Fredd Wayne facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fredd Wayne
Fredd Wayne with Barbara Nichols on The Twilight Zone, 1961
Born	(1924-10-17)October 17, 1924 Akron, Ohio
Died	August 27, 2018(2018-08-27) (aged 93) Santa Monica, California
Occupation	Stage, film and television actor
Years active	1947–2003

Fredd Wayne (born Fredd Wiener; October 17, 1924 – August 27, 2018) was an American actor. He had a long career that lasted for seven decades. He performed on Broadway, on the radio, in movies, and on television. He was often a guest star on TV shows. Fredd Wayne was especially known for playing Benjamin Franklin. He performed as Franklin in his own one-man show called Benjamin Franklin, Citizen, and also on TV and in recordings.

Early Life and First Hollywood Job

Fredd Wayne was born in Akron, Ohio. His parents, Celia and Charles, worked hard to support their family. After finishing Buchtel High School, Fredd went to Hollywood. He hoped to work for his cousin, Lester Cowan, who produced movies like My Little Chickadee.

Fredd waited at Columbia Studios for three days, but his cousin couldn't help him. After his money was stolen, a neighbor helped him get a job. He became a mail boy at Warner Brothers Studio, earning $18 a week. He loved delivering film to movie sets. He even said "hello" to famous actors like Bette Davis and watched John Garfield perform. This job ended when the U.S. Army called him to serve.

Serving in World War II

During World War II, Fredd Wayne became an "Entertainment Specialist" for the Army. This meant he helped create fun shows for the soldiers. For about a year and a half, he ran movie projectors and wrote, produced, and acted in soldier shows. He also took classes at different universities.

He became good friends with Ralph Cerasuolo, a talented jazz violinist. In December 1944, Fredd and his group landed in France. They were sent to help American soldiers during the Battle of the Bulge. Fredd was assigned to a group that helped find fallen soldiers. Sadly, on April 2, 1945, he found out his friend Cerasuolo had been killed.

Creating G.I. Carmen

After the war in Europe ended (VE Day), Fredd was asked to create an entertainment show for the troops. He gathered 45 soldiers from his regiment. They traded their rifles for makeup to create a show called G.I. Carmen. This show became one of the most successful soldier shows of World War II.

Cpl. Fredd Wayne playing Carmen in "G.I. Carmen"

Fredd Wayne wrote, produced, and co-directed the show. He also played the main role, Carmen! Some of the cast members were professional performers before the war. Most of Ralph Cerasuolo's band, now led by Marty Faloon, also performed. They found colorful costumes and scenery from a theater in Germany. The Army sent the show on a long eight-month tour. They performed 142 times for over 250,000 soldiers and many civilians. Famous people like Marlene Dietrich even watched the show.

Fredd Wayne's Acting Career

When Fredd Wayne returned to the United States, he settled in New York. He worked at J.C. Penney during the day and took acting classes at the American Theatre Wing at night. Some of his classmates became famous actors, like Lee Marvin and James Whitmore. Fredd even played Polonius in Hamlet when he was just 23!

He worked as an usher at a Broadway theater. There, he watched Ingrid Bergman perform and brought tea to José Ferrer. Later, Ferrer cast Fredd in a play called The Insect Comedy. Fredd Wayne got his big break on Broadway when he accidentally auditioned for a musical called Texas, L’il Darlin’. His singing skills from G.I. Carmen helped him get a main role.

He then starred in more Broadway shows, including Not For Children. He also played Luther Billis in the original London production of South Pacific. His success in London led to a movie role with Gene Kelly in Crest of the Wave. Fredd continued to play Billis in South Pacific in other American cities.

Back in New York, Fredd Wayne co-starred in Oh Men!, Oh Women!. He also became a part of the "Golden Age of Television." This was a time when TV dramas and comedies were performed live in front of millions of people. He appeared in many popular shows like Playhouse 90 and Studio One. He also made six guest appearances on Perry Mason.

Playing Benjamin Franklin

Fredd Wayne is probably best known for playing Benjamin Franklin. He got the idea while flying to New York in 1964. He went straight to the New York Public Library to start researching Franklin. After six weeks of studying, he started performing his one-man show, Benjamin Franklin, Citizen. He performed it in New York and Ohio.

When he got to Los Angeles, he was hired to play Franklin in a two-part episode of Bewitched on ABC-TV. His show also had a long run in Hollywood. This led to a tour of Europe for the U.S. State Department. He also toured colleges across America during the Bicentennial (when America turned 200 years old).

Fredd Wayne also appeared as Franklin on Bob Hope's TV specials. He even recorded The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, which was named one of the best audiobooks of 1997.

Fredd Wayne as a Writer

Fredd Wayne also wrote articles for many newspapers and magazines. These included The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times.

Death

Fredd Wayne passed away on August 27, 2018, in Santa Monica, California. He was 93 years old.

Selected Stage Performances

Film Roles

Television Appearances

Audio Recordings