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)
1964
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
- Tombstone Territory as Dr. Buell
- Gun Duel in Durango as Larkin - Man Stealing Guns (uncredited)
- The Tijuana Story
- A Hatful of Rain as Celia's Supervisor (uncredited)
1956
- Friendly Persuasion as Supply Sergeant (uncredited)
- Hey, Jeannie! as Paul Revere
- 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
- Dial Red O as Devon
- Devil Goddess as Nels Comstock
- The Adventures of Champion as Rustler
1954
- Sitting Bull as O'Connor
- The Law vs. Billy the Kid as Dave Rudabaugh
- Captain Kidd and the Slave Girl as Steve Castle (as Bill Tannen)
- The Golden Idol as Sergeant Reed
- Jesse James vs. the Daltons as Emmett Dalton
1953
- Dangerous Crossing as Ship's Officer (uncredited)
- Law and Order as Stranger (uncredited)
- Kiss Me Kate as Taxi Driver (uncredited)
- Raiders of the Seven Seas as Ramon
- Jack McCall, Desperado as Spargo
- 99 River Street as Director
- I, the Jury
- El Paso Stampede as Henchman Joe
- Eyes of the Jungle as Jeff Roper
1952
- The Bad and the Beautiful as Reporter (uncredited)
- Flat Top as Commander (uncredited)
- Dangerous Assignment
- Road Agent as Toll Gate Guard
- Jungle Jim in the Forbidden Land as 'Doc' Edwards
- Talk About a Stranger as Driggs
1951
- Roaring City as Ed Gannon
- The Adventures of Kit Carson
- Insurance Investigator as 1st Hood
- I Was an American Spy as American Captain (uncredited)
- Best of the Badmen as Bill - Adjutant (uncredited)
- A Yank in Korea as Lt. Lewis
- Blue Blood as Sparks
1950
- Pygmy Island as Kruger
- Convicted as Prison Guard (uncredited)
- The Cisco Kid as Bix Douglas
- Chain Gang as Harry Cleaver
- Three Secrets as Bobby Lynch (uncredited)
- Annie Get Your Gun as Barker (uncredited)
- Armored Car Robbery as Officer Johnson (uncredited)
- Riders of the Range as Trump Dixon
- The Flying Missile as Lieutenant
- Sunset in the West as John Kimball (as William J. Tannen)
- Pal, Canine Detective
1949
- Alaska Patrol as Dajek
- Abandoned as Taxi Driver (uncredited)
- All the King's Men as Man in City Bar (uncredited)
- 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
- Cynthia as Dingle Clerk (Uncredited)
- High Barbaree as Officer of the Deck (uncredited)
1946
- Our Old Car as Officer Donahue (uncredited)
1945
- The Great Morgan as Officer Donohue (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Main Street After Dark as Wallet-Preparer (uncredited)
- 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)
1944
- Maisie Goes to Reno as Lead Man (Uncredited)
- Main Street Today as Department of Transportation Representative (uncredited)
- The Canterville Ghost as Jordan
- 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
- Cairo as Mechanic at the pyramid (uncredited)
- Ship Ahoy as Agent Flammer
- Nazi Agent as Ludwig
- Tarzan's New York Adventure as Mike, an Airport Clerk (uncredited)
- Pacific Rendezvous as Jasper Dean
- Woman of the Year as Ellis
- For Me and My Gal as France Soldier-Driver (uncredited)
- The Affairs of Martha as Mechanic (uncredited)
- The Lady or the Tiger? as Frank R. Stockton
- Grand Central Murder as Second Railroad Yardman (uncredited)
- Joe Smith, American as Eddie
- Stand by for Action as Flag Lt. Dudley
- Fingers at the Window as Devlan
- Maisie Gets Her Man as Army Stage Manager (Uncredited)
1941
- The Big Store as Fred Sutton
- Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as Intern Fenwick
- Whistling in the Dark as Robert Graves
- The Corsican Brothers as One of Lucien's Men (Uncredited)
- Down in San Diego as Matt Herman
- Two-Faced Woman as Missing Couple-Skier Searcher (uncredited)
- I'll Wait for You as Driver
- 1-2-3-Go! as Taxi Driver
- Love Crazy as Sanitarium Attendant (uncredited)
- Men of the Timberland as Cafe Patron (uncredited)
1940
- New Moon as Pierre
- Wyoming as Sgt. Reynolds
- Phantom Raiders as Sailor
- Sky Murder as Gus
- Pound Foolish as Marshall-Agent in Antwerp
- Florian as Sergeant
- Sporting Blood as Ted Milner
- Broadway Melody of 1940 as Harmon (uncredited)
- The Mortal Storm as Nazi Clerk
- I Love You Again as Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
- Andy Hardy Meets Debutante as Mr. Franklin (voice) (uncredited)
- Boom Town as Hotel Desk Clerk #1 (uncredited)
- Gallant Sons as Spath, a Gangster (uncredited)
- Flight Command as Lieut. Freddy Townsend
1939
- Broadway Serenade as Assistant Stage Manager (uncredited)
- It's a Wonderful World as Actor as 'Soldier' (uncredited)
- Another Thin Man as State Trooper (uncredited)
- The Ice Follies of 1939 as Assistant Doorman (uncredited)
- Four Girls in White as Doctor at Accident
- Fast and Furious as Radio Announcer (uncredited)
- The Secret of Dr. Kildare as Bates - Intern (uncredited)
- The Hardys Ride High as Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
- Stand Up and Fight as Lewis, Arnold's Henchman
- Within the Law as Green's Clerk
- 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
- Exclusive Story as Kent (uncredited)
- Speed as Intern Attending Terry
- Crash Donovan as Tony
- Fury as Governor's Aide (uncredited)
- Women Are Trouble as Reporter
- The Perfect Set-Up as MGM Crime Reporter Jim (uncredited)
1935
- Murder in the Fleet as Pee Wee Adams (Uncredited)
- A Thrill for Thelma as MGM Reporter
- She Couldn't Take It as Cesar
1934
- The Band Plays On as Rosy Rosenberg
- My Grandfather's Clock as Ronny Belvedere
- The Spectacle Maker as The Grand Duke as Seen thru the Magic Spectacle