The 'brains' and 'action' heavies who had meaty roles and lots of dialog ... and the players who were fathers, ranch owners, lawman, mayors, judges, lawyers, storekeepers, newspaper editors, wardens, etc.

Above - Frank Ellis circa 1931, and about 34 years old.

Frank Ellis Full name: Frank Birney Ellis 1897 - 1969

Above - Frank Ellis circa 1942, and about 45 years old.

One of the players at the top of Les Adams' Prolific Performers list - in both western and cliffhanger categories - is Frank Ellis.

He was born in the Oklahoma Territory in 1897 and his screenwork began in early 1920s silents.

He had a unique voice which I can immediately recognize. And when I originally did this webpage on Ellis, I was surprised at his 1897 birth year - he just seemed older to me.

In his 1930s appearances, he still was relatively thin (so to speak). During that decade, he did oaters at Columbia with Charles Starrett and Bill Elliott; at Republic with the Three Mesquiteers; at Universal with Johnny Mack Brown; about a dozen Hopalong Cassidy films; more.

In the 1940s, he became a member of Monogram and PRC's stable of bad guys and bit players ... and his waistline had considerably expanded. At Monogram, you can spot Ellis in over three dozen westerns with the Range Busters, Trail Blazers, Rough Riders, Jimmy Wakely, Whip Wilson, and Johnny Mack Brown. He did over four dozen 1940s westerns at Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC). At PRC, he worked with Eddie Dean, the Texas Rangers, in Lone Rider adventures starring George Houston and Bob Livingston, and with Bob Steele and Buster Crabbe in the Billy the Kid/Billy Carson series.

Ellis was a favorite of director Sam Newfield and producer Sam Katzman. Frank was employed in 60+ Newfield films scattered over the years 1935 - 1952, and most of those jobs were with Newfield at PRC in oaters with Houston, Livingston, Steele and Crabbe. And during the years 1939 - 1954, Ellis appeared in 20+ adventures produced by prolific Sam Katzman. Most were 1940s - early 1950s serials that Katzman did for Columbia Pictures.

Once in a great while, Frank got to play the lead villain and an example is the Jack Randall starrer COVERED WAGON TRAILS (Monogram, 1940). Generally, Frank was "the second or third or fourth henchmen through the door".

Ellis was another of the B western and serial performers who successfully transitioned to TV, and he shows up in episodes of GUNSMOKE, BONANZA, WAGON TRAIN, THE VIRGINIA, GENE AUTRY SHOW, ANNIE OAKLEY, lots more. Most of his television appearances were minor background roles as a townsman, barfly, etc.

Les Adams has Frank identified in 425+ sound era films, and of that number, 361 are westerns and 49 are chapterplays. His work for Republic Pictures consisted of about 75 films during the period 1935 - 1953.

A few days shy of his 72nd birthday, Frank Ellis passed away February 23, 1969 at the Santa Clarita Hospital, Saugus, Los Angeles county, California. Medical conditions included COPD and emphysema, but cause of death was respiratory failure, lung cancer, and pulmonary disease.

In summary, Frank Ellis was one of the dependable western and serial performers - otherwise he would never have gotten so much work over so many years.

(Courtesy of Les Adams) From L-to-R in the front are Bud Geary, Bob Wilke and Roy Barcroft. Behind this threesome is Frank Ellis as "the fourth man through the door". Still from CODE OF THE PRAIRIE (Republic, 1944) which starred Smiley Burnette and featured Sunset Carson. (Courtesy of Minard Coons) Above - Ray Corrigan tries to teach the milk drenched Frank Ellis how to drink the white liquid in an amusing bit from one of the weakest of the Range Busters, TEXAS TROUBLE SHOOTERS (Monogram, 1942). Ellis was about 45 years old when he did this film.

