He represented the riding of Sudbury in the House of Commons of Canada from 1980 to 1988 as a member of the Liberal Party.
Frith was born in Brampton, Ontario, graduated from Sudbury High School and attended the University of Toronto.
He did not run in the 1988 election in order to accept an appointment with Hill & Knowlton as senior vice-president.
From July 1996 to January 2008, Frith served as president of the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association, which is affiliated with the Motion Picture Association of America, and represents the interests of the American film industry in Canada.
Frith died following a massive heart attack in Ottawa on March 21, 2009.