Stephen McNally (born Horace Vincent McNally; July 29, 1911 – June 4, 1994) was an American actor remembered mostly for his appearances in many

Westerns The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...

and action films. He often played hard-hearted characters, criminals, bullies, and other villains.

Early years

Born in New York City, McNally attended

Fordham University School of Law Fordham University School of Law is the law school of Fordham University. The school is located in Manhattan in New York City, and is one of eight ABA-approved law schools in that city. In 2013, 91% of the law school's first-time test t ...

and was an attorney in the late 1930s before he pursued his passion for acting. He was a one time president of the Catholic Actors Guild.

Career

He started his stage career using his real name, Horace McNally, and began appearing uncredited in many World War II-era films. In 1948, he changed his stage name to Stephen McNally (taking the name of his then-2-year-old son) and began appearing credited as both movie villains and heroes. In 1940, as "Horace McNally," he played Dr. Richardson in the Broadway stage production of ''Johnny Belinda.'' He played menacing roles in such films as '' Johnny Belinda'' (1948) and the

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality h ...

Western ''

Winchester '73 ''Winchester '73'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by Anthony Mann and starring James Stewart, Shelley Winters, Dan Duryea and Stephen McNally. Written by Borden Chase and Robert L. Richards, the film is about the journey of a pr ...

'' (1950). He co-starred in the

Burt Lancaster Burton Stephen Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an American actor and producer. Initially known for playing tough guys with a tender heart, he went on to achieve success with more complex and challenging roles over a 45-yea ...

film noir '' Criss Cross'' (1949). Other notable 1950s films included '' No Way Out'' (1950), '' Split Second'' (1953) and '' Johnny Rocco'' (1958). McNally was cast in three episodes of the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

religion

anthology series An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a differ ...

Crossroads Crossroads, crossroad, cross road or similar may refer to: * Crossroads (junction), where four roads meet Film and television Films * ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa * ''Cross Roads'' (film), a 1930 Brit ...

''. He portrayed Monsigneur Harold Engle in "Ringside Padre" (1956) and

Father Flanagan Edward Joseph Flanagan (13 July 1886 – 15 May 1948) was an Irish-born priest of the Catholic Church in the United States, who served for decades in Nebraska. After serving as a parish priest in the Catholic Diocese of Omaha, he founded the ...

of the Boys Town orphanage in

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

in "Convict 1321, Age 21" (1957). In between, he was cast as

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

George S. Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France ...

, in "The Patton Prayer" (also 1957). McNally also appeared in the episode " Specimen: Unknown" from the anthology series '' The Outer Limits''. McNally also co-starred on the 1958 episode, "The Ben Courtney Story" on ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings. It ...

'' as a former Union soldier turned sheriff. In 1959, he portrayed Clay Thompson, a

bounty hunter A bounty hunter is a private agent working for bail bonds who captures fugitives or criminals for a commission or bounty. The occupation, officially known as bail enforcement agent, or fugitive recovery agent, has traditionally operated outsid ...

, with

Myron Healey Myron Daniel Healey (June 8, 1923 – December 21, 2005) was an American actor. He began his career in Hollywood, California during the early 1940s and eventually made hundreds of appearances in movies and on television during a career spa ...

as a sheriff, in the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

Western series, '' The Texan'', starring

Rory Calhoun Rory Calhoun (born Francis Timothy McCown, August 8, 1922April 28, 1999) was an American film and television actor. He starred in numerous Westerns in the 1950s and 1960s, and appeared in supporting roles in films such as '' How to Marry a Milli ...

. In the 1960 episode "The Mormons" on the CBS western, ''

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre ''Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre'' is an American Western anthology television series that was broadcast on CBS from October 5, 1956, until September 20, 1962. Format Many episodes were based on novels by Zane Grey, to all of which Four Star F ...

'' McNally played Matt Rowland, who tries to block a wagon train of Mormons from entering his town, as they are suspected of carrying

cholera Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...