Frank Ellis did film roles prior to 1930 and after 1950. But 1930-1950 was his busiest movie making period. Below are his film quantity totals by year in westerns, serials, shorts, and other films. Was he injured or ill in 1934?
14	14	30	21	9	30	27	33	21	27	27	38	41	25	18	17	18	13	11	11	13
1930	1931	1932	1933	1934	1935	1936	1937	1938	1939	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	1946	1947	1948	1949	1950

Mike Newton provided a story about a friend of his meeting up with Frank Ellis: "I had a friend who was Ray Johnston's office boy at Monogram in the summer of 1940. He would tell me about meeting all the movie actors and cowboy stars while he was visiting the sets. This one day, he happened to be off and went over to PRC Studios where they were making a Lone Rider western with George Houston. Apparently security was not too tight, or they figured he belonged there. But as he stood watching the action, he felt a tap on his shoulder. "What the h--- are you doin' here, boy." Bob turned around to see Frank Ellis standing behind him, glowering. "Nothing, sir. I was just watching." "Get the h--- out of here, boy, now." Bob didn't feel it was prudent to argue the situation, having seen Mr. Ellis handle himself on the screen, so he "git". I told him that reality had a way of mirroring fantasy and that the tenderfoot got run out of town by the bully."

  Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Frank Ellis: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0254834/

The Family Search website (free), Ancestry.com (subscription), California Death Index, and the death certificate provide more info on Frank Ellis and family:

• 1900 census summary and census takers worksheet - 29 year old Frank E. Ellis (born Iowa; occupation "Farmer"), 28 year old wife Nellie B. (born Iowa), 3 year old son Frank B. (born Oklahoma), and newborn daughter Byrl H. (born Oklahoma) live in Newkirk Township, Kay County, Oklahoma Territory. When viewing the census takers worksheet, there's more Ellis's living next door which may be Frank's uncle and grandparents - Herbert E. Ellis (born Iowa; occupation "Farmer"), his father Wellington A. Ellis (born 1835 in Virginia) and mother Carry (born 1845 in Ohio): https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MMGF-7J6
• 1910 census summary and census takers worksheet - and the family is on two census takers worksheets - 39 year old Frank E. Ellis (born Iowa), his 38 year old wife Nellie B. Ellis (born Iowa), 13 year old son Frank B. (born Oklahoma), and 10 year old daughter Beryle H. are living in Los Angeles: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MV2R-MFQ
• World War I draft registration dated June 5, 1918 - 21 year old Frank B. Ellis is single, unemployed, and born February 26, 1897 in Newkirk, Oklahoma. Home address is 1853 Crenshaw Boulevard, Los Angeles, and nearest relative is mother Nellie B. Roberts: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-26179-5812-38?cc=1968530&wc=M9SG-MZJ:931681307
• 1920 census summary and census takers worksheet - renting at 649 Virgil Avenue, Los Angeles are 22 year old Frank B. Ellis (born Oklahoma) and 21 year old wife Jessie M. (born California). Frank's occupation is "Actor - Motion Pictures": https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MHQX-GH1
• 1930 census summary and census takers worksheet - 33 year old Frank B. Ellis (born Oklahoma) and his 21 year old wife Madonna L. (born Iowa) are renting in Los Angeles (but I couldn't read the street name). He was not a military veteran; and occupation is "Actor - Moving Pictures".: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XC83-Q5F
• 1940 census summary and census takers worksheet - owning their home at 6140 Simpson, Los Angeles are 43 year old Frank B. Ellis (born Oklahoma), 31 year old wife Madonna (born Iowa), and 5 year old son Frank W. (born California). Frank reports that he completed school through 8th grade; occupation is "Motion Picture actor on call - Motion Pictures", and in 1939, he worked 52 weeks and earned $2600.00: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K9H2-729
• California Death Index for Frank's wife, Madonna L. Ellis, who passed away February 11, 1964: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VGRV-QLK
• California Death Index for Frank B. Ellis, born February 26, 1897 in Oklahoma, and he passed away on February 23, 1969 in the Los Angeles area: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VGRT-LM4
• Death certificate - 71 year old Frank Birney Ellis was born February 26, 1897 in Oklahoma to unidentified parents. He was widowed and occupation was "Actor - Free Lance - TV and Motion Pictures". He passed away February 23, 1969 at the Santa Clarita Hospital, Saugus, Los Angeles county, California. Medical conditions included COPD and emphysema, but cause of death was respiratory failure, lung cancer, and pulmonary disease. Home address was 33618 Aqua Dulce Canyon Road, Saugus, California, and death certificate informant was son Frank Ellis, Jr., also living at that address. Interment at Pierce Bros. - Valhalla.
• Find A Grave has a photo of the marker for Frank Birney Ellis who is interred at Valhalla Memorial Park, North Hollywood, Los Angeles County, California: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/83371717/frank-birney-ellis

