Harry Shannon (June 13, 1890 – July 27, 1964) was an American character actor. He often appeared in
Western films.
Biography
Shannon was born on a farm in
Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County, Michigan, Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township, Michi ...
. After beginning his career in live theater and
vaudeville
Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic compositio ...
, 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).
Although he appeared most frequently in Westerns, such as villain cowboy Dad "Jobe Craig" in S3E27's "Meeting at Mimbres" in the 1961 western ''
Bat Masterson
Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was born to ...
'', his best-known film role was perhaps as
Charles Foster Kane
Charles Foster Kane is a fictional character who is the subject of Orson Welles' 1941 film ''Citizen Kane''. Welles played Kane (receiving an Academy Award nomination), with Buddy Swan playing Kane as a child. Welles also produced, co-wrote a ...
's rough father in ''
Citizen Kane
''Citizen Kane'' is a 1941 American drama film produced by, directed by, and starring Orson Welles. He also co-wrote the screenplay with Herman J. Mankiewicz. The picture was Welles' first feature film. ''Citizen Kane'' is frequently cited ...
'' (1941).
Among his other films were ''
Someone to Remember'' (1943), ''
Alaska Highway
Shannon died in Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywoo ...
on July 27, 1964, at age 74.
Selected filmography
* '' Heads Up'' (1930) – Capt. Denny
* '' Take a Chance'' (1933) – Bartender
* ''The Middleton Family at the New York World's Fair
''The Middleton Family at the New York World's Fair'' is a 1939 American film directed by Robert R. Snody produced by Westinghouse for their exhibit at the 1939 New York World's Fair.
In 2012, the film was added to the National Film Registry, ...
'' (1939) – Father
* '' City of Chance'' (1940) – Passline
* '' Parole Fixer'' (1940) – Randall
* '' Young Tom Edison'' (1940) – Army Captain Brackett
* '' Young as You Feel'' (1940) – Gillespie
* '' Tear Gas Squad'' (1940) – Lt. Sullivan
* '' Gambling on the High Seas'' (1940) – Chief of Police
* ''Sailor's Lady
''Sailor's Lady'', also known as ''Sweetheart of Turret One'', is a 1940 film directed by Allan Dwan and starring Nancy Kelly and Jon Hall. The supporting cast includes Joan Davis, Dana Andrews, and Buster Crabbe. Football player Amby Schindle ...
'' (1940) – Father McGann
* '' One Crowded Night'' (1940) – McDermott
* '' Girl from Avenue A'' (1940) – Timson
* '' Too Many Girls'' (1940) – Mr. Casey
* '' Tugboat Annie Sails Again'' (1940) – Capt. Mahoney
* ''The Saint in Palm Springs
''The Saint in Palm Springs'' is a crime melodrama released by RKO Pictures in early 1941. The film continued the screen adventures of the Robin Hood-inspired anti-hero, Simon Templar, alias "The Saint", created by Leslie Charteris.
This sequel w ...
'' (1941) – Chief R.L. Graves
* ''Citizen Kane
''Citizen Kane'' is a 1941 American drama film produced by, directed by, and starring Orson Welles. He also co-wrote the screenplay with Herman J. Mankiewicz. The picture was Welles' first feature film. ''Citizen Kane'' is frequently cited ...
'' (1941) – Jim Kane, Kane's Father
* '' Hold Back the Dawn'' (1941) – American Immigration Official (uncredited)
* '' The Lady Is Willing'' (1942) – Detective Sergeant Barnes
* ''The Affairs of Jimmy Valentine
''The Affairs of Jimmy Valentine'' is a 1942 American comedy crime film directed by Bernard Vorhaus and starring Dennis O'Keefe, Ruth Terry, and Gloria Dickson.
The film is also known as ''Unforgotten Crime'' (American TV title) and ''Find Jimmy ...
'' (1942) – Pinky
* ''This Gun for Hire
''This Gun for Hire'' is a 1942 American film noir crime film directed by Frank Tuttle and starring Veronica Lake, Robert Preston, Laird Cregar, and Alan Ladd. It is based on the 1936 novel '' A Gun for Sale'' by Graham Greene (published in ...
'' (1942) – Steve Finnerty
* '' The Mad Martindales'' (1942) – Policeman
* '' The Falcon Takes Over'' (1942) – Detective Grimes (uncredited)
* '' In Old California'' (1942) – Mr. Carlin
* '' The Big Street'' (1942) – Florida Doctor (uncredited)
* ''Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch
''Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch'' is a 1901 novel by American author Alice Hegan Rice, about a southern family humorously coping with poverty. It was highly popular on its release,Lowell Hayes Harrison, ''A New History of Kentucky'' (1997), p. ...
'' (1942) – Mr. Wiggs (uncredited)
* '' Once Upon a Honeymoon'' (1942) – Ed Cumberland
* '' Random Harvest'' (1942) – Badgeley – Melbridge Works (uncredited)
* '' The Powers Girl'' (1943) – Mr. Hendricks
* ''Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and W ...
'' (1943) – Judge John Grey – aka Tom Allison
* '' Song of Texas'' (1943) – Sam Bennett
* ''