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Frankie Burke (June 6, 1915 – April 7, 1983) was a Hollywood actor, best known for his appearance as a member of The East Side Kids.

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Frankie Burke
Born	Francis Vaselle (1915-06-06)June 6, 1915 Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Died	April 7, 1983(1983-04-07) (aged 67) Chapman, Kansas, U.S.
Occupation	Film actor
Years active	1938-1941

Early life

Burke was born Frankie Vaselle and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. His name was changed when he began working in films. Burke went to P.S. 25 [1] on Lafayette and Throop streets before going on to Alexander Hamilton (vocation) High School, now known as Paul Robeson HS, at 150 Albany Avenue.^{[citation needed]} He grew up watching James Cagney on film in local theaters and, having been told many times how much he resembled him, figured if Cagney could become famous, so could he. Burke sold newspapers on the street corners before deciding to hitchhike to Hollywood in 1937 to meet Cagney, but when the first attempt failed, he went back to Brooklyn.[1]

In 1937, Burke worked as a bellhop at a hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Life in Hollywood

He was discovered by a Warner Brothers talent scout, out searching for young men who resembled Cagney for a role in 1938's Angels with Dirty Faces. Apparently, the resemblance was so astounding that Burke was hired on the spot.^{[citation needed]} He went on to do eighteen more films, several of which were uncredited, before his last role in 1941's Shadow of the Thin Man.

After Hollywood

After a divorce in the 1940s, Burke returned to Nevada to work and then on to the east coast to stay with family. In the early 1960s, he opted to become a hobo^{[citation needed]} and travel across the United States in freight trains. ^{[citation needed]}

Death

Burke died of lung cancer in 1983. He was survived by one son.

Filmography

Year	Film	Role	Notes
1938	Angels with Dirty Faces	Young Rocky
1939	Off the Record	Reform school inmate	Uncredited
1939	Nancy Drew... Reporter	Bellboy	Uncredited
1939	The Adventures of Jane Arden	Western Union messenger	Uncredited
1939	You Can't Get Away with Murder	Billiard player	Uncredited
1939	Women in the Wind	Johnnie
1939	Sweepstakes Winner	Chalky Williams
1939	Hell's Kitchen	Soap
1939	Everybody's Hobby	C.C.C. Youth	Uncredited
1939	You Can't Get Away with Murder	Billiard Player	Uncredited
1939	Angels Wash Their Faces	Reform School Boy Making Knife	Uncredited
1939	Pride of the Blue Grass	Willie Hobson
1940	East Side Kids	Skinny
1940	Boys of the City	Skinny
1940	Fugitive from a Prison Camp	Sobby Taylor
1940	The Quarterback	'Slats' Finney
1941	Ride, Kelly, Ride	Skeeziks O'Day
1941	Model Wife	Messenger boy	Uncredited
1941	Shadow of the Thin Man	Bobby Burns	Uncredited, final film role

References

External links

• Frankie Burke at IMDb
• Frankie Burke at AllMovie

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