Francis Michael Dunne (January 13, 1918– September 2, 1977) was an American

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

, radio personality and disc jockey. He was active on

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

and in

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

s from 1945–73, and was also credited as Steve Dunn, Michael Dunne, Stephan Dunne, and Steve Dunne.

Early years

Dunne was born in Northampton, Massachusetts. He majored in drama and journalism during his two-and-a-half years at the University of Alabama. While there, he worked at a local radio station and "found himself in love with the business."

Radio

Dunne worked as an announcer at a radio station in Worcester, Massachusetts, and then went to New York, where he worked as both an announcer and a newscaster. He went on to star as private eye Sam Spade in ''

The Adventures of Sam Spade ''The Adventures of Sam Spade, Detective'' was a radio series based loosely on the private detective character Sam Spade, created by writer Dashiell Hammett for '' The Maltese Falcon''. The show ran for 13 episodes on ABC in 1946, for 157 episod ...

'' from 1950-51.Terrace, Vincent (1999). ''Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows'' (pg. 15). McFarland & Company, Inc.; He played Lucky Larson in ''Deadline Mystery'' (1947),, the title character Dr. Daniel Danfield in '' Danger, Dr. Danfield'' (1946–47), and he was the announcer for ''The Jack Kirkwood Show'' (1943–46).

Television

In 1950, Dunne starred in ''Love and Kisses'' on KTSL-TV in Los Angeles. On network television, Dunne starred in the comedy ''

Professional Father A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and skil ...

'' (1955). He was the announcer for ''

The Bob Crosby Show ''The Bob Crosby Show'' can refer to either of two television programs in the United States. One was broadcast in the afternoons on CBS September 14, 1953 – August 30, 1957. The other was broadcast in prime time on NBC June 14, 1958 – Septe ...

'' (1958)Terrace, Vincent (2011). ''Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010''. McFarland & Company, Inc.; , pg. 119. and ''The Liberace Show'' (1958-1959). In the 1960-61 season, he and Mark Roberts played

private detective A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI and informally called a private eye), a private detective, or inquiry agent is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private investigators of ...

brothers in the syndicated television series ''

The Brothers Brannagan ''The Brothers Brannagan'' is an American crime drama television series that aired in syndication from September 24, 1960, to July 15, 1961. Synopsis ''The Brothers Brannagan'' features fictitious detectives Mike and Bob Brannagan, portrayed, re ...

''.Erickson, Hal (1989). ''Syndicated Television: The First Forty Years, 1947-1987''. McFarland & Company, Inc. , pp. 107-08. He was also the host of the game shows ''

Truth or Consequences ''Truth or Consequences'' is an American game show originally hosted on NBC radio by Ralph Edwards (1940–1957) and later on television by Edwards (1950–1954), Jack Bailey (1954–1956), Bob Barker (1956–1975), Steve Dunne (1957–1958), ...

'' (nighttime version, 1957), ''

You're On Your Own ''Arrangiatevi!'', internationally released as ''You're on Your Own'', is a List of Italian films of 1959, 1959 Cinema of Italy, Italian comedy film directed by Mauro Bolognini. In 2008 the film was selected to enter the list of the 100 film itali ...

'' (1956-1957) and ''Double Exposure'' (1961). Dunne appeared in several television shows, including ''

'', '' The Millionaire'', ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was ren ...

'', ''

Petticoat Junction ''Petticoat Junction'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from September 1963 to April 1970. The series takes place at the Shady Rest Hotel, which is run by Kate Bradley; her three daughters Billie Jo, Bobbie Jo, and B ...

'', ''

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...

'' (episodes 47 and 48), ''

Dragnet 1967 ''Dragnet'' is an American television series. It ran for four seasons, from January 12, 1967, to April 16, 1970. To differentiate it from the earlier 1950s '' Dragnet'' television series, the year in which each season ended was made part of the ...

