Dwight Frye
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- February 22, 1899, Salina, Kansas, USA
- Died
- November 7, 1943
- Movies
- 57
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Dwight Iliff Frye (February 22, 1899 – November 7, 1943) was an American stage and screen actor, noted for his appearances in the classic horror films Dracula, Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein.
Frye was born in Salina, Kansas. Nicknamed "The Man with the Thousand-Watt Stare," and "The Man of a Thousand Deaths," he specialized in the portrayal of mentally unbalanced characters, including his signature role, the madman Renfield in Tod Browning's 1931 version of Dracula. Later that same year he also played the hunchbacked assistant in the film Frankenstein. (This character, named Fritz, is often mistakenly referred to as Ygor, a character originated by Béla Lugosi in the later film Son of Frankenstein.)
Best-Known Movies
Filmography
| 2025 | Legacy of Screams: The Evolution of Horror Movies | Self (archive footage) |
| 2000 | The Many Faces of Dracula | Renfield (archive footage) |
| 1998 | Universal Horror | (archive footage) |
| 1992 | Dracula in the Movies | (archive footage) |
| 1991 | Frankenstein: A Cinematic Scrapbook | Fritz / Karl (archive footage) |
| 1943 | Dangerous Blondes | Hoodlum (uncredited) |
| 1943 | Submarine Alert | Haldine (uncredited) |
| 1943 | Dead Men Walk | Zolarr |
| 1943 | Hangmen Also Die! | Hostage |
| 1943 | Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man | Rudi a Vasarian |
| 1942 | The Ghost of Frankenstein | Villager at Meeting / Grave Robber (flashback) (uncredited) |
| 1942 | Don't Talk | Ziggy (uncredited) |
| 1941 | Devil Pays Off | Radio Operator |
| 1941 | The Blonde from Singapore | |
| 1941 | Mystery Ship | Rader |
| 1941 | Flying Blind | Leo Qualen |
| 1940 | The Son of Monte Cristo | Pavlov's Secretary (Uncredited) |
| 1940 | Sky Bandits | Speavy |
| 1940 | Phantom Raiders | Eddie Anders |
| 1940 | Gangs of Chicago | Pinky |
| 1940 | Drums of Fu Manchu | Prof. Anderson |
| 1939 | The Man in the Iron Mask | Fouquet's Valet |
| 1938 | Adventure in Sahara | Gravet, 'the Jackal' |
| 1938 | The Night Hawk | John Colley |
| 1938 | Think It Over | Arsonist |
| 1938 | Fast Company | Sidney Z. Wheeler |
| 1938 | Sinners in Paradise | Marshall (uncredited) |
| 1938 | Invisible Enemy | Alex |
| 1938 | Who Killed Gail Preston? | Mr. Owen |
| 1937 | The Shadow | Vindecco |
| 1937 | Something to Sing About | Easton |
| 1937 | The Man Who Found Himself | Hysterical patient |
| 1937 | Sea Devils | SS Paradise Radio Operator (uncredited) |
| 1936 | Beware Of Ladies | Swanson |
| 1936 | Alibi for Murder | McBride |
| 1936 | Florida Special | Jenkins |
| 1935 | The Great Impersonation | Roger Unthank (uncredited) |
| 1935 | The Crime of Doctor Crespi | Dr. Thomas |
| 1935 | Atlantic Adventure | Spike Jonas |
| 1935 | Bride of Frankenstein | Karl |
| 1933 | The Invisible Man | Reporter (uncredited) |
| 1933 | The Circus Queen Murder | Flandrin |
| 1933 | The Vampire Bat | Herman Gleib |
| 1932 | A Strange Adventure | Robert Wayne |
| 1932 | The Western Code | Dick Loomis |
| 1932 | By Whose Hand? | Chick Lewis |
| 1932 | Attorney for the Defense | James Wallace |
| 1931 | Frankenstein | Fritz |
| 1931 | The Black Camel | Jessop the Butler (uncredited) |
| 1931 | The Maltese Falcon | Wilmer Cook |
| 1931 | Drácula | Renfield (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| 1931 | Dracula | Renfield |
| 1930 | Man to Man | Vint Glade |
| 1930 | The Doorway to Hell | Monk, Gangster |
| 1928 | The Night Bird | Wedding Guest (uncredited) |
| 1927 | Upstream | Theatre Audience Spectator |
| 1926 | Exit Smiling | Balcony Heckler (uncredited) |
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