Today in Comics History, August 31: Happy birthday, Fredric March!

Born on this day in 1897: Fredric March, Academy Award-winning actor (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Best Years of Our Lives, Seven Days in May, The Desperate Hours, The Bridges at Toko-Ri and many more). What's he got in common with Superman? Why, he was an early star of Action Comics! Well, "star" doing a lot of heavy lifting there.


from "Star-Light" in Action Comics (1938 series) #5 (DC/Detective Comics, October 1938), pencils and inks by Sheldon Moldoff




He played Philip of Macedonia, daddy to Alexander the Great (Richard Burton) in the 1956 epic...um, Alexander the Great.




from Four Color #688 [Alexander the Great] (Dell, May 1956), script by Paul S. Newman, pencils and inks by Alberto Giolitti
And by appearing the the 1967 Paul Newman western Hombre, Fredric March guaranteed his prestige in American comic books by being drawn by Mort Drucker! (March is "Dr. Henry Flavor," in the black suit.)




from MAD #114 (October 1967), script by Lou Silverstone, pencils and inks by Mort Drucker
So let us wish a happy birthday to Fredric March, founder of the March of Dimes, March of Progress, and March of Comics!


from "Screen Scoops" in Movie Comics #2 (DC/Picture Publications, May 1939); script and art by Walter Galli