Donald Harvey Francks (February 28, 1932 - April 3, 2016), also known as Iron Buffalo, was a Canadian actor, vocalist and jazz musician.

Personal life and work

Francks was born and raised in Burnaby, British Columbia, a suburb of Vancouver.

He once attributed his voice talent and career to free elocution lessons by Muriel Davis from age eight. He performed in vaudeville, worked as a foundryman and was involved in summer stock before moving to Toronto. During his time in Hollywood he lived in Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles.

An avid motorcycle rider, he had a collection of 12 antique cars, mostly Model-T Ford racing cars from 1912-27. He was a poet, native nations champion, author and peace activist. He supported Greenpeace and Tibet.

As a spokesman for Other Voices (Canadian TV series) in mid-1960s, he investigated a boy's murder at Saskatchewan Red Pheasant First Nation. He married and moved there with his second wife, Lili Francks, named there as Red Eagle. He was adopted as a Cree, and named Iron Buffalo "strong like iron. Like the buffalo who knows where to go, is a good provider and good for his family". Since 1979, he lived in Toronto with wife Lili and their son Rainbow Sun. His daughter, actress Cree Summer, resides and works in Hollywood. He also had two children by his first marriage.

Music

Francks composed songs, and played the trombone, drums, and flute. He performed in many jazz clubs including George's Spaghetti House in Toronto, and the Village Vanguard in New York City, there taping the LP quoting Jackie Gleason for the title Jackie Gleason Says No One in This World Is Like Don Francks, (Kapp KRS-4501), in 1963. In New York, he recorded "Lost... and Alone" (1965, Kapp KS-3417).

In August 1962, the Don Francks Trio with Lenny Breau debuted at Toronto's Purple Onion. In 2004, Art of Life Records released a four decades-old recording as Live at the Purple Onion. A National Film Board documentary called Toronto Jazz '62 includes rehearsals and performances of two other groups.

In 2010, he performed on CJRT-FM and recorded a podcast for the station called Jazz Genesis. In January 2013 he completed mixing a double live CD to be released in the fall of 2013. He performed in Toronto jazz clubs seasonally, including an annual stint for The TD Toronto Jazz Festival.

Acting

Francks's acting career began with CBC Television as a regular on Burns Chuckwagon from the Stampede Corral (1955-55) and Riding High (1955), then in the drama The Fast Ones (1959). In 1957 he had a part in the American series The Adventures of Tugboat Annie (actually filmed in Toronto Canada), then back to Canada in 1958 for Cannonball and Long Shot (1959). In 1959-60 he starred in the CBC-TV series R.C.M.P., playing Constable Bill Mitchell. In 1968 he co-starred with Fred Astaire and Petula Clark in the film version of Finian's Rainbow.

This Land (1970-86) was a CBC-TV documentary series on Canadian nature, wildlife, natural resources, and life in remote communities. Francks was the narrator. He portrayed writer Grey Owl, returning fifty years after his death to be disturbed by the ecological deterioration. (Episode "Land of Shadows" first aired 1983-08-02.)

From 1997 to 2001, he played "Walter" in La Femme Nikita (TV series). Early television credits include: Mission: Impossible, Wild Wild West, and several other episodic television appearances. In the 2015 six part series Gangland Undercover on the History Channel, he played "Lizard". His film work includes The Big Town, My Bloody Valentine and Johnny Mnemonic.

On February 16, 1964, he appeared on Broadway in the title role of the musical Kelly, as a daredevil planning to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge. The show was the first on Broadway in a generation to close on opening night.

Voices

Francks played Archie Goodwin alongside Mavor Moore as Nero Wolfe for Canadian radio. He provided the voice of "Skunk" in Gene Simmons' animated television show My Dad the Rock Star.

Francks was the first actor to voice the role of Boba Fett, a Mandalorian bounty hunter in Star Wars Holiday Special and reprised the role in an episode of Star Wars: Droids. He voiced several characters in Inspector Gadget along with his daughter, Cree Summer, who voiced Penny during the first season of the show. He provided the voice for Mok Swagger in the 1983 Canadian animated film Rock and Rule and the voice of Sabretooth on X-men The Animated Series.

Death

Francks died on April 3, 2016 from lung cancer at the age of 84. He was survived by his wife and children.

Selected filmography

• Hemlock Grove (2013) ... as Nicolae Rumancek
• The Listener (2009) ... as Wally
• I'm Not There (2007) ... as Gentleman Hobo (Hobo Joe) on the train
• Sons of Butcher (2006) ... as Barney G.
• The Very Good Adventures of Yam Roll in Happy Kingdom (2006) (voice) ... as Futukayoi
• Lie with Me (2005) ... as Joshua
• Puppets Who Kill ("The Twilight Place") (2004) ... as The Evil Head ... ("Bill & the Berkowitz's") (2006) ... Blind Willy
• This Is Wonderland ("Episode 1.13") (2004) ... as Stan Puck
• Atomic Betty ("No-L9", "Like Father, Like Scum/Planet Stinxx") (2004) (voice) ... as Max Sr.
• My Dad the Rock Star (2003) (voice) ... as Skunk
• Knights of the Zodiac (2003) ... Additional Voices
• Beyblade (2002) ... Additional Voices
• Cyberchase (2002) ... Additional Voices
• Tracker ("Native Son") (2002) ... as Wahota Keene
• A Killing Spring (2002) ... as Lou Massey
• My Name Is Tanino (2002) ... as Chinawsky
• X-Men: Mutant Academy 2 (2001) (voice) ... as Sabretooth/Victor Creed
• The Zack Files ("Groovin'") (2001)
• Medabots (2001) ... Guest Star
• Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (2000) (voice) ... as Sabretooth/Victor Creed
• X-Men: Mutant Academy (2000) (voice) ... as Sabretooth/Victor Creed
• Earth: Final Conflict ("Trapped by Time") (2001) ... as Kyle Madrid
• Eckhart (2000) (voice) ... as Cat/Boss Mouse
• The Famous Jett Jackson ("Backstage Pass") (2000) ... as Phil Phelps
• Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal ("Wendigo") (2000) ... as Samuel Thompson
• Relic Hunter ("Flag Day") (1999) ... as Jake Whitney
• Avengers: United They Stand (1999) ... Additional Voices
• Rescue Heroes (1999) ... Additional Voices
• Seasons of Love (1999) ... as Reverend Doctor Garshwin
• Traders ("Little Monsters") (1998)
• Summer of the Monkeys (1998) ... as Bayliss Hatcher
• Silver Surfer (1998) (voice) ... as Kalok
• Mythic Warriors: Guardians of the Legend ("Jason and the Argonauts", "Ulysses and Circe") (1998) (voice) ... as Blue-Eyed Wolf/2nd Sailor
• Eerie, Indiana: The Other Dimension ("Nightmare on Eerie Street") (1998) ... Sandman
• Birdz (1998) ... Additional Voices
• Bad Dog (1998) ... Additional Voices
• Donkey Kong Country (1998) ... Additional Voices
• Mr. Music (1998) ... as Zal Adamchyk
• Little Men ("Thanksgiving") (1998) ... as Levi Cole
• The Minion (1998) ... as Michael Baer
• Sam & Max: Freelance Police ("Christmas Bloody Christmas") (1998) (voice) ... Santa Claus
• Ned's Newt (1997) ... Additional Voices
• Pippi Longstocking (1997) ... Additional Voices
• Freaky Stories (1997) ... Additional Voices
• Mr. Men and Little Miss (1997) (voice) ... as Mr. Grumpy and Mr. Clumsy
• La Femme Nikita (1997-2001) ... as Walter
• Chester Cheetah (1997) ... Voice
• X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1996) (voice) ... as Sabretooth/Victor Creed
• First Degree (1996) ... as Lou Matlin
• Bogus (1996) ... as Dr. Surprise
• Harriet the Spy (1996) ... as Harrison Withers
• Hostile Advances: The Kerry Ellison Story (1996) ... as Marty
• Flash Gordon (1996) ... Additional Voices
• Journey to the Center of the Earth (1996) ... Voice
• Stickin' Around (1996) ... Guest Star
• Blazing Dragons (1996) ... Guest Star
• Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1996) ... Additional Voices
• Goosebumps ("The Werewolf of Fever Swamp" Parts 1 and 2) (1996) ... as Swamp Hermit
• First Degree (1996) ... as Lou Matlin
• The Neverending Story (1995) (voice) ... as Gmork
• Johnny Mnemonic (1995) ... as Hooky
• Road to Avonlea ("The Return of Gus Pike") (1995) ... as Abe Pike
• A Vow to Kill (1995) ... as Smithford
• Little Bear (1995) ... as Additional Voices
• Ultraforce (1995) ... Additional Voices
• Highlander: The Animated Series (1994) ... Guest Star
• Kung Fu: The Legend Continues ("Enter the Tiger") (1994) ... as Stranger
• WildC.A.T.S. (1994) ... Guest Star
• Free Willy (1994) ... Guest Star
• Side Effects ("The Great Chendini") (1994) ... as Mr. Harrison
• Hello Kitty and Friends (1994) ... Additional Voices
• Tales from the Cryptkeeper (1993) ("Ghost Ship") (voice) ... as Red Beard
• Cadillacs and Dinosaurs (1993) (voice) ... as Girth/Hobbs
• The Busy World of Richard Scarry (1993) ... Additional Voices
• The Diviners (1993) ... as Royland
• E.N.G. ("The Sleep of Reason") (1992) ... as Pointer
• Quiet Killer (1992) ... as Dr. Martin
• The Adventures of Tintin (1992) (voice) ... as Captain Francis Haddock
• Dog City (1992) (voice) ... as the Dog City Residents
• X-Men (1992) (voice) ("Cold Vengeance", "Deadly Reunions", "Enter Magneto" ... as Sabretooth/Victor Creed), ("Repo Man" ... as Puck/Eugene Milton Judd/Shaman/Dr. Michael Twoyoungmen), ("The Phalanx Covenant: Part 1" ... as Sabretooth/Victor Creed Phalanx)
• Married to It (1991) ... as Sol Chamberlain
• Rupert (1991) ... Additional Voices
• Swamp Thing (1991) (voice) ... as Anton Arcane
• Top Cops (1990) ... Announcer
• Piggsburg Pigs (1990) ... Additional Voices
• Beetlejuice (1989) (voice) ... as Count Mein/Mr. Big
• Babar (1989) ... Additional Voices
• The Legend of Zelda (1989) ... Additional Voices
• Police Academy (1988) (voice) ... as Proctor/Thomas "House" Conklin
• The Christmas Wife (1988) ... as Social Arranger
• Care Bears Nutcracker Suite (1988) (voice) ... as Vizier
• AlfTales (1988) ... Additional Voices
• ALF: The Animated Series (1987) ... Additional Voices
• My Pet Monster (1987) ... Additional Voices
• Madballs (1987) (voice) ... as Commander Wolf Breath
• Garbage Pail Kids (1987) ... Additional Voices
• Starcom: The U.S. Space Force (1987) (voice) ... Adm. Franklin Brinkley (Starcom Commander)
• Street Legal ("I'll Be Home for Christmas") (1987) ... as Mel
• Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future (1987) (voice) ... as Lacchi
• The Big Town (1987) ... as Carl Hooker
• Alfred Hitchcock Presents ("The Mole") (1987) ... as Sgt. Jim Willis
• Danger Bay (1986) ... as Commentator
• The Care Bears (1986) ... Additional Voices
• Seeing Things ("I'm Looking Through You") (1984) ... as Sunshine, ("Blind Alley") (1985) ... as Gary
• Star Wars: Ewoks (1985-86) (voice) ... as Umwak/Dulok Shaman
• Star Wars: Droids (1985) (voice) ... as Jann Tosh
• Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors (1985) (voice) ... as Noak
• The Littlest Hobo ("The Good Shepherd") (1984) ... as Reverend Dobson
• Countdown to Looking Glass (1984) ... as Don Geller
• Inspector Gadget (1983) .... Additional Voices
• Rock & Rule (1983) (voice) ... as Mok
• Heavy Metal (1981) (voice) ... as Grimaldi/Co-Pilot/Barbarian
• My Bloody Valentine (1981) ... as Chief Jake Newby
• The Phoenix Team (1980) ... as David Brook
• Riel (1979) ... as Ouilette
• The Great Detective ("The Black Curse") (1979) ... Guest Star
• Fast Company (1979) ... as Elder
• Fish Hawk (1979) ... as Deut Boggs
• Star Wars Holiday Special (1978) (voice) ... as Boba Fett
• McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) ... as Buffalo
• Mannix ("Memory: Zero") (1969)
• Lancer ("Little Darling of the Sierras") (1969) ... as Noah Fletcher
• Mission: Impossible ("A Game of Chess") (1968) ... as Nicholas Groat, ("The Numbers Game") (1969) ... as Major Alex Denesch
• The Virginian ("The Land Dreamer") (1969) ... as Caleb and Jack Welles
• Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (1968-70) ... as Mr. Anybody
• Finian's Rainbow (1968) ... as Woody Mahoney
• Jericho (1966 TV series) ... as Captain Franklin Shepphard (16 episodes)
• The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ("The Round Table Affair") (1966)... as Artie King
• The Wild Wild West ("The Night of the Grand Emir") (1966) ... as T. Wigget Jones
• Ben Casey ("You Wanna Know What Really Goes on in a Hospital?"), ("Why Did the Day Go Backwards?") (1965)
• The Forest Rangers ("The Game Reserve") (1963) ... as Sanders, Jack Brass' Friend
• This Land (1978-1982) ... as Host
• The Merv Griffin Show (February 15, 1968)
• R.C.M.P. (1959-60) ... as Constable Bill Mitchell

Awards

• 1980 and 1981 - Don Francks won ACTRA Awards for Best Dramatic Performance for his roles in Drying Up The Streets and The Phoenix Team.

Selected discography

• At the Purple Onion, with Lenny Breau and Eon Henstridge, 2004, Art of Life Records. Recorded live at the coffeehouse Purple Onion in Toronto in August 1962.
• No One in This World Is like Don Francks, LP, 1963, Kapp Records. Don Francks, Lenny Breau and Eon Henstridge formed the trio Three.
• Lost... and Alone, LP, 1964, Kapp Records.
• "Josephine, the Short Necked Giraffe" Voice of "Jack Giraffe".(1968)
• "Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives to Me" and "One of Those Songs" - A&M Records 45 single #802, 1966

Bibliography

• Heyn, Christopher. "A Conversation with Don Francks." Inside Section One: Creating and Producing TV's La Femme Nikita. Introduction by Peta Wilson. Los Angeles: Persistence of Vision Press, 2006. pp. 100-05; ISBN 0-9787625-0-9.
  In-depth conversation with Don Francks about his role as Walter on La Femme Nikita, along with numerous stories from his lengthy acting and musical career.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]