Alexander Frank papers

1902-1920

Alexander Frank (1866-1939), was a stage actor, first in England and then, after 1900, in the United States, where he was also a motion picture actor and director. Born in Boston, England, Alexander Frank initially worked as a political secretary for a Member of Parliament, but turned instead to acting. After receiving his early training from Sir Henry Irving and making a number of appearances on the London stage, he came to the United States around 1900. Mr. Frank acted opposite many of the leading actors of his era, and belonged to the companies of such major figures as James K. Hackett and Olga Nethersole. Mr. Frank acted in several films between 1913 and 1920, and also directed, but later restricted himself to stage work as a performer. Mr. Frank's last major role was in Elsie Schauffler's play Parnell in 1935, in which he portrayed British Prime Minister William E. Gladstone, whom he had met in his youth. The Alexander Frank papers span 1902-1920 and consist of contracts, correspondence, and a notebook. The collection is split between contracts for various plays and theatrical companies, and correspondence, encased in mylar, consisting of letters of recommendation from Mr. Frank's past employers to prospective ones. There is also a small notebook, which holds four pages of sketchy pencilled notes concerning Medieval England.