Weldon Heyburn

For the US Senator from Idaho, see Weldon Brinton Heyburn. For the Pennsylvania State Senator, see Weldon Brinton Heyburn (Pennsylvania politician).

Weldon Heyburn
Heyburn in Sea Racketeers (1937)
Born	Weldon Heyburn Franks (1903-09-19)September 19, 1903 Washington, D.C., U.S. (uncertain)
Died	May 18, 1951(1951-05-18) (aged 47) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Arlington National Cemetery
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1924–1950
Spouses	Phyllis Connard ​ ​ (m. 1924; div. 1926)​ Greta Nissen ​ ​ (m. 1932; ann. 1936)​ Jane Eichelberger ​ ​ (m. 1936; div. 1939)​ Virginia Maggard ​ ​ (m. 1939; div. 1941)​

Weldon Heyburn (born Weldon Heyburn Franks;^[1] September 19, 1903 – May 18, 1951) was an American character actor.

Early years

The son of Marie Pierce and United States Army Col. Wyatt G. Franks,^[2] Heyburn was most likely born in Washington, D.C.^[3] although other sources indicate Selma, Alabama or Delaware City, Delaware as the place of birth.^[2][4]

Heyburn attended Central High School and Emerson Institute (both in Washington, D.C.), before attending the University of Alabama.^[5]

In the 1920s, Heyburn represented himself as "the son of Charles Heyburn, judge of the United States Supreme Court" and "the nephew of Weldon Heyburn, the late Senator of Iowa."^[6] The senator's niece denied any kinship, saying in 1925 that Heyburn was "an impostor if he persists in his claims", with other members of the family supporting her assertion.^[7]

Stage

In the mid-1920s, Heyburn was the "leading man in a Lansing, Mich., stock company."^[8] His Broadway credits include The Mystery Man (1927), Troyka (1930, Good Men and True (1935), and I Want a Policeman (1936).^[9]

Film

In 1931, Heyburn ventured into film. An August 31, 1931, newspaper article reported, "After playing leading man for such stage stars as Jeanne Eagels, Lenore Ulric and Mary Boland, he has given up the stage to become a feature screen player like his roommate and fellow gridiron player, John Mack Brown."^[10]

Military service

During World War II, Heyburn served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life

In 1924, Heyburn married actress Phyllis Connard. They divorced October 15, 1926.^[8]

Heyburn married Norwegian star Greta Nissen March 30, 1932,^[11] in Tijuana, Mexico.^[12] They met when they appeared together in The Silent Witness (1932),^[2] she as the female lead, he as an unbilled player. On October 19, 1935, Nissen went to court to have the marriage annulled, "charging their marriage ... was illegal and violated legal witness and residence requirements."^[13] The annulment was granted April 30, 1936.^[14]

Heyburn married Jane Eichelberger ("prominent socially in New York and Cleveland") on May 5, 1936, at Heyburn's home in Brentwood, California.^[15] They divorced in 1939. His last marriage was to socialite Virginia Maggard in September 1939. He was divorced when he enlisted in the U.S. Army in May 1942.^{[citation needed]}

He also had relationships with actress Grace Brinkley and debutante Dorothy McCallam.^{[citation needed]}

Death

A drinking problem effectively ended his career in the mid-1940s and his health rapidly declined. He entered the Veterans Administration Hospital in Los Angeles suffering from cancer of the mouth, right adrenal and kidney and died there of pneumonia. He was interred in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia.^[16]

Partial filmography

Heyburn appeared in about 65 films from 1930 through 1950. They include:

