Craven, Frank

Craven, Frank (1875–1945), actor and playwright. Born in Boston, he was the son of actors and made his first stage appearance with them as a child in The Silver King in 1887. Although Craven made his New York debut in Artie (1908), he did not create a stir until he appeared as the parasitic brother‐in‐law Jimmy Gilley in Bought and Paid For (1911). He followed this by playing the newlywed Albert Bennett in his own play Too Many Cooks (1914). Lesser successes came in Under Fire (1915), and Seven Chances (1916) before he enjoyed a long run as the reluctant flyer Robert Street in the musical Going Up! (1917). His own fine comedy, The First Year (1920), afforded him the chance to play another young husband, Thomas Tucker. For several years thereafter Craven seemingly had little luck, having only a modest run as the golf‐addicted writer Vernon Chase in his own play The Nineteenth Hole (1927). He found himself in bigger hits as the good Samaritan Robert Grant in That's Gratitude (1930) and as the crime reporter Kirk in Riddle Me This (1932), which he also directed. In the same season he also directed the comedy hit Whistling in the Dark. Virtually his last major assignment was one of his finest, the Stage Manager in Our Town (1938). His final appearance was as the former president in Mrs. January and Mr. X (1944).