
Harry Shannon
Actor · Died July 27, 1964, aged 74 · Saginaw, Michigan, USA
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 Schildkraut's 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 Kane's 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.
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Biography from TMDB.
- June 12, 1890
- July 27, 1964 (aged 74)
- Saginaw, Michigan, USA
- Actor
- 70 on MovieCove · 149 credits in all
What are Harry Shannon's films like?
Across their 37 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 1 · Wry 1 · Earnest 35
A split, not a type: Light 17 · Serious 10 · Dark 10
Grounded 15 · Stylized 20 · Heightened 2
Gentle 11 · Charged 16 · Intense 10
Steady 18 · Shifting 18 · Whiplash 1
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 23 · Some laughs 9 · Funny 5
Slow burn 12 · Even-paced 20 · Relentless 5
Casual 23 · Engaged 12 · Full focus 2
A split, not a type: Easy watch 15 · Affecting 13 · Heavy 9
Resolved 31 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 1
Roles they play
Usually the Threshold guardian: 4 of 9 analyzed roles.
Show the 9 rolesHide the roles
- Mentoras Sam Bennett in Song of Texas (1943)
- Threshold guardianas Judge John Grey in Idaho (1943)
- Threshold guardianas Sheriff Elwood in The Mummy's Ghost (1944)
- Shadowas Sam Weston in The Yellow Rose of Texas (1944)
- Shadowas Sawyer in Mary Ryan, Detective (1949)
- Mentoras Wallace Bennett in Hunt the Man Down (1950)
- Threshold guardianas Sheriff Brown in Cry of the Hunted (1953)
- Allyas Smokestack in Kansas Pacific (1953)
- Threshold guardianas Captain Donnelly in Witness to Murder (1954)
Moods and endings
- Happy22
- Bittersweet11
- Tragic4
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Harry Shannon's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 27 of their 70 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (19).
- Touch of Evil (1958) · actor · free
- The Gunfighter (1950) · actor · free
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) · actor · free
- The Red House (1947) · actor · free
- The Texan (1958) · actor · free
- The Loretta Young Show (1953) · actor · free
- Witness to Murder (1954) · actor · free
- The Real McCoys (1957) · actor · free
- Where Danger Lives (1950) · actor · free
- Bat Masterson (1958) · actor · free
- In Old Oklahoma (1943) · actor · free
- The Jackie Robinson Story (1950) · actor · free
- +7 more
- The Gunfighter (1950) · actor · free
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) · actor · free
- The Violent Men (1955) · actor · free
- The Red House (1947) · actor · free
- The Texan (1958) · actor · free
- The Loretta Young Show (1953) · actor · free
- The Real McCoys (1957) · actor · free
- Bat Masterson (1958) · actor · free
- In Old Oklahoma (1943) · actor · free
- The Jackie Robinson Story (1950) · actor · free
- Tulsa (1949) · actor · free
- 26 Men (1957) · actor · free
- +4 more
- Touch of Evil (1958) · actor
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) · actor
- The Red House (1947) · actor
- The Texan (1958) · actor
- Witness to Murder (1954) · actor
- The Real McCoys (1957) · actor
- The Jackie Robinson Story (1950) · actor
- Tulsa (1949) · actor
- Song of Texas (1943) · actor
- Kansas Pacific (1953) · actor · free
- Cow Town (1950) · actor
- Lassie (1954) · actor
- +2 more
- The Gunfighter (1950) · actor · free
- The Red House (1947) · actor · free
- The Texan (1958) · actor · free
- The Real McCoys (1957) · actor · free
- Bat Masterson (1958) · actor · free
- In Old Oklahoma (1943) · actor · free
- The Lonely Man (1957) · actor · free
- The Jackie Robinson Story (1950) · actor · free
- Tulsa (1949) · actor · free
- 26 Men (1957) · actor · free
- The Yellow Rose of Texas (1944) · actor · free
- Cow Town (1950) · actor · free
- Great American Pure Flix, show their 5 titles on Great American Pure Flix
- Best Westerns Ever, show their 4 titles on Best Westerns Ever
- IndieFlix, show their 4 titles on IndieFlix
- Shout! TV, show their 4 titles on Shout! TV
- ScreenPix, show their 3 titles on ScreenPix
- Best TV Ever, show their 2 titles on Best TV Ever
- Howdy, show their 2 titles on Howdy
- Dove Channel, show their title on Dove Channel
- Screambox, show their title on Screambox
- UP Faith & Family, show their title on UP Faith & Family
Subscription and free streaming for Harry Shannon's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
149 credits, 70 with a MovieCove page.

