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. |
(Courtesy of Jack Tillmany) | Frank Ball Real name: Francis Mallory Ball, Sr. 1876 - 1968 |
(Courtesy of Les Adams) Above from L-to-R are Ed Cassidy, Frank Ball and Johnny Mack Brown in a scene from COURAGEOUS AVENGER (A. W. Hackel/Supreme, 1935). (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above from L-to-R are Lafe McKee, George Hayes (before his sidekick days as Windy and Gabby), Frank Ball, Bob Steele, and Ed Brady in a crop from a lobby card from GALLOPING ROMEO (Monogram, 1933). (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above from L-to-R are Bob Steele, George Hayes and Frank Ball in a crop from a lobby card from GALLOPING ROMEO (Monogram, 1933). |
Background
My late parents lived in Maryland (near Washington DC), and over the decades, we made many trips to see them. On a visit many, many years ago, we met one of their friends, a lady named Alice Ball. At that time, I was writing stories about the western film for Classic Images, Favorite Westerns, etc., and somehow we got chatting about the ol' cowboy movies. Lo and behold, Alice mentioned that her dad was Frank Ball, and he did a bunch of westerns starring Bob Steele, Johnny Mack Brown, others. At home, I paged through all the film listings in Les Adams and Buck Rainey's Shoot Em Ups book for Frank Ball credits, and checked the list of titles against my collection of VHS tapes. I ran off a bunch of videos for Alice, and gave them to her at our next visit back East. Also gave her the filmography that I had compiled from Les and Buck's book. I jotted down notes from Alice about her dad, their time in California, how Frank got into films, etc., and transcribed those onto a word processing document. But it was done on a Commodore 64 computer (and a 5 1/4" floppy disk) - that Commodore 64 is long gone, and I apparently never printed out a copy of the Frank Ball writeup that I had given to Alice. Back in those days, I never guessed that I'd have a future need for that info.
I promised Alice that someday I'd do a story on her dad. Alice had a stroke and passed away in 1999. Here's the writeup, and my apologies for it being late.
The search for Frank Ball
A while back, author and Old Corral contributor Ken Jones had asked me if I had any info on Frank Ball. That was the nudge I needed, but for the life of me, I couldn't recall much of anything that Alice had told me. Too much time had passed. The only things I could vaguely remember were:
I jotted off a request to the Social Security Administration for a copy of Alice's Social Security application. Info on her application follows:
Alice Dulany Ball, born 7/3/1913 in Washington, DC. Father and mother's name: Francis Mallory Ball, Sr. and Alice Noble. The application was dated 7/19/1941, and Alice (who was about 28 years old at the time) listed her occupation as a teaching assistant at the University of California in Los Angeles since 7/1/1940. |
The Social Security Death Index (SSDI) had records for:
FRANCIS BALL (western movie actor) Residence: Washington, District Of Columbia, DC Born 25 May 1876 Died Mar 1968 Issued: CA (Before 1951) ALICE BALL (Frank's daughter) Residence: Washington, District Of Columbia, DC Born 3 Jul 1913 Died 9 Jan 1999 Issued: CA (Before 1951) FRANCIS BALL (Frank's son) Residence: Camarillo, Ventura, CA Born 9 Aug 1907 Died 29 Dec 1992 Issued: CA (Before 1951) |
The California Death Index had a record for:
BALL, FRANCIS MALLORY Born 8/9/1907 Mother's Maiden name: NOBLE Male Birthplace: DIST. OF COLUMBIA Residence: VENTURA Death: 12/29/1992 Age at death: 85 |
Californian Jerry Schneider, who has the Movie Locations Webguide site, was able to check a database or two and found the following obituary clip:
January 5, 1993, Tuesday, Ventura County Edition, LA Times SECTION: Metro; Part B; Page 5; Column 6 Ball, Francis M. Jr., 85, of Camarillo, retired geneticist at Cal State University Northridge. Conejo Mountain Memorial Park and Funeral Home, Camarillo. |
In summary, the above records are for Alice, her brother Frank Jr., and her father, Frank Sr.
The Detective work continues ...
As we proceed further, you need to remember the middle names of both Alice and father Frank --- Alice DULANY Ball, Francis MALLORY Ball, Sr.
