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 McGlynn, Sr. 1866 - 1951 (Courtesy of Jack Tillmany) Frank McGlynn, Jr. Full name: Frank A. McGlynn 1904 - 1939

Frank McGlynn, Sr. was born October 26, 1866 in San Francisco County, California to Francis 'Frank' McGlynn and Mary H. Buckley. Newspaper reports indicate that he earned a law degree before settling on an acting / stage career.

The Internet Archive has a few issues of the San Francisco Dramatic Review trade publication for years 1899 - 1909, and there's mentions of McGlynn's work in San Francisco theater. One article noted: "Frank McGlynn, a California boy who has been playing Cardinal Richelieu in Under the Red Robe Company." And Frank's wife, Rose O'Byrne / O'Beirne, also acted with him in plays with San Francisco's Valencia Theatre Company. Frank and Rose were married in 1900 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, and Rose passed in 1947 in New York.

Frank's film appearances began around 1910 with the Edison Company, and he also directed some films for Edison. In a lengthy stage and cinema career, he is best remembered - and typecast - for his portrayals of President Abraham Lincoln. At around 6 feet 4 inches tall, McGlynn, Sr.'s run as Lincoln began circa 1919 in New York City in John Drinkwater's play "Abraham Lincoln". The Broadway run was at the Cort Theater and ran for nearly two hundred performances from December, 1919 through May, 1920.

He then toured with the play through the mid 1920s and reprised the role in the 1929 revival of "Abraham Lincoln". And he was often booked for events celebrating Lincoln's March birthday - example: he performed the Gettysburg Address at New York's Paramount Theater in February, 1927.

Frank was Lincoln in several 1930s movies - examples: in Smith Ballew's WESTERN GOLD (Sol Lesser/20th Century Fox, 1937); in Chapter 1 of THE LONE RANGER (Republic, 1938); with Shirley Temple in THE LITTLEST REBEL (20th C Fox, 1935); the Technicolor short LINCOLN IN THE WHITE HOUSE (Warners/Vitaphone, 1939); and at Paramount in Gary Cooper's THE PLAINSMAN (Paramount, 1936) and Joel McCrea's WELLS FARGO (Paramount, 1937).

McGlynn and his Lincoln impersonation lumbered on for years, including some stock theater tours. He even played Abe at the 1939 Mohawk Drama Festival at Union College, Schenectady, New York. The Mohawk Drama Festival founder and director was movie star Charles Coburn.

Obituaries note that 84 year old Frank McGlynn, Sr. passed away on May 18, 1951 at his daughter's home in Newburgh, New York after a brief illness.

The younger McGlynn's stage and movie work began in the 1920s when he was around twenty years of age. The February, 1926 issue of Motion Picture magazine had a blurb on McGlynn Senior and Junior:

"Frank McGlynn, Jr. is another grateful son. The senior McGlynn was the Abraham Lincoln of the John Drinkwater stageplay. When the son announced his decision to carry on the family tradition, Mr. McGlynn had him cast in the play he was rehearsing and oversaw the boy's first dramatic steps."

In the late 1920s, Junior was acting in plays and silent films. Examples: he was in BORN TO BATTLE (Pathe, 1927) with Bill Cody; and in 1929, he toured with the Shubert show "My Maryland".

He did a half dozen or so sound westerns including a villain role in George O'Brien's RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE (Fox, 1931). Junior's busiest B western period was the mid 1930s when he appeared in: Hoppy adventures HOP-A-LONG CASSIDY (Paramount, 1935) and BAR 20 RIDES AGAIN (Paramount, 1935); a pair with John Wayne, LAWLESS RANGE (Republic, 1935) and WESTWARD HO (Republic, 1935); and the cliffhanger, CUSTER'S LAST STAND (Weiss/Stage and Screen, 1936).

The Wayne oaters are good ones. WESTWARD HO has him searching for his lost brother (played by McGlynn Jr.) who is on the wrong side of the law. And in LAWLESS RANGE, Junior is the crooked banker fronting a gang that's driving out local ranchers because of gold on their land. BAR 20 RIDES AGAIN is one of the best of the Hoppys with William Boyd, George Hayes, James Ellison and McGlynn Jr. (as 'Red Connors') versus Harry Worth as the brains heavy with a Napoleon complex.