. Things change quickly, when Rowland's son, Tod (

Mark Goddard Mark Goddard (born Charles Harvey Goddard; July 24, 1936) is an American actor who has starred in a number of television programs. He is probably best known for portraying Major Don West in the CBS series ''Lost in Space'' (1965–1968). He ...

), becomes interested in a young lady on the train, Beth Lawson (

Tuesday Weld Tuesday Weld (born Susan Ker Weld; August 27, 1943) is an American actress and model. She began acting as a child and progressed to mature roles in the late 1950s. She won a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Female Newcomer in 1960. Over t ...

). In another 1960 role, McNally was cast in the episode "Moment of Fear" of the CBS/

Four Star Television Four Star Television, also called Four Star International, was an American television production company. Founded in 1952 as Four Star Productions by prominent Hollywood actors Dick Powell, David Niven, Charles Boyer, and Joel McCrea, it was insp ...

, ''

The DuPont Show with June Allyson ''The DuPont Show with June Allyson'' (also known as ''The June Allyson Show'') is an American anthology drama series which aired on CBS from September 21, 1959, to April 3, 1961, with rebroadcasts continuing until June 12, 1961. The series was ...

'', with episode co-stars

Edgar Bergen Edgar John Bergen (born Edgar John Berggren; February 16, 1903 – September 30, 1978) was an American ventriloquist, actor, comedian, vaudevillian and radio performer, best known for his proficiency in ventriloquism and his characters Ch ...

and

Darryl Hickman Darryl Gerard Hickman (born July 28, 1931) is an American former actor, screenwriter, television executive, and acting coach. He started his career as a child actor in the Golden Age of Hollywood and appeared in numerous TV serials as an adult. ...

. Thereafter, he appeared in the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

anthology series ''

The Barbara Stanwyck Show ''The Barbara Stanwyck Show'' is an American anthology drama television series which ran on NBC from September 1960 to September 1961. Barbara Stanwyck served as hostess, and starred in all but four of the half-hour productions. The four in which ...

'', and in the Darren McGavin western series ''

Riverboat A riverboat is a watercraft designed for inland navigation on lakes, rivers, and artificial waterways. They are generally equipped and outfitted as work boats in one of the carrying trades, for freight or people transport, including luxury un ...

''. In 1961, he portrayed the part of Sky Blackstorm in the episode "Incident of the Blackstorms" on CBS's '' Rawhide''. In the 1961–62 season, McNally and

Robert Harland Robert John Yurgatis is an American stage and television actor. He is known for playing Jack Flood in the American crime drama television series '' Target: The Corruptors!''. Harland attended St. James High School for Boys, later graduating i ...

had their own

crime drama Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...

on ABC, another Four Star Production called '' Target: The Corruptors!''. The program aired on Friday in a good time slot after the popular ''

77 Sunset Strip ''77 Sunset Strip'' is an American television private detective drama series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Roger Smith, Richard Long (from 1960 to 1961) and Edd Byrnes (billed as Edward Byrnes). Each episode was o ...

'', but it failed to gain renewal for a second season. McNally played a crusading

newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports a ...

reporter in the series, with Harland cast as his undercover agent. In 1963 he portrayed a military project manager who unknowingly employs escaped murder convict (but innocent) Richard Kimball In The Fugitive. In 1967 he started as “Dal Neely”, a murdering outlaw who tries to take his daughter away with him in the (S12E23) episode “The Lure” on the TV Western ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character ...

''. In 1971 McNally appeared as Gus Muller in "The Men From Shiloh" (rebranded name for the TV western '' The Virginian'') in the episode titled "The Angus Killer." During the 1970s, McNally guest starred on television programs such as ''

Fantasy Island ''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tattoo. Gu ...

'', '' Starsky & Hutch'', ''

Charlie's Angels ''Charlie's Angels'' is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, producing five seasons and 115 episodes. The series was created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts and was produced by Aa ...

'', and

James Garner James Garner (born James Scott Bumgarner; April 7, 1928 – July 19, 2014) was an American actor. He played leading roles in more than 50 theatrical films, including '' The Great Escape'' (1963) with Steve McQueen; Paddy Chayefsky's ''The Ameri ...

