William Tannen
Born: 1911-11-17 in New York City, New York, USA
Died: 1976-12-02
Known For: Acting
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia William Tannen (November 17, 1911 – December 2, 1976) was an American actor originally from New York City, who was best known for his role of Deputy Hal Norton in fifty-six episodes from 1956 to 1958 of the ABC/Desilu western television series, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, with Hugh O'Brian as Deputy Marshal Wyatt Earp. Tannen was also cast as Gyp Clements in the 1955 episode "The Buntline Special" of The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp. Beginning on September 11, 1956, in the second season of the series, with the setting moved from Wichita to Dodge City, Kansas, Tannen filled the Hal Norton role. His earliest episodes were "Fight or Run", "The Double Life of Dora Hand" and "Clay Allison", the latter two based on historical figures, the saloon singer and actor Dora Hand and the gunfighter Clay Allison. Some of his appearances were uncredited. His last credited role was "Doc Holliday Rewrites History" (May 6, 1958), with Myron Healey as the frontier gunfighter and dentist Doc Holliday. His last uncredited roles aired thereafter in May and June 1958, "Dig a Grave for Ben Thompson", based on the historical figure Ben Thompson played by Denver Pyle, "Frame-up", and "My Husband". He was cast as Ike Clanton, not on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, but in the 1964 episode "After the OK Corral" of the syndicated western anthology series, Death Valley Days. Jim Davis portrayed Wyatt Earp in this particular episode. Tannen appeared twice, one role uncredited in Davis' earlier syndicated western series, Stories of the Century, including the role of Dutch Charlie in "Milt Sharp", the story of the stagecoach robber Milt Sharp.
Filmography
1988
- Hero and the Terror as Civil Engineer
1968
- Here's Lucy as Workman #2
1966
- Batman as American Delegate (uncredited)
1965
- Get Smart as Admiral
1964
1963
- Arrest and Trial as Mack
1962
- The Virginian as Bartender
1961
- Gunslinger as Ben Tracy
1960
- Noose for a Gunman as Willetts
1958
- Touch of Evil as Marcia Linnekar's Attorney (uncredited)
- The Return of Dracula as Mack Bryant - Dept. of Immigration (uncredited)
1957
- Perry Mason as Police Sergeant
- Wagon Train as Ralph Jessup
- Tales of Wells Fargo as Keenan
- Tombstone Territory as Dr. Buell
- A Hatful of Rain as Celia's Supervisor (uncredited)
- Gun Duel in Durango as Larkin - Man Stealing Guns (uncredited)
- The Tijuana Story
1956
- Hey, Jeannie! as Paul Revere
- Friendly Persuasion as Supply Sergeant (uncredited)
- The First Texan as President Jackson's Aide (uncredited)
- Blackjack Ketchum Desperado as Dee Havalik
1955
- The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
- Gunsmoke as John Hirschbeck
- MGM Parade as Self
- The Adventures of Champion as Rustler
- Devil Goddess as Nels Comstock
- Top Gun as Torchy (uncredited)
- Dial Red O as Devon
1954
- Sitting Bull as O'Connor
- Jesse James vs. the Daltons as Emmett Dalton
- Captain Kidd and the Slave Girl as Steve Castle (as Bill Tannen)
- The Law vs. Billy the Kid as Dave Rudabaugh
- The Golden Idol as Sergeant Reed
1953
- Law and Order as Stranger (uncredited)
- Kiss Me Kate as Taxi Driver (uncredited)
- Dangerous Crossing as Ship's Officer (uncredited)
- Raiders of the Seven Seas as Ramon
- 99 River Street as Director
- I, the Jury
- Jack McCall, Desperado as Spargo
- El Paso Stampede as Henchman Joe
- Eyes of the Jungle as Jeff Roper
1952
- Dangerous Assignment
- The Bad and the Beautiful as Reporter (uncredited)
- Road Agent as Toll Gate Guard
- Flat Top as Commander (uncredited)
- Jungle Jim in the Forbidden Land as 'Doc' Edwards
- Talk About a Stranger as Driggs
1951
- The Adventures of Kit Carson
- Best of the Badmen as Bill - Adjutant (uncredited)
- Insurance Investigator as 1st Hood
- I Was an American Spy as American Captain (uncredited)
- Roaring City as Ed Gannon
- Blue Blood as Sparks
- A Yank in Korea as Lt. Lewis
1950
- The Cisco Kid as Bix Douglas
- Annie Get Your Gun as Barker (uncredited)
- Three Secrets as Bobby Lynch (uncredited)
- Armored Car Robbery as Officer Johnson (uncredited)
- The Flying Missile as Lieutenant
- Convicted as Prison Guard (uncredited)
