Sean McClory
Biography: Sean McClory was born in Dublin, Ireland, but spent his early life in Galway. He was the son of Hugh Patrick, an architect and civil engineer, and Mary Margaret Ball, who had been a model. Sean decided to become an actor and joined Dublin's renowned Abbey Theater (also known as the National Theater of Ireland, opened in 1904). He rose through the ranks playing in productions of the works of such authors as William Butler Yeats and George Bernard Shaw, and soon began to play leads mostly in comedies (popular through most of the 1940s and into the 1950s). When comedies began to fade from the theater after World War II, McClory turned an eye toward film. In early 1947 he decided to make the jump to America and break into Hollywood. His first roles were that of a staple in American films: the Irish cop, which he played in two of the Dick Tracy series in 1947. In 1949 he signed a short contract with 20th Century-Fox. By 1950 he was showing up in more notable films - though uncredited, particularly in The Glass Menagerie (1950). Within a year McClory's talents were being showcased in various small feature roles. John Ford finally began casting - a painstaking process for the finicky director - for his long conceived The Quiet Man (1952) and chose McClory for a small but showy part, in which he was seen throughout the film feature with Charles B. Fitzsimons, the younger brother of the film's star, Maureen O'Hara, playing an Irish villager. Although some of the cast were familiar members of the "John Ford Stock Company", many roles were filled by actual Irish villagers (the film was shot on location) and included a generous helping of Abbey Theater alumni: the Shields brothers (Barry Fitzgerald and Arthur Shields) and Jack MacGowran, in addition to O'Hara McClory. Ford wanted him for roles in several of his subsequent films, however McClory's busy film and TV schedule only allowed him to accept roles in two other Ford films, The Long Gray Line and Cheyenne Autumn. McClory had a cultured, neutral Irish brogue that fit well in small- or big-screen performances, unlike such Irish actors as Barry Fitzgerald who, though very effective and beloved, had a thick brogue that kept him forever cast as an Irishman. As a result, McClory was much more at home in American TV and had many memorable roles from 1953 onward, appearing in a gamut of episodic TV in addition to his feature film work. However, it was his frequent appearances on the small screen that enabled McClory to stand out in viewers' memories, especially in a range of western and adventure series (in which he played a good sprinkling of Irish characters) well into the 1970s. Though not as busy in the 1980s as he was in the '70s, one role in which he truly stood out was in an adaptation by John Huston of Irish writer James Joyce's famous 1907 short story "The Dead" made in 1987 (The Dead (1987)), his final film appearance. McClory's role as Mr. Grace was not a character in the original story but was created by Huston and his son Tony Huston to provide McClory with a reading of the medieval Irish poem "Young Donal", which was very effective to the mood of this look at Irish family remembrance.
Place of Birth: Not available
Birthday: March 08, 1924
Deathday: December 10, 2003
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Known For
The Quiet Man
1952-07-21
The Quiet Man
Overview: An American man returns to the village of his birth in Ireland, where he finds love and conflict.
Genres: Romance Comedy Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1952-07-21
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Them!
1954-06-16
Them!
Overview: As a result of nuclear testing, gigantic, ferocious mutant ants appear in the American desert southwest, and a father-daughter team of entomologists join forces with the state police officer who first discovers their existence, an FBI agent and, eventually, the US Army to eradicate the menace, before it spreads across the continent — and the world.
Genres: Science Fiction Horror
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1954-06-16
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Body Bags
1993-08-08
Body Bags
Overview: A woman working the late shift at a gas station while a killer is on the loose; a man who can't stand the thought of losing his hair; a baseball player that submits to an eye transplant. An anthology of terror.
Genres: Horror Comedy TV Movie
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1993-08-08
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The Gnome-Mobile
1967-07-19
The Gnome-Mobile
Overview: An eccentric millionaire and his grandchildren are embroiled in the plights of some forest gnomes who are searching for the rest of their tribe. While helping them, the millionaire is suspected of being crazy because he's seeing gnomes! He's committed, and the niece and nephew and the gnomes have to find him and free him.
