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 Schildkrauts 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 Kanes 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.

All movies available from Harry Shannon

Poster movie Kansas Pacific

Kansas Pacific

Movie
Poster movie San Quentin

San Quentin

Movie
Poster movie Man or Gun

Man or Gun

Movie
Poster movie Mary Ryan, Detective

Mary Ryan, Detective

Movie
Poster movie Hell's Crossroads

Hell's Crossroads

Movie

Movies unavailable from Harry Shannon

Citizen Kane

Jim Kane

Movie 1941

High Noon

Cooper

Movie 1952

Touch of Evil

Chief Gould

Movie 1958

My Girl Tisa

Movie 1948

The Lady from Shanghai

Cab Driver

Movie 1947

Where Danger Lives

Dr. Maynard

Movie 1950

The Red House

Dr. Jonathan Byrne

Movie 1947

The Lemon Drop Kid

John (Policeman)

Movie 1951

The Killer That Stalked New York

Police Officer Houlihan

Movie 1950

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House

Tesander

Movie 1948

Nora Prentiss

San Francisco Homicide Lieutenant

Movie 1947

Cry of the Hunted

Sheriff Brown

Movie 1953

Night Editor

Capt. Lawrence

Movie 1946

A Peach of a Pair

Movie 1934

The Underworld Story

George Parker

Movie 1950

Crime, Inc.

Police Commissioner Collins

Movie 1945

The Scarf

Asylum Warden Anderson

Movie 1951

The Devil Thumbs a Ride

Detective Owens, San Diego Police

Movie 1947

The Lonely Man

Dr. Fisher

Movie 1957

The Jackie Robinson Story

Charlie

Movie 1950

The Farmer's Daughter

Mr. Holstrom

Movie 1947

Witness to Murder

Captain Donnelly

Movie 1954

City of Chance

Passline

Movie 1940

This Gun for Hire

Steve Finnerty

Movie 1942

Hunt the Man Down

Wallace Bennett

Movie 1950

The Invisible Wall

Det. Capt. R.W. Davis

Movie 1947

Gypsy

Grandpa

Movie 1962

Written on the Wind

Hoak Wayne

Movie 1956

Mr. Soft Touch

Police Sergeant Garrett

Movie 1949

The Last Crooked Mile

Police Lieutenant Blake

Movie 1946

Yellowstone Kelly

Captain of the Far West (uncredited)

Movie 1959

The Saint In Palm Springs

Chief R.L. Graves

Movie 1941

Flesh and Fury

Mike Callan

Movie 1952

Tulsa

Nelse Lansing

Movie 1949

Exposed

Severance

Movie 1947

At Gunpoint

Marshal Pete MacKay

Movie 1955

20,000 Cheers for the Chain Gang

Movie 1933

Alibi Mark

Railroad Detective

Movie 1937

When the Lights Go On Again

Tom Cary

Movie 1944

The Yellow Rose of Texas

Sam Weston

Movie 1944

Song of Texas

Sam Bennett

Movie 1943

Singing Guns

Judge Waller

Movie 1950

Smoked Hams

The Landlord

Movie 1934

Idaho

Judge John Grey

Movie 1943

Duel at Apache Wells

Wayne Shattuck

Movie 1957

The Marauders

John Rutherford

Movie 1955

Curtain Call at Cactus Creek

Clay

Movie 1950

Tugboat Annie Sails Again

Capt. Mahoney

Movie 1940

Rails Into Laramie

Judge Pierce

Movie 1954

The Affairs of Jimmy Valentine

Pinky Dolan

Movie 1942

Jack Slade

Tom Carter

Movie 1953

The Flying Missile

Vice Admiral Williams

Movie 1950

True to Life

Mr. Mason

Movie 1943

Lure of the Wilderness

Pat McGowan

Movie 1952

The Violent Men

Purdue

Movie 1955

Come Next Spring

Mr. Totter

Movie 1956

Al Jennings of Oklahoma

Fred Salter

Movie 1951

Three Little Words

Clanahan

Movie 1950

Wild in the Country

Sam Tyler (uncredited)

Movie 1961

Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch

Mr. Tim Wiggs

Movie 1942

Time Out of Mind

Capt. Rogers

Movie 1947

Fighting Father Dunne

Thomas Lee

Movie 1948

Heads Up

Capt. Denny

Movie 1930

The Powers Girl

Mr. Hendricks

Movie 1943

Summer and Smoke

Dr. Burke (uncredited)