The World of Tomorrow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

The Dakotas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

Gypsy(1962)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
The Virginian (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

Summer and Smoke(1961)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
Wild in the Country(1961)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
Angel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

Yellowstone Kelly(1959)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
The Untouchables (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

Lock-Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

Rawhide (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

The Buccaneer(1958)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
Bat Masterson(1958)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all shows
The Texan(1958)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows
Man or Gun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

Touch of Evil(1958)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
26 Men(1957)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all shows
The Real McCoys(1957)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows
The Thin Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

Sugarfoot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

Have Gun, Will Travel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

The Lonely Man(1957)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Hell's Crossroads (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

Duel at Apache Wells (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

The Peacemaker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

Wire Service (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

Written on the Wind(1956)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all filmsState Trooper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

Come Next Spring(1956)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
At Gunpoint (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

Crossroads (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows
The Marauders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

The Tall Men(1955)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Cheyenne(1955)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows
Navy Log (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

Gunsmoke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

The Violent Men(1955)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
The Millionaire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

Lassie(1954)
Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all shows
Executive Suite(1954)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Witness to Murder(1954)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
Rails Into Laramie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

Phantom Stallion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

Jack Slade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

The Man Behind the Badge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

The Loretta Young Show(1953)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows
Roar of the Crowd (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

Cry of the Hunted(1953)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
Kansas Pacific(1953)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
The Ford Television Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

Cavalcade of America (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

Lure of the Wilderness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

Flesh and Fury(1952)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
High Noon(1952)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

The Scarf(1951)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
The Lemon Drop Kid(1951)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Blue Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

Pride of Maryland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

Al Jennings of Oklahoma(1951)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
Hunt the Man Down(1950)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
The Flying Missile (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

The Sound of Fury(1950)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films
Where Danger Lives(1950)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
The Underworld Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

Three Little Words(1950)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
The Gunfighter(1950)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
Cow Town(1950)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Singing Guns (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

Tarnished (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

Mary Ryan, Detective(1949)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
Mr. Soft Touch(1949)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Tulsa(1949)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Champion(1949)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
Rustlers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
Big Town Scandal(1948)
Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films
Fighting Father Dunne (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
My Girl Tisa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

The Lady from Shanghai(1947)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
Dangerous Years(1947)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
The Invisible Wall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

Exposed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

Time Out of Mind(1947)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
The Farmer's Daughter(1947)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Nora Prentiss(1947)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
The Devil Thumbs a Ride(1947)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
The Red House(1947)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
San Quentin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

Crack-Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

The Last Crooked Mile(1946)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
Canyon Passage(1946)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
Night Editor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

I Ring Doorbells (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

Pride of the Marines (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

Captain Eddie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

Crime, Inc. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)
Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
The Mummy's Ghost(1944)
Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films
The Yellow Rose of Texas(1944)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
True to Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

In Old Oklahoma(1943)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
Headin' for God's Country (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

Someone to Remember (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

Alaska Highway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

Song of Texas(1943)
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
Idaho(1943)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
The Powers Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

Once Upon a Honeymoon(1942)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

The Big Street(1942)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
In Old California(1942)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
The Falcon Takes Over(1942)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
The Mad Martindales (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

This Gun for Hire(1942)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
The Affairs of Jimmy Valentine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