's ''

The Rockford Files ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner that aired on the NBC network from September 13, 1974 to January 10, 1980, and remains in syndication. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investigator ...

'' and '' Police Story''.

Death

McNally died of

heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, a ...

June 4, 1994, at age 82, at his home in

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. B ...

. He and his wife, Rita, had eight children.

Partial filmography

* ''

Grand Central Murder ''Grand Central Murder'' is a comedy/mystery film released in 1942. It was based on Sue MacVeigh's 1939 novel of the same name, and stars Van Heflin as a private investigator who is one of the suspects in a murder on a private train car in Gran ...

'' (1942) – 'Turk' * ''

The War Against Mrs. Hadley ''The War Against Mrs. Hadley'' is a 1942 American drama film directed by Harold S. Bucquet and starring Fay Bainter and Edward Arnold. The plot depicts how wealthy society matron Stella Hadley selfishly refuses to sacrifice her family or materi ...

'' (1942) – Peters * ''

Eyes in the Night ''Eyes in the Night'' is a 1942 American crime mystery directed by Fred Zinnemann, based on Baynard Kendrick's 1941 novel ''The Odor of Violets'' and starring Edward Arnold, Ann Harding and Donna Reed. The film was followed by a sequel (also ...

'' (1942) – Gabriel Hoffman * '' For Me and My Gal'' (1942) – Mr. Waring * '' Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant'' (1942) – Howard Allwinn Young * '' Keeper of the Flame'' (1942) – Freddie Ridges * ''

Air Raid Wardens ''Air Raid Wardens'' is a 1943 comedy film directed by Edward Sedgwick and starring Laurel and Hardy. It was the first of two feature films the duo made at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Plot Set during World War II, just after Pearl Harbor, Stan (Stan L ...

'' (1943) – Dan Madison * ''

The Man from Down Under ''The Man from Down Under'' is an American 1943 drama film starring Charles Laughton as a man who raises two war orphans. It was called "Hollywood's first full-length film dealing exclusively with Australia and Australians". Plot After the end ...

'' (1943) – 'Dusty' Rhodes * ''

An American Romance ''An American Romance'' is a 1944 American epic drama film directed and produced by King Vidor, who also wrote the screen story. Shot in Technicolor, the film stars Brian Donlevy and Ann Richards and is narrated by Horace McNally. The film is ...

'' (1944) – Teddy Roosevelt Dangos / Narrator * ''

Thirty Seconds over Tokyo ''Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo'' is a 1944 American war film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The screenplay by Dalton Trumbo is based on the 1943 book of the same name by Captain Ted W. Lawson. Lawson was a pilot on the historic Doolittle Raid, ...

'' (1944) – 'Doc' White * ''

Dangerous Partners ''Dangerous Partners'' is a 1945 American adventure film directed by Edward L. Cahn and written by Marion Parsonnet and Edmund L. Hartmann, based on the novel “Paper Chase” by Oliver Weld Bayer, the pen-name of Leo and Eleanor Bayer (later kn ...

'' (1945) – Co-pilot * ''

Bewitched ''Bewitched'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series that originally aired for eight seasons on ABC from September 17, 1964, to March 25, 1972. It is about a witch who marries an ordinary mortal man and vows to lead the life of a typic ...

'' (1945) – Eric Russell * ''

The Harvey Girls ''The Harvey Girls'' is a 1946 Technicolor American musical film produced by Arthur Freed for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It is based on the 1942 The Harvey Girls (novel), novel of the same name by Samuel Hopkins Adams, about Fred Harvey (entrepreneur ...

'' (1946) – 'Goldust' McClean * ''

Up Goes Maisie ''Up Goes Maisie'' is a 1946 American comedy film directed by Harry Beaumont. Produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, it is the ninth of 10 films starring Ann Sothern as ex-showgirl Maisie Ravier, characterized as "that double trouble doll with the sa ...