McGlynn Jr. was nearing his thirty-fifth birthday when he passed away. Found no mention of his passing in the tradepapers. There was a March 30, 1939 funeral notice / obituary noting that he was the son of Frank and Rose McGlynn, and services were a Requiem Mass with interment at Calvary Cemetery, Los Angeles.

Frank Jr.'s death certificate provides more details. He was born July 9, 1904 in California; occupation was "Actor/Screen"; he was single; and lived with his parents at 1924 North Argyle, Los Angeles. He was a patient at Good Samaritan Hospital (Los Angeles) from March 24 through his passing on March 29, 1939. It shows the onset of "Tb meningitis" on March 18, 1939 and that was the principal cause of death. Contributory causes were "pulmonary tb" (onset in 1939) and "genitourinary tb" (onset in 1938). You'll find more details on those medical issues further down this webpage.

  Although some of the data may be incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Frank McGlynn, Senior and Junior:
      Frank McGlynn Sr. (1866 - 1951): https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0569466/
      Frank McGlynn Jr. (1904 - 1939): https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0569465/

The Internet Broadway database has 1919 - 1930 plays with McGlynn, Sr.: https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/frank-mcglynn-52339 and his wife Rose: https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/mary-rose-mcglynn-52340

In addition to Frank McGlynn, Jr., there was another notable son - Dominican Priest and sculptor Father Thomas Matthew McGlynn, O. P. (1906 - 1977): http://www.domcentral.org/library/McGlynn/index.html

Wikipedia has a profile and some photos of Frank McGlynn, Sr.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_McGlynn,_Sr.

J. David Goldin's RadioGoldIndex website lists McGlynn, Sr. in three Lux Radio Theater shows in 1940 - 1941. When you get to the site, click "Start Here", then select "Search By Artist", then select M, and then scroll down for the McGlynn radio credits: http://radiogoldindex.com/

The Family Search website (free), Ancestry.com (subscription), California Death Index, trade publications, newspapers, and death certificate provide more on the McGlynn family:

• 1880 census - living in San Francisco, California are 38 year old Frank McGlynn (born New York; occupation "Real Estate"), his 37 year old wife Mary H. (born Australia), 13 year old son Frank (born California), 12 year old daughter Grace (born California), and 7 year old daughter Mary (born California): https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6PW-J94
• 1890 census is unavailable - it was lost in a 1921 fire (and water damage) at the Commerce Building in Washington, D.C.
• 34 year old Frank McGlynn and 26 year old Rose O'Byrne were married on December 16, 1900 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N7WT-TMF
• 1920 census - 53 year old Frank Mcglynn (born San Francisco, California; occupation "Actor - Theater"), 45 year old wife Rose (born Ohio), 17 year old daughter Mary Rose (born Albany, New York), 15 year old son Frank A. (born California), and 13 year old son Thomas J. (born California) are living in Manhattan, New York, New York: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MJ1F-TP1
• Ancestry.com had the 1925 New York census - 58 year old Frank ("actor-legitimate stage"), 52 year old wife Rose (housewife), 22 year old daughter Mary Rose (actress), 20 year old son Frank Jr. (actor), 19 year old son Thomas J. (at college), 17 year old daughter Grace R. (in school), 14 year old daughter Helen (in school), and 12 year old daughter Virginia (in school).
• 1930 census - 61 year old Frank Mcglynn (born California; occupation "Actor - Theater"), 48 year old wife Rose (born Ohio), 25 year old son Frank Mcglynn Jr. (born California; occupation "Actor - Theater"), 21 year old daughter Grace (born California; occupation "Actress"), 19 year old daughter Helen (born New York), and 16 year old daughter Virginia (born California) are living in Manhattan, New York, New York: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X4L8-1X1
• Ancestry had the 1936 Los Angeles County Voter Registration - the occupations of both Frank and Frank Jr. is "actor" and both are living at 1771 Bronson Avenue, Los Angeles.
• 1940 census - 73 year old Frank McGlynn, Sr. (born California) is renting at Unit/apartment #597, 1924 North Argyle, Los Angeles, and the census taker has the location identified as the North???? Apts. His occupation is "Actor, extra - Picture production", and in 1939, he worked 12 weeks and earned $2700.00. He is listed as married but is living by himself - no other family members are present: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K9CD-D68
• May 14, 1947 issue of Variety - excerpt: "Mrs. Frank McGlynn, who before her marriage to Frank McGlynn, veteran stage and screen actor, had been known on the stage as Rose Sheridan, died in New York May 7 (1947)."
• Frank Sr. passed away on May 18, 1951 at his daughter's home in Newburgh, New York after a brief illness.