- Pygmy Island as Kruger
- Chain Gang as Harry Cleaver
- Sunset in the West as John Kimball (as William J. Tannen)
- Pal, Canine Detective
- Riders of the Range as Trump Dixon
1949
- All the King's Men as Man in City Bar (uncredited)
- Abandoned as Taxi Driver (uncredited)
- Alaska Patrol as Dajek
- The Mysterious Desperado as Bart Barton
1948
- The Three Musketeers as Traveler (uncredited)
- Walk a Crooked Mile as FBI Chemist
- An Innocent Affair as Gaylord
1947
- High Barbaree as Officer of the Deck (uncredited)
- Cynthia as Dingle Clerk (Uncredited)
1946
- Our Old Car as Officer Donahue (uncredited)
1945
- Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood as Casting Director / Dr. Caswell Snide (uncredited)
- Main Street After Dark as Wallet-Preparer (uncredited)
- Week-End at the Waldorf as Photographer (uncredited)
- The Great Morgan as Officer Donohue (archive footage) (uncredited)
- A Gun in His Hand as Police Lab Technician Wilson (uncredited)
1944
- Maisie Goes to Reno as Lead Man (Uncredited)
- The Canterville Ghost as Jordan
- Main Street Today as Department of Transportation Representative (uncredited)
- Dark Shadows as McKay's Assistant (uncredited)
1943
- Presenting Lily Mars as Eugene Shepherd
- Air Raid Wardens as Joseph
- For God and Country as Captain
1942
- Woman of the Year as Ellis
- Tarzan's New York Adventure as Mike, an Airport Clerk (uncredited)
- Nazi Agent as Ludwig
- Stand by for Action as Flag Lt. Dudley
- Ship Ahoy as Agent Flammer
- For Me and My Gal as France Soldier-Driver (uncredited)
- Fingers at the Window as Devlan
- Pacific Rendezvous as Jasper Dean
- Joe Smith, American as Eddie
- The Affairs of Martha as Mechanic (uncredited)
- Grand Central Murder as Second Railroad Yardman (uncredited)
- Maisie Gets Her Man as Army Stage Manager (Uncredited)
- Cairo as Mechanic at the pyramid (uncredited)
- The Lady or the Tiger? as Frank R. Stockton
1941
- The Big Store as Fred Sutton
- Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as Intern Fenwick
- Love Crazy as Sanitarium Attendant (uncredited)
- Two-Faced Woman as Missing Couple-Skier Searcher (uncredited)
- The Corsican Brothers as One of Lucien's Men (Uncredited)
- The Wild Man of Borneo as Actor in Film Scene (uncredited)
- Whistling in the Dark as Robert Graves
- I'll Wait for You as Driver
- Down in San Diego as Matt Herman
- 1-2-3-Go! as Taxi Driver
- Men of the Timberland as Cafe Patron (uncredited)
1940
- Boom Town as Hotel Desk Clerk #1 (uncredited)
- The Mortal Storm as Nazi Clerk
- I Love You Again as Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
- Broadway Melody of 1940 as Harmon (uncredited)
- New Moon as Pierre
- Flight Command as Lieut. Freddy Townsend
- Florian as Sergeant
- Gallant Sons as Spath, a Gangster (uncredited)
- Sky Murder as Gus
- Phantom Raiders as Sailor
- Wyoming as Sgt. Reynolds
- Andy Hardy Meets Debutante as Mr. Franklin (voice) (uncredited)
- Pound Foolish as Marshall-Agent in Antwerp
- Sporting Blood as Ted Milner
1939
- It's a Wonderful World as Actor as 'Soldier' (uncredited)
- Another Thin Man as State Trooper (uncredited)
- Broadway Serenade as Assistant Stage Manager (uncredited)
- The Ice Follies of 1939 as Assistant Doorman (uncredited)
- Stand Up and Fight as Lewis, Arnold's Henchman
- Within the Law as Green's Clerk
- The Hardys Ride High as Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
- The Secret of Dr. Kildare as Bates (uncredited)
- Fast and Furious as Radio Announcer (uncredited)
- Four Girls in White as Doctor at Accident
- Miracles for Sale as Spectator in Theatre Box
- The Story of Dr. Jenner as Sarah's Sweetheart (uncredited)
1938
- The Mad Miss Manton as Drunk Who Trips in Las Palmas Club (uncredited)
1937
- When Love Is Young as Norman Crocker
1936
- Fury as Governor's Aide (uncredited)
- Speed as Intern Attending Terry
- Crash Donovan as Tony
- The Perfect Set-Up as MGM Crime Reporter Jim (uncredited)
- Exclusive Story as Kent (uncredited)
- Women Are Trouble as Reporter
1935
- She Couldn't Take It as Cesar
- Murder in the Fleet as Pee Wee Adams (Uncredited)
- A Thrill for Thelma as MGM Reporter
1934
- My Grandfather's Clock as Ronny Belvedere
- The Band Plays On as Rosy Rosenberg
- The Spectacle Maker as The Grand Duke as Seen thru the Magic Spectacle