Movie 1961

Dangerous Years

Judge Raymond

Movie 1947

Once Upon a Honeymoon

Ed Cumberland

Movie 1942

Alaska Highway

John 'Pop' Ormsby

Movie 1943

Sailor's Lady

Father McGann

Movie 1940

The Middleton Family at the New York World's Fair

Father

Movie 1939

I Ring Doorbells

Shannon

Movie 1946

Shake, Mr. Shakespeare

Macbeth

Movie 1936

Phantom Stallion

Michael Reilly

Movie 1954

Big Town Scandal

Police Captain Henry (uncredited)

Movie 1948

The Mummy's Ghost

The Sheriff (archive footage)

Movie 1968

Parole Fixer

Randall

Movie 1940

The World of Tomorrow

Pop Middleton (archive footage)

Movie 1984

Young Tom Edison

Army Captain Brackett

Movie 1940

Hold Back the Dawn

American Immigration Official (uncredited)

Movie 1941

Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin'

Chauncey

Movie 1948

The Gunfighter

Chuck (uncredited)

Movie 1950

Rustlers

Sheriff Harmon

Movie 1949

In Old California

Mr. Carlin

Movie 1942

Too Many Girls

Mr. Casey

Movie 1940

Champion

Lew

Movie 1949

Wrongorilla

Grogan

Movie 1933

Someone to Remember

Tom Gibbons

Movie 1943

Cow Town

Sandy Reeves

Movie 1950

Take a Chance

Bartender

Movie 1933

Sympathy

Larry

Movie 1929

Close Relations

Harry Wart

Movie 1933

Faint Heart

Dynamite Dan

Movie 1929

The Mummy's Ghost

Sheriff Elwood

Movie 1944

The Tall Men

Sam

Movie 1955

The Peacemaker

Drunken Cowpuncher

Movie 1956

Gambling on the High Seas

Ed, Chief of Police

Movie 1940

No More West

Bank Robber

Movie 1934

Tear Gas Squad

Lieutenant Sullivan

Movie 1940

One Crowded Night

McDermott

Movie 1940

In Old Oklahoma

Charlie Witherspoon

Movie 1943

Headin' for God's Country

Albert Ness

Movie 1943

The Falcon Takes Over

Detective Grimes (Uncredited)

Movie 1942

Blue Blood

Mr. Buchanan

Movie 1951

Captain Eddie

Simmons

Movie 1945

The Lady Is Willing

Barnes

Movie 1942

The Sound of Fury

Mr. Yaeger

Movie 1950

Roar of the Crowd

Sam 'Pop' Tracy

Movie 1953

Tarnished

Kelsey Bunker

Movie 1950

Executive Suite

Ed Benedeck

Movie 1954

The Big Street

Florida Doctor (Uncredited)

Movie 1942

Crack-Up

Cop (Uncredited)

Movie 1946

The Girl from Avenue A

Timson

Movie 1940

The Mad Martindales

Policeman

Movie 1942

The Buccaneer

Tom Carruthers - Captain of the Corinthian

Movie 1958

Pride of the Marines

Uncle Ralph

Movie 1945

Canyon Passage

Henry McLane (uncredited)

Movie 1946

Tv series unavailable from Harry Shannon

Cheyenne

Tv 1955

Gunsmoke

Bowers

Tv 1955

Lassie

Tv 1954

Angel

Tv 1960

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

Dr. Harner

Tv 1955

Rawhide

Claggert

Tv 1959

Have Gun, Will Travel

Jesse

Tv 1957

The Millionaire

Judge William Jennings Westholme

Tv 1955

The Virginian

Uncle Josh

Tv 1962

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

Big Jim Heywood

Tv 1951

The Thin Man

Tv 1957

The Real McCoys

Tv 1957

Navy Log

Tv 1955

Lock-Up

Tv 1959

The Dakotas

Tv 1963

Sugarfoot

Henry Shipman

Tv 1957

Bat Masterson

Jobe Crail

Tv 1958

Wire Service

Harris Ellerby

Tv 1956

The Texan

Tv 1958

Cavalcade of America

Tv 1952

State Trooper

Tv 1956

26 Men

Tv 1957

The Man Behind the Badge

Tv 1953

Letter to Loretta

Tom

Tv 1953

Rawhide

Sheriff Blanton

Tv 1959

Rawhide

Kilo

Tv 1959

Cavalcade of America

Samuel Morse

Tv 1952