'' (1946) – Tim Kingby * ''

Magnificent Doll ''Magnificent Doll'' is a 1946 American drama film directed by Frank Borzage and starring Ginger Rogers as Dolley Madison and David Niven as Aaron Burr. The supporting cast features Burgess Meredith as James Madison and Grandon Rhodes as Thomas ...

'' (1946) – John Todd * '' Johnny Belinda'' (1948) – Locky McCormick * ''

Rogues' Regiment ''Rogues' Regiment'' is a 1948 film noir action film directed by Robert Florey and starring Dick Powell, Märta Torén, and Vincent Price. It is the first American feature film to be set in the First Indochina War. Plot An American Intelligence ...

'' (1948) – Carl Reicher * '' Criss Cross'' (1949) – Pete Ramirez * ''

City Across the River ''City Across the River'' is a 1949 American film noir crime film directed by Maxwell Shane and starring Stephen McNally, Thelma Ritter, Sue England, Barbara Whiting, Luis Van Rooten and Jeff Corey. The screenplay is based on the novel ''The ...

'' (1949) – Stan Albert * ''

The Lady Gambles ''The Lady Gambles'' is a 1949 American film noir drama film directed by Michael Gordon and starring Barbara Stanwyck, Robert Preston and Stephen McNally. Plot When his estranged wife Joan is found badly beaten after using loaded dice in a ba ...

'' (1949) – Horace Corrigan * ''

Sword in the Desert ''Sword in the Desert'' is a 1949 American war film directed by George Sherman. It was the first American film to deal with the 1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine and marked the first significant feature film role for Jeff Chandler. Plo ...

'' (1949) – David Vogel * ''

Woman in Hiding ''Woman in Hiding'' is a 1950 American film noir crime film directed by Michael Gordon and starring Ida Lupino, Stephen McNally and Howard Duff. Plot Deborah Chandler Clark watches police drag a North Carolina river for her body. She recounts ...

'' (1950) – Selden Clark IV * ''

'' (1950) – Dutch Henry Brown * '' No Way Out'' (1950) – Dr. Dan Wharton * '' Wyoming Mail'' (1950) – Steve Davis * '' Air Cadet'' (1951) – Major Jack Page * ''

Apache Drums ''Apache Drums'' is a 1951 American Western film directed by Hugo Fregonese and produced by Val Lewton. The drama features Stephen McNally, Coleen Gray, and Willard Parker. The film was based on an original story: ''Stand at Spanish Boot'', by ...

'' (1951) – Sam Leeds * ''

Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charact ...

'' (1951) – George Mason * ''

The Lady Pays Off ''The Lady Pays Off'' is a 1951 American romantic comedy film starring Linda Darnell, Stephen McNally and Gigi Perreau, and directed by Douglas Sirk. A teacher finds herself with a large gambling debt that she has to pay off in an unusual way. P ...

'' (1951) – Matt Braddock * ''

The Raging Tide ''The Raging Tide'' is a 1951 American film noir and crime film directed by George Sherman and starring Shelley Winters, Richard Conte, Stephen McNally, Charles Bickford and Alex Nicol. The screenplay was by Ernest K. Gann based on his 1950 ...

'' (1951) – Lt. Kelsey * '' Diplomatic Courier'' (1952) – Col. Mark Cagle * ''

The Duel at Silver Creek ''The Duel at Silver Creek'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by Don Siegel; his first film in the Western genre. It starred Stephen McNally, Audie Murphy and Faith Domergue. It was the first time Murphy had appeared in a film where he ...

'' (1952) – Marshal Lightning Tyrone * '' Battle Zone'' (1952) – Sgt. Mitch Turner * ''

The Black Castle ''The Black Castle'' is a 1952 American horror film directed by Nathan H. Juran and starring Richard Greene, Boris Karloff, Stephen McNally, Rita Corday and Lon Chaney Jr. It was produced by William Alland. The film was made in the United State ...