Click on https://archives.yale.edu/repositories/11/resources/1259 for the M. D. Ball Papers, Yale Collection of Western Americana, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, and their collection on Mottrom Dulany Ball (1835-1887). Their webpage includes the following biographical info:
Mottrom Dulany Ball (1835-1887) was born in Fairfax County, Virginia, and was educated at the College of William and Mary. He taught school until the outbreak of the Civil War, when he formed a cavalry company and rose to the rank of Colonel in the Confederate Army. After the war, he practiced law and founded the Virginia Sentinel, which folded in 1876. In January 1878, he was appointed Collector of Customs for Alaska, and moved to Sitka with his wife, Sallie Lewis Wright Ball, and children. In September of 1881, he was elected Alaska's first unofficial delegate to Congress. Ball served as U. S. District Attorney for Alaska from 1885 to 1887, and was the founding editor of the Alaskan, a Sitka newspaper. |
Click on https://www.ourfamtree.org/browse.php/Mottrom-Dulaney-Ball/p326968 for the genealogy website on the Corbin and Ball families. That link will take you to the page on Mottrom Dulany Ball and wife Sally Lewis Wright. Note that one of their four children is Francis Mallory Ball (Frank Ball, the actor).
Remember that Alice was donating some portraits or photos to the Smithsonian? The several e-mail contacts I made with the Smithsonian were super helpful and responsive. Didn't take long to discover Alice's portrait donations. The below info came from the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery and the homepage for the National Portrait Gallery is at: http://www.npg.si.edu/
Accession Number: 1991-1172, A | Title: |
Sitter: Lewis, James (b.1753,d.1788) | Artist: Peale, Charles Willson (b.1741,d.1827) |
Classification: Painting | Materials: |
Date: | Dimensions: 78.8cm x 66cm (31" x 26") |
Current Owner: Ball, Jr., Francis Mallory Ball, Alice Dulany Papp, Emma Matilda | Acquisition: Bequest of , 1949 |
Accession Number: 1991-1173, A | Title: |
Sitter: Lewis, Jr., Warner (b.1747,d.1791) | Artist: Peale, Charles Willson (b.1741,d.1827) |
Classification: Painting | Materials: |
Date: | Dimensions: |
Current Owner: Ball, Alice Dulany | Acquisition: |
Accession Number: 1991-1171, A & B | Title: |
Sitter: Lewis, Jr., Mrs. Warner (b.1739,d.1776) | Artist: Peale, Charles Willson (b.1741,d.1827) |
Classification: Painting | Materials: |
Date: | Dimensions: 78.8cm x 66cm (31" x 26") |
Current Owner: Ball, Alice Dulany | Acquisition: |
The significance of these paintings may be due to the renowned artist, Charles Willson Peale. The portraits are of James Lewis, Warner Lewis, Jr., and Mrs. Warner Lewis, Jr. Mottram Dulaney Ball's wife Sallie may have been related to the Lewis family, but I have no further info at this time. The names 'James Lewis' and 'Warner Lewis, Jr.' from the above paintings are referenced in another genealogy site at rootsweb. Click on http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~marshall/esmd45.htm and scroll down that webpage and take a read at the sections numbered 9., 11., and 12.
