Harry Shannon

Harry Shannon

Date of Birth:

Jun 12, 1890

Place of Birth:

Saginaw, Michigan, USA

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 The World of Tomorrow

1984

Young Tom Edison Young Tom Edison

1940

Parole Fixer Parole Fixer

1940

The Mummy's Ghost The Mummy's Ghost

1968

Phantom Stallion Phantom Stallion

1954

Big Town Scandal Big Town Scandal

1948

Hold Back the Dawn Hold Back the Dawn

1941

Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin' Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin'

1948

Champion Champion

1949

Wrongorilla Wrongorilla

1933

Too Many Girls Too Many Girls

1940

In Old California In Old California

1942

The Gunfighter The Gunfighter

1950

Rustlers Rustlers

1949

Shake, Mr. Shakespeare Shake, Mr. Shakespeare

1936

I Ring Doorbells I Ring Doorbells

1946

Fighting Father Dunne Fighting Father Dunne

1948

Heads Up Heads Up

1930

Time Out of Mind Time Out of Mind

1947

Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch

1942

Three Little Words Three Little Words

1950

Wild in the Country Wild in the Country

1961

The Powers Girl The Powers Girl

1943

Summer and Smoke Summer and Smoke

1961

Sailor's Lady Sailor's Lady

1940

The Middleton Family at the New York World's Fair The Middleton Family at the New York World's Fair

1939

Alaska Highway Alaska Highway

1943

Once Upon a Honeymoon Once Upon a Honeymoon

1942

Dangerous Years Dangerous Years

1947

Someone to Remember Someone to Remember

1943

Cow Town Cow Town

1950

Tarnished Tarnished

1950

Executive Suite Executive Suite

1954

Roar of the Crowd Roar of the Crowd

1953

The Sound of Fury The Sound of Fury

1950

Captain Eddie Captain Eddie

1945

The Lady Is Willing The Lady Is Willing

1942

The Big Street The Big Street

1942

Crack-Up Crack-Up

1946

Pride of the Marines Pride of the Marines

1945

Canyon Passage Canyon Passage

1946

The Buccaneer The Buccaneer

1958

The Mad Martindales The Mad Martindales

1942

The Girl from Avenue A The Girl from Avenue A

1940

Blue Blood Blue Blood

1951

The Falcon Takes Over The Falcon Takes Over

1942

The Mummy's Ghost The Mummy's Ghost

1944

The Tall Men The Tall Men

1955

Faint Heart Faint Heart

1929

Close Relations Close Relations

1933

Take a Chance Take a Chance

1933

Sympathy Sympathy

1929

The Peacemaker The Peacemaker

1956

Gambling on the High Seas Gambling on the High Seas

1940

In Old Oklahoma In Old Oklahoma

1943

Headin' for God's Country Headin' for God's Country

1943

One Crowded Night One Crowded Night

1940

Tear Gas Squad Tear Gas Squad

1940

No More West No More West

1934

Al Jennings of Oklahoma Al Jennings of Oklahoma

1951

Come Next Spring Come Next Spring

1956

The Farmer's Daughter The Farmer's Daughter

1947

Witness to Murder Witness to Murder

1954

The Jackie Robinson Story The Jackie Robinson Story

1950

The Lonely Man The Lonely Man

1957

The Scarf The Scarf

1951

The Devil Thumbs a Ride The Devil Thumbs a Ride

1947

City of Chance City of Chance

1940

This Gun for Hire This Gun for Hire

1942

Written on the Wind Written on the Wind

1956

Mr. Soft Touch Mr. Soft Touch

1949

Kansas Pacific Kansas Pacific

1953

Gypsy Gypsy

1962

Hunt the Man Down Hunt the Man Down

1950

The Invisible Wall The Invisible Wall

1947

Crime, Inc. Crime, Inc.

1945

The Underworld Story The Underworld Story

1950

Where Danger Lives Where Danger Lives

1950

The Red House The Red House

1947

The Lady from Shanghai The Lady from Shanghai

1947

My Girl Tisa My Girl Tisa

1948

High Noon High Noon

1952

Touch of Evil Touch of Evil

1958

The Lemon Drop Kid The Lemon Drop Kid

1951

The Killer That Stalked New York The Killer That Stalked New York

1950

Night Editor Night Editor

1946

A Peach of a Pair A Peach of a Pair

1934

Cry of the Hunted Cry of the Hunted

1953

Nora Prentiss Nora Prentiss

1947

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House

1948

The Last Crooked Mile The Last Crooked Mile

1946

Yellowstone Kelly Yellowstone Kelly

1959

Curtain Call at Cactus Creek Curtain Call at Cactus Creek

1950

Tugboat Annie Sails Again Tugboat Annie Sails Again

1940

The Marauders The Marauders

1955

Duel at Apache Wells Duel at Apache Wells

1957

Smoked Hams Smoked Hams

1934

Idaho Idaho

1943

Rails Into Laramie Rails Into Laramie

1954

The Affairs of Jimmy Valentine The Affairs of Jimmy Valentine

1942

Lure of the Wilderness Lure of the Wilderness

1952

The Violent Men The Violent Men

1955

True to Life True to Life

1943

The Flying Missile The Flying Missile

1950

Jack Slade Jack Slade

1953

Hell's Crossroads Hell's Crossroads

1957

Singing Guns Singing Guns

1950

Tulsa Tulsa

1949

Exposed Exposed

1947

Flesh and Fury Flesh and Fury

1952

Man or Gun Man or Gun

1958

San Quentin San Quentin

1946

The Saint In Palm Springs The Saint In Palm Springs

1941

At Gunpoint At Gunpoint

1955

Mary Ryan, Detective Mary Ryan, Detective

1949

The Yellow Rose of Texas The Yellow Rose of Texas

1944

Song of Texas Song of Texas

1943

When the Lights Go On Again When the Lights Go On Again

1944

Alibi Mark Alibi Mark

1937

20,000 Cheers for the Chain Gang 20,000 Cheers for the Chain Gang

1933

Citizen Kane Citizen Kane

1941

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