A. Francis Lenz

Biography

In 1876, A. Francis Lenz first drew breath, little guessing that the footlights would one day shout his name. Between 1914 and 1917 he slipped into three very different skins: a suffrage firebrand in “Your Girl and Mine,” a smooth-talking carnival barker in “The Barker,” and a wide-eyed tourist in “A Trip to Chinatown.” Each role pinned a fresh medal on his chest of silent-era memories. On 27 April 1946, the curtains finally closed for him in New York City, leaving the city’s marquees a shade dimmer.