BS: Frank Sinatra in 'Great Guns'

Subject: BS: Frank Sinatra in 'Great Guns'
From: Fiolar
Date: 02 Sep 10 - 08:05 AM

Has anyone seen the Laurel & Hardy film "Great Guns" on dvd. I got a copy recently and in one section where they are talking to a group of soldiers, one of the group says a few words. I would almost swear that it was Frank, but there is no record of him appearing in that film in all the info I checked.
Would love to know if it really was him.

Subject: RE: BS: Frank Sinatra in 'Great Guns'
From: GUEST,MikeL2
Date: 02 Sep 10 - 08:37 AM

hi

I don't know if Frank was in it but I seem to recall that Alan Ladd was in it fleetingly.

Cheers

MikeL2

Subject: RE: BS: Frank Sinatra in 'Great Guns'
From: John on the Sunset Coast
Date: 02 Sep 10 - 07:22 PM

That "Frank Sinatra" was probably Dave Willock, a character actor who had a bit of a resemblance, size and hair especially. Willock was a fixture on early TV, as well as small roles on the big screen. A brief bio can be found at IMDb.com.

Subject: RE: BS: Frank Sinatra in 'Great Guns'
From: bobad
Date: 02 Sep 10 - 07:51 PM

From IMDB:

Cast (in credits order) verified as complete

        Stan Laurel        ...         Stan

        Oliver Hardy        ...         Ollie
        Sheila Ryan        ...         Ginger Hammond
        Dick Nelson        ...         Dan Forrester
        Edmund MacDonald        ...         Sgt. Hippo
        Charles Trowbridge        ...         Colonel Ridley
        Ludwig Stössel        ...         Dr. Schickel (as Ludwig Stossel)
        Kane Richmond        ...         Captain Baker

        Mae Marsh        ...         Aunt Martha
        Ethel Griffies        ...         Aunt Agatha
        Paul Harvey        ...         General Taylor
        Charles Arnt        ...         Doctor
        Pierre Watkin        ...         Colonel Wayburn
        Russell Hicks        ...         General Burns
        Irving Bacon        ...         Postman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
        William 'Billy' Benedict        ...         Recruit at Corral (uncredited)
        Chet Brandenburg        ...         Mess Hall Draftee (uncredited)
        Robert Cornell        ...         Soldier (uncredited)
        Jimmie Dundee        ...         New Recruit (uncredited)
        Edward Earle        ...         War Games Umpire (uncredited)
        James Flavin        ...         Army Captain at White Army Tent (uncredited)
        William Forrest        ...         Army Major (uncredited)
        Bud Geary        ...         Blue Army Soldier on Bridge (uncredited)
        Harold Goodwin        ...         Army Captain (uncredited)
        Bob Hoffman        ...         Soldier (uncredited)
        J. Anthony Hughes        ...         Staff Aide (uncredited)
        Fred Kohler Jr.        ...         Corporal (uncredited)

        Alan Ladd        ...         Soldier in Photo Shop (uncredited)
        Lyle Latell        ...         New Recruit (uncredited)
        LeRoy Mason        ...         Army Captain (uncredited)
        Ivan Miller        ...         War Games Umpire (uncredited)
        Barry Regan        ...         Soldier (uncredited)
        Dick Rich        ...         Army Post Cook (uncredited)
        Cyril Ring        ...         Canteen Clerk (uncredited)
        Walter Sande        ...         Blue Army Soldier Capturing Stan and Ollie (uncredited)
        Tom Seidel        ...         New Recruit (uncredited)
        Charles Tannen        ...         Lieutenant (uncredited)
        Max Wagner        ...         New Recruit (uncredited)
        Basil Walker        ...         Soldier (uncredited)
        Billy Wayne        ...         Soldier (uncredited)
        Dave Willock        ...         Recruit at Target Practice (uncredited)

Subject: RE: BS: Frank Sinatra in 'Great Guns'
From: Fiolar
Date: 03 Sep 10 - 07:58 AM

Thanks guys. It wasn't Alan Ladd as the scene was not in the photo shop. It might have been Dave Willock but I still feel the character was just like the real Frank. I am familar with IMDB and regularly check it.

Subject: RE: BS: Frank Sinatra in 'Great Guns'
From: Slag
Date: 03 Sep 10 - 08:43 PM

Back in that day it was a real kick for some of the actors to sneak in a flash appearance in a comedy "short" often without the powers-that-be knowing about it. I seem to recall that the Three Stooges had some star-quality appearances in some of their "shorts" (all right, Knock it off you guys) and they also appeared in some films. I think one was a Clark Gable film. Can't remember.

Cartoonists of that day loved painting "then-Stars" into their works also. I remember my Mom telling me who the characters were supposed to be. You never see those cartoons any more as many are considered to be racist or not PC! or too violent! Well, that is a subject for another thread.

But as for a Frank Sinatra appearance? "aaaaaaaaaaah, Could be!" ( a la B. Bunny).

Subject: RE: BS: Frank Sinatra in 'Great Guns'
From: John on the Sunset Coast
Date: 03 Sep 10 - 10:05 PM

Slag, while what you say is true, I tend to think Blue Eyes is not part of this film.

a) He was still only (only, he says!) the boy singer for Dorsey. In 1941--the year of Great Guns--he appeared in two flicks singing with the band. I don't think he would have been making a vanity cameo in a movie like this.
b) Frank's first 'acting' roles came in 1943, two years later.
c) If one googles 'dave willock photos,' two pics of an older Willock are on the page. I think you can see a resemblance to Frank, not that you'd actually mistake them for one another after more than ten seconds.