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
- Tales of Wells Fargo as Keenan
- Wagon Train as Ralph Jessup
- 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
- Gunsmoke as John Hirschbeck
- The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
- MGM Parade as Self
- The Adventures of Champion as Rustler
- Top Gun as Torchy (uncredited)
- Dial Red O as Devon
- Devil Goddess as Nels Comstock
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)
- I, the Jury
- Dangerous Crossing as Ship's Officer (uncredited)
- Raiders of the Seven Seas as Ramon
- 99 River Street as Director
- Eyes of the Jungle as Jeff Roper
- El Paso Stampede as Henchman Joe
- Jack McCall, Desperado as Spargo
1952
- Dangerous Assignment
- The Bad and the Beautiful as Reporter (uncredited)
- Flat Top as Commander (uncredited)
- Road Agent as Toll Gate Guard
- Talk About a Stranger as Driggs
- Jungle Jim in the Forbidden Land as 'Doc' Edwards
1951
- The Adventures of Kit Carson
- Best of the Badmen as Bill - Adjutant (uncredited)
- I Was an American Spy as American Captain (uncredited)
- Roaring City as Ed Gannon
- A Yank in Korea as Lt. Lewis
- Insurance Investigator as 1st Hood
- Blue Blood as Sparks
1950
- The Cisco Kid as Bix Douglas
- Convicted as Prison Guard (uncredited)
- Three Secrets as Bobby Lynch (uncredited)
- Annie Get Your Gun as Barker (uncredited)
- The Flying Missile as Lieutenant
- Armored Car Robbery as Officer Johnson (uncredited)
- Riders of the Range as Trump Dixon
- Pygmy Island as Kruger
- Pal, Canine Detective
- Chain Gang as Harry Cleaver
- Sunset in the West as John Kimball (as William J. Tannen)
1949
- All the King's Men as Man in City Bar (uncredited)
- The Mysterious Desperado as Bart Barton
- Abandoned as Taxi Driver (uncredited)
- Alaska Patrol as Dajek
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)
- A Gun in His Hand as Police Lab Technician Wilson (uncredited)
- Week-End at the Waldorf as Photographer (uncredited)
- The Great Morgan as Officer Donohue (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Main Street After Dark as Wallet-Preparer (uncredited)
1944
- The Canterville Ghost as Jordan
- Maisie Goes to Reno as Lead Man (Uncredited)
- Main Street Today as Department of Transportation Representative (uncredited)
- Dark Shadows as McKay's Assistant (uncredited)
1943
- Air Raid Wardens as Joseph
- Presenting Lily Mars as Eugene Shepherd
- For God and Country as Captain
1942
- Woman of the Year as Ellis
- Nazi Agent as Ludwig
- Tarzan's New York Adventure as Mike, an Airport Clerk (uncredited)
- For Me and My Gal as France Soldier-Driver (uncredited)
- Stand by for Action as Flag Lt. Dudley
- Fingers at the Window as Devlan
- Grand Central Murder as Second Railroad Yardman (uncredited)
- Pacific Rendezvous as Jasper Dean
- The Affairs of Martha as Mechanic (uncredited)
- Maisie Gets Her Man as Army Stage Manager (Uncredited)
- Joe Smith, American as Eddie
- Cairo as Mechanic at the pyramid (uncredited)
- Ship Ahoy as Agent Flammer
- The Lady or the Tiger? as Frank R. Stockton
1941
- Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as Intern Fenwick
- The Big Store as Fred Sutton
- Love Crazy as Sanitarium Attendant (uncredited)
- The Corsican Brothers as One of Lucien's Men (Uncredited)
- Two-Faced Woman as Missing Couple-Skier Searcher (uncredited)
- Whistling in the Dark as Robert Graves
- The Wild Man of Borneo as Actor in Film Scene (uncredited)
- I'll Wait for You as Driver
- 1-2-3-Go! as Taxi Driver
- Down in San Diego as Matt Herman
- Men of the Timberland as Cafe Patron (uncredited)
1940
- The Mortal Storm as Nazi Clerk
- Boom Town as Hotel Desk Clerk #1 (uncredited)
- Broadway Melody of 1940 as Harmon (uncredited)
- Andy Hardy Meets Debutante as Mr. Franklin (voice) (uncredited)
- I Love You Again as Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
- Sky Murder as Gus
- Flight Command as Lieut. Freddy Townsend
- Gallant Sons as Spath, a Gangster (uncredited)
- New Moon as Pierre
- Sporting Blood as Ted Milner
- Phantom Raiders as Sailor
- Wyoming as Sgt. Reynolds
- Florian as Sergeant
- Pound Foolish as Marshall-Agent in Antwerp
1939
- Another Thin Man as State Trooper (uncredited)
- It's a Wonderful World as Actor as 'Soldier' (uncredited)
- Within the Law as Green's Clerk
- Fast and Furious as Radio Announcer (uncredited)
- The Secret of Dr. Kildare as Bates - Intern (uncredited)
- The Ice Follies of 1939 as Assistant Doorman (uncredited)
- Four Girls in White as Doctor at Accident
- Stand Up and Fight as Lewis, Arnold's Henchman
- Broadway Serenade as Assistant Stage Manager (uncredited)
- The Story of Dr. Jenner as Sarah's Sweetheart (uncredited)
- Miracles for Sale as Spectator in Theatre Box
- The Hardys Ride High as Hotel Desk Clerk (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
- Exclusive Story as Kent (uncredited)
- Crash Donovan as Tony
- The Perfect Set-Up as MGM Crime Reporter Jim (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 Spectacle Maker as The Grand Duke as Seen thru the Magic Spectacle
- The Band Plays On as Rosy Rosenberg