Genres: Fantasy Comedy Family
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1967-07-19
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The Happiest Millionaire
1967-11-30
The Happiest Millionaire
Overview: A happy and unbelievably lucky young Irish immigrant, John Lawless, lands a job as the butler of an unconventional millionaire, Biddle. His daughter, Cordelia Drexel Biddle, tires of the unusual antics of her father--especially since the nice young men around town all fear him. Wouldn't you fear a father-in-law that keeps alligators for pets and teaches boxing at his daily Bible classes?
Genres: Comedy Drama Family Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1967-11-30
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Charade
1953-09-16
Charade
Overview: This is an anthology film with three stories. In "Portrait of a Murderer", a female artist draws sketches of a mysterious neighbor. She is unaware that the man is a murderer. "Duel at Dawn" is set in 1880s Austria. Two military officers fight a duel, with the survivor free to claim the heart of their shared love interest. "The Midas Touch" is a romance story of sorts. Jonah Watson is a successful American businessman, but is disgruntled with his life. He emigrates to England to start a new life, and works as a common servant. But he falls in love with a cockney maid who dreams of marrying into wealth.
Genres: Drama Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1953-09-16
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Follow Me, Boys!
1966-12-01
Follow Me, Boys!
Overview: Lem Siddons is part of a traveling band who has a dream of becoming a lawyer. Deciding to settle down, he finds a job as a stockboy in the general store of a small town. Trying to fit in, he volunteers to become scoutmaster of the newly formed Troop 1. Becoming more and more involved with the scout troop, he finds his plans to become a lawyer being put on the back burner, until he realizes that his life has been fulfilled helping the youth of the small town.
Genres: Drama Family
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1966-12-01
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Island in the Sky
1953-09-05
Island in the Sky
Overview: A C-47 transport plane, named the Corsair, makes a forced landing in the frozen wastelands of Labrador, and the plane's pilot, Captain Dooley, must keep his men alive in deadly conditions while awaiting rescue.
Genres: Adventure Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1953-09-05
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Man in the Attic
1953-12-23
Man in the Attic
Overview: London, 1888: on the night of the third Jack the Ripper killing, soft-spoken Mr. Slade, a research pathologist, takes lodgings with the Harleys, including a gloomy attic room for "experiments." Mrs. Harley finds Slade odd and increasingly suspects the worst; her niece Lily (star of a decidedly Parisian stage revue) finds him interesting and increasingly attractive. Is Lily in danger, or are her mother's suspicions merely a red herring?
Genres: Thriller Crime Horror
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1953-12-23
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Cheyenne Autumn
1964-10-15
Cheyenne Autumn
Overview: A reluctant cavalry Captain must track a defiant tribe of migrating Cheyenne.
Genres: Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1964-10-15
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Moonfleet
1955-06-24
Moonfleet
Overview: Set in the eighteenth century, Moonfleet is about John Mohune, a young orphan who is sent to the Dorset village of Moonfleet to stay with an old friend of his mother's, Jeremy Fox. Fox is a morally ambiguous character, an elegant gentleman involved with smugglers and pirates.
Genres: Adventure Drama History
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1955-06-24
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The Long Gray Line
1955-01-04
The Long Gray Line
Overview: The life story of a salt-of-the-earth Irish immigrant, who becomes an Army Noncommissioned Officer and spends his 50 year career at the United States Military Academy at West Point. This includes his job-related experiences as well as his family life and the relationships he develops with young cadets with whom he befriends. Based on the life of a real person.
Genres: Comedy Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1955-01-04
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My Chauffeur
1986-01-24
My Chauffeur
Overview: A feisty young woman accepts a mysterious offer to become a chauffeur for a Beverly Hills limousine business, much to the chagrin of her older male coworkers and the disbelief of her customers.
Genres: Comedy Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1986-01-24
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Roller Boogie
1979-12-19
Roller Boogie
Overview: Teen lovers Bobby and Terry band together with other roller skaters to try and prevent a powerful mobster taking over the land their favourite skating rink sits on, and compete in the Boogie Contest.
Genres: Drama Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1979-12-19
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Plunder of the Sun
1953-08-26
Plunder of the Sun
Overview: An American insurance adjuster, stranded in Havana, becomes involved with an archaeologist and a collector of antiquities in a hunt for treasure in the Mexican ruins of Zapoteca.
Genres: Adventure Mystery Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1953-08-26
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Valley of the Dragons
1961-10-31
Valley of the Dragons
Overview: In 1881 Algeria, an American soldier and a French aristocrat are about to have a duel over a woman when a comet hurtling past the Earth draws them into its gravitational pull. The men find themselves transported to the moon, where they discover a prehistoric civilization inhabited by reptiles and humans.
