Harry Shannon

Harry Shannon

Biography: 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.

Place of Birth: Not available

Birthday: June 12, 1890

Deathday: July 27, 1964

Popularity:

7.305

Known For

Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane

1941-04-17

High Noon
High Noon

1952-06-09

Touch of Evil
Touch of Evil

1958-03-30

My Girl Tisa
My Girl Tisa

1948-02-07

The Lady from Shanghai
The Lady from Shanghai

1947-12-24

Where Danger Lives
Where Danger Lives

1950-11-16

The Red House
The Red House

1947-02-04

The Lemon Drop Kid
The Lemon Drop Kid

1951-04-02

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

1950-10-06

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

1948-03-25

Nora Prentiss
Nora Prentiss

1947-02-22

Cry of the Hunted
Cry of the Hunted

1953-05-08

Night Editor
Night Editor

1946-03-29

A Peach of a Pair
A Peach of a Pair

1934-12-29

The Underworld Story
The Underworld Story

1950-07-26

Crime, Inc.
Crime, Inc.

1945-04-15

The Scarf
The Scarf

1951-04-06

The Devil Thumbs a Ride
The Devil Thumbs a Ride

1947-02-20

The Lonely Man
The Lonely Man

1957-06-21

The Jackie Robinson Story
The Jackie Robinson Story

1950-05-16

The Farmer's Daughter
The Farmer's Daughter

1947-03-26

Witness to Murder
Witness to Murder

1954-04-15

City of Chance
City of Chance

1940-01-13

This Gun for Hire
This Gun for Hire

1942-04-24

Hunt the Man Down
Hunt the Man Down

1950-12-26

The Invisible Wall
The Invisible Wall

1947-10-15

Gypsy
Gypsy

1962-11-01

Kansas Pacific
Kansas Pacific

1953-02-22

Written on the Wind
Written on the Wind

1956-10-04

Mr. Soft Touch
Mr. Soft Touch

1949-07-28

The Last Crooked Mile
The Last Crooked Mile

1946-08-09

Yellowstone Kelly
Yellowstone Kelly

1959-11-11

San Quentin
San Quentin

1946-12-16

The Saint In Palm Springs
The Saint In Palm Springs

1941-01-24

Man or Gun
Man or Gun

1958-05-30

Flesh and Fury
Flesh and Fury

1952-06-26

Tulsa
Tulsa

1949-04-13

Exposed
Exposed

1947-09-08

At Gunpoint
At Gunpoint

1955-12-25

Mary Ryan, Detective
Mary Ryan, Detective

1949-11-03

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

1933-08-12

Alibi Mark
Alibi Mark

1937-12-25

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

1944-10-22

The Yellow Rose of Texas
The Yellow Rose of Texas

1944-06-24

Song of Texas
Song of Texas

1943-06-14

Singing Guns
Singing Guns

1950-02-28

Hell's Crossroads
Hell's Crossroads

1957-03-08

Smoked Hams
Smoked Hams

1934-10-20

Idaho
Idaho

1943-03-10

Duel at Apache Wells
Duel at Apache Wells

1957-01-25

The Marauders
The Marauders

1955-09-26

Curtain Call at Cactus Creek
Curtain Call at Cactus Creek

1950-05-25

Tugboat Annie Sails Again
Tugboat Annie Sails Again

1940-10-26

Rails Into Laramie
Rails Into Laramie

1954-04-14

The Affairs of Jimmy Valentine
The Affairs of Jimmy Valentine

1942-03-27

Jack Slade
Jack Slade

1953-11-08

The Flying Missile
The Flying Missile

1950-12-24

True to Life
True to Life

1943-12-24

Lure of the Wilderness
Lure of the Wilderness

1952-07-16

The Violent Men
The Violent Men

1955-01-26

Come Next Spring
Come Next Spring

1956-03-09

Al Jennings of Oklahoma
Al Jennings of Oklahoma

1951-01-17

Three Little Words
Three Little Words

1950-07-12

Wild in the Country
Wild in the Country

1961-06-15

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

1942-10-01

Time Out of Mind
Time Out of Mind

1947-05-03

Fighting Father Dunne
Fighting Father Dunne

1948-05-12

Heads Up
Heads Up

1930-10-10

The Powers Girl
The Powers Girl

1943-01-15

Summer and Smoke
Summer and Smoke

1961-11-16

Dangerous Years
Dangerous Years

1947-12-07

Once Upon a Honeymoon
Once Upon a Honeymoon

1942-11-27

Alaska Highway
Alaska Highway

1943-06-24

Sailor's Lady
Sailor's Lady

1940-07-05

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

1939-04-30

I Ring Doorbells
I Ring Doorbells

1946-02-28

Shake, Mr. Shakespeare
Shake, Mr. Shakespeare

1936-08-21

Phantom Stallion
Phantom Stallion

1954-02-10

Big Town Scandal
Big Town Scandal

1948-05-27

Parole Fixer
Parole Fixer

1940-02-02

The World of Tomorrow
The World of Tomorrow

1984-12-31

Young Tom Edison
Young Tom Edison

1940-03-15

Hold Back the Dawn
Hold Back the Dawn

1941-09-26

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

1948-06-01

The Gunfighter
The Gunfighter

1950-06-23

Rustlers
Rustlers

1949-03-03

In Old California
In Old California

1942-05-31

Too Many Girls
Too Many Girls

1940-10-08

Champion
Champion

1949-04-09

Wrongorilla
Wrongorilla

1933-03-04

Someone to Remember
Someone to Remember

1943-08-21

Cow Town
Cow Town

1950-05-19

Take a Chance
Take a Chance

1933-11-25

Sympathy
Sympathy

1929-08-29

Close Relations
Close Relations

1933-09-30

Faint Heart
Faint Heart

1929-12-21

The Mummy's Ghost
The Mummy's Ghost

1944-07-07

The Tall Men
The Tall Men

1955-09-22

The Peacemaker
The Peacemaker

1956-11-01

Gambling on the High Seas
Gambling on the High Seas

1940-06-22

No More West
No More West

1934-03-29

Tear Gas Squad
Tear Gas Squad

1940-05-04

One Crowded Night
One Crowded Night

1940-08-09

In Old Oklahoma
In Old Oklahoma

1943-12-06

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

1943-08-26

The Falcon Takes Over
The Falcon Takes Over

1942-05-29

Blue Blood
Blue Blood

1951-01-28

Captain Eddie
Captain Eddie

1945-06-18

The Lady Is Willing
The Lady Is Willing

1942-02-12

The Sound of Fury
The Sound of Fury

1950-12-12

Roar of the Crowd
Roar of the Crowd

1953-05-31

Tarnished
Tarnished

1950-02-28

Executive Suite
Executive Suite

1954-04-30

The Big Street
The Big Street

1942-08-13

Crack-Up
Crack-Up

1946-09-06

The Mad Martindales
The Mad Martindales

1942-05-15

The Girl from Avenue A
The Girl from Avenue A

1940-08-09

The Buccaneer
The Buccaneer

1958-12-11

Pride of the Marines
Pride of the Marines

1945-08-24

Canyon Passage
Canyon Passage

1946-07-17