'' (1952) – Count Karl von Bruno * '' Split Second'' (1953) – Sam Hurley * ''

The Stand at Apache River ''The Stand at Apache River'' is a 1953 American Western film directed by Lee Sholem and starring Stephen McNally, Julie Adams and Hugh Marlowe.Blottner p.262 Plot Cast * Stephen McNally as Lane Dakota * Julie Adams as Valerie Kendrick ...

'' (1953) – Lane Dakota * '' Devil's Canyon'' (1953) – Jessie Gorman * '' Make Haste to Live'' (1954) – Steve Blackford * '' A Bullet Is Waiting'' (1954) – Sheriff Munson * ''

The Man from Bitter Ridge ''The Man from Bitter Ridge'' is a 1955 American Western film directed by Jack Arnold and starring Lex Barker, Mara Corday and Stephen McNally. Plot A stranger comes to the town of Tomahawk to investigate who is behind a series of stagecoach ...

'' (1955) – Alec Black * ''

Violent Saturday ''Violent Saturday'' is a 1955 American film noir crime film directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Victor Mature, Richard Egan and Stephen McNally. Set in a mining town, Bradenville, Arizona, the film depicts the planning of a bank rob ...

'' (1955) – Harper (bank robber) * ''

Tribute to a Bad Man ''Tribute to a Bad Man'' is a 1956 American Western film directed by Robert Wise and starring James Cagney about a rancher whose harsh enforcement of frontier justice alienates the woman he loves. It was based on the short story "Hanging's for ...

'' (1956) – McNulty * ''

Hell's Crossroads ''Hell's Crossroads'' is a 1957 American Western film directed by Franklin Adreon and starring Stephen McNally, Peggie Castle, and Robert Vaughn. The film's sets were designed by the art director Frank Arrigo. Plot The events leading up to th ...

'' (1957) – Victor 'Vic' Rodell * '' Hell's Five Hours'' (1958) – Mike Brand * ''

The Fiend Who Walked the West ''The Fiend Who Walked the West'' is a 1958 Western film based on the 1947 film noir ''Kiss of Death''. Almost a horror western, the story involves a psychotic ex-convict terrorising his former cellmate and his family. The director was Gordon ...

'' (1958) – Marshal Frank Emmett * '' Johnny Rocco'' (1958) – Tony Rocco * '' Hell Bent for Leather'' (1960) – Deckett * ''

Requiem for a Gunfighter ''Requiem for a Gunfighter'' is a 1965 American Western film, the last film directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet, produced by Alex Gordon, and starring Rod Cameron, Stephen McNally, Mike Mazurki, Dick Jones, and Olive Sturgess. Cast * Rod Cam ...

'' (1965) – Red Zimmer * '' Panic in the City'' (1968) – James Kincade * '' Once You Kiss a Stranger'' (1970) – Police Lt. Tom Gavin * ''

Black Gunn ''Black Gunn'' is a 1972 American neo-noir crime thriller film, directed by Robert Hartford-Davis and starring Jim Brown, Martin Landau, Brenda Sykes, Herbert Jefferson Jr. and Luciana Paluzzi. Baseball pitcher Vida Blue appears in a supporting ...

'' (1972) – Laurento * ''

The Lives of Jenny Dolan ''The Lives of Jenny Dolan'' is a 1975 made-for-television drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is us ...

'' (1975, TV Movie) – Lt. Nesbitt * ''Mission to Glory: A True Story'' (1977) – Father Juan Salvatierra (uncredited) * ''

Hi-Riders ''Hi-Riders'' is a 1978 action film written and directed by Greydon Clark. Plot Mark and Lynn (Darby Hinton and Diana Peterson) are drawn into acts of hatred and revenge after trying to collect on a bet with a "Hi-Rider," a drag-racing car c ...

'' (1978) – Mr. Lewis

Radio appearances

References

External links

* * (as Horace McNally) * {{DEFAULTSORT:McNally, Stephen 1911 births 1994 deaths 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century American male actors American Roman Catholics American male film actors American male television actors Male Western (genre) film actors Male actors from New York City Western (genre) television actors