Harry Shannon
Born
June 12, 1890
Died
July 27, 1964 (74 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Saginaw, Michigan, USA
Born and raised on a farm in Michigan in 1890, Irish-American character actor Harry Shannon had the credentials for becoming a staple player in westerns. He started off his career traveling around with repertory and stock companies and developed his musical abilities in tent shows, burlesque houses and such tuneful Broadway shows as "Oh, Kay!" (1926), "Hold Everything" (1928), "Simple Simon" (1931), and "Pardon My English" (1933). A company member of Joseph Schildkraut's Hollywood Theater Guild, Shannon broke into films at the advent of sound and started things off in comedy film shorts opposite such celebrated players as Bert Lahr, Shemp Howard, and Leon Errol. In the 1940s Shannon established himself in feature-length movies and although he remained a minor, second-string player, he proved himself a durable presence in westerns usually remaining on the good side of the law as sheriffs and bucolic dads. In lighthearted entertainment he could be found as a friendly Irish cop or bartender. He made a slight but memorable impression as Kane's alcoholic father in the classic Citizen Kane (1941), while his last role would be as the grandfather in the musical Gypsy (1962). In between were small parts in such notable films as The Fighting Sullivans (1944), The Jolson Story (1946), High Noon (1952), Touch of Evil (1958), and The Buccaneer (1958). 1950s TV westerns such as Cheyenne (1955), Have Gun - Will Travel (1957), Rawhide (1959), and Gunsmoke (1955) made consistent use of his rustic demeanor. Shannon died in 1964 at age 74.

The World of Tomorrow
Pop Middleton (archive footage)
1984

The Dakotas
(1 episode)
1963

Gypsy
Grandpa
1962

The Virginian
Uncle Josh · (1 episode)
1962

Summer and Smoke
Dr. Burke (uncredited)
1961

Wild in the Country
Sam Tyler (uncredited)
1961

Angel
(1 episode)
1960

Yellowstone Kelly
Captain of the Far West (uncredited)
1959

Lock-Up
(1 episode)
1959

Rawhide
Claggert · (1 episode)
1959

Rawhide
Kilo · (1 episode)
1959

Rawhide
Sheriff Blanton · (1 episode)
1959

The Buccaneer
Tom Carruthers - Captain of the Corinthian
1958

Bat Masterson
Jobe Crail · (1 episode)
1958

The Texan
(1 episode)
1958

Man or Gun
Justin Corley
1958

Touch of Evil
Chief Gould
1958

26 Men
(2 episodes)
1957

The Real McCoys
(1 episode)
1957

The Thin Man
(1 episode)
1957

Sugarfoot
Henry Shipman · (1 episode)
1957

Have Gun, Will Travel
Jesse · (2 episodes)
1957

The Lonely Man
Dr. Fisher
1957

Hell's Crossroads
Clay Ford
1957

Duel at Apache Wells
Wayne Shattuck
1957

The Peacemaker
Drunken Cowpuncher
1956

Written on the Wind
Hoak Wayne
1956

Wire Service
Harris Ellerby · (1 episode)
1956

State Trooper
(1 episode)
1956

Come Next Spring
Mr. Totter
1956

At Gunpoint
Marshal Pete MacKay
1955

Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Dr. Harner · (1 episode)
1955

The Marauders
John Rutherford
1955

The Tall Men
Sam
1955

Cheyenne
(2 episodes)
1955
Navy Log
(1 episode)
1955

Gunsmoke
Bowers · (1 episode)
1955

The Violent Men
Purdue
1955

The Millionaire
Judge William Jennings Westholme · (1 episode)
1955

Lassie
(2 episodes)
1954

Executive Suite
Ed Benedeck
1954

Witness to Murder
Captain Donnelly
1954

Rails Into Laramie
Judge Pierce
1954

Phantom Stallion
Michael Reilly
1954

Jack Slade
Tom Carter
1953

The Man Behind the Badge
(1 episode)
1953

Letter to Loretta
Tom · (1 episode)
1953

Roar of the Crowd
Sam 'Pop' Tracy
1953

Cry of the Hunted
Sheriff Brown
1953

Kansas Pacific
Smokestack the Train Engineer
1953

The Ford Television Theatre
Judge Varney · (1 episode)
1952

Cavalcade of America
(1 episode)
1952

Cavalcade of America
Samuel Morse · (1 episode)
1952

Lure of the Wilderness
Pat McGowan
1952

Flesh and Fury
Mike Callan
1952

High Noon
Cooper
1952

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Big Jim Heywood · (1 episode)
1951

