BIO

Frank Morgan was born Francis Phillip Wuppermann in New York City, in 1890.   One of 11 children, his father was a wealthy liquor distributor.   A graduate of Cornell University, Morgan decided to follow his brothers, the actor Ralph Morgan (1883-1956) and the playwright Carlos Wupperman (c1887-c1919), into show business.

A prolific stage actor, Morgan appeared in more than 25 Broadway productions between his debut in 1914 and 1932, after which he left the New York stage and moved to Hollywood to work in film full-time.

Morgan made his film debut in 1916, at the age of 26, for Vitagraph.  During the 1920s, Morgan spent most of his acting career onstage, but with the dampening effect of the Great Depression on the Broadway stage, he moved to the West Coast in 1932 for more opportunities.

Morgan’s most notable films include The Affairs Of Cellini (1934) in which he reprised a role he originated on Broadway a decade earlier.   He received an Academy Award nomination for Actor for his performance.   He also received a Supporting Actor nomination for his work in Tortilla Flat (1942).

After a career spanning more than 100 features, Morgan’s last film was released in 1949.

He married Alma Muller in 1914.   They raised one child.

Morgan died of a heart attack in Beverly Hills, California, in 1949.  He was 59 years old.

Additional Broadway stage history is available at:

Additional biographical information is available at:

NOTED FILMS