Frank Bacon (January 16, 1864 – November 19, 1922), was an American character actor and playwright who after years of relative obscurity achieved great success as he entered the twilight of his career.

Bacon was born on his parents’ farm about five miles west of Yuba City, California, not far from Bogue Station on the old Southern Pacific Railroad line.

[2][3][4][5] Bacon was raised in San Jose where he attended school before dropping out in his early teens to work at a nearby sheep ranch.

[5] After a failed foray into politics and growing disenchantment with the newspaper business, Bacon chose to “turn respectable” and joined a San Jose stock company.

[9] Bacon made his Broadway debut at the Gaiety Theatre in December 1912 playing Papa Carr in Carlyle Moore’s long running comedy, Stop Thief.

Bacon suggested A House Divided, Smith agreed, and soon what began as a two-week rewrite grew to take in the better part of two years.

At the close of the record run of Lightnin’, U. S. President Harding sent the playwrights a letter of congratulations, which was read aloud onstage by his Secretary of Labor.

[5] Bacon died at the Hotel Del Prado, Chicago where he had gone after his final performance of Lightnin’ at the Blackstone Theatre to be under the care of his friend, Dr. Robert A.

George Kingsbury, 1922[5]Bacon was laid to rest at Oak Woods Cemetery after a brief Christian Science service and eulogy by Judge Kenesaw Landis.