Weldon Heyburn

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American actor (1903–1951)

title: "Weldon Heyburn" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1903-births", "1951-deaths", "american-male-film-actors", "american-male-stage-actors", "20th-century-american-male-actors"] description: "American actor (1903–1951)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weldon_Heyburn" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American actor (1903–1951) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]

FieldValue
nameWeldon Heyburn
imageWeldon Heyburn - 1936.jpg
captionHeyburn in 1936
birth_nameWeldon Heyburn Franks
birth_date
birth_placeWashington, D.C., U.S. (uncertain)
death_date
death_placeLos Angeles, California, U.S.
resting_placeArlington National Cemetery
occupationActor
years_active1924–1950
spouse{{Plainlist
* {{marriagePhyllis Connard
* {{marriageGreta Nissen
* {{marriageJane Eichelberger
* {{marriageVirginia Maggard
::

| name = Weldon Heyburn | image = Weldon Heyburn - 1936.jpg | alt = | caption = Heyburn in 1936 | birth_name = Weldon Heyburn Franks | birth_date = | birth_place = Washington, D.C., U.S. (uncertain) | death_date = | death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | resting_place = Arlington National Cemetery | other_names = | alma_mater = | occupation = Actor | years_active = 1924–1950 | spouse = {{Plainlist|

| children = | parents =

Weldon Heyburn (born Weldon Heyburn Franks; September 19, 1903 – May 18, 1951) was an American character actor.

Early years

The son of Marie Pierce and United States Army Col. Wyatt G. Franks, although other sources indicate Selma, Alabama or Delaware City, Delaware as the place of birth.

Heyburn attended Central High School and Emerson Institute (both in Washington, D.C.), before attending the University of Alabama.

In the 1920s, Heyburn represented himself as "the son of Charles Heyburn, judge of the United States Supreme Court" and "the nephew of Weldon Heyburn, the late Senator of Iowa." The senator's niece denied any kinship, saying in 1925 that Heyburn was "an impostor if he persists in his claims", with other members of the family supporting her assertion.

Stage

In the mid-1920s, Heyburn was the "leading man in a Lansing, Mich., stock company."

Film

In 1931, Heyburn ventured into film. An August 31, 1931, newspaper article reported, "After playing leading man for such stage stars as Jeanne Eagels, Lenore Ulric and Mary Boland, he has given up the stage to become a feature screen player like his roommate and fellow gridiron player, John Mack Brown."

Military service

During World War II, Heyburn served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps.

Personal life

In 1924, Heyburn married actress Phyllis Connard. They divorced October 15, 1926.

Heyburn married Norwegian star Greta Nissen March 30, 1932, in Tijuana, Mexico. They met when they appeared together in The Silent Witness (1932), she as the female lead, he as an unbilled player. On October 19, 1935, Nissen went to court to have the marriage annulled, "charging their marriage ... was illegal and violated legal witness and residence requirements." The annulment was granted April 30, 1936.

Heyburn married Jane Eichelberger ("prominent socially in New York and Cleveland") on May 5, 1936, at Heyburn's home in Brentwood, California. They divorced in 1939. His last marriage was to socialite Virginia Maggard in September 1939. He was divorced when he enlisted in the U.S. Army in May 1942.

He also had relationships with actress Grace Brinkley and debutante Dorothy McCallam.

Death

A drinking problem effectively ended his career in the mid-1940s and his health rapidly declined. He entered the Veterans Administration Hospital in Los Angeles suffering from cancer of the mouth, right adrenal and kidney and died there of pneumonia. He was interred in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia.

Partial filmography

Heyburn appeared in about 65 films from 1930 through 1950. They include:

References

References

  1. (March 26, 1932). "Here's Gossip, Lowdown".
  2. (Winter 2015). "Weldon Heyburn: "He Panics the Women"". Films of the Golden Age.
  3. (February 8, 1931). "College Athlete in 'Pagan Lady'".
  4. (September 23, 1928). "Back Home".
  5. (December 5, 1925). "Weldon Heyburn May Be Real Name".
  6. "Weldon Heyburn".
  7. (August 29, 1931). "Player".
  8. (October 16, 1926). "Actress Gets Divorce".
  9. (March 30, 1932). "Greta Nisson to Become Bride of Hollywood Actor".
  10. (March 31, 1932). "Greta Nissen and Weldon Heyburn Are Honeymooning".
  11. (March 30, 1932). "Greta Nissen To Wed Weldon Heyburn Today".
  12. (October 20, 1935). "Greta Nissen Sues To Annul Marriage".
  13. (April 30, 1936). "Marriage Ends".
  14. (May 6, 1936). "Actor and Socialite Marry in Hollywood".
  15. Wilson, Scott. ''Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons'', 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Locations 25047-25048). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.

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1903-births1951-deathsamerican-male-film-actorsamerican-male-stage-actors20th-century-american-male-actors