William Dennis Gargan (July 17, 1905February 17, 1979) was an American film, television and radio actor. He was the 5th recipient of the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 1967, and in 1941, was nominated for the

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given in honor of an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role while work ...

for his role as Joe in '' They Knew What They Wanted''. He acted in decades of movies including parts in ''Follow the Leader'', ''Rain'', ''Night Flight'', ''Three Sons'', ''Isle of Destiny'' and many others. The role he was best known for was that of a private detective Martin Kane in the 1949–1952 radio-television series ''

Martin Kane, Private Eye ''Martin Kane, Private Eye'' is an American crime drama radio and television series sponsored by United States Tobacco Company. It aired via radio from 1949 to 1952 and was simultaneously a television series on NBC from 1949 to 1954. It was the "e ...

.'' In television, he was also in 39 episodes of '' The New Adventures of Martin Kane''.

Early years

Gargan was born in Brooklyn, New York. He was the younger brother of actor

Edward Gargan Edward Gargan (July 17, 1902 – February 19, 1964) was an American film and television actor. Career He was born of Irish parents in Brooklyn, New York. He was the elder brother of actor William Gargan. As soon as he had left college, he we ...

, whose birthday July 17 he shared. His father was a detective, and his mother was a teacher. He graduated from St. James School in Brooklyn. On leaving school, Gargan became a salesman of bootleg whiskey to New York

speakeasies A speakeasy, also called a blind pig or blind tiger, is an illicit establishment that sells alcoholic beverages, or a retro style bar that replicates aspects of historical speakeasies. Speakeasy bars came into prominence in the United States ...

and then joined a detective agency.

Stage

While visiting his brother on a musical comedy stage, he was offered a stage job which he accepted. He began his stage career in ''Aloma of the South Seas''. He also appeared on stage in ''Animal Kingdom''.

Film

Gargan's first film was ''Rain''. Later, he played in '' Misleading Lady'' and had character roles in many Hollywood productions, including starring in three films as detective

Ellery Queen Ellery Queen is a pseudonym created in 1929 by American crime fiction writers Frederic Dannay and Manfred Bennington Lee and the name of their main fictional character, a mystery writer in New York City who helps his police inspector father solve ...

. He was cast in a number of stereotypical Irish parts in films playing policemen, priests, reporters, and blustering adventurers. In 1945, he played Joe Gallagher in '' The Bells of St. Mary's'', starring

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

and

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In 1935, Gargan went to England and made several films. In 1940, Gargan was nominated for the

for his role as Joe, the foreman, in '' They Knew What They Wanted''.

Radio and television

Gargan's first regular radio role was Captain Flagg on '' Captain Flagg and Sergeant Quirt'', beginning in February 1942. He portrayed private detective Martin Kane in the 1949–1952 radio-television series ''

'', sponsored by U.S. Tobacco. He also appeared in the title role as a private detective in the NBC radio show '' Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator'', which ran from 1951 to 1955. He also portrayed Ross Dolan in '' I Deal in Crime'', and Inspector Burke in ''Murder Will Out'', and was host of ''G. I. Laffs'' On television, Gargan starred in 39 episodes of ''Martin Kane, Private Eye'', which ran on NBC from 1949 to 1954 and was syndicated in 1957–1958 and on ''The New Adventures of Martin Kane'', which ran on NBC in 1953–54.

Later years

Gargan's acting career came to an end in 1958 when he developed throat cancer, and doctors were forced to remove his larynx in 1960. Speaking through an artificial voice box, Gargan became an activist and spokesman for the

American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer. Established in 1913, the society is organized into six geographical regions of both medical and lay volunteers operating in more tha ...

, often warning about the dangers of smoking. In 1965,

Mutual of Omaha Mutual of Omaha is a Fortune 500 mutual insurance and financial services company based in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in 1909 as Mutual Benefit Health & Accident Association, Mutual of Omaha is a financial organization offering a variety of insuranc ...

presented its annual Criss Award to Gargan for "his inspirational self-rehabilitation efforts and his outstanding contributions to established rehabilitation programs." No longer able to act, he formed William Gargan Productions, making traditional films and

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

s in Hollywood.

Family

Gargan and his wife, Mary, had two sons, Leslie and Barrie.

