Francis Morgan Farley (October 3, 1898 – October 11, 1988) was an American actor on the stage and in films and television.
Career
His theatrical career began in 1918 in the stage adaptation of Booth Tarkington’s Seventeen. He recreated the role of Joe Bullitt in Orson Welles’s Mercury Theatre on the Air adaptation of the story that aired October 16, 1938. He gained a whole new generation of followers as a result of his guest spots on the original Star Trek series in the 1960s in the episodes “The Return of the Archons” and “The Omega Glory”. In 1967 he appeared as Paco on the TV western series The Big Valley in the episode titled “Days of Grace.” Morgan Farley also appeared in Barnaby Jones; episode titled, “See Some Evil…Do Some Evil” (4/8/1973).
Farley played a large number of mostly small parts in movies, television and Broadway, including the church minister in High Noon. He also served in World War II.
He was an out actor and was an activist in the early movement to gain civil and equal rights for homosexual Americans. He was a member of the board of ONE, Inc., the first public organization and publication (ONE Magazine). His contribution is covered in a book by Joseph Hansen on ONE Magazine’s main editor, Don Slater, titled A Few Doors West of Hope, published by the Homosexual Information Center. (Information on HIC can be found on the website; tangentgroup.org)
He died on October 11, 1988, eight days after his 90th birthday. His ashes were scattered in the rose garden at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery, North Hollywood, California.
Selected filmography
The Love Doctor (1929) – Bud Woodbridge
The Greene Murder Case (1929) – Rex Greene
Half Marriage (1929) – Dickie Carroll
The Mighty (1929) – Jerry Patterson
Slightly Scarlet (1930) – Malatroff’s Victim
Only the Brave (1930) – Lt. Tom Wendell
Men Are Like That (1930) – Joe Fisher
The Devil’s Holiday (1930) – Monkey McConnell
A Man from Wyoming (1930) – Lt. Lee
Beloved (1934) – Eric Hausmann
Gentleman’s Agreement (1947) – Resort Clerk
You Were Meant for Me (1948) – Ticket Taker
Open Secret (1948) – Larry Mitchell
The Winner’s Circle (1948) – Gus
The Walls of Jericho (1948) – Proprietor
Hollow Triumph (1948) – Howard Anderson
MacBeth (1948) – Doctor
Behind Locked Doors (1948) – Mr. Topper – a Patient
Bride of Vengeance (1949) – Treasurer
Flamingo Road (1949) – Link Niles
Manhandled (1949) – Doc, Police Lab Man
Special Agent (1949) – Dr. Jerome Bowen
Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949) – Gregory Milford
Top o’ the Morning (1949) – Edwin Livesley
That Forsyte Woman (1949) – Bookseller
Guilty of Treason (1950) – Doctor
Barricade (1950) – The Judge
The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950) – Rushton
Double Crossbones (1951) – Caleb Nicholas
Sealed Cargo (1951) – Caleb
Goodbye, My Fancy (1951) – Doctor Pitt
Tomorrow Is Another Day (1951) – Doctor
The Lady from Texas (1951) – Lucian Haddon
The Strange Door (1951) – Renville
The Wild North (1952) – Father Simon
Love Is Better Than Ever (1952) – Joe, Piano Player
High Noon (1952) – Dr. Mahin – Minister
My Wife’s Best Friend (1952) – Dr. McCurran
Angel Face (1953) – Juror
Julius Caesar (1953) – Artemidorus
Remains to Be Seen (1953) – Kyle Manning
Jivaro (1954) – Vinny
Hello, Dolly! (1969) – Workman / Onlooker
The Barefoot Executive (1971) – Advertising Executive
Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) – Old Piano Player
Scorpio (1973)
Soylent Green (1973) – Book #1
At Long Last Love (1975) – Third Man
Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976) – Old Man in Back of Bus With Hat
The Last Tycoon (1976) – Marcus
Nickelodeon (1976) – Movie Fanatic
Heaven Can Wait (1978) – Middleton
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978) – Old Lonely Hearts Club Band
Dreamer (1979) – Old Timer
External Links
Actor Morgan Farley – Wikipedia