Boyd Magers' Western Clippings website has a profile on Frank Ellis: http://www.westernclippings.com/heavies/frankellis_charactersheavies.shtml

(Courtesy of Les Adams) Above from left to right are Monte Montague being subdued by Bob Custer while oldster Richard Carlyle is restrained by a young and thinnish Frank Ellis in Custer's QUICK TRIGGER LEE (Big 4, 1931). (From Old Corral Collection) Left to right in this lobby card from TOO MUCH BEEF (Normandy, 1936) are Frank Ellis, Jack King, hero Rex Bell and Horace Murphy. (Courtesy of Ed Phillips) Above from L-to-R are Robert Walker, a thinnish Frank Ellis, Dick Rush, Edmund Cobb, John Doe #3, Charles Starrett, George Morrell (behind and right of Starrett).  In the background on horseback are Steve Clark and Tex Cooper (Buffalo Bill-looking character). Scene from TWO-FISTED SHERIFF (Columbia, 1937). (Courtesy of Bill McCann) Above from left to right are Veda Ann Borg, Charles 'Slim' Whitaker, Bill Elliott and Frank Ellis in THE LAW COMES TO TEXAS (Columbia, 1939). (Courtesy of Minard Coons) Above - Range Busters' Dave Sharpe and John 'Dusty' King have the drop on Frank Ellis in TEXAS TO BATAAN (Monogram, 1942). This was the 17th of 24 films in the Range Busters series and the plot involved the trio delivering Army horses to the Phillipines. At the end, there's a radio broadcast announcing the Pearl Harbor attack and the three heroes decide to enlist. (Courtesy of Minard Coons) Above from left to right are Ray 'Crash' Corrigan, Weldon Heyburn, Carl Mathews, Max 'Alibi' Terhune, Frank Ellis and John 'Dusty' King in a scene from the Range Busters adventure ROCK RIVER RENEGADES (Monogram, 1942). (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above from L-to-R are Fuzzy St. John, I. Stanford Jolley, and stage driver Frank Ellis in a lobby card from BLAZING FRONTIER (PRC, 1943), one of the Buster Crabbe oaters. Note the expanded waistline on Ellis. (From Old Corral collection) Above from L-to-R are Kermit Maynard, Buster Crabbe, Frank Ellis, and Charlie King in a lobby card and crop/blowup from FRONTIER OUTLAWS (PRC, 1944), another entry in the Crabbe "Billy Carson" series (Courtesy of Ken Jones) Hoot Gibson on the left and Chief Thunder Cloud on the right, have apprehended a trio of henchies in OUTLAW TRAIL (Monogram, 1944), an entry in the Trail Blazers series. In the center from L-to-R are Jim Thorpe, Al Ferguson and Frank Ellis. James Francis 'Jim' Thorpe (1888 - 1953) won the decathlon and pentathlon at the 1912 Stockholm Olympic games, but was later stripped of his medals since he had played pro sports. (From Old Corral collection) Above from left to right are Jack Hendricks (AKA Ray Henderson), Buster Crabbe, Frank Ellis, Al 'Fuzzy' St. John, Ray Jones and Lorraine Miller in a still from BORDER BADMEN (PRC, 1945). (From Old Corral collection) From left to right are Al 'Fuzzy' St. John, Frank Ellis, Lorraine Miller and Buster Crabbe in a lobby card from BORDER BADMEN (PRC, 1945). Left to right In the background are an unidentified guy, Victor Cox and Jack Hendricks (AKA Ray Henderson). Cox, Hendricks and Ellis are henchmen reporting to boss Charlie King. (From Old Corral collection) Above from left to right are Ted Adams, Frank Ellis, Shirley Patterson (Shawn Smith) and singin' cowboy Eddie Dean in Dean's TUMBLEWEED TRAIL (PRC, 1946). Shirley Patterson was the heroine in the first BATMAN (Columbia, 1943) serial. One of her last films - when she had re-named herself to "Shawn Smith" - was THE LAND UNKNOWN (Universal, 1957), a tale of a military expedition landing inside of a volcano and finding dinosaurs.