R.I.P. Arthur Franz

[Damien]

He was memorably creepy in The Sniper, but I'll always first and foremost remember him as the reassuring adult authoroty figure in Invaders From Mars, one of the most iconic movies of my childhood.

ARTHUR FRANZ, FILM AND TELEVISION ACTOR, 86, IS DEAD

Oxnard, Calif., June 20 (AP) — Arthur Franz, a veteran movie and television character actor, died here on Saturday. He was 86.

The cause was heart failure and emphysema, his daughter Gina Martenson, said.

Mr. Franz appeared in "Sands of Iwo Jima" (1949), starring John Wayne, and "Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man" (1951), among scores of films and television shows. He performed alongside Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy Davis, in the 1957 film "Hellcats of the Navy."

Ms. Martenson said his favorite role was in "The Sniper" (1952), in which he had the lead role. He also appeared on TV programs including "Perry Mason" and "Rawhide."

Born in Perth Amboy, N.J., Franz developed an interest in acting while he was a teenager. He served in the Army Air Forces in World War II, then started working in the theater in New York before moving to Los Angeles and taking film roles.

Franz married his fourth wife, Sharon, on Valentine's Day this year. She survives him, along with Ms. Martenson; another daughter, Melissa Franz; a son, Michael; and two grandchildren.