Acting
Harry Shannon
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.
Filmography
The World of Tomorrow
Film · 1984
The Dakotas
Series · 1963
Gypsy
Film · 1962
The Virginian
Series · 1962
Wild in the Country
Film · 1961
Summer and Smoke
Film · 1961
Angel
Series · 1960
Yellowstone Kelly
Film · 1959
Rawhide
Series · 1959
Lock-Up
Series · 1959
Rawhide
Series · 1959
Rawhide
Series · 1959
The Untouchables
Series · 1959
Rawhide
Series · 1959
Touch of Evil
Film · 1958
Man or Gun
Film · 1958
The Buccaneer
Film · 1958
Bat Masterson
Series · 1958
The Texan
Series · 1958
The Lonely Man
Film · 1957
Hell's Crossroads
Film · 1957
Duel at Apache Wells
Film · 1957
Have Gun, Will Travel
Series · 1957
The Thin Man
Series · 1957
The Real McCoys
Series · 1957
Sugarfoot
Series · 1957
26 Men
Series · 1957
Written on the Wind
Film · 1956
Come Next Spring
Film · 1956
The Peacemaker
Film · 1956
Wire Service
Series · 1956
State Trooper
Series · 1956
At Gunpoint
Film · 1955
The Marauders
Film · 1955
The Violent Men
Film · 1955
The Tall Men
Film · 1955
Cheyenne
Series · 1955
Gunsmoke
Series · 1955
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Series · 1955
The Millionaire
Series · 1955
Navy Log
Series · 1955
Crossroads
Series · 1955
Witness to Murder
Film · 1954
Rails Into Laramie
Film · 1954
Phantom Stallion
Film · 1954
Executive Suite
Film · 1954
Lassie
Series · 1954
Cry of the Hunted
Film · 1953
Kansas Pacific
Film · 1953
Jack Slade
Film · 1953
Roar of the Crowd
Film · 1953
The Man Behind the Badge
Series · 1953
Letter to Loretta
Series · 1953
High Noon
Film · 1952
Flesh and Fury
Film · 1952
Lure of the Wilderness
Film · 1952
Cavalcade of America
Series · 1952
Cavalcade of America
Series · 1952
The Ford Television Theatre
Series · 1952
The Lemon Drop Kid
Film · 1951
The Scarf
Film · 1951
Al Jennings of Oklahoma
Film · 1951
Blue Blood
Film · 1951
Pride of Maryland
Film · 1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Series · 1951
Where Danger Lives
Film · 1950
The Killer That Stalked New York
Film · 1950
The Underworld Story
Film · 1950
The Jackie Robinson Story
Film · 1950
Hunt the Man Down
Film · 1950
Singing Guns
Film · 1950
Curtain Call at Cactus Creek
Film · 1950
The Flying Missile
Film · 1950
Three Little Words
Film · 1950
The Gunfighter
Film · 1950
Cow Town
Film · 1950
The Sound of Fury
Film · 1950
Tarnished
Film · 1950
Mr. Soft Touch
Film · 1949
Tulsa
Film · 1949
Mary Ryan, Detective
Film · 1949
Rustlers
Film · 1949
Champion
Film · 1949
My Girl Tisa
Film · 1948
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House
Film · 1948
Fighting Father Dunne
Film · 1948
Big Town Scandal
Film · 1948
Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin'
Film · 1948
The Lady from Shanghai
Film · 1947
The Red House
Film · 1947
Nora Prentiss
Film · 1947
The Devil Thumbs a Ride
Film · 1947
The Farmer's Daughter
Film · 1947
The Invisible Wall
Film · 1947
Exposed
Film · 1947
Time Out of Mind
Film · 1947
Dangerous Years
Film · 1947
Night Editor
Film · 1946
The Last Crooked Mile
Film · 1946
San Quentin
Film · 1946
I Ring Doorbells
Film · 1946
Crack-Up
Film · 1946
Canyon Passage
Film · 1946
Crime, Inc.
Film · 1945
Captain Eddie
Film · 1945
Pride of the Marines
Film · 1945
When the Lights Go On Again
Film · 1944
The Yellow Rose of Texas
Film · 1944
The Mummy's Ghost
Film · 1944
Song of Texas
Film · 1943
Idaho
Film · 1943
True to Life
Film · 1943
The Powers Girl
Film · 1943
Alaska Highway
Film · 1943
Someone to Remember
Film · 1943
In Old Oklahoma
Film · 1943
Headin' for God's Country
Film · 1943
This Gun for Hire
Film · 1942
The Affairs of Jimmy Valentine
Film · 1942
Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch
Film · 1942
Once Upon a Honeymoon
Film · 1942
In Old California
Film · 1942
The Falcon Takes Over
Film · 1942
The Lady Is Willing
Film · 1942
The Big Street
Film · 1942
The Mad Martindales
Film · 1942
Citizen Kane
Film · 1941
The Saint In Palm Springs
Film · 1941
Hold Back the Dawn
Film · 1941
City of Chance
Film · 1940
Tugboat Annie Sails Again
Film · 1940
Sailor's Lady
Film · 1940
Parole Fixer
Film · 1940
Young Tom Edison
Film · 1940
Too Many Girls
Film · 1940
Gambling on the High Seas
Film · 1940
Tear Gas Squad
Film · 1940
One Crowded Night
Film · 1940
The Girl from Avenue A
Film · 1940
The Middleton Family at the New York World's Fair
Film · 1939
Alibi Mark
Film · 1937
Shake, Mr. Shakespeare
Film · 1936
A Peach of a Pair
Film · 1934
Smoked Hams
Film · 1934
No More West
Film · 1934
20,000 Cheers for the Chain Gang
Film · 1933
Wrongorilla
Film · 1933
Take a Chance
Film · 1933
Close Relations
Film · 1933
The Campus Mystery
Film · 1932
Heads Up
Film · 1930
Sympathy
Film · 1929
Faint Heart
Film · 1929