The Lady Is Willing(1942)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
Hold Back the Dawn(1941)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Citizen Kane(1941)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
The Saint In Palm Springs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

Tugboat Annie Sails Again (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

Too Many Girls(1940)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
One Crowded Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

The Girl from Avenue A (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

Sailor's Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

Gambling on the High Seas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

Tear Gas Squad(1940)
Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films
Young Tom Edison(1940)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
Parole Fixer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

City of Chance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

The Middleton Family at the New York World's Fair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

Alibi Mark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

Shake, Mr. Shakespeare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

A Peach of a Pair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

Smoked Hams (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

No More West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)
Take a Chance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

Close Relations (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

20,000 Cheers for the Chain Gang (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)
Wrongorilla (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)
The Campus Mystery (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

Heads Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

Faint Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

Sympathy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)
Career shape
Star power in the 96th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 149 titles from 1929 to 1984.
Film career
- 1941Screen debut· Citizen Kane
Billing
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.
How do Harry Shannon's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 63rd percentile, the median of all 62; across their 37 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 57th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up22
- 50th to 74th29
- 25th to 49th16
- Below 25th3
Shape of the crowd
46 of their 70 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved7
- Crowd Pleaser46
- Broadly Agreed8
- Mixed9
Reviewers score the acting 70/100 in their films, across 36 reviewed titles; fans 77, detractors 49. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Who does Harry Shannon work with?
People who share at least 2 of Harry Shannon's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Joseph Kane shares the most, 3.
Directors
- Joseph KaneShared titles: The Yellow Rose of Texas (1944), Idaho (1943), Song of Texas (1943)See all 3 shared titles with Joseph Kane

- Henry LevinShared titles: The Lonely Man (1957), Mr. Soft Touch (1949)See all 2 shared titles with Henry Levin

Writers
- Frank S. NugentShared titles: The Tall Men (1955), Tulsa (1949)See all 2 shared titles with Frank S. Nugent

Actors
- Barton MacLaneShared titles: Kansas Pacific (1953), The Mummy's Ghost (1944), Song of Texas (1943)See all 3 shared titles with Barton MacLane

- Hal TaliaferroShared titles: The Yellow Rose of Texas (1944), Idaho (1943), Song of Texas (1943)See all 3 shared titles with Hal Taliaferro

- Roy RogersShared titles: The Yellow Rose of Texas (1944), Idaho (1943), Song of Texas (1943)See all 3 shared titles with Roy Rogers

- Walter BrennanShared titles: Come Next Spring (1956), Curtain Call at Cactus Creek (1950)See all 2 shared titles with Walter Brennan

Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Frank SkinnerShared titles: Written on the Wind (1956), Tulsa (1949), The Mummy's Ghost (1944)See all 3 shared titles with Frank Skinner

- Jack A. MartaShared titles: Come Next Spring (1956), The Yellow Rose of Texas (1944), In Old California (1942)See all 3 shared titles with Jack A. Marta
- Tony MartinelliShared titles: Come Next Spring (1956), The Yellow Rose of Texas (1944), Song of Texas (1943)See all 3 shared titles with Tony Martinelli
- Herschel Burke GilbertShared titles: Witness to Murder (1954), The Scarf (1951), The Jackie Robinson Story (1950)See all 3 shared titles with Herschel Burke Gilbert

Producers
- Walter WangerShared titles: Kansas Pacific (1953), Tulsa (1949)See all 2 shared titles with Walter Wanger

- Leonard GoldsteinShared titles: Flesh and Fury (1952), Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin' (1948)See all 2 shared titles with Leonard Goldstein
- Robert StillmanShared titles: The Sound of Fury (1950), Champion (1949)See all 2 shared titles with Robert Stillman
- Harry GreyShared titles: The Yellow Rose of Texas (1944), Song of Texas (1943)See all 2 shared titles with Harry Grey
Mixed roles
- Terry O. MorseShared titles: Tulsa (1949), Tear Gas Squad (1940)See all 2 shared titles with Terry O. Morse