• The Last Parade (1931) - Henchman (uncredited)
• The Silent Witness (1932) - Carl Blake
• Careless Lady (1932) - Jud Carey
• Chandu the Magician (1932) - Abdulah
• Call Her Savage (1932) - Ronasa
• West of Singapore (1933) - Dan Manton
• Hired Wife (1934) - Kent Johns
• Convention Girl (1935) - Bill Bradley
• Dynamite Delaney (1936) - 'Dynamite' Delaney
• Speed (1936) - Frank Lawson
• Git Along Little Dogie (1937) - George Wilkins
• The 13th Man (1937) - Swifty Taylor
• Sea Racketeers (1937) - Chief Bos'n Mate Jim Wilson
• Atlantic Flight (1937) - Bill Edwards
• Every Day's a Holiday (1937) - Guest at Party (uncredited)
• Saleslady (1938) - Bob Spencer
• Crime School (1938) - Cooper
• The Mysterious Rider (1938) - Jack Bellounds
• Panama Patrol (1939) - Lt. Murdock
• Should a Girl Marry? (1939) - Harry Gilbert
• Fugitive at Large (1939) - Corrick
• Emergency Squad (1940) - Lennie - Squad Member with Newspaper (uncredited)
• Women Without Names (1940) - Guard (uncredited)
• North West Mounted Police (1940) - Constable Cameron (uncredited)
• The Trail Blazers (1940) - Jeff Bradley
• Flight from Destiny (1941) - Brooks
• The Round Up (1941) - 'Cheyenne'
• In Old Colorado (1941) - Blackie Reed
• Redhead (1941) - Winston
• Caught in the Draft (1941) - Sergeant at Examining Depot (uncredited)
• Criminals Within (1941) - Sgt. Blake (uncredited)
• Stick to Your Guns (1941) - Henchman Gila
• Jungle Man (1941) - Bruce Kellogg
• They Died with Their Boots On (1941) - Staff Officer (uncredited)
• Steel Against the Sky (1941) - Minor Role (scenes deleted)
• You're in the Army Now (1941) - Sergeant of the Guard (uncredited)
• Code of the Outlaw (1942) - Pop Hardin
• Rock River Renegades (1942) - Jim Dawson aka Phil Sanford
• Blazing Guns (1943) - Henchman Vic
• Overland Mail Robbery (1943) - John Patterson
• Death Valley Manhunt (1943) - Richard Quinn
• Death Valley Rangers (1943) - James Kirk
• Westward Bound (1944) - Albert Lane
• My Best Gal (1944) - (uncredited)
• The Chinese Cat (1944) - Det. Harvey Dennis
• Man from Frisco (1944) - Man in Trailer (uncredited)
• The Yellow Rose of Texas (1944) - Charley Goss
• Bordertown Trail (1944) - New Orleans
• When Strangers Marry (1944) - Bill - Police Sergeant (uncredited) (unbilled)
• Code of the Prairie (1944) - Jess Wyatt
• The Princess and the Pirate (1944) - Soldier at the Palace (uncredited)
• Here Come the Waves (1944) - Civilian (uncredited)
• Incendiary Blonde (1945) - Shill at Party for Louella Parsons (uncredited)
• Frontier Gunlaw (1946) - Matt Edwards
• A Southern Yankee (1948) - Confederate Officer (uncredited)
• Alias Nick Beal (1949) - Minor Role (uncredited)
• Samson and Delilah (1949) - Temple Spectator (uncredited)
• Perfect Strangers (1950) - Man Resisting Jury Duty (uncredited)
• The Damned Don't Cry (1950) - Robert - The Butler (uncredited)
• The Great Jewel Robber (1950) - Captain of the Guards (uncredited) (final film role)

References

1. "Here's Gossip, Lowdown". Pennsylvania, Shamokin. Shamokin News-Dispatch. March 26, 1932. p. 4. Retrieved February 5, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "Greta Nissen To Wed Weldon Heyburn Today". Pennsylvania, Wilkes-Barre. The Wilkes-Barre Record. March 30, 1932. p. 20. Retrieved February 5, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
3. Wagner, Laura (Winter 2015). "Weldon Heyburn: "He Panics the Women"". Films of the Golden Age (83): 68–69.
4. "Weldon Heyburn profile". Retrieved November 6, 2022.
5. "College Athlete in 'Pagan Lady'". New York, Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. February 8, 1931. p. 32.
6. "Back Home". New York, Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. September 23, 1928. p. 66. Retrieved February 6, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Weldon Heyburn May Be Real Name". Spokane Daily Chronicle. December 5, 1925. p. 6. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
8. "Actress Gets Divorce". Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. Harrisburg Telegraph. October 16, 1926. p. 1. Retrieved February 5, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Weldon Heyburn". Playbill Vault. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
10. "Player". South Carolina, Gaffney. The Gaffney Ledger. August 29, 1931. p. 5. Retrieved February 6, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Greta Nisson to Become Bride of Hollywood Actor". Oregon, Klamath Falls. The Klamath News. March 30, 1932. p. 1. Retrieved February 5, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Greta Nissen and Weldon Heyburn Are Honeymooning". Nebraska, Lincoln. The Lincoln Star. March 31, 1932. p. 9. Retrieved February 5, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "Greta Nissen Sues To Annul Marriage". California, Oakland. Oakland Tribune. October 20, 1935. p. 5. Retrieved February 5, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
14. "Marriage Ends". Texas, Lubbock. Morning Avalanche. April 30, 1936. p. 2. Retrieved February 5, 2016 – via Newspaperarchive.com.
15. "Actor and Socialite Marry in Hollywood". Utah, Salt Lake City. The Salt Lake Tribune. May 6, 1936. p. 8. Retrieved February 5, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
16. Wilson, Scott. Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Locations 25047-25048). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.

External links

• Weldon Heyburn at IMDb
• Weldon Heyburn at the Internet Broadway Database