When I checked the Smithsonian links a few years ago, I found that the portraits donated by the Ball family were no longer there. The Charles Willson Peale portraits of James Lewis, Warner Lewis II, and his wife are now at Colonial Williamsburg:
https://emuseum.history.org/objects/749/portrait-of-james-lewis-17531788?ctx=ed69305d5486cc41e9dd3cca2baac6f031f4dea8&idx=0
https://emuseum.history.org/objects/746/portrait-of-mary-chiswell-lewis-mrs-warner-lewis-ii-1748?ctx=ed69305d5486cc41e9dd3cca2baac6f031f4dea8&idx=2
https://emuseum.history.org/objects/747/portrait-of-warner-lewis-ii-17471791?ctx=ed69305d5486cc41e9dd3cca2baac6f031f4dea8&idx=3
The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery has another portrait donated by Alice Dulany Ball: https://npg.si.edu/object/npg_S_NPG.2000.4
Frank Ball Filmography Westerns are in black, non-westerns in red Filmography provided by Les Adams Updated: July, 2001 |
Date | Title | Company | Prod. | Director | Star | Ball Role |
4/12/31 | PUEBLO TERROR , THE | Cosmos | Robert J. Horner | Alan James | Buffalo Bill Jr. | Dan Foster |
2/1/32 | TANGLED FORTUNES | Big 4 | Burton King | J. P. McGowan | Buzz Barton | John Davis |
2/10/32 | MARK OF THE SPUR | Big 4 | Burton King | J. P. McCarthy | Bob Custer | Express Agent |
2/22/32 | MURDER AT DAWN | Big 4 | Burton King | Richard Thorpe | Jack Mulhall | Prof. Farrington |
4/1/32 | MAN FROM NEW MEXICO, THE | Monogram | Trem Carr | J. P. McCarthy | Tom Tyler | Mr. Langton |
4/10/32 | SCARLET BRAND, THE | Big 4 | Burton King | J. P. McCarthy | Bob Custer | John Walker |
10/28/32 | FORTY-NINERS, THE | Monarch | Burton King | J. P. McCarthy | Tom Tyler | MacNabb |
12/15/32 | FIGHTING CHAMP, THE | Monogram | Trem Carr | J. P. McCarthy | Bob Steele | Fred Mullins |
1/15/33 | WHEN A MAN RIDES ALONE | Monarch | Burton King | J. P. McGowan | Tom Tyler | Jack "Dad" Davis |
7/5/33 | GALLOPING ROMEO | Monogram | Paul Malvern | Robert N. Bradbury | Bob Steele | Sheriff |
8/15/33 | RANGER'S CODE | Monogram | Trem Carr | Robert N. Bradbury | Bob Steele | Rancher |
7/30/34 | STAR PACKER, THE | Lone Star | Paul Malvern | Robert N. Bradbury | John Wayne | Townsman |
11/10/34 | ST. LOUIS KID, THE | Warners | Samuel Bischoff | Ray Enright | James Cagney | Police Broadcaster |
2/1/35 | TEXAS TERROR | Lone Star | Paul Malvern | Robert N. Bradbury | John Wayne | Dan Matthews |
3/8/35 | BIG CALIBRE | Supreme | A. W. Hackel | Robert N. Bradbury | Bob Steele | Jim Bowers |
3/15/35 | RAINBOW VALLEY | Lone Star | Paul Malvern | Robert N. Bradbury | John Wayne | Powell |
4/22/35 | DESERT TRAIL, THE | Lone Star | Paul Malvern | Lew Collins | John Wayne | Banker Jake |
8/1/35 | ARIZONA TRAILS | Superior | Victor Adamson | Al James (Victor Adamson) | Bill Patton | Dad Randolph |
8/1/35 | SUNDOWN SAUNDERS | Supreme | A. W. Hackel | Robert N. Bradbury | Bob Steele | Mr. Manning |
8/2/35 | BOOTHILL BRIGADE | Supreme | A. W. Hackel | Sam Newfield | Johnny Mack Brown | Mr. Murdock |
10/5/35 | NEW FRONTIER, THE | Republic | Trem Carr | Carl Pierson | John Wayne | Ted |
11/29/35 | BETWEEN MEN | Supreme | A. W. Hackel | Robert N. Bradbury | Johnny Mack Brown | Gentry aka Winters |
12/13/35 | COURAGEOUS AVENGER, THE | Supreme | A. W. Hackel | Robert N. Bradbury | Johnny Mack Brown | M. H. Davis |