Death

He died of a heart attack aged 73 on February 17, 1979 on a flight between New York City and San Diego. He was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in San Diego, California.

Partial filmography

* '' Lucky Boy'' (1928) – bit part (uncredited) * '' Follow the Leader'' (1930) – a gangster * '' His Woman'' (1931) – (uncredited) * ''

Partners Partner, Partners, The Partner, or, The Partners may refer to: Books * ''The Partner'' (Grisham novel), by John Grisham, 1997 * ''The Partner'' (Jenaro Prieto novel), 1928 * ''The Partners'' (book), a 1983 book by James B. Stewart * ''Partner'' (m ...

'' (1931, short) * '' Misleading Lady'' (1932) – Fitzpatrick * ''

Rain Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water ...

'' (1932) – Sergeant O'Hara * '' The Sport Parade'' (1932) – Johnny Baker * '' The Animal Kingdom'' (1932) – 'Red' Regan * '' Lucky Devils'' (1933) – Bob Hughes * '' Sweepings'' (1933) – Gene Pardway * ''

The Story of Temple Drake ''The Story of Temple Drake'' is a 1933 American pre-Code drama film directed by Stephen Roberts and starring Miriam Hopkins and Jack La Rue. It tells the story of Temple Drake, a reckless woman in the American South who falls into the hands o ...

'' (1933) – Stephen Benbow * '' Emergency Call'' (1933) – Steve Brennan * ''

Headline Shooter ''Headline Shooter'' is a 1933 American pre-Code drama about the life of a newsreel photographer. Director Otto Brower intertwined the screenplay written by Agnes Christine Johnston, Allen Rivkin, and Arthur Kober Arthur Kober (August 2 ...

'' (1933) – Bill Allen * '' Night Flight'' (1933) – Brazilian pilot * ''

Aggie Appleby Maker of Men ''Aggie Appleby, Maker of Men'' is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Mark Sandrich and written by Humphrey Pearson and Edward Kaufman. The film stars Charles Farrell, Wynne Gibson, William Gargan, ZaSu Pitts, Betty Furness and ...

'' (1933) – Red Branahan * '' Four Frightened People'' (1934) – Stewart Corder * '' The Line-Up'' (1934) – Bob Curtis * '' Strictly Dynamite'' (1934) – George Ross * ''

British Agent ''British Agent'' is a 1934 American romantic espionage film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Leslie Howard and Kay Francis. It is based on ''Memoirs of a British Agent'', the 1932 autobiography of R. H. Bruce Lockhart, who worked for ...

'' (1934) – Bob Medill * '' A Night at the Ritz'' (1935) – Duke Regan * '' Traveling Saleslady'' (1935) – Pat O'Connor * '' Black Fury'' (1935) – Slim * ''

Don't Bet on Blondes ''Don't Bet on Blondes'' is a 1935 American romantic comedy film. Plot summary When top Broadway bookmaker Odds Owen ( Warren William) loses $50,000 on a horse owned by Everett Markham ( Clay Clement), he investigates and finds out that the hor ...

'' (1935) * '' Bright Lights'' (1935) – Dan Wheeler * ''

Broadway Gondolier ''Broadway Gondolier '' (1935) is a musical film directed by Lloyd Bacon. The film was released by Warner Bros., and featured Dick Powell, Joan Blondell and Adolphe Menjou. Plot Richard "Dick" Purcell (Dick Powell), a taxi driver, aspires to a ...

'' (1935) – Cliff Stanley * ''

Things Are Looking Up Things or The Things may refer to: Music * ''Things'' (album), by Uri Caine and Paolo Fresu, 2006 * "Things" (Bobby Darin song), 1962; covered by Ronnie Dove, 1975 * "Things", a song by Joe Walsh from '' There Goes the Neighborhood'', 1981 * "Thi ...

'' (1935) – Van Gaard * '' Man Hunt'' (1936) – Hank Dawson * ''

The Milky Way The Milky Way is the galaxy that includes our Solar System, with the name describing the galaxy's appearance from Earth: a hazy band of light seen in the night sky formed from stars that cannot be individually distinguished by the naked eye. ...