More on Frank Jr.:

• Death certificate for Frank McGlynn Jr. - he was born July 9, 1904 in California; occupation was "Actor/Screen"; was single; and lived with his parents at 1924 North Argyle, Los Angeles. He was a patient at Good Samaritan Hospital (Los Angeles) from March 24 through his passing on March 29, 1939. It shows the onset of "Tb meningitis" on March 18, 1939 and that was the principal cause of death. Contributory causes were "pulmonary tb" (onset in 1939) and "genitourinary tb" (onset in 1938).
  
  A friend of ye Old Corral webmaster's daughter is a doctor, and I asked her to review the death certificate. She e-mailed back ... and thanks SV, M.D.:
  

  "... died of what would be referred to as disseminated tuberculosis (TB) or miliary tuberculosis. Most people know that TB is an infection of the lungs, but the bacteria can spread through the blood stream or lymph system (i.e. lymph nodes and the fluid that is passed between them). TB can affect the brain (tb meningitis), the lungs (pulmonary tb) and the kidneys and urinary system (genitourinary tb)."

• The 1905-1939 California Death Index for Frank McGlynn Jr. mirrors the death certificate: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-L1SL-26Y?i=412&cc=1932433
• March 30, 1939 Los Angeles (California) Times newspaper had a funeral announcement on Frank McGlynn, Jr. His parents were Frank and Rose; Reverend Thomas McGlynn, O. P. was one of his siblings; Pierce Brothers was the funeral director and interment at Calvary Cemetery.

Newspaper death notices on:
Frank Sr.: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/76294804/los-angeles-evening-citizen-news/
Frank Jr.: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/76294896/march-1939-death-notice-for-movie/

Find A Grave website has a photo of the markers for:
Frank McGlynn, Sr. and his wife Rose O'Beirne McGlynn (1873 - 1947) are interred at Saint Charles Cemetery, Farmingdale, Suffolk County, New York: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8038124/frank-mcglynn
Frank McGlynn, Jr. is interred at Calvary Cemetery, Los Angeles, California. Note that the marker was sculpted by his brother, Father Thomas Matthew McGlynn, O. P.: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/91558009/frank-mcglynn

Frank McGlynn, Jr. 1904 - 1939

(Courtesy of Les Adams) Above are Ethel Wales and Frank McGlynn, Jr. (as 'Red Connors') in the Hopalong Cassidy film BAR 20 RIDES AGAIN (Paramount, 1935). (Courtesy of Les Adams) From left to right are Yakima Canutt, a bearded Frank McGlynn, Jr., John Wayne and Glenn Strange in a lobby card from LAWLESS RANGE (Republic, 1935), one of eight oaters that Wayne did during the first year of the new Republic Pictures. McGlynn, Jr. was the brains heavy in this one. (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above is Frank McGlynn, Jr. (as George Armstrong Custer), and holding the flag is George Chesebro, in a chapter 15 lobby card from CUSTER'S LAST STAND (Weiss/Stage and Screen, 1936).

Frank McGlynn, Sr. 1866 - 1951

McGlynn toured in John Drinkwater's play "Abraham Lincoln" from about 1919 - mid 1920s. Above is a September, 1922 newspaper ad for the play. (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above from left to right are Walter Miller, Buck Jones, Charlie King, Frank McGlynn Sr. and Harry Tenbrook in the serial THE ROARING WEST (Universal, 1935). McGlynn was Jones' helper "Jinglebob Morgan" and was billed fourth behind Jones, Buck's trusty steed Silver, and heroine Muriel Evans. (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above from left to right are Ezra Paulette, Harold Hodge, Frank McGlynn Sr. (fourth billed as "Cap Jinks"), and Buck Jones in a lobby card and crop/blowup from SUDDEN BILL DORN (Universal, 1937), one of Buck's worst oaters. Cyprian 'Ezra' Paulette was a musician and is best remembered for his years with the Beverly Hill Billies. McGlynn, Sr. did five films with Jones, including THE ROARING WEST (Universal, 1935) chapterplay. If his 1866 birth year is correct, McGlynn, Sr. would have been about 72 years old when he worked in this Buck Jones western.