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