'' (1936) – Speed McFarland * '' The Sky Parade'' (1936) – Speed Robertson * '' Mariners of the Sky/Navy Born'' (1936) – Lt. Red Furness * '' Blackmailer'' (1936) – Peter Cornish * '' Alibi for Murder'' (1936) – Perry Travis * '' Fury and the Woman'' (1936) – Bruce Corrigan * '' Flying Hostess'' (1936) – Hal Cunningham * '' You Only Live Once'' (1937) – Father Dolan * '' Breezing Home'' (1937) – Steve Rowan * '' Wings Over Honolulu'' (1937) – Lieutenant Jack Furness * '' Reported Missing'' (1937) – Steve Browning * '' She Asked for It'' (1937) – Dwight Stanford * '' Behind the Mike'' (1937) – George Hayes * '' Some Blondes Are Dangerous'' (1937) – George Regan * '' You're a Sweetheart'' (1937) – Fred Edwards * '' The Crime of Doctor Hallet'' (1938) – Dr. Jack Murray * ''

The Devil's Party ''The Devil's Party'' is a 1938 American crime film directed by Ray McCarey based on the Borden Chase novel ''Hell's Kitchen Has a Pantry''. Plot Marty Malone is a member of a street gang called the " Death Avenue Cowboys", consisting of poor c ...

'' (1938) – Mike O'Mara * '' The Crowd Roars'' (1938) – Johnny Martin * '' Personal Secretary'' (1938) – Marcus 'Mark' Farrell * '' Within the Law'' (1939) – Cassidy * ''

The Adventures of Jane Arden ''The Adventures of Jane Arden'' is a 1939 American crime film directed by Terry O. Morse and written by Vincent Sherman, Lawrence Kimble, and Charles W. Curran. The film stars Rosella Towne, William Gargan, James Stephenson, Benny Rubin, Dennie ...

'' (1939) – Ed Towers * ''

Broadway Serenade ''Broadway Serenade'' (also known as ''Serenade'') is a 1939 musical drama film distributed by MGM, produced and directed by Robert Z. Leonard. The screenplay was written by Charles Lederer, based on a story by Lew Lipton, John Taintor Foote ...

'' (1939) – Bill * ''

Women in the Wind ''Women in the Wind'' is a 1939 film directed by John Farrow and starring Kay Francis, William Gargan and Victor Jory. The plot concerns women pilots competing in the so-called "Powder Puff Derby", an annual transcontinental air race solely for ...

'' (1939) – Ace Boreman * '' The House of Fear'' (1939) – Arthur McHugh * '' Three Sons'' (1939) – Thane Pardway * ''

The Housekeeper's Daughter ''The Housekeeper's Daughter'' is a 1939 comedy film directed and produced by Hal Roach. The film stars Joan Bennett, Adolphe Menjou and John Hubbard. The screenplay was written by Rian James, Gordon Douglas, Jack Jevne and Claude Martin, ba ...

'' (1939) – Ed O'Malley * ''

Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President ''Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President'' is a 1939 American comedy film directed by Robert B. Sinclair and written by Melville Baker. The film stars Ann Sothern, Lewis Stone, Walter Brennan, William Gargan, Marsha Hunt and Tom Neal. It was r ...

'' (1939) – Joe Turp * '' Double Alibi'' (1940) – Walter Gifford * '' Isle of Destiny'' (1940) – 'Stripes' Thornton * ''

Star Dust Stardust may refer to: * A type of cosmic dust, composed of particles in space Entertainment Songs * “Stardust” (1927 song), by Hoagy Carmichael * “Stardust” (David Essex song), 1974 * “Stardust” (Lena Meyer-Landrut song), 2012 * ...

'' (1940) – Dane Wharton * '' Turnabout'' (1940) – Joel Clare * '' Sporting Blood'' (1940) – Duffy * '' They Knew What They Wanted'' (1940, Nominated –

) – Joe * ''

Cheers for Miss Bishop ''Cheers for Miss Bishop'' is a 1941 American drama film based on the novel ''Miss Bishop'' by Bess Streeter Aldrich. It was directed by Tay Garnett and stars Martha Scott in the title role. The other cast members include William Gargan, Edmund ...

'' (1941) – Sam Peters * '' Flying Cadets'' (1941) – 'Trip' Hammer * ''

I Wake Up Screaming ''I Wake Up Screaming'' (originally titled ''Hot Spot'') is a 1941 film noir. It is based on the novel of the same name by Steve Fisher, adapted by Dwight Taylor. The film stars Betty Grable, Victor Mature and Carole Landis, and features one of G ...

