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