Genres: Science Fiction
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1961-10-31
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Les Miserables
1952-08-14
Les Miserables
Overview: In 19th century France, Jean Valjean, a man imprisoned for stealing bread, must flee a relentless policeman named Javert. The pursuit consumes both men's lives, and soon Valjean finds himself in the midst of the student revolutions in France.
Genres: Adventure Drama History Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1952-08-14
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The King's Thief
1955-08-05
The King's Thief
Overview: An ex-soldier turned highwayman uncovers a plot to take control of England from King Charles II.
Genres: Adventure History Drama Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1955-08-05
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The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady
1950-04-29
The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady
Overview: An Irish horsecar driver's daughter meets New York showman Tony Pastor and goes into vaudeville.
Genres: Comedy Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1950-04-29
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Ring of Fear
1954-07-23
Ring of Fear
Overview: Mystery writer Mickey Spillane tries to help Clyde Beatty deal with a plot to sabotage his circus.
Genres: Drama Mystery
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1954-07-23
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Lorna Doone
1951-05-31
Lorna Doone
Overview: An English farmer leads a village uprising against their corrupt landlords.
Genres: Drama Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1951-05-31
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Bandolero!
1968-06-01
Bandolero!
Overview: Posing as a hangman, Mace Bishop arrives in town with the intention of freeing a gang of outlaws, including his brother, from the gallows. Mace urges his younger brother to give up crime. The sheriff chases the brothers to Mexico. They join forces, however, against a group of Mexican bandits.
Genres: Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1968-06-01
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The King's Pirate
1967-07-20
The King's Pirate
Overview: Handsome British officer, Lt. Brian Fleming is sent undercover to infiltrate a lively band of pirates.
Genres: Adventure
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1967-07-20
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Kate McShane
1975-04-11
Kate McShane
Overview: A flamboyant Denver lady lawyer, with the help of her father, a retired cop who does the legwork for her investigations, and her brother, a Jesuit priest and university law professor, unravels a murder case of a society woman who allegedly stabbed her husband. This was the pilot for Anne Meara's short-lived TV series.
Genres: Drama Crime Mystery TV Movie
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1975-04-11
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The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel
1951-10-16
The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel
Overview: The life and career of Erwin Rommel and his involvement in the plot to assassinate Hitler.
Genres: Action Drama History War
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1951-10-16
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I Cover the Underworld
1955-05-19
I Cover the Underworld
Overview: Gunner O'Hara is about to be released from prison after serving a five-year sentence, and receives a visit from his twin brother John, a divinity student soon to be ordained as a priest. Aware that Gunner plans to resume his criminal career, John decides to stop him.
Genres: Crime Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1955-05-19
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Dick Tracy's Dilemma
1947-05-20
Dick Tracy's Dilemma
Overview: Dick Tracy investigates the theft of a fortune of fur coats, a possible insurance swindle and several murders, all linked to a huge thug who wears a hook in place of his right hand.
Genres: Drama Crime
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1947-05-20
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Beyond Glory
1948-08-03
Beyond Glory
Overview: Thinking he may have caused the death of his commanding officer Captain Daniels in Tunisia, Rocky visits Daniels' widow. She falls for him, he falls for her, she encourages him to go to West Point. While there he faces serious disciplinary review for having forced a plebe into resigning. He may even be court-martialled.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1948-08-03
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Mary Poppins
1964-12-17
Mary Poppins
Overview: Mr Banks is looking for a nanny for his two mischievous children and comes across Mary Poppins, an angelic nanny. She not only brings a change in their lives but also spreads happiness.
Genres: Comedy Family Fantasy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1964-12-17
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The Guns of Fort Petticoat
1957-04-01
The Guns of Fort Petticoat
Overview: Opposing his commanding officer's decision to attack a group of innocent Indians and wipe them out, Lt. Frank Hewitt leaves his post and heads home to Texas. He knows that the attack will send all of the tribes on the warpath and he wants to forewarn everyone. He gets a chilly reception back home however. With most of the men away having enlisted in the Confederate army Frank, a Union officer, is seen by the local women as a traitor. He convinces them of the danger that lies ahead and trains them to repel the attack that will eventually come.