1/25/36 | VALLEY OF THE LAWLESS | Supreme | A. W. Hackel | Robert N. Bradbury | Johnny Mack Brown | Amos Jenkins |
2/5/36 | KID RANGER , THE | Supreme | A. W. Hackel | Robert N. Bradbury | Bob Steele | Brokaw |
3/10/36 | DESERT PHANTOM | Supreme | A. W. Hackel | S. Roy Luby | Johnny Mack Brown | Townsman |
4/25/36 | ROGUE OF THE RANGE | Supreme | A. W. Hackel | S. Roy Luby | Johnny Mack Brown | Express Agent John |
5/10/36 | LAST OF THE WARRENS | Supreme | A. W. Hackel | Robert N. Bradbury | Bob Steele | Liverman Jake |
6/1/36 | FUGITIVE SHERIFF, THE | Columbia | Larry Darmour | Spencer G. Bennet | Ken Maynard | Prospector |
8/15/36 | BRAND OF THE OUTLAWS | Supreme | A. W. Hackel | Robert N. Bradbury | Bob Steele | Doctor |
9/24/36 | UNDERCOVER MAN | Republic | A. W. Hackel | Albert Ray | Johnny Mack Brown | Express Agent |
12/28/36 | BORDER PHANTOM | Republic | A. W. Hackel | S. Roy Luby | Bob Steele | Prof. Andrew Hartwell |
1/10/37 | RANGER COURAGE | Columbia | Larry Darmour | Spencer G. Bennet | Bob Allen | Sam |
2/9/37 | GUN RANGER, THE | Republic | A. W. Hackel | Robert N. Bradbury | Bob Steele | The Judge |
2/15/37 | GAMBLING TERROR, THE | Republic | A. W. Hackel | Sam Newfield | Johnny Mack Brown | Mr. Garrett |
3/29/37 | TRAIL OF VENGEANCE | Republic | A. W. Hackel | Sam Newfield | Johnny Mack Brown | Steve Warner |
4/22/37 | BAR Z BADMEN | Republic | A. W. Hackel | Sam Newfield | Johnny Mack Brown | The Judge |
5/4/37 | TRUSTED OUTLAW, THE | Republic | A. W. Hackel | Robert N. Bradbury | Bob Steele | Sheriff Bob Larimer |
5/10/37 | LAW OF THE RANGER | Columbia | Larry Darmour | Spencer G. Bennet | Bob Allen | Land Registar |
5/18/37 | GUN LORDS OF STIRRUP BASIN | Republic | A. W. Hackel | Sam Newfield | Bob Steele | Hub Stockton |
5/30/37 | RECKLESS RANGER, THE | Columbia | Larry Darmour | Spencer G. Bennet | Bob Allen | Bascom |
7/7/37 | DOOMED AT SUNDOWN | Republic | A. W. Hackel | Sam Newfield | Bob Steele | Dad Austin |
7/19/37 | RED ROPE, THE | Republic | A. W. Hackel | S. Roy Luby | Bob Steele | John "Pop" Duncan |
9/24/37 | ARIZONA GUNFIGHTER. THE | Republic | A. W. Hackel | Sam Newfield | Bob Steele | Dan Lorimer |
10/27/37 | TRAPPED BY G-MEN | Columbia | Larry Darmour | Lew Collins | Jack Holt | Miner |
11/1/37 | RIDIN' THE LONE TRAIL | Republic | A. W. Hackel | Sam Newfield | Bob Steele | Mr. Randall |
11/23/37 | LAWLESS LAND | Republic | A. W. Hackel | Albert Ray | Johnny Mack Brown | Bill |
12/6/37 | COLORADO KID | Republic | A. W. Hackel | Sam Newfield | Bob Steele | Judge Smith |
1/11/38 | PAROLED - TO DIE | Republic | A. W. Hackel | Sam Newfield | Bob Steele | The Judge |
4/18/38 | FEUD MAKER, THE | Republic | A. W. Hackel | Sam Newfield | Bob Steele | Mr. Harbison |
8/15/38 | DURANGO VALLEY RAIDERS | Republic | A. W. Hackel | Sam Newfield | Bob Steele | Commissioner |
11/2/38 | IN EARLY ARIZONA | Columbia | Larry Darmour | Joseph Levering | Bill Elliott | Rube Dillon |
12/15/39 | NICK CARTER - MASTER DETECTIVE | M-G-M | Lucien Hubbard | Jacques Tourneur | Walter Pidgeon | Paeke |
Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Frank Ball: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0050370/
Alice was involved in the Washington DC League of Women Voters, and their website has a notation on her involvement and passing under the heading of 'Member News': http://dcwatch.com/lwvdc/lwv9904.htm