Frank Terry

Biography

Frank Terry toured Europe and Asia on the legitimate stage professionally known as "Nat Clifford". He came back to America and became a comedy gag man for silent film comedies. He became somewhat notorious for an unfortunate incident that occured on August 24th, 1919 in a movie studio in Downtown Los Angeles. He inadvertingly handed over a thought-to-be dummy bomb prop to "Harold Lloyd". It soon exploded in his hands and Harold Lloyd then lost two fingers and a thumb from his right hand. Frank Terry later became "Laurel and Hardy's" comedy writer for their films in the 1920's to the middle 1930's. He also acted in some of their films in bit roles as a butler and radio voice over("Me And My Pal"), and a safecraker ("Midnight Patrol"), etc... Around 1935, Frank Terry left films and became a missionary chaplain to a leper colony in Hawaii. He later opened a mission hall in Honolulu. Sometime in the early 1940's, Frank Terry officially retired and returned to California to live out his remaining years with his wife and two daughters (Lillian and Madeline). His wife's name was- Lillian Mary Edwards. She passed away in 1942. (mini-biography credit is given to- "Glenn Mitchell" from his 1995 book- "The Laurel And Hardy Encyclopedia".) Glenn Mitchell lives in Stratham, England, UK.