William Harrigan
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William Harrigan (March 27, 1894 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor who performed in Hollywood during the 1930s and 1940s and on stage.


Early years

Harrigan was born in New York City and attended New York Military Academy. Harrigan was the son of actor
Edward Harrigan Edward Harrigan (October 26, 1844June 6, 1911), sometimes called Ned Harrigan, was an Irish-American actor, singer, dancer, playwright, lyricist and theater producer who, together with Tony Hart (as Harrigan & Hart), formed one of the most celebr ...
and the grandson of composer
David Braham David Braham (1834 – April 11, 1905) was a London-born musical theatre composer most famous for his work with Edward Harrigan and Tony Hart. He has been called "the American Offenbach". Early life (1834–1873) David Braham was born in L ...
. His sister was Nedda Harrigan, which made him the brother-in-law of director/playwright Joshua Logan. Harrigan first performed on stage when he was 5 years old, joining his father in a production of ''Reilly and the 400'' at the Garrick Theater. During World War I, Harrigan was a captain in the 307th Infantry Regiment of the 77th Division.


Career

Following his school years, Harrigan acted in New York theaters in plays that included ''Bought and Paid For'' and ''Springtime''. He also toured Australia in 1915 as part of a company led by Charles Millward. Harrigan's Broadway debut was in ''Old Lavender'' (1906). He also performed with his father in a touring company of ''Old Lavender''. In 1933 he played detective
Charlie Chan Charlie Chan is a fictional Honolulu police detective created by author Earl Derr Biggers for a series of mystery novels. Biggers loosely based Chan on Hawaiian detective Chang Apana. The benevolent and heroic Chan was conceived as an alter ...
in a Broadway adaptation of novel '' Keeper of the Keys''. He created the role of the captain in the Broadway hit '' Mister Roberts'', which his brother-in-law Joshua Logan co-wrote and directed. Harrigan performed in vaudeville, including a 1927 performance of Irish ballads at the Palace Theater. His film debut came in 1917. Films in which he appeared included ''Born Reckless'', ''Cabaret'', ''The Invisible Man'', and ''Nix on Dames''.


Personal life and death

Harrigan was married to, and divorced from, Dorothy Langdon and
Louise Groody Louise Groody (1897–1961) was an American Broadway musical comedy star of the 1920s who introduced to New York audiences the song " Tea for Two" in the musical '' No, No, Nanette''. Early life Louise Groody was born on March 27, 1897, in Wac ...
. At the time of his death he was married to Grace Culbert. He died on February 1, 1966, in New York City, aged 71.


Partial filmography

*'' An Affair of Three Nations'' (1915) - Phillip Warwick *''
Cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining o ...
'' (1927) - Jack Costigan *'' Nix on Dames'' (1927) - Johnny Brown *'' Born Reckless'' (1930) - Good News Brophy *'' On the Level'' (1930) - Danny Madden *''
Men on Call ''Men on Call'' is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film directed by John G. Blystone and written by James Kevin McGuinness and Basil Woon. The picture stars Edmund Lowe, Mae Clarke, William Harrigan, Sharon Lynn, Warren Hymer and Ruth Warren. T ...
'' (1930) - Cap *'' Pick-Up'' (1933) - Jim Richards *'' The Girl in 419'' (1933) - Peter Lawton *'' Disgraced!'' (1933) - Captain Holloway *''
The Invisible Man ''The Invisible Man'' is a science fiction novel by H. G. Wells. Originally serialized in '' Pearson's Weekly'' in 1897, it was published as a novel the same year. The Invisible Man to whom the title refers is Griffin, a scientist who has devo ...
'' (1933) - Dr. Arthur Kemp *'' G Men'' (1935) - 'Mac' McKay *'' The People's Enemy'' (1935) - Henchman (uncredited) *'' Stranded'' (1935) - Updyke *'' Silk Hat Kid'' (1935) - Brother Joe Campbell *'' His Family Tree'' (1935) - Charles Murfree - aka Murphy *'' The Melody Lingers On'' (1935) - Captain Jonesy *'' Whipsaw'' (1935) - 'Doc' Evans *'' Frankie and Johnny'' (1936) - Curley *'' Over the Goal'' (1937) - Jim Shelly *'' Federal Bullets'' (1937) - Federal Agency Chief *''
Exiled to Shanghai ''Exiled to Shanghai'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Nick Grinde and Armand Schaefer and starring Wallace Ford, June Travis, and Dean Jagger.Dooley p.242 Production Despite its exotic-sounding title, none of the film is actually set ...
'' (1937) - Grant Powell *''
Hawaii Calls ''Hawaii Calls'' was a radio program broadcast live from Waikiki Beach from 1935 through 1975 that reached 750 stations world-wide at the height of its popularity. It featured live Hawaiian music by an 11-piece dance orchestra conducted by Harry ...
'' (1938) - Blake *'' Back Door to Heaven'' (1939) - Frankie's Father *''
Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
'' (1940) - Union Commanding Officer (uncredited) *'' Follies Girl'' (1943) - Jimmy Dobson *'' The Farmer's Daughter'' (1947) - Ward C. Hughes *'' Citizen Saint'' (1947) - Father Vail *''
Desert Fury ''Desert Fury'' is a 1947 American film noir crime film directed by Lewis Allen and starring John Hodiak, Lizabeth Scott and Burt Lancaster. The story was adapted for the screen by Robert Rossen and A. I. Bezzerides (uncredited), based on th ...
'' (1947) - Judge Berle Lindquist *''
Flying Leathernecks ''Flying Leathernecks'' is a 1951 American Technicolor action war film directed by Nicholas Ray, produced by Edmund Grainger, (who had produced ''Sands of Iwo Jima'') and starring John Wayne and Robert Ryan. The movie details the exploits an ...
'' (1951) - Dr. Lt.Cdr. Joe Curran *'' Steel Town'' (1952) - John 'Mac' McNamara *''
Francis Covers the Big Town ''Francis Covers the Big Town'' is a 1953 American black-and-white comedy film from Universal-International, produced by Leonard Goldstein, directed by Arthur Lubin, that stars Donald O'Connor, Yvette Duguay, and Gene Lockhart. The distinctive vo ...
'' (1953) - Deputy Chief Inspector Hansen *''
Roogie's Bump ''Roogie's Bump'' is a 1954 American comedy film directed by Harold Young and written by Jack Hanley and Dan Totheroh. The film stars Robert Marriott, Ruth Warrick, Olive Blakeney, Robert F. Simon, William Harrigan and David Winters. The film ...
'' (1954) - Red O'Malley *'' Street of Sinners'' (1957) - Gus


References


Sources


moviefone


External links

* 1894 births 1966 deaths American male film actors 20th-century American male actors Male actors from New York (state) Place of death missing {{US-film-actor-1890s-stub