'', ''

Nanny and the Professor ''Nanny and the Professor'' is an early 1970s American sitcom created by AJ Carothers and Thomas L. Miller for 20th Century-Fox Television that aired on ABC from January 21, 1970 until December 27, 1971. During pre-production, the proposed tit ...

'', and ''

The Brady Bunch ''The Brady Bunch'' is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz that aired from September 26, 1969, to March 8, 1974, on ABC. The series revolves around a large blended family with six children. The show aired for five seasons and, afte ...

''.

Later years

In 1968, Dunne became director of sales for Hollywood Video Center, a division of Western Video Industries. Dunne died on September 2, 1977, aged 59.

Personal life

Dunne married Vivian Belliveau in 1940. They had a son, Stephen, and a daughter, Margaret.

Partial filmography

Stephen Dunne and Carmen Miranda in Doll Face

* ''

Junior Miss ''Junior Miss'' is a collection of semi-autobiographical stories by Sally Benson first published in ''The New Yorker''. Between 1929 and the end of 1941, the prolific Benson published 99 stories in ''The New Yorker'', some under her pseudonym of ...

'' (1945) - Uncle Willis Reynolds * ''

Doll Face ''Doll Face'' is a 1945 American film released by 20th Century Fox and directed by Lewis Seiler starring Vivian Blaine as "Doll Face" Carroll. It also stars actor Dennis O'Keefe and singers Carmen Miranda and Perry Como. The film is based on th ...

'' (1945) - Frederick Manly Gerard * ''

Shock Shock may refer to: Common uses Collective noun *Shock, a historic commercial term for a group of 60, see English numerals#Special names * Stook, or shock of grain, stacked sheaves Healthcare * Shock (circulatory), circulatory medical emergen ...

'' (1946) - Dr. Stevens * ''

Colonel Effingham's Raid ''Colonel Effingham's Raid'' (UK title: ''Man of the Hour'') is a 1946 American comedy film directed by Irving Pichel. It is also known as ''Berry Fleming's Colonel Effingham's Raid'', ''Everything's Peaches Down in Georgia'' and ''Rebel Yell''. ...

'' (1946) - Prof. Edward 'Ed' Bland * ''

Mother Wore Tights ''Mother Wore Tights'' is a 1947 Technicolor musical film starring Betty Grable and Dan Dailey as married vaudeville performers, directed by Walter Lang. This was Grable and Dailey's first film together, based on a book of the same name by Miria ...

'' (1947) - Roy Bivins * ''

The Son of Rusty ''The Son of Rusty'' is a 1947 American drama film directed by Lew Landers and starring Ted Donaldson, Stephen Dunne and Ann Doran. It was part of Columbia Pictures' eight-film Rusty series about a boy and his valiant German Shepherd. Plot Dann ...

'' (1947) * ''

The Woman from Tangier ''The Woman from Tangier'' is a 1948 American crime thriller film directed by Harold Daniels and starring Adele Jergens, Stephen Dunne and Ian MacDonald. It was one of a number of Hollywood films set in Tangier during the International Zone era. ...

'' (1948) - Ray Shapley * ''

The Return of October ''The Return of October'' is a 1948 American comedy film directed by Joseph H. Lewis and starring Glenn Ford Gwyllyn Samuel Newton "Glenn" Ford (May 1, 1916 – August 30, 2006) was a Canadian-American actor who often portrayed ordinary men ...

'' (1948) - Prof. Stewart * ''

The Dark Past ''The Dark Past'' is a 1948 American film noir psychological thriller film starring William Holden, Nina Foch, and Lee J. Cobb. Directed by Rudolph Maté, the Columbia Pictures release is a remake of ''Blind Alley'' (1939), also released by Colum ...

'' (1948) - Owen Talbot * '' The Big Sombrero'' (1949) - Jimmy Garland * ''

Law of the Barbary Coast ''Law of the Barbary Coast'' is a 1949 American historical crime western film directed by Lew Landers and starring Gloria Henry, Stephen Dunne and Adele Jergens. The film's sets were designed by the art director Harold H. MacArthur.Stephens ...

