Motion Picture Director, Producer, Documentarian. The son of a wealthy banker, he grew up in New York City's Upper East Side and studied at Yale University. He became interested in filmaking after seeing "Nanook of the North" (1922) and meeting its director, Robert Flaherty. On the strength of two short documentaries, "The Lure of Labrador" (1926) and "The Swilin' Racket" (1928), Frissell got backing from Paramount Pictures for a feature, "The Viking", the first talkie to be shot entirely in Canada. The production was fraught with hardships and took up most of 1930. On March 9, 1931, Frissell, cameraman Alexander G. Penrod, and two assistants joined the crew of the Canadian sealing ship Viking and sailed from Newfoundland to complete second-unit filming. Six days later, the ship exploded and sank off the coast of Horse Island, killing Frissell, Penrod, and 25 others. It was one of the worst disasters in Hollywood history. "The Viking" was completed by director George Melford. Frissell's remains were never recovered but a cenotaph was placed for him at the Berkeley Chapel Churchyard in Middletown, Rhode Island. His life and the doomed voyage of the S.S. Viking were the subject of an award-winning documentary, "White Thunder" (2002).
Motion Picture Director, Producer, Documentarian. The son of a wealthy banker, he grew up in New York City's Upper East Side and studied at Yale University. He became interested in filmaking after seeing "Nanook of the North" (1922) and meeting its director, Robert Flaherty. On the strength of two short documentaries, "The Lure of Labrador" (1926) and "The Swilin' Racket" (1928), Frissell got backing from Paramount Pictures for a feature, "The Viking", the first talkie to be shot entirely in Canada. The production was fraught with hardships and took up most of 1930. On March 9, 1931, Frissell, cameraman Alexander G. Penrod, and two assistants joined the crew of the Canadian sealing ship Viking and sailed from Newfoundland to complete second-unit filming. Six days later, the ship exploded and sank off the coast of Horse Island, killing Frissell, Penrod, and 25 others. It was one of the worst disasters in Hollywood history. "The Viking" was completed by director George Melford. Frissell's remains were never recovered but a cenotaph was placed for him at the Berkeley Chapel Churchyard in Middletown, Rhode Island. His life and the doomed voyage of the S.S. Viking were the subject of an award-winning documentary, "White Thunder" (2002).
Bio by: Bobb Edwards
Family Members
Advertisement
See more Frissell memorials in:
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