Genres: Western Action War
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1957-04-01
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Niagara
1953-01-26
Niagara
Overview: Rose Loomis and her older, gloomier husband, George, are vacationing at a cabin in Niagara Falls, N.Y. The couple befriend Polly and Ray Cutler, who are honeymooning in the area. Polly begins to suspect that something is amiss between Rose and George, and her suspicions grow when she sees Rose in the arms of another man. While Ray initially thinks Polly is overreacting, things between George and Rose soon take a shockingly dark turn.
Genres: Thriller Crime
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1953-01-26
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Storm Warning
1951-02-10
Storm Warning
Overview: A fashion model witnesses the brutal assassination of an investigative journalist by the Ku Klux Klan while traveling to a small town to visit her sister.
Genres: Drama Thriller
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1951-02-10
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Diane
1956-01-12
Diane
Overview: Asked by Francis I to tutor his son, Diane de Poitiers becomes the future King Henry II's mistress in 1500s France.
Genres: Drama History Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1956-01-12
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The Day of the Wolves
1971-11-01
The Day of the Wolves
Overview: A group of six thieves selected from different areas are sent a letter that promises them a minimum of $50,000 and includes a plane ticket. The letter instructs them to grow a beard. After being given a blindfolded ride from the airport, they arrive at a ghost town and meet with the boss (Number #1, Jan Murray). All of the "Wolves" are assigned a number, wear identical overalls and instructed never to take off the gloves that they are given. They are only to address eachother by their numbers; in that way, if one is caught, he can't rat-out the others. Number #1 reveals to them that they will take over a town, and clean it out. Using the ghost town for training, they develop their tactics to fleece the town.
Genres: Crime Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1971-11-01
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Anne of the Indies
1951-10-18
Anne of the Indies
Overview: After buccaneer captain Anne Providence spares Pierre LaRochelle and recruits him into her pirate crew, their growing attraction is tested when Captain Blackbeard reveals LaRochelle's true identity as a former French navy officer.
Genres: Adventure Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1951-10-18
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The Dead
1987-09-03
The Dead
Overview: After a convivial holiday dinner party, things begin to unravel when a husband and wife address some prickly issues concerning their marriage.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1987-09-03
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The Child
1954-01-01
The Child
Overview: In 1908, lonely middle-aged spinster Janet reluctantly bids farewell to a young relative, a schoolboy, who has spent a brief holiday with her. Janet, who is the author of children's adventure stories, longs for the company of children, and one day is surprised to see a little girl playing in her garden. The child is hungry and inadequately clothed, and Janet takes her into the house, determined to keep her. The next day the police enquire throughout the neighbourhood and call at Janet's house. She conceals the fact that she is hiding the child. Later, the local parson calls and tells Janet that Mrs. Star, a widow and the mother of the missing Sally, is not only heart-nroken but a very sick woman.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1954-01-01
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Roughshod
1949-05-11
Roughshod
Overview: Rancher Clay and his brother, Steve, head out across the Sonora mountain pass, followed by Lednov, an ex-con seeking revenge on Clay for putting him behind bars. Clay and Steve unexpectedly cross paths with a group of dance hall girls -- including Mary, Marcia and Helen -- whose stagecoach has broken down, and help them get to the nearest ranch, where Lednov unfortunately catches up to Clay.
Genres: Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1949-05-11
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The New Daughters of Joshua Cabe
1976-05-29
The New Daughters of Joshua Cabe
Overview: Three young women who posed as the daughters of an elderly homesteader find out that he has been falsely accused of murder, convicted, and sentenced to hang. They hatch a plot to smuggle him out of prison.
Genres: Western Comedy TV Movie
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1976-05-29
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Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome
1947-09-26
Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome
Overview: A gang of criminals, which includes a piano player and an imposing former convict known as 'Gruesome', has found out about a scientist's secret formula for a gas that temporarily paralyzes anyone who breathes it. When Gruesome accidentally inhales some of the gas and passes out, the police think he is dead and take him to the morgue, where he later revives and escapes. This puzzling incident attracts the interest of Dick Tracy, and when the criminals later use the gas to rob a bank, Tracy realizes that he must devote his entire attention to stopping them.
Genres: Action Crime Mystery Thriller
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1947-09-26
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