'' (1941) – Jerry MacDonald * '' Keep 'Em Flying'' (1941) – Craig Morrison * '' Sealed Lips'' (1942) – Lee Davis * ''

Bombay Clipper ''Bombay Clipper'' is a 1942 aviation drama film directed by John Rawlins and starring William Gargan and Irene Hervey. The film features Maria Montez in an early role. Turhan Bey also appears. The film was based on the exploits of oceanic f ...

'' (1942) – James Montgomery 'Jim' Wilson * '' A Close Call for Ellery Queen'' (1942) – Ellery Queen * '' A Desperate Chance for Ellery Queen'' (1942) – Ellery Queen * '' Miss Annie Rooney'' (1942) – Tim Rooney * '' The Mayor of 44th Street'' (1942) – Tommy Fallon * '' Enemy Agents Meet Ellery Queen'' (1942) – Ellery Queen * '' Destination Unknown'' (1942) – Briggs Hannon – aka Terry Jordan * '' Who Done It?'' (1942) – Police Lt. Lou Moran * '' No Place for a Lady'' (1943) – Jess Arno * ''

Harrigan's Kid ''Harrigan's Kid'' is a 1943 American drama film directed by Charles Reisner and written by Martin Berkeley, Henry Blankfort and Alan Friedman. The film stars Bobby Readick, Frank Craven, William Gargan, J. Carrol Naish and Jay Ward. The film ...

'' (1943) – Tom Harrigan * '' Swing Fever'' (1943) – 'Waltzy' Malone * ''

The Canterville Ghost "The Canterville Ghost" is a humorous short story by Oscar Wilde. It was the first of Wilde's stories to be published, appearing in two parts in ''The Court and Society Review'', 23 February and 2 March 1887. The story is about an American fam ...

'' (1944) – Sergeant Benson * '' She Gets Her Man'' (1945) – 'Breezy' Barton * '' Song of the Sarong'' (1945) – Drew Allen * '' Midnight Manhunt'' (1945) – Pete Willis * '' The Bells of St. Mary's'' (1945) – Joe Gallagher, Patsy's father * ''

Follow That Woman ''Follow That Woman'' is a 1945 crime film starring William Gargan, Nancy Kelly, and Regis Toomey. The movie was directed by Lew Landers. Plot summary Nancy spends the evening with her boyfriend at the Downtown Club, a notorious hangout for mem ...

'' (1945) – Sam Boone * ''

Behind Green Lights ''Behind Green Lights'' is a 1946 American crime film directed by Otto Brower. Plot Police Lieutenant Sam Carson spots Walter Bard's bullet-ridden corpse in a car brazenly left in front of the police station. Carson questions Janet Bradley aft ...

'' (1946) – Lt. Sam Carson * '' Strange Impersonation'' (1946) – Dr. Stephen Lindstrom * '' Night Editor'' (1946) – Police Lt. Tony Cochrane * '' Murder in the Music Hall'' (1946) – Inspector Wilson * '' Rendezvous 24'' (1946) – Agent Larry Cameron * '' Hot Cargo'' (1946) – Joe Harkness * '' Till the End of Time'' (1946) – Sgt. Gunny Watrous * '' Swell Guy'' (1946) – Martin Duncan * '' The Argyle Secrets'' (1948) – Harry Mitchell * '' Waterfront at Midnight'' (1948) – Mike Hanrohan * '' Dynamite'' (1949) – 'Gunner' Peterson * '' Miracle in the Rain'' (1956) – Harry Wood * '' The Rawhide Years'' (1956) – Marshal Sommers

Radio appearances

Book

Gargan's autobiography ''Why Me?'' was published by Doubleday in 1969. A reviewer described the book as "a compelling story of the life, faith and courage of a man who as an actor was a notable success."

References

External links

* *
William Gargan and Carole Landis in ''Behind Green Lights'' from YouTube
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gargan, William 1905 births 1979 deaths American male film actors American male television actors American male radio actors American male stage actors American people of Irish descent People from Brooklyn Male actors from New York City 20th-century American male actors Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award