He was perhaps best known a “Sam Drucker” in three separate but simultaneous TV series during the 1960s – ‘Petticoat Junction,’ ‘Green Acres’ and ‘The Beverly Hillbillies.’ Frank Cady passed away at age 96 at his Watsonville, Oregon home, on June 8, 2012.
Cady was born in Susanville, California, September 8, 1915. His family once lived in Genoa and the Reno area, eventually moving to Wilsonville, Oregon.
While in high school he worked at a local newspaper, The Lassen County Advocate. Later, Cady studied journalism and drama at Stanford University, where he was involved with the campus humor magazine, the Stanford Chaparral.
It was at Stanford where he first met Shirley, his wife, whom he married in 1940. Following college graduation Cady worked at the Westminster Theater appearing in four plays and made an early television appearance on the BBC in late 1938.
Cady then returned to Stanford in 1939 for graduate studies and a position as teaching assistant. Unsatisfied with academic life, two years later he began a series of jobs as an announcer and news broadcaster at various California radio stations.
His career was put on hold in 1943 when he joined the United States Army Air Corps, serving in England, France and Germany during World War II. After being discharged in 1946 Cady appeared in a series of plays in the Los Angeles area, which led to movie roles, beginning in 1947.
In 1950, he had a speaking role in the classic film noir drama ‘D.O.A.’ as Sam the bartender , and another role in ‘Father of the Bride’, requesting mint juleps from Spencer Tracy during the engagement party. He also had a small part in the noir classic ‘The Asphalt Jungle’ playing a witness who refused to identify a robbery suspect.
He appeared in the 1951 film ‘When Worlds Collide’ as the assistant to John Hoyt’s character. Cady had a prominent role in Billy Wilder’s film ‘Ace in the Hole’ – later retitle as ‘The Big Carnival.’
He had a small non-speaking role in one of Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Rear Window, in 1954, portraying the husband of the woman who owns a dog, which is raised and lowered to their apartment window in a basket. Cady also played the husband of Eileen Heckart’s character in the 1956 movie ‘The Bad Seed.’
Cady appeared on the ‘Make Room For Daddy’ episode that was the pilot for ‘The Andy Griffith Show’ as the town drunk, preceding Hal Smith who eventually took over that role as Otis Campbell. Cady also played Doc Williams in 19 episodes of ‘Ozzie and Harriet,’ between 1954 and 1965.
He appeared on some radio programs, including the ‘Gunsmoke’ episode titled “Outlaw Robin Hood” on January 8, 1955. Cady also played the mayor of Abalone in the film, ‘7 Faces of Dr. Lao,’ in 1964.
“He was very sharp, very witty and lighthearted,” Frank Cady, elder Cady’s nephew said. “He was just a regular guy and very fun to be around.”
He was the only actor to play a recurring character on three television sitcoms at the same time, from 1968 to 1969. Cady also was one of only three co-stars of Petticoat Junction who stayed with the series for its entire seven-year run, along with Edgar Buchanan and Linda Henning, appearing in 170 of the show’s 222 episodes.
His final acting role was in the 1990 television movie ‘Return to Green Acres.’ In 2005, Cady attended Eddie Albert’s funeral, along with co-stars Sid Melton and Mary Grace Canfield.
Cady and his wife had lived in Wilsonville since 1991. She preceded him in death on August 22, 2008, at age 91.
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