“BESS FLOWERS & FRANKLYN FARNUM: QUEEN & KING OF THE EXTRAS” - 4/13/2026 (135)

Actors BESS FLOWERS and FRANKLYN FARNUM were absolute legends of the “blink and you’ll miss them” world. They weren’t headliners — in fact, they often were not credited or even noticed, but honestly, that’s what makes them so fascinating—their careers quietly stitched together the fabric of classic cinema. They were Extras. Without them and other extras like them, all those iconic movie moments would feel a lot less alive. Their careers spanned decades and thousands of films. They became, in their own way, silent witnesses to the evolution of Hollywood from the silent era through the golden age and into the modern period. So this week, we’re going to explore the lives and careers of BESS FLOWERS and FRANKLYN FARNUM, examining not only their astonishing productivity but also their unique roles within the Hollywood system. By looking closely at the films in which they can best be seen, we gain a deeper appreciation for their contributions and the overlooked artistry of background performers.

SHOW NOTES:

Sources:

“This Actor Was in the Most Best Picture Winners over 1,100 Films, March 5, 2024, by Lloyd Farley, Collider.com;

“Queen of the Extras: The Bess Flowers Story,” January 24, 2018, Neatora.com;

“20 Feet From Movie Stardom: The Overlooked Story of Hollywood’s Greatest Extra,” February 20, 2014, by Scott Feinberg, Vanity Fair;

“Scales of Presence: Bess Flowers and the Hollywood Extra,” 2011, by Will Straw, Screen magazine;

“Franklyn Farnum Actor, Dies,” July 6, 1961, New York Times;

Wikipedia.com

Playbill.com

TCM.com;

IBDB.com;

IMDBPro.com;

Oscars.org;

Movies Mentioned:

All About Eve (1950)

The Awful Truth (1937)

Torch Song (1953)

The Life of Emile Zola (1936)

Going My Way (1944)

The Lost Weekend (1945)

Gentleman’s Agreement (1947)

The Greatest Show On Earth (1952)

Around the World in 80 Days (1956)

The Apartment (1960)

Hollywood (1923)

A Woman of Paris (1923)

A Stranger From Somewhere (1916)

The Clock (1917)

The Fighting Grin (1918)

The Desert Rat (1919)

Vanishing Trails (1920)

Billy The Kid (1925)

Cleopatra (1934)

Hands Across The Border (1926)

Laddie (1926)

Glenister of the Mounted (1926)

The Jazz Singer (1927)

The Blue Angel (1930)

Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935)

Hop-A -ong Cassidy (1935)

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Gone With the Wind (1939)

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

Stagecoach (1939)

The Lady Eve (1941)

Meet John Doe (1941)

My Darling Clementine (1946)

I Remember Mama (1948)

A Letter to Three Wives (1949)

The Heiress (1949)

White Christmas (1954)

Guys and Dolls (1955)

The Ten Commandments (1956)

Grand Hotel (1932)

Dinner at Eight (1933)

It Happened One Night (1934)

The Thin Man (1934)

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Double Indemnity (1944)

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

A Place in the Sun (1951)

Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

Rear Window (1954)

Imitation of Life (1959)

The Parent Trap (1961)

4(1998)

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