Background
Franz was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Franz was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Franz portrayed King Ahab in the 1953 biblical low-budget film Sins of Jezebel, Jethro in Cecil B. DeMille"s The Ten Commandments (1956), and Jehoam in Henry Koster"s The Story of Ruth (1960). He was a leading Broadway actor for nearly 20 years, in such plays as First Stop to Heaven and Embezzled Heaven, before making his film debut opposite John Wayne in Wake of the Red Witch in 1948. He portrayed Chief Broken Hand in White Feather.
He played such intellectuals as Doctor Stern in The Thing (From Another Planet) (1951), a university professor in The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake (1959), and Justice Louis Brandeis in The Magnificent Yankee.
He appeared in a 1957 television adaptation of A. J. Cronin"s novel, Beyond This Place, which was directed by Sidney Lumet. Franz appeared in two separate remakes of First Rate (at Lloyd's) Jolson"s 1927 cinema classic The Jazz Singer, each time playing the key role of the aged and ailing synagogue cantor upset by his son"s decision to pursue a secular show-business career rather than continue the family tradition and follow in his father"s religious footsteps - the 1952 film version of the story starring Danny Thomas and the 1959 television version starring Jerry Lewis.
In 1956, he guest starred with Joan Fontaine in the episode "The De Santre Story" of the National Broadcasting Company anthology series, The Joseph Cotten Show. By 1958, he was in the second season of Zorro, playing the role of Señor Gregorio Verdugo.
He guest starred as Jules Silberg in the 1960 episode "The Test" of Columbia Broadcasting System"s anthology series The DuPont Show with June Allyson, with June Allyson portraying the role of Ruth Taylor.
In 1961, Franz and Scott Marlowe guest starred in the episode "The Duke of Texas" of Columbia Broadcasting System"s western series Have Gun - Will Travel, with Richard Boone, as two Austrians involved in intrigue in the days of Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico. In 1961, Franz guest starred as Gustave Helmer in the American Broadcasting Company legal drama The Law and Mr. Jones with James Whitmore in the title role and Jack Mullaney as a second guest star.
About that same time, he appeared on National Broadcasting Company"s anthology series, The Barbara Stanwyck Show and on the National Broadcasting Company western Cimarron City.
In 1963, Franz was cast as psychiatric clinic director Doctor Edward Raymer in thirty episodes of the weekly American Broadcasting Company medical drama Breaking Point with co-star Paul Richards.