Frank Mayo (stage actor)
American actor (1839–1896)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Frank Mayo (born Francis Maguire;[1][2] April 18, 1839 – June 8, 1896) was an American actor, writer, and theatre manager. He achieved fame with the roles of Badger in The Streets of New York and Davy Crockett in a play of the same name, and adapted Mark Twin's Pudd'nhead Wilson for the stage.
Frank Mayo | |
|---|---|
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| Born | Francis Maguire April 18, 1839 |
| Died | June 8, 1896 (aged 57) |
| Occupation | Stage actor |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Frank Mayo (grandson) |
Mayo was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Irish immigrants.[3][4] His father, John Maguire, was a grocer.[5] At 14 years old he followed the Gold Rush to San Francisco,[6] but did not succeed as a miner.[4]
At 17 years of age he began his theatrical career after failure in the mines. Within a few years he was appearing in the stock company of manager Thomas Maguire with the young Edwin Booth. In the early 1860s he supported Adah Isaacs Menken and won acclaim for his first Hamlet performed before Virginia City, Nevada, audiences.[7] He won applause in some classic roles, but his first great success was as Badger in The Streets of New York, in which he appeared in Boston in August 1865. In 1872 he brought out Davy Crockett, a backwoods character which endeared him to the public. In later years he played in Davy Crockett revivals. Mayo was an early proponent of realism in acting technique.
"Frank Mayo had a delightful home, which he named Crockett Lodge, at which he and his family spent much of their leisure time. The place was near Canton, Pa."[8]
Mark Twain's Pudd'nhead Wilson was a character well suited to display his talents as a comedian. Other favorite roles were in "Nordeck" and "The Royal Guard".
On June 8, 1896, Mayo died west of Grand Island while riding a Union Pacific train.[9] His friend in Denver, Mary Elitch Long, recounted his final visit: Mayo "never came to Denver without spending some time with us. His last appearance in the city was as Davy Crockett, at the Broadway Theatre…. While returning to New York from this Western trip, the sudden death of this splendid actor occurred as his train neared Omaha."[10] He is buried in West Laurel Hill Cemetery, Edgewood Section, Plot 299, in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.
Mayo's three children also went on the stage. His eldest daughter Eleanore had a brief career in opera before marrying James Elverson Jr., owner of the Philadelphia Inquirer.[11][12] His youngest daughter, Deronda, acted from 1900 to 1904.[13] His son, Edwin Frank, continued his father's roles in Davy Crockett and Pudd'nhead Wilson,[14] as did Mayo's grandson, Frank Mayo III.[15]
