Frank is a name, like George, that when read or heard immediately makes me hear it in my head in a particular person's voice. For George that voice is Doris Day in Send Me No Flowers. There's one scene in particular in the beginning when she's trying to get her husband George's attention and she says his name about a dozen times with various inflection and emphasis. For Frank I think of Seven Brides For Seven Brothers. While arm wrestling on two suspended planks of wood at a barn raising turned pissing contest, Frank Pontipee is encouraged by others in the crowd, including some woman who has a very distinctive (read annoying) way of saying "Come on, Frank" that (quite obviously) has stuck in my mind. I really can't describe it, so here's a video of the sequence on youtube. 5:06 is when it happens. (Also check out Frank's amazing balance while he's on his toes. WOW.) Now that I've listened to it again just now, I appreciate that no one will probably find the woman's voice as irritating or noteworthy as I have, but in my defense, I watched this movie a few dozen times as a kid and if you watch the whole thing, you will find that this woman, like all the women in this movie sadly, is perpetually annoying. Here is the same tree from another angle.
Frank Pontipee has nothing to do with this tree. Or anyway he didn't when I decided to come up with it. Now that I've made it, I can draw some associations. For instance the planks of wood on which he arm wrestled: cut from trees. Also later in the movie he and his brothers sing about missing the women from the barn raising while chopping down trees. I just thought I'd share with you what I think about when I think about "Frank."
One final word on Frank: Frank Pontipee is portrayed by Tommy Rall, a man who unfortunately did not have very many roles but who was a brick shit house as far as dancing goes. (I don't think that's the correct use of the phrase "brick shit house" but I'm going with it.) His other notable roles include Bill Calhoun in Kiss Me Kate where he does this nifty trick with a cigarette and Chick Clark in My Sister Eileen, which is one of the first things I think of when I read/hear Eileen.
I leave you with this video of Tommy Rall in another pissing contest (this time with Bob Fosse in the aforementioned My Sister Eileen).


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