'' (1949) - Phil Morton * '' Miss Grant Takes Richmond'' (1949) - Ralph Winton * ''

Kazan Kazan ( ; rus, Казань, p=kɐˈzanʲ; tt-Cyrl, Казан, ''Qazan'', IPA: ɑzan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan in Russia. The city lies at the confluence of the Volga and the Kazanka rivers, covering a ...

'' (1949) * ''

Rusty Saves a Life ''Rusty Saves a Life'' is a 1949 American drama film directed by Seymour Friedman and starring Ted Donaldson, Gloria Henry and Ann Doran.Blottner p.285 It was part of the Rusty series of films produced by Columbia Pictures. Cast * Ted Donaldso ...

'' (1949) * ''

Lady Possessed ''Lady Possessed'' is a 1952 American film noir mystery film directed by William Spier and Roy Kellino and starring James Mason and June Havoc. Mason and his wife Pamela produced and wrote the film themselves, based on Pamela's novel ''Del Pal ...

'' (1952) - Tom Wilson * '' The WAC from Walla Walla'' (1952) - Lt. Tom Mayfield * ''

The Gentle Gunman ''The Gentle Gunman'' is a 1952 British drama film directed by Basil Dearden and starring John Mills, Dirk Bogarde and Elizabeth Sellars. The film is based on a 1950 play of the same title by Roger MacDougall that was televised by the BBC in S ...

'' (1952) - Brennan (uncredited) * '' Above and Beyond'' (1952) - Maj. Harry Bratton, Co-Pilot B-29 Tests * ''

Cha-Cha-Cha Boom! ''Cha-Cha-Cha Boom!'' is a 1956 American musical film starring Dámaso Pérez Prado, Stephen Dunne, the Mary Kaye Trio, Helen Grayco, Luis Arcaraz and his Orchestra, Lucerto Bárcenas, and Manny López and his Orchestra. It was produced by Sa ...

'' (1956) - Bill Haven * ''

Ten Thousand Bedrooms ''Ten Thousand Bedrooms'' is a 1957 American romantic comedy film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Dean Martin, Anna Maria Alberghetti, and Eva Bartok. Martin's first film in the wake of the dissolution of his partnership with Jerry Lewi ...

'' (1957) - Tom Crandall * ''

I Married a Woman ''I Married a Woman'' is a 1958 American comedy film made in 1956, directed by Hal Kanter, written by Goodman Ace and starring George Gobel, Diana Dors and Adolphe Menjou. The picture was produced by Gobel's company Gomalco Productions. ''I Mar ...

'' (1958) - Bob Sanders * '' Home Before Dark'' (1958) - Hamilton Gregory * ''

The Explosive Generation ''The Explosive Generation'' is a 1961 film directed by Buzz Kulik. It stars William Shatner and Patty McCormack. Plot The story is about Peter Gifford, a teacher who wants to teach high school students to think for themselves and express themse ...

'' (1961) - Bobby Herman Sr. * '' Hand of Death'' (1962) - Tom Holland * ''

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory ''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory'' is a 1971 American musical fantasy film directed by Mel Stuart and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. It is an adaptation of the 1964 novel ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' by Roald Dahl. The film ...

'' (1971) - Stanley Kael - Second Newscaster (uncredited) * ''

Superdad ''Superdad'' is a 1973 American comedy film by Walt Disney Productions starring Bob Crane, Barbara Rush, Kurt Russell, Joe Flynn, and Kathleen Cody. Directed by Vincent McEveety, the film marks the motion picture debut of Bruno Kirby. Plot Cha ...

'' (1973) - TV Moderator (final film role)

References

External links

* *
Profile
digitaldeliftp.com; accessed January 29, 2018. {{DEFAULTSORT:Dunne, Stephen 1918 births 1977 deaths American male film actors American male television actors American male radio actors 20th-century American male actors People from Northampton, Massachusetts Male actors from Massachusetts