Harry Shannon (actor)

Harry Shannon
Shannon in The Jackie Robinson Story (1950)
Born(1890-06-13)June 13, 1890
DiedJuly 27, 1964(1964-07-27) (aged 74)
OccupationActor
Years active1930–1963

Harry Shannon (June 13, 1890 – July 27, 1964) was an American character actor. He often appeared in Western films.

Biography

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Shannon was born on a farm in Saginaw, Michigan. After beginning his career in live theater and vaudeville, be switched to the film industry in the 1930s.

His Broadway credits included Mrs. O'Brien Entertains (1939), Washington Jitters (1938), Under Glass (1933), Pardon My English (1933), Free For All (1931), Simple Simon (1931), Jonica (1930), Hold Everything (1928), and Oh, Kay! (1926).[1]

Although he appeared most frequently in Westerns in the last decade of his career, his best-known film role was perhaps as Charles Foster Kane's rough father in Citizen Kane (1941).[2] Among his other films were Someone to Remember (1943), Alaska Highway (1943), San Quentin (1946), Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948) and Witness to Murder (1954).

In 1956 he appeared as Matt Crowley in the "Johnny Bravo" episode of the TV Western Cheyenne. In 1960, he was cast as outlaw Clay Hooper in the "Showdown at Goldtown" episode of the ABC/Warner Brothers Western television series, Colt .45.[citation needed] He appeared as the villain cowboy Dad "Jobe Craig" in S3E27's "Meeting at Mimbres" in the 1961 Western Bat Masterson. He appeared in several other TV Westerns in the late 1950s and early 1960s: Sheriff of Cochise, Have Gun - Will Travel, Tales of Wells Fargo, The Texan and Laramie.

Shannon died in Hollywood on July 27, 1964, at age 74.[3]

Selected filmography

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Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1955 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Dr. Harner Season 1 Episode 7: "Breakdown"
1961 Rawhide Jeffries Season 3 Episode 28: "Incident of the Blackstorms"
1961 Gunsmoke Bowers Season 6 Episode 23: "About Chester"

References

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  1. ^ "Harry Shannon". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on October 6, 2018. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  2. ^ Hal Erickson (2014). "Harry Shannon biography". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 15, 2014. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
  3. ^ Ellenberger, Allan R. (2001). Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory. McFarland. p. 149. ISBN 9780786409839. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
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