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Harry Shannon

Known for acting · Born 12 June 1890 · Died 27 July 1964 · aged 74 · Saginaw, Michigan, USA

149 credits

Born and raised on a farm in Michigan in 1890, Irish-American character actor Harry Shannon had the credentials for becoming a staple player in westerns. He started off his career traveling around with repertory and stock companies and developed his musical abilities in tent shows, burlesque houses and such tuneful Broadway shows as "Oh, Kay!" (1926), "Hold Everything" (1928), "Simple Simon" (1931), and "Pardon My English" (1933). A company member of Joseph Schildkraut's Hollywood Theater Guild, Shannon broke into films at the advent of sound and started things off in comedy film shorts opposite such celebrated players as Bert Lahr, Shemp Howard, and Leon Errol. In the 1940s Shannon established himself in feature-length movies and although he remained a minor, second-string player, he proved himself a durable presence in westerns usually remaining on the good side of the law as sheriffs and bucolic dads. In lighthearted entertainment he could be found as a friendly Irish cop or bartender. He made a slight but memorable impression as Kane's alcoholic father in the classic Citizen Kane (1941), while his last role would be as the grandfather in the musical Gypsy (1962). In between were small parts in such notable films as The Fighting Sullivans (1944), The Jolson Story (1946), High Noon (1952), Touch of Evil (1958), and The Buccaneer (1958). 1950s TV westerns such as Cheyenne (1955), Have Gun - Will Travel (1957), Rawhide (1959), and Gunsmoke (1955) made consistent use of his rustic demeanor. Shannon died in 1964 at age 74.

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Known for

The Tall Men

1955

Witness to Murder

1954

Written on the Wind

1956

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House

1948

Kansas Pacific

1953

The Jackie Robinson Story

1950

The Devil Thumbs a Ride

1947

Citizen Kane

1941

Champion

1949

Sympathy

1929

The Red House

1947

The Mummy's Ghost

1944

Acting (149)

1984The World of TomorrowPop Middleton (archive footage)Film
1963The DakotasSeries
1962GypsyGrandpaFilm
1962The VirginianUncle JoshSeries
1961Wild in the CountrySam Tyler (uncredited)Film
1961Summer and SmokeDr. Burke (uncredited)Film
1960AngelSeries
1959The UntouchablesMichael ShawSeries
1959RawhideClaggert, Kilo, Sheriff Blanton, JeffriesSeries
1959Yellowstone KellyCaptain of the Far West (uncredited)Film
1959Lock-UpSeries
1958Touch of EvilChief GouldFilm
1958The BuccaneerTom Carruthers - Captain of the CorinthianFilm
1958Bat MastersonJobe CrailSeries
1958The TexanJayson HowellSeries
1958Man or GunJustin CorleyFilm
1957Have Gun, Will TravelJesse · 2 episodesSeries
1957The Lonely ManDr. FisherFilm
1957The Real McCoysSeries
1957The Thin ManSeries
1957Hell's CrossroadsClay FordFilm
1957SugarfootHenry ShipmanSeries
195726 Men · 2 episodesSeries
1957Duel at Apache WellsWayne ShattuckFilm
1956Written on the WindHoak WayneFilm
1956Come Next SpringMr. TotterFilm
1956State TrooperSeries
1956The PeacemakerDrunken CowpuncherFilm
1956Wire ServiceHarris EllerbySeries
1955Alfred Hitchcock PresentsDr. HarnerSeries
1955GunsmokeBowersSeries
1955The Tall MenSamFilm
1955The Violent MenPurdueFilm
1955Cheyenne · 2 episodesSeries
1955At GunpointMarshal Pete MacKayFilm
1955The MaraudersJohn RutherfordFilm
1955Navy LogSeries
1955The MillionaireJudge William Jennings WestholmeSeries
1955CrossroadsDetective Sergeant Dave WashburnSeries
1954Witness to MurderCaptain DonnellyFilm
1954Lassie · 2 episodesSeries
1954Executive SuiteEd BenedeckFilm
1954Rails Into LaramieJudge PierceFilm
1954Phantom StallionMichael ReillyFilm
1953Kansas PacificSmokestack the Train EngineerFilm
1953Cry of the HuntedSheriff BrownFilm
1953Letter to LorettaTomSeries
1953Jack SladeTom CarterFilm
1953The Man Behind the BadgeSeries
1953Roar of the CrowdSam 'Pop' TracyFilm
1952High NoonCooperFilm
1952Lure of the WildernessPat McGowanFilm
1952Flesh and FuryMike CallanFilm
1952Cavalcade of America, Samuel MorseSeries
1952The Ford Television TheatreJudge VarneySeries
1951The Lemon Drop KidJohn (Policeman)Film
1951The ScarfAsylum Warden AndersonFilm
1951Al Jennings of OklahomaFred SalterFilm
1951Schlitz Playhouse of StarsBig Jim HeywoodSeries
1951Blue BloodMr. BuchananFilm
1951Pride of MarylandWalter ShannonFilm
1950The GunfighterChuck (uncredited)Film
1950Where Danger LivesDr. MaynardFilm
1950The Sound of FuryMr. YaegerFilm
1950The Killer That Stalked New YorkPolice Officer HoulihanFilm
1950The Underworld StoryGeorge ParkerFilm
1950The Jackie Robinson StoryCharlieFilm
1950Hunt the Man DownWallace BennettFilm
1950Three Little WordsClanahanFilm
1950Singing GunsJudge WallerFilm
1950The Flying MissileVice Admiral WilliamsFilm
1950Curtain Call at Cactus CreekClayFilm
1950TarnishedKelsey BunkerFilm
1950Cow TownSandy ReevesFilm
1949ChampionLewFilm
1949TulsaNelse LansingFilm
1949Mr. Soft TouchPolice Sergeant GarrettFilm
1949Mary Ryan, DetectiveSawyerFilm
1949RustlersSheriff HarmonFilm
1948Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream HouseTesanderFilm
1948Big Town ScandalPolice Captain Henry (uncredited)Film
1948Fighting Father DunneThomas LeeFilm
1948Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin'ChaunceyFilm
1948My Girl TisaFilm
1947The Lady from ShanghaiCab DriverFilm
1947The Red HouseDr. Jonathan ByrneFilm
1947The Farmer's DaughterMr. HolstromFilm
1947Nora PrentissPolice LieutenantFilm
1947The Devil Thumbs a RideDetective Owens, San Diego PoliceFilm
1947The Invisible WallDet. Capt. R.W. DavisFilm
1947Time Out of MindCapt. RogersFilm
1947Dangerous YearsJudge RaymondFilm
1947ExposedSeveranceFilm
1946Canyon PassageHenry McLane (uncredited)Film
1946Crack-UpCop (Uncredited)Film
1946Night EditorCapt. LawrenceFilm
1946The Last Crooked MilePolice Lieutenant BlakeFilm
1946San QuentinWarden KellyFilm
1946I Ring DoorbellsShannonFilm
1945Pride of the MarinesUncle RalphFilm
1945Crime, Inc.Police Commissioner CollinsFilm
1945Captain EddieSimmonsFilm
1944The Mummy's GhostSheriff ElwoodFilm
1944The Yellow Rose of TexasSam WestonFilm
1944When the Lights Go On AgainTom CaryFilm
1943In Old OklahomaCharlie WitherspoonFilm
1943The Powers GirlMr. HendricksFilm
1943IdahoJudge John GreyFilm
1943True to LifeMr. MasonFilm
1943Song of TexasSam BennettFilm
1943Alaska HighwayJohn 'Pop' OrmsbyFilm
1943Someone to RememberTom GibbonsFilm
1943Headin' for God's CountryAlbert NessFilm
1942This Gun for HireSteve FinnertyFilm
1942Once Upon a HoneymoonEd CumberlandFilm
1942In Old CaliforniaMr. CarlinFilm
1942The Falcon Takes OverDetective Grimes (Uncredited)Film
1942The Big StreetFlorida Doctor (uncredited)Film
1942The Lady Is WillingBarnesFilm
1942The Affairs of Jimmy ValentinePinky DolanFilm
1942The Mad MartindalesPolicemanFilm
1942Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage PatchMr. Tim WiggsFilm
1941Citizen KaneJim KaneFilm
1941Hold Back the DawnAmerican Immigration Official (uncredited)Film
1941The Saint In Palm SpringsChief R.L. GravesFilm
1940Too Many GirlsMr. CaseyFilm
1940Young Tom EdisonArmy Captain BrackettFilm
1940City of ChancePasslineFilm
1940Tear Gas SquadLieutenant SullivanFilm
1940Gambling on the High SeasEd, Chief of PoliceFilm
1940Tugboat Annie Sails AgainCapt. MahoneyFilm
1940Parole FixerRandallFilm
1940One Crowded NightMcDermottFilm
1940Sailor's LadyFather McGannFilm
1940The Girl from Avenue ATimsonFilm
1939The Middleton Family at the New York World's FairFatherFilm
1937Alibi MarkRailroad DetectiveFilm
1936Shake, Mr. ShakespeareMacbethFilm
1934Smoked HamsThe LandlordFilm
1934A Peach of a PairFilm
1934No More WestBank RobberFilm
193320,000 Cheers for the Chain GangFilm
1933Take a ChanceBartenderFilm
1933WrongorillaGroganFilm
1933Close RelationsHarry WartFilm
1932The Campus MysteryPolice SergeantFilm
1930Heads UpCapt. DennyFilm
1929SympathyLarryFilm
1929Faint HeartDynamite DanFilm