The Scarf
Asylum Warden Anderson
1951

The Lemon Drop Kid
John (Policeman)
1951

Blue Blood
Mr. Buchanan
1951

Al Jennings of Oklahoma
Fred Salter
1951

Hunt the Man Down
Wallace Bennett
1950

The Flying Missile
Vice Admiral Williams
1950

The Sound of Fury
Mr. Yaeger
1950

Where Danger Lives
Dr. Maynard
1950

The Killer That Stalked New York
Police Officer Houlihan
1950

The Underworld Story
George Parker
1950

Three Little Words
Clanahan
1950

The Gunfighter
Chuck (uncredited)
1950

Curtain Call at Cactus Creek
Clay
1950

Cow Town
Sandy Reeves
1950

The Jackie Robinson Story
Charlie
1950

Singing Guns
Judge Waller
1950

Tarnished
Kelsey Bunker
1950

Mary Ryan, Detective
Sawyer
1949

Mr. Soft Touch
Police Sergeant Garrett
1949

Tulsa
Nelse Lansing
1949

Champion
Lew
1949

Rustlers
Sheriff Harmon
1949

Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin'
Chauncey
1948

Big Town Scandal
Police Captain Henry (uncredited)
1948

Fighting Father Dunne
Thomas Lee
1948

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House
Tesander
1948

My Girl Tisa
1948

The Lady from Shanghai
Cab Driver
1947

Dangerous Years
Judge Raymond
1947

The Invisible Wall
Det. Capt. R.W. Davis
1947

Exposed
Severance
1947

Time Out of Mind
Capt. Rogers
1947

The Farmer's Daughter
Mr. Holstrom
1947

Nora Prentiss
Police Lieutenant
1947

The Devil Thumbs a Ride
Detective Owens, San Diego Police
1947

The Red House
Dr. Jonathan Byrne
1947

San Quentin
Warden Kelly
1946

Crack-Up
Cop (Uncredited)
1946

The Last Crooked Mile
Police Lieutenant Blake
1946

Canyon Passage
Henry McLane (uncredited)
1946

Night Editor
Capt. Lawrence
1946

I Ring Doorbells
Shannon
1946

Pride of the Marines
Uncle Ralph
1945

Captain Eddie
Simmons
1945

Crime, Inc.
Police Commissioner Collins
1945

When the Lights Go On Again
Tom Cary
1944

The Mummy's Ghost
Sheriff Elwood
1944

The Yellow Rose of Texas
Sam Weston
1944

True to Life
Mr. Mason
1943

In Old Oklahoma
Charlie Witherspoon
1943

Headin' for God's Country
Albert Ness
1943

Someone to Remember
Tom Gibbons
1943

Alaska Highway
John 'Pop' Ormsby
1943

Song of Texas
Sam Bennett
1943

Idaho
Judge John Grey
1943

The Powers Girl
Mr. Hendricks
1943

Once Upon a Honeymoon
Ed Cumberland
1942

Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch
Mr. Tim Wiggs
1942

The Big Street
Florida Doctor (Uncredited)
1942

In Old California
Mr. Carlin
1942

The Falcon Takes Over
Detective Grimes (Uncredited)
1942

The Mad Martindales
Policeman
1942

This Gun for Hire
Steve Finnerty
1942

The Affairs of Jimmy Valentine
Pinky Dolan
1942

The Lady Is Willing
Barnes
1942

Hold Back the Dawn
American Immigration Official (uncredited)
1941

Citizen Kane
Jim Kane
1941

The Saint In Palm Springs
Chief R.L. Graves
1941

Tugboat Annie Sails Again
Capt. Mahoney
1940

Too Many Girls
Mr. Casey
1940

One Crowded Night
McDermott
1940

The Girl from Avenue A
Timson
1940

Sailor's Lady
Father McGann
1940

Gambling on the High Seas
Ed, Chief of Police
1940

Tear Gas Squad
Lieutenant Sullivan
1940

Young Tom Edison
Army Captain Brackett
1940

Parole Fixer
Randall
1940

City of Chance
Passline
1940

The Middleton Family at the New York World's Fair
Father
1939

Alibi Mark
Railroad Detective
1937

Shake, Mr. Shakespeare
Macbeth
1936

A Peach of a Pair
1934

Smoked Hams
The Landlord
1934

No More West
Bank Robber
1934
Take a Chance
Bartender
1933

Close Relations
Harry Wart
1933
20,000 Cheers for the Chain Gang
1933
Wrongorilla
Grogan
1933
The Campus Mystery
Police Sergeant
1932

Heads Up
Capt. Denny
1930

Faint Heart
Dynamite Dan
1929

Sympathy
Larry
1929