Clement von Franckenstein

From The Joe Frank Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Clement George Freiherr von und zu Franckenstein (known as Clement von Franckenstein) (28 May 1944 Sunninghill, England - 9 May 2019 Los Angeles, California) was an English actor.

Clement von Franckenstein was the son of an Austrian baron (Arnold Schwarzenegger addressed him as Baron) and ambassador to Britain who defected after the Anschluss, married an English woman, who bore him a son whom he named after a brother who was a noted opera composer.

His parents died in a plane crash when he was 9, friends of theirs raised him; he attended Eton then joined the Royal Scots Greys as an officer. After a trip to the Reeperbahn in Hamburg he was ordered to resign. He moved to the US hoping to become an opera singer, didn't, became a 'bum actor' (as he put it).

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0820527/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clement.franckenstein

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=clement+von+franckenstein

He died in 2019; British papers published obits:

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9274408/baron-clement-von-franckenstein-hollywood-brit-booze-sex/

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/baron-clement-von-franckenstein-obituary-7clwcvb62

but only the Hollywood Reporter in the US:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/clement-von-franckenstein-dead-actor-american-president-hail-caesar-was-74-1209772

The Times obit is behind a paywall. I found a copy here:

https://www.argentinaexpats.org/forum/index.php?thread/1728-baron-clement-von-franckenstein/


He mentions his friend Daud, who hosted orgies, says that he won't mention his last name, 'for obvious reasons'. It's Daud Alani, one of the owners of 1520 A.D., a cheesy restaurant theatre at which Mr von Franckenstein played Henry 8. Mr von Franckenstein stayed at his Hollywood Hills mansion as well as attended Mr Alani's orgies. Mr Alani wrote Cooking for orgies & other large parties https://www.amazon.com/Cooking-orgies-other-large-parties/dp/0843101253 and appeared in a movie: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0015964

http://articles.latimes.com/1988-04-19/business/fi-1318_1_medieval-times tipped me to his last name.

Mr. von Franckenstein also mentions the rector of his church, which was in Beverly Hills, Carol Anderson. Because Mr von Franckenstein was English this was probably the Episcopal Church. A person of that name was rector of All Saints in Beverly Hills:

http://idreambooks.com/Knowing-Jesus-in-Your-Life-by-Carol-Anderson

From the Facebook page of the Royal Scots Greys:

David McCallum Yates: 'Clement Von Franckensteyn was my Troop Leader in the Royal Scots Greys.in Fallingbostel in Germany, He was quite a guy so you can believe his stories, he served the same time as Sir Randolph Twickenham Fiends the Arctic Explorer and the Duke Of Kent. I like Frankie very much and I believe the feeling was mutual, Last I heard he had headed for the USA and Hollywood'

Allan Bruce Sinclair: 'I remember Von Frankenstein when I served 1969 Fallingbostel'

David McCallum Yates: 'When he finally LEFT the Regiment in Fallingbostel I received a message from our Squadron Leader Major Anderson, telling me that Frankie had left me his Peerles Sports Car the only problem being Frankie had wrote the car off on his way back from Hamburg and it was worth FA and I had two days to get the wreak off camp. I managed to sell the two seats to another Sgt and disposed of the rest of the car. And I never got to thank him. Another Frankie/Davey episode.'

Tom Bolland: 'I did the Hamburg reeperbanh trip and awol got 7days nick'


When I asked what Clement's punishment was:

David McCallum Yates: 'His option was to resign and leave the Regiment.'


When news that he was in a coma was posted:

David McCallum Yates: 'He was and is a character and some and a friend to me. He was so laid back and the Jocks in his troop loved him.'

John Ross: 'The B Squadron burbling baron was indeed a great character.'

Tam Currie: 'Remember him well Dave, was he the one that modified his sports car and had a centurion exhaust fitted?'

David McCallum Yates: 'He left me his sport car " a Peerless" in Fally and our Sqn Ldr Jane Anderson was delighted to tell me it was was a right off.and I had 24 hours to get it off site. Good old Frankie.'

William Stevens: 'Iwill finish he got me and paddy smythe to East Africa on 2 weeks leave I was his his batman for a while he was a great officer'

He appeared in the following programs: