Frank Inn (Famous Mooresvillian)

Camby native Frank Inn (born Elias Franklin Freeman) (1916-2002) grew up on the Charles Mendenhall farm near Mooresville (the farm was in Guilford Township, Hendricks County). His parents operated E. A. Freeman Florist shop in Mooresville for many years. During the 1950s until circa 1964, the florist shop was located at 42, 46, 60 & 62 East Washington Street (customers and suppliers often used Lincoln Lane for pickups and deliveries).  From circa 1964 through the early 1980s, the florist shop was situated at State Road 67 Bypass and South Park Drive.

Frank Inn was best known as an animal trainer for Hollywood movies (such as Benji, The Thin Man series, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s) and television programs (such as the 1960’s sitcoms The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, and Petticoat Junction). For Green Acres, Inn trained Arnold the Pig (character name: Arnold Ziffel). Arnold came from Jim Clem’s farm (see image below) on Johnson Road just outside Mooresville.

Inn won 40 PATSY (Picture Animal Top Star of the Year) Awards for the animals he trained for movies and television.  The International Association of Canine Professions (IACP) honored Inn as its first Hall of Fame inductee.  (See Inn's online biography.)

Frank Inn with Green Acres star, Arnold the Pig

 

Jim Clem's Farm on Johnson Road

(Morgan County Plat Map, Brown Township, 1962-1964)

 

Inn’s book about Benji is available to check-out from our Evergreen Indiana catalog.  Visit the MPL Indiana Room, or read this brief biography, to learn more about the man and his talented animals.

Frank Inn & Benji

On May 7, 2016, the library presented a program celebrating the 100th anniversary of Frank Inn’s birth.  We captured the program on video (below). Frank Inn was portrayed by David Reddick, chair of the Morgan County Indiana Bicentennial Celebration.