.
• The California Death Index for 1905-1939 contains an entry for Frank T. Rice, born about 1893, and he passed away on January 9, 1936: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKS9-6J32

Jim Tipton's Find A Grave website confirms that Rice is interred at Valhalla Memorial Park, North Hollywood, Los Angeles County, California